Fuel Prices

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

We have a number of Amish people who live between my center in Plattsburgh and the center in Potsdam and people will often mock their simpler lifestyles but I have to believe that they are having the last laugh as they go about their lives with their horse and buggy. Put a bucket on both the front and rear end of the horse and you are all set.

 

[But Benefits Are Great!]

how about horse and buggy, like on that "carless" island somewhere. How about golfcarts pulling little carts behind them for the tight residential deliveries. Is a battery powered package car so futuristic? What makes this technology so hard to apply?

Battery technology.

The ability, means are available now. Unfortunately, to get a 150 mile range with meaningful power, you would need (the equivilent of) 120-140 car batteries, which would weigh a ton. Or use lithium Ion/Polymer batteries, which would be much smaller - but then each truck would cost 1.5 million dollars.

You heard it here first: Package cars will be electric, with just a few LiPo batteries, some ultra capacitors, an AC motor system, and a diesel generator. Fuel economy would double.

 

[Fnix]

The irreg trains are charged with 6 car batteries and are charged up at end of day.

 

[FromBluetoBrown]

If only we could mine He3 from space...

and then we can make the Kessel Run in less then 12 parsecs

 

[rushfan]

Do you remember the balloon with hydrogen experiment in junior high school science class? My concern all of our package cars would have the potential of becoming package bombs on wheels.

 

[brett636]

Is a hydrogen car anywhere near in the future?

The hydrogen powered car is already here. http://automobiles.honda.com/fcx-clarity/

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Brett, don't tell BBAG--he is convinced that hyrdogen cars will never be cost-effective enough for mass production. Something about fuel cells, infrastructure concerns and, oh yeah, a flux capacitor.

 

[New Englander]

Or one that actually has something to do directly with us.

http://www.epa.gov/fuelcell/program.htm

 

[alister]

Hydrogen will (eventually) be used in fuel cells, which generate electricity, which will run electric hub-motors.. It will never be used to burn in an engine like gasoline is today.

Fuel cells are too expensive. The technology is there now, just no hydrogen infrastructure, plus the cells are more expensive than plutonium.

never say never

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9960833-54.html

 

[alister]

Do you remember the balloon with hydrogen experiment in junior high school science class? My concern all of our package cars would have the potential of becoming package bombs on wheels.

They said the same thing about gasoline when it first started being used.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

They said the same thing about gasoline when it first started being used.

And they also swore up and down that the world was flat.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Or one that actually has something to do directly with us.

http://www.epa.gov/fuelcell/program.htm

Good post--the link was informative.

 

[New Englander]

I'm not always being an arse you know

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I'm not always being an arse you know

I wonder if padding stops depends upon the fuel source. JK.

 

[But Benefits Are Great!]

Sigh - Yes, you can burn hydrogen in a car. It does work. It compares to using a fine Stradivarius Violin to beat on a bongo drum. It works, but it is a waste of a fine violin.

Hydrogen will be used in fuel cell powered cars en masse, unlike burning Hydrogen in an Internal Combustian Engine.

Believe it or not, this is one of the few things in the world I actually DO know about, but I'll scoot off this thread.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Buh-bye. Don't forget your lovely parting gift on your way out the door.

 

[New Englander]

I wonder if padding stops depends upon the fuel source. JK.

Only if there are orientation arrows.

 

[hseofpayne]

I wonder if padding stops depends upon the fuel source. JK.

You can pad your fuel stops by filling up halfway, stopping the pump, and then filling up the rest of your tank at the same pump. You've gotten credit for stopping twice for fuel when you actually just stopped in one location! You have 2 receipts for fuel from one stop!

 

[alister]

Sigh - Yes, you can burn hydrogen in a car. It does work. It compares to using a fine Stradivarius Violin to beat on a bongo drum. It works, but it is a waste of a fine violin.

Hydrogen will be used in fuel cell powered cars en masse, unlike burning Hydrogen in an Internal Combustian Engine.

Believe it or not, this is one of the few things in the world I actually DO know about, but I'll scoot off this thread.

well, you did say never and i didn't say it would be efficient, but thanks for correcting me anyways.

 

[alister]

And they also swore up and down that the world was flat.

there still people that swear the earth is flat.

here are two interesting web pages i found

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/dangerous-hydrogen-fuel2.htm
(i know its a howstuffworks web page but it does seem somewhat acurate. maybe BBAG wrote it)

http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/11/26/algae-hydrogen-balloon-fuel-by-202-collaborative/
(interestingly but pretty far fetch. I like it because of the plan to use algae to produce the hydrogen)