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1 Year of electric operation

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Steve, you make some interesting points that I had not thought of about the efficency of electric motors and I would like to know just what the efficency for the whole system coal to power on the road would be. I believe that an auto engine is less than 25% just off the top of my head. I do know that you can lose up to 50% of the generated electicity if transmitted over long distance and I have no love of the system of so called contolled monopolies we have in this country. I became very interested in producing electric power back in the 70's when the PURPA act said we could and have watched the actions of the monopolies that have prevented that. I became interested in the history of how they came to be as well. If there is anywhere small scale solar should be viable it is southern california but, as you mention, the method of payment kills it. In the late 70's the power companys were telling congress it would cost a fortune for new electric power generation until PURPA was passed then, all of a sudden, new generation capacity wasn't worth anything but it was going to cost a fortune to transmit it!
I know Hanover was a weapons facility but waste is waste and the taxpayer owns it regardless.
I personally like what VW has done with a hybrid that will get over 200mpg and has a zero to 60 time of around 7 seconds.
And I have nothing against electric just the grid that charges them!

I could go on and on but probably not really related to most LBC's.
Kurt.
 
I really enjoy this topic and understand the emotions it can stir up, but I would like to see the discussion continued. I hear so many 'facts' bandied about elswhere that it makes my head spin. This is a very good group of people with a lot of knowledge to share and it would be fun to learn more.
Thanks, Rut
 
Rut said:
I really enjoy this topic and understand the emotions it can stir up,
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Yeah, just the mere mention of Honey Boo Boo can start a riot. Much less tethering that lil' porker to the front of your car
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Just one more $ 0.02.
Though I believe the greatest problem with nuclear is the waste problem and not the plant safety issue, its a fact that no insurance underwriter in the world is willing to insure a nuclear power plant against a nuclear accident. The power companys have solved that problem in this country with the 'Price,Anderson Act' which pretty much absolves power company's of liability in the case of a nuclear accident. That liability has been shifted to, you guessed it, the taxpayer.

Kurt.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]1. The amount of fuel burned by power plants is indeed controlled to match the electrical demand. Electricity is not wasted if not used. If there is no demand, it's just not generated.[/QUOTE]

Perhaps it is my poor description you object to. I have a very good friend who is an engineer for Austin Energy and we have had many conversations about this. I, on the other hand, am not an engineer and my terminology is poor.

But I assure you, Electricity is generated in "tiers."

When the load on the grid reaches a certain point, then next "tier" is brought online. This could be firing up another generator at the plant, or bringing a separate plant on line. The generators run (and thus fuel is being consumed) if the entire available load is used or not. Whats more... during peak hours, a multitude of generators may be kept idling so that they can be brought online when needed.

There would be no practical way for a grid to regulate it's output based on individual consumption. Huge movements in power consumption make a difference, and of course, huge movements are made up of individual consumers.

Thus my argument... one guy charging his electric car will have an unmeasurable impact on the amount of fule consumed to generate electricity. 1000 guys charging their electric cars... that's another story.
 
I would really like to find out the true cost's of generating electric power a state away with a hugh coal or nuclear power plant as compared to generating the power close to where it is used. The difference would be in the line losses, transmission line and equipment cost's. Economy's of scale in the plants design versus economys to be gained by mass production. Probably be very difficult to get correct numbers since they would all have to come from the energy monopolys currently in place and the unknown's associated with determining what competition of mass production would accomplish. In Iowa Midamerica Energy has been trying to get the legislature to allow them to build a 540 megawatt nuclear plant for the last 2 years and pass a power rate increase on to the consumer to pay for it. Fortunatly a handful of sensible democrats have stopped it but I'm sure they won't give up. My interest in the 70's was small hydro and Iowa has at least the much small hydro going to waste at existing dams. In my opinion the energy future of this country would look a lot brighter if the little guy were allowed to compete. As it is now no one is willing to take a chance against the big money!


Kurt.
 
Mebbe we should ammend the rules to no religion, politics or power generation. :jester:
 
kellysguy said:
Mebbe we should ammend the rules to no religion, politics or power generation. :jester:

Hey, its an elaection year, everyones off topic and mean and nasty!!

Kurt.
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nomad said:
kellysguy said:
Mebbe we should ammend the rules to no religion, politics or power generation. :jester:

Hey, its an elaection year, everyones off topic and mean and nasty!!

Kurt.
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Ahhh, the great Tesla/Marconi debate. :jester:
 
I think electric cars are just fine, where my beef lies is that I pay way too much for hydro now so plugging in another electrical item is just not feasible and I refuse to let the hydro company get any more money from me.
I already pay delivery charges(on lines that my wifes grandfather paid for) a debt retirement charge and the severance for the CEO who was let go. Don't get me started :wall:

sorry for the rant and more power to Frank for doing it
 
It's funny... we have the same deal here, but it's with roads. They put up toll booths on roads that we paid for a long time ago.

I guess it's time to get a bike.
 
I converted my push mower to run on natural gas. It was fun and easy.

It probably would be fun to do it to a spridget, but maybe not so easy.
 
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