Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/02/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]When I first heard about hybrids I thought they would work as you suggest: a prime mover driving a generator with batteries, the prime mover able to start/stop as required. The current all-in-one setup is a compromise - using less space. I don't know the idling fuel usage for gas turbines but I suspect they are rather high. And they don't solve the green-house gas problem that comes from buring hydrocarbon fuels - a problem we simply must face. That's the real attraction to fuel cells - one can envision a method of power production that is renewable and which stores energy efficiently. Adam On 2/1/06, Mattheis, William G CIV <william.mattheis@navy.mil> wrote: > On 30 Jan Adam Bridge wrote: > > > "I don't believe I'll see even scientific break-even in fusion plant in > my life-time let alone a full-scale fusion plant. I'm still a friend > of fission plants - the new technologies are vastly safer than designs > of 30-40 years ago - but I think nuclear in the United States is dead. > People are afraid of anything technical and the anti-nuclear forces > shout LOUDLY even if they are shouting FUD most of the time (at best.)" > > > Adam you may well be correct about fusion, but we have made enormous > strides in my short lifetime so I continue to beleive. I agree about > fission power. It is clear, the required resources are abundant and safe. > New reprocessing technologies not only make this resource more valuable, > but also help deal with the spent fuel issues. Unfortunately, I also > agree with your sense of difficulty in winning public acceptance. I guess > the huge volumes of acid rain and other pollutants from coal fired power > plants are less frightening than nuclear issue, but they should not be. > > I think small turbines in cars would make a nice hybrid without any > superconductor requirements. Use the turbine to drive a generator to > power electric drive with high efficiency batteries as a "buffer" between > the generator and electric drive. Batteries provide levels of current > required for acceleration and other high demand situations [steep grades, > etc.] and direct drive from generator for sustaining velocity as when > cruising the freeway at speed. > > Anyway, great exchanging thoughts. I think that in our capitalist > economy, dollars will dictate the power source we will use in the future, > i.e., the cheapest alternative will prevail. Now, if we find a way to > charge the full cost of systems to include cleaning up environmental > impact, then the "cheapest alternative" may not be hydorcarbon based. > > Bill > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >