Hybrid Lovers Read This and Lament

A group of researchers built an interesting mod to a Prius (or some other
hybrid). They added more batteries - but not enough for a long range --
and a charger.

The result was a vehicle that could cope with a short commute using energy
from the overnight charge, while long distances could also be achieved
through the gas engine. The overall fuel economy (and vehicle cost) was
significantly greater than that of the original hybrid, while the range
was grater than that of a 100% battery vehicle.

 

Yes! And a recoil starter, just like on my snowblower for when the
batteries get weak!

Ken

 

Hi...

If one is foolish enough to put 4 AA nimh's in their pocket while
bike riding with their grand daughter, they can burn their leg
terribly painfully, leaving a bad scar

Don't ask me how I know that, eh?

 

Yes, that was the http://www.edrivesystems.com/ link that I already posted.

Ted

 

One thing is true about any new technology the owners are like the early
pioneers, and you know how you could tell who the poineers were? They were
the ones face down with arrows in there back.

 

To paraphrase Mae West: "Is that a pair of C-cells in your pocket or are
you just happy to see me?"

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

Would the pull cord be long enough to start the motor from inside the car?
LOL

mike

 

Heh heh! I don't know if the big diesel manufacturers still do this,
but when I was a kid, I remember being told (probably by my dad) that
the Caterpillar scraper engines used small gasoline engines (with their
own electric starter of course) to start the main engine. Not sure if
the starter engines were one lungers or something bigger. I think also,
in some large engines, electric motors spin up a flywheel to start a
larger main engine (some WWII aircraft engines sound as if they use such
a system).

Theoretically you could probably transfer the total energy of a few C-
or D- cells into such a flywheel system (or a large capacitor for that
matter) over a minute or two - use them once, then throw them away. Not
sure if a handful of AA's have the total energy necessary. "Give me a
big enough lever and i can move the earth."

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

Google for "Coffman Cartridge"

http://www.sjvls.org/bens/bf010cs.htm

 

What will you use for a fulcrum?

mike

 

I recently saw a print article about this topic, not sure if this is
the full thing, but quite interesting to me.

http://www.sdreader.com/php/cover.php?mode=article&showpg=1&id=20051020

"The chassis that's sitting in a workroom on the campus of San Diego
State University is painted a shade of red you'd expect to see on the
lips of an attention-starved woman. On a car, the color conjures up
speed, sass, and power. But this car's looks are deceptive. Although
it can blast from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in less than five
seconds, a single gallon of fuel can propel the vehicle 80 miles. The
engine is augmented by a battery-powered motor, which can be recharged
by plugging a cord into an ordinary wall socket. And the engine fuel?
You can run it on diesel if that's convenient. But soybean oil works
just as well."

"San Diego State University Professor Jim Burns says people have asked
him where they could buy a car like this. "Nowhere," he has to say.
When Burns and his team of engineering students designed and built the
car -- which they called the "Enigma" -- they weren't trying to develop
a commercial product. Instead they wanted to prove that it was possible
to make an automobile that used no fossil fuels, got phenomenal
mileage, and looked and performed like a race car. Four years later,
Burns and a new team of students are attempting to transform
Chevrolet's Equinox into the kind of SUV even an environmentalist could
love. Their work is part of the Challenge X competition, which is being
cosponsored by General Motors and the Department of Energy. Theirs is
one of 17 teams, and hardly among the front-runners."

The team's site is at:

http://www.engineering.sdsu.edu/~hev/index.htm

Dave

 

Hey - haven't you ever heard the experession "Don't sweat the small
stuff"? Don't bother me with details.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

That seems kind of weird, but if our discussion helped you fire up the
ol' "number one spark plug" again, then glad we could help. The
centerfolds aren't working for you anymore?

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

She electrified him.

Ted

 

Good idea.
Including the cost of electricity to charge it?

 

the moon of course

 

The hybrids are here to stay

Those who have not started making hybrids are out in the cold

Fuel cells in combination with something else is the future

 

Which is the best one??

 

Sorry perhaps I should have asked, which is the best make and
model.

 

Which is the best make and model of Hybrid cars and/or fuel cells

I guess all the major car companies have at least one for you to try
out

Lets say ordinary petrol/diesel cars have a lifespan of 10 years with
all their moving parts

The fuel cell cars have a lot less moving parts and theoretically they
could last for decades

We are then talking about comfort and usability of the cars

You do not take ordinary car and turn it into a fuel cell car

Because we are in fact talking about a revolution, there is hardly any
experince with these cars yet

Even if the numbers are marginal at the moment in a few years they will
be taking over from the others

There is not much production capacity for these cars yet

It is changing dramatically and fast

All the infrastructures for energydistribution needs to be built up and
it will

The need for oil will eventually drop

Fuel cells can be used for heating up houses and in your cell phones

Nuclear plants will be built to generate electricity

There is a lot riding on this new technology

We may not need to pay terrorists for the energy in the future