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(non-political) comments on fuel economy and technology
"DSK" wrote in message .. . If you couple a diesel to a generator, so it can constantly run at it's most efficient RPM & throttle setting, then use the electricity to drive the car, you basically have a locomotive only with tires for road use. Adding tricks like high-density permanent magnet motors (or the still-expesnive cobalt motors) & advanced tech battery banks & regenerative braking & solar panels & bulk/trickle chargers boosts the efficienct higher yet, but basically it's still a constant-load diesel with an electric transmission. Shortwave Sportfishing wrote: what he said. Thanks Tom- while I was pontificating (stop me if you've heard this before) I forgot to add a few details about why it makes particular sense for cars right now. The basic technology is the most efficent load-mover devised and has origins before WW1. Battleships & trains have used such plants, and as advances in diesel engine design (along with metallurgy & casting) allow us to make diesel engines that are both MUCH bigger and much smaller than were practical just a few years ago. AFAIK all big commercial ships, tankers & the like, have big-ass diesel plants (direct drive, no reduction gear) now. Small diesels have made similar... or even greater... advances. Small diesel generators are almost magic! It's possible that somebody will be able to make something along the lines of a carbon fiber Wankel that will get more muscle from a gallon of fuel, but I'm betting it will be a fair bit of time from now, by which time fuel cells will probably be the workaday power source. DSK Makes sense now. Thanks, both Tom and DSK. Wanna start up a business building diesel electric drives? RCE |
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