Obama: "Drill baby, drill"

[Requia ☣]

You are correct about big plants being more efficient, higher operating temp means a peak theoretical efficiency of 40% instead of 25% that a ca can get if I remember my thermodynamics class right.

Transmission losses aren't exactly huge in the united states (6 or 7%), what you have to consider are the battery charge/discharge losses.

You may be right about coal, I'm not sure about that, I *know* that diesel is better than gasoline (once you get rid of the nasty impurities in the diesel) but congress has blocked introducing coal-to-diesel tech that might cut into the profits of big oil.

[Remington]

You are correct about big plants being more efficient, higher operating temp means a peak theoretical efficiency of 40% instead of 25% that a ca can get if I remember my thermodynamics class right.

Transmission losses aren't exactly huge in the united states (6 or 7%), what you have to consider are the battery charge/discharge losses.

You may be right about coal, I'm not sure about that, I *know* that diesel is better than gasoline (once you get rid of the nasty impurities in the diesel) but congress has blocked introducing coal-to-diesel tech that might cut into the profits of big oil.

Biodiesel is also looking like a nice alternative, at least on a small-scale salvage-from-restaurants level. Not so sure about industrial production.
It does having the advantage of having a closed carbon cycle, though. Carbon released by burning it is reabsorbed by growing the next year's supply of fuel crops...

[Doktor Howl]

Biodiesel is also looking like a nice alternative, at least on a small-scale salvage-from-restaurants level. Not so sure about industrial production.
It does having the advantage of having a closed carbon cycle, though. Carbon released by burning it is reabsorbed by growing the next year's supply of fuel crops...

Yeah, but you get gobs and gobs of high-alkaline water as waste from the process, if you're making it in bulk.

[Remington]

Biodiesel is also looking like a nice alternative, at least on a small-scale salvage-from-restaurants level. Not so sure about industrial production.
It does having the advantage of having a closed carbon cycle, though. Carbon released by burning it is reabsorbed by growing the next year's supply of fuel crops...

Yeah, but you get gobs and gobs of high-alkaline water as waste from the process, if you're making it in bulk.

Yeah. I confess I don't know much about industrial-scale production of the stuff, although it seems like a cool project for local sustainability.

[Doktor Howl]

Biodiesel is also looking like a nice alternative, at least on a small-scale salvage-from-restaurants level. Not so sure about industrial production.
It does having the advantage of having a closed carbon cycle, though. Carbon released by burning it is reabsorbed by growing the next year's supply of fuel crops...

Yeah, but you get gobs and gobs of high-alkaline water as waste from the process, if you're making it in bulk.

Yeah. I confess I don't know much about industrial-scale production of the stuff, although it seems like a cool project for local sustainability.

Yeah, but it's not a replacement for oil on a large scale, unless you want food prices to jack through the roof, and lots of bad water.  Not to mention that you're going to be trashing your arable land, because to generate enough biomass, you'll need to pretty much use every acre, all the time.

It's better to go electric.  There's plenty of cheap ways to generate electricity that don't involve internal combustion.

[Remington]

Biodiesel is also looking like a nice alternative, at least on a small-scale salvage-from-restaurants level. Not so sure about industrial production.
It does having the advantage of having a closed carbon cycle, though. Carbon released by burning it is reabsorbed by growing the next year's supply of fuel crops...

Yeah, but you get gobs and gobs of high-alkaline water as waste from the process, if you're making it in bulk.

Yeah. I confess I don't know much about industrial-scale production of the stuff, although it seems like a cool project for local sustainability.

Yeah, but it's not a replacement for oil on a large scale, unless you want food prices to jack through the roof, and lots of bad water.  Not to mention that you're going to be trashing your arable land, because to generate enough biomass, you'll need to pretty much use every acre, all the time.

It's better to go electric.  There's plenty of cheap ways to generate electricity that don't involve internal combustion.

I've been thinking lately about generator designs, specifically about one designed to run off of the power of human folly.

It would essentially be a gigantic hamster wheel, and for every 15 minutes a person ran on it they got a free lottery ticket.

[Doktor Howl]

Biodiesel is also looking like a nice alternative, at least on a small-scale salvage-from-restaurants level. Not so sure about industrial production.
It does having the advantage of having a closed carbon cycle, though. Carbon released by burning it is reabsorbed by growing the next year's supply of fuel crops...

Yeah, but you get gobs and gobs of high-alkaline water as waste from the process, if you're making it in bulk.

Yeah. I confess I don't know much about industrial-scale production of the stuff, although it seems like a cool project for local sustainability.

Yeah, but it's not a replacement for oil on a large scale, unless you want food prices to jack through the roof, and lots of bad water.  Not to mention that you're going to be trashing your arable land, because to generate enough biomass, you'll need to pretty much use every acre, all the time.

It's better to go electric.  There's plenty of cheap ways to generate electricity that don't involve internal combustion.

I've been thinking lately about generator designs, specifically about one designed to run off of the power of human folly.

It would essentially be a gigantic hamster wheel, and for every 15 minutes a person ran on it they got a free lottery ticket.

Da Earf would asplode.

[Remington]

Biodiesel is also looking like a nice alternative, at least on a small-scale salvage-from-restaurants level. Not so sure about industrial production.
It does having the advantage of having a closed carbon cycle, though. Carbon released by burning it is reabsorbed by growing the next year's supply of fuel crops...

Yeah, but you get gobs and gobs of high-alkaline water as waste from the process, if you're making it in bulk.

Yeah. I confess I don't know much about industrial-scale production of the stuff, although it seems like a cool project for local sustainability.

Yeah, but it's not a replacement for oil on a large scale, unless you want food prices to jack through the roof, and lots of bad water.  Not to mention that you're going to be trashing your arable land, because to generate enough biomass, you'll need to pretty much use every acre, all the time.

It's better to go electric.  There's plenty of cheap ways to generate electricity that don't involve internal combustion.

I've been thinking lately about generator designs, specifically about one designed to run off of the power of human folly.

It would essentially be a gigantic hamster wheel, and for every 15 minutes a person ran on it they got a free lottery ticket.

Da Earf would asplode.

I figure the Bible Belt would be able to power the US all by itself, if you found a more efficient stupidity ----> Electricity process. Perhaps blind faith could be used as a catalyst?

[Freeky]

Dude. That can't be mad science, it makes too much sense.

[Remington]

I figure we can power all of North America if we find GodLikeProduction's webserver and throw it in the converter.



...Wait. If this was invented...

4Chan would be a global energy superpower  

[Freeky]