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Car Tech: What's your favorite alternative fuel?
- 4/24/07 5:45 PM
Electodynamo is what powers the sun
by FredMars - 5/9/07 11:42 AM In reply to: Cold fusion by MarkFlax
If you still believe the sun a fusion reactor then you may also think the world is flat. There are physicists today that can say without a doubt that the sun is a dynamo, generating electricity and that the fusion of particles is a RESULT of the tremendous plasma (electricity) that creates that effect.
Cold fusion is not a myth, 20 years away, or requires vast amounts of energy. Pons-Fleischmann (sp?) aside, Farnsworth's FUSOR worked and it was patented by ITT. THEY claimed it did not work, but then why keep a patent on a device that doesn't work?
I'll keep working on my own to produce the answer. A device that reuired very little energy as startup input and generates much more elctricity than that input. No, I do not claim that it defies the Conservation of Energy Laws, it just uses energy that current dogma refuses to acknowledge exsistence of. Brown (T. Townsend), Moray, Tesla, all experiemented and found similar phenomenae. I'm just working to make it practical to use in a vehicle or home.
Air
by dopestgingah - 4/28/07 6:06 PM In reply to: What's your favorite alternative fuel? by wcunning
While the concepts of Hydrogen, BioDisel, Electricity are good options, they all have costs to them. They all cost money to make or produce. I, like every single person who drives a car, am sick of having to pay to fuel my car so often. The BioDisel is probably the best option for high power, performance cars in the next 50 years or so. There was a "Pimp My Ride" recently where a 1965 Chevrolet Impala was modified to have a 850 horsepower engine, and had BioDisel. The Impala beat a regular gas powered Lamborghini in a drag race! (http://domesticfuel.com/?p=1876) However I like the idea of an air powered car the best. Since this car will have a truly never ending resource (it just emits air!), they can never charge money for this! While the car on their site might not look like the most appealing, their will certainly be improvements. They might not go 200 mph right now, but the technology will get better. We really needs to bring this to the attention of everyone! http://www.theaircar.com/
Ethanol / E-85 and the Hybrid Fallacy
by computerlegalexperts.com - 4/29/07 7:45 AM In reply to: What's your favorite alternative fuel? by wcunning
Hybrids, aka "George Jetson Cars" are a cruel environmental joke. First, I drive an American-Built Mercury Mountaineer SUV, with an E-85 Flex-Fuel engine. I use E-85 and at the 100,000 mile period, I will have used 40% LESS FOSSIL FUEL than some wimpy 55 mpg Prius that is made in Japan and I won't have to worry about the DISPOSAL OF BATTERIES into the environment. As far as processing the E-85 fuel, producers are using methane gas, from steer and cow manure (no bull and no pun intended) for powering the generators. As far a the food supply goes, there is a process for saw-grass and other waste materials (such as cheese whey at Land o' Lakes) for ethanol production. I'd worry more about the price of cotton shirts than an impact on ther food supply. Corn production will increase since a number of farmers are switching from cotton to corn production this next year. Oh yes, E-85 is made in America, by Americans, so the money doesn't support nut-cases like Hugo Chavez or international terrorist organizations.
Hybrids and the E85 fallacy
by albizzia - 5/7/07 6:30 PM In reply to: Ethanol / E-85 and the Hybrid Fallacy by computerlegalexperts.comYou are lucky to be able to get E85. Here in California, with more cars than any other state, there is exactly one E85 station! Several states have none at all.
Don't ignore the fossil fuels used to make ethanol - the tractorsm trucks, and combine harvesters the corn farmers drive usually run on diesel. Moreover, your milage drops with E85 use, as it has less energy per gallon than gasoline.
Butanol is better, it can be made from the same feedstocks, it has more energy per gallon than ethanol, and best of all, can be used in standard IC engines without modification - including hybrids. Unfortunately, like ethanol, butanol is hard to find at the pump.
I will never have to worry about battery disposal for my Prius, as:
1) It has a 10 year 150,000 mile warranty,
2) There are many Prius that have far exceeded that warranty and still use their original battery,
3) if in the far future I do have to replace the battery, it will be recycled to recover the nickle and other valuable metals it contains.
Right...
by FerrarimanF2000 - 10/3/08 10:34 AM In reply to: Hybrids and the E85 fallacy by albizziaI am sure you are keeping your car 15 years or more but the average american only keeps their car for 36 months or less...Doesn't seem like I can make my money back on a hybrid fast enough. I wish I could.
I am anxious to see fuel cell technology develop also...
GREEN: THE NEW RED, WHITE AND BLUE
by Lance Ware - 4/30/07 10:18 AM In reply to: What's your favorite alternative fuel? by wcunning
In a previous e-mail, I alluded to a show that came on the Science Channel that discussed alternate fuel sources. Well, it came on again on the Discovery Times Channel a little over a week ago. It was called Green: The New Red, White and Blue. One of the possible power sources explored on the show was wind power.
After reading some the e-mail submissions and looking at current research, I think that electric cars might be a more viable option than hydrogen now. But as I pointed out in my last e-mail, with all the open land and ocean we have in and around our country, why can't we construct enough wind turbines to supply all the free electricity we need. In a recent interview, Rudy Gulliani said that wind power isn't dependable because sometimes there is no wind (I'm paraphrasing). That's not true. Wind power is just converted solar energy. The sun's rays heat the earth. The earth is heated unevenly because of it's geography, water, etc. So the temperature differences of the earth along with it's rotation cause the atmosphere to move. It is free energy 24/7/365. And if enough wind turbines are built all over the country and in our surrounding bodies of water, you wouldn't have to worry about the wind not blowing in one area of the country (which is highly unlikely anyway). When it's cloudy...the wind is blowing. When the sun goes down...the wind is blowing. When there is a storm...the wind is really blowing. When somebody farts...the wind is blowing (although you may not like it).
I would like to search some research done on how many turbines would have to be constructed to supply our energy needs. Additionally, a nationwide land and body of water use study should be done to give some idea of how much area would have to be dedicated for wind turbine farms. The benefits are no dependence on ANYONE for energy sources, a cleaner environment, and fewer wars fighting over oil thereby saving lives.
This is the most viable stopgap measure until someone invents a viable nuclear fusion reactor a century or two from now.
I like your outlook here...
by prodesma - 4/30/07 9:23 PM In reply to: GREEN: THE NEW RED, WHITE AND BLUE by Lance WareI'm reading your take on wind being the new gas (oh, that is bad!!!) and I think makes some sense. Well, with enough turbines built.
One thing that makes this much, much more sensible is the fact that non-arable land could be used. Especially foothills and mountainous regions where housing and industry can pretty much never build (and produces stronger winds). Kinda like how the Hoover Dam (I know, hydro) supplies most of the energy for Los Angeles (and much of California actually) even though it is pretty far away.
With the scary estimates of our population DOUBLING in about 40-60 years, we are in trouble NOW. Most census experts support a notion that our fragile planet can only support between 8.5 billion to 12 billion people... It is not only pollution. It is farmable (arable) land, and sustainable eco-ystems.
Finding ways to use the otherwise non-usable land is a tremendous advantage that should not be overlooked quickly. Cheers.
I think this alternative fuel will top them all
by Daniel-korea2000 - 4/30/07 11:16 AM In reply to: What's your favorite alternative fuel? by wcunning
Looking at your choices for alternative fuels, I think another one will beat them all. It's called bio-petroleum and it's made with phytoplankton or algae. It doesn't produce any kind of cardon dioxide: it actually eats it. There was an article on some spanish university last summer who proved it can be done and it is so much more efficient than corn(what a laugh), soyseed, or any other kind other plant. It grows so much faster and makes so much more per pounds it leaves all the rest in the dust.
Hydrogen fuel can put up a fight to this technique if you lower the cost of the NASA system that makes hydrogen from magnesium, since this mineral is the 3rd or 4th most common mineral on the planet. If you don't know, the biggest problem with hydrogen is making the stuff economically and environmentally sound and then transporting the stuff where people need it which is everywhere.
One More Fuel Source: Human Body
by p411001 - 4/30/07 12:59 PM In reply to: What's your favorite alternative fuel? by wcunning
Maybe 100 years or later: Every human body carries electric charge. If this charge could be captured,amplified and used to run machines; if fat can be converted into some form of energy without opening a skin; if heartbeats could be used to create some form of energy.
Never mind...if we cannot fast develop solar_energy as alternate source, there is more than science & technology controlling the possibility of alternate fuels. Oil Trillions win against any other form of energy.
If used properly...
by Tymlaird - 5/4/07 9:53 PM In reply to: One More Fuel Source: Human Body by p411001I had been thinking of the idea of body heat for living environments. It's only really practical with superinsulated buildings, but if someone could introduce the idea of actually building arcologies, giant city buildings that would house tens of thousands as superinsulated passive solar heated and cooled structures, no heating fuel energy might be needed at all. Everyone could walk to work or take the elevator, so no private vehicles would be needed either. The structure of the cities we live in is still the same as bronze age early civilization in many ways. We could put more acreage back to farming or forestry. On that sort of scale, electricity could be produced entirely from passive heated air chambers from the air movement. And maybe include a giant air core inductor into the design, using the difference between the earth's core and crust rotation to create current flow.
Wayne Cunningham, do your homework!!!
by pablonona - 5/2/07 11:13 AM In reply to: What's your favorite alternative fuel? by wcunning
Do your homework more thoroughly prior to writing...
I love how you boohoo'd Biodiesel, stating that you don't think we eat enough fried food, as if leftover or straight vegetable oil were the only source for biodiesel.
Biodisel production plants can use soy beans and leftover animal products from chop houses to produce this a much more environmentally and self-sunstainable fuel than you led on (actual Biodiesel, not SVO), your biases deeply influence what you write, and that's okay to an extent, just don't mislead people.
Message was edited by: admin to remove personal attack
Hot Air
by Jefferis Peterson - 5/2/07 7:39 PM In reply to: What's your favorite alternative fuel? by wcunning
Because the average surface temperature is rising on Mars as well, and I'm sure we are responsible for it. And in the 900's Greenland was actually green and good for farming and the average global temperature was much hotter than today, and there was no industry at all.
So why don't we all feel guilty and buy meaningless and fraudulent carbon offsets to make our miserable consciences feel better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4boaEbtjByU
Scientists disagree with the political religion of Global warming.
The ice caps show that heat cycles did not increase with the increase of CO2.... Rather it is just the opposite. Large CO2 was coincident with lower temperatures...
What's your favorite alternative fuel?
by chucklw - 5/2/07 7:41 PM In reply to: What's your favorite alternative fuel? by wcunning
I prefer telecommuting; my alternative fuel is no fuel.
I have only one comment:
by eKvin - 5/2/07 7:42 PM In reply to: What's your favorite alternative fuel? by wcunning
www.teslamotors.com
Yes
by Patman3 - 5/2/07 8:15 PM In reply to: I have only one comment: by eKvinI would get one but its only a 2 seater for now, bad part not available until next summer 08. Then in 09 somekind of other SUV type. I can't wait!! What about the ZAP X?
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