Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 21:06:19 -0400
Reply-To: Mark Thoma <TVReporter@STRATOS.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Mark Thoma <TVReporter@STRATOS.NET>
Subject: Re: Diesel Fanatacism
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
WoW....I had no idea!
Sounds like you and ms. thermocouple have been spending too much spare time
reading about diesels.
Actually you would have enjoyed talking with the guy from Nasa Lewis that I
had the occasion to meet the other day.
I was doing a morning story on a new "hybrid" bus that RTD was testing. It
uses a combination of an Audi 5 cylinder that runs a generator that charges
either a bank of hi-tech Russian capacitors or a variable speed electric
motor. The idea is let the capacitors give the electric boost the motor
needs for take-off, then use basically just the engine/generator combo power
the bus once it's moving. Braking is of course done with brakes, but also a
reverse polarity grid that feeds the capacitors, which by the way are
extremely efficient, but only hold a charge for a matter of a few seconds,
minute at the most.
I digress...
Our discussion got around to what the very latest thinking is in terms of
what we'll all be driving in say 20 years and he said small gas
turbine/electric hybrids. Here's the theory in a nutshell. The turbines
can run off natural gas, (and then hydrogen if and when fusion becomes a
reality). Since the only parts that experience friction are the turbine
bearings they'll last virtually forever. They're extremely efficient when
running at a constant speed and theyll power a generator/capacitor grid with
computer controlled electric traction motor at each wheel.
Here's the Buck Rogers part...
Since these things are basically an electricity generator with wheels you'll
get paid to park them instead of the other way around. Whenever you park
anywhere for any length of time, you'll plug in and your little piece of Com
Ed will feed a regional grid which will send you a check once a month, or
credit your computer account or whatever. Cars will become such a large
part of the electric generating that the large utilities will be able to
forestall more Nuke plants and shut down existing ones. And if the
technology goes far enough, the end product will be almost zero emissions!
At any rate that's what the guys who sent someone to the moon are working on
these days.
I'm still dealing with a dirty old diesel.
:-)
Thoma
p.s. He also said the latest small turbines are extremely quiet, and very,
very fast.
-----Original Message-----
From: Erik O <koesel@UAKRON.EDU>
To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM <Vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
Date: Monday, May 18, 1998 11:03 AM
Subject: Re: DIESEL is.. Long....
>KENWILFY wrote:
>>
>> Better get to like them. They are the engine of the future. I am NOT
joking.
>> Ken Wilford
>> John 3:16
>> PS This subject has already been discussed at length on the List a few
months
>> ago. Check the archives.
>
>I wouldn't say diesels are the engine of the future, maybe of the
>present to the next 10 years or so. That Otmar guy building the stretch
>TD Westfalia is working on the engines of the future, and past (and
>thousands of others are doing it too!). Electric is here! Has been for
>awhile, the first automobile was electric. There still is an important
>place for the diesel, which is far superior to the gasoline engine.
>
>I remember when I was a little kid, one of the few memories of my father
>was once at a gas station, during late seventies (I'm 26 currently, for
>reference). He must have come back from paying for the gas and he was
>noticeably mad. I asked him what was wrong and he said he was mad at the
>price of gas, which was like 65 cents a gallon if I remember correctly.
>I sat quietly for a few minutes and then asked him if he thought gas
>would ever cost one dollar a gallon. He smiled and chuckled a bit and
>said yes, someday it will.
>
>I filled up the tank on the Vanagon yesterday and paid a whopping $1.029
>per gallon. I was paying over a dollar a gallon when I first got my
>license back in 1987 (Y2K compliance). One indication that gas is so
>cheap is Detroit selling vehicles getting 14/18 city/highway. Go test
>drive one of those huge Lincoln Navigators. Excessiveness at the
>extreme!
>
>Back to diesel. Diesel fuel is cheaper than gas. Gas goes through many
>refinement steps to get to the pump. When bought in bulk, like farmers
>do, diesel costs less than $20 cents a gallon. Any farmers out there
>with a correct, "current" figure?
>
>Diesel engines are more efficient than gas. I believe diesels are up to
>%40 efficient compared to gas at %25 at best (someone correct those
>figures).
>
>Diesels can be run on organic fuels with little or no modifications. Soy
>and peanut oils are two of the options. Someone drove a van on oil
>recycled from deep fryers across the country last year, check out
>http://www.vegivan.com
>
>I just wonder what will happen to the price of gas when APEC finally
>realizes they are "sold out". I know they say they have reserves that'll
>last them well into the next century, but look around the next time
>you're stuck in traffic and wonder how long this can last. I'm aware
>that North America has more reserves than the Middle East ever had, but
>at what price. How would the market be if we were forced into using our
>own reserves? How well would those Navagators and other SUV's be selling
>if gas prices went to $2.00 or $4.00? Gas will reach those prices in my
>lifetime, I'll bet on that.
>
>
>My 2 cents and hypocrisy, driving my gas converted ex-diesel
>Westfalia.... will be a diesel again someday....
>
>
>_______________________
>Erik O Akron, Oh
>82 GTI Westfalia
>http://ebyte.com/gl
>http://ebyte.com/wow
>
>
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