Gray Watson's Blog -- December 2008

I've found that blogging is a useful way for me to record my thoughts and digital travels every so often.

2008: Dec
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December 4, 2008

Interesting piece entitled the 10 Big Energy Myths. It's pretty balanced so I approve. It tries to address some of the top issues including: 1) solar power is too expensive 2) wind power is too unreliable 3) nuclear power is cheaper...
Batteries still need to become cheaper and quicker to charge, but the UK's largest manufacturer of electric vehicles says that advances are happening faster than ever before. Its urban delivery van has a range of over 100 miles, accelerates to 70mph and has running costs of just over 1p per mile. The cost of the diesel equivalent is probably 20 times as much.
New "hybrid" technology combines battery systems in combination with "ultra-capacitors" will enable hybrid and electric vehicles to better utilize batteries to get better range and lifetime. The idea is to utilize capacitors for the high charge and draw needs of excelleration and braking and then draw from the batteries at lower current levels. This lowers the amount of resistive heating which can damage battery banks. Other source: AFS Trinity press release.
"When a battery in a plug in hybrid is subjected to high current demands, which occurs every time the vehicle accelerates, either from a stop light or while merging from an on-ramp onto a freeway, resistive heating occurs in the battery. This resistive heating can easily become excessive with stop and go driving. Such excessive resistive heating damages a battery, and, in some cases can destroy it. In any event this phenomenon reduces the number of miles that can be driven during the life of the battery. In our system, however, the high current demand events are handled by the ultracapacitor, allowing the battery essentially to coast. Between such high current events, the battery trickled power into the ultracap, so that when the next acceleration occurs the ultracap is ready to handle it," [AFS Trinity CEO Edward Furia] said.
Unfortunately Vectrix, the electric maxi-scooter company is having problems. I really want one of these. Need to sign up for the motorcycle course in MA. Hope to do this in the Spring.
Unlike the putt-putt scooters sold in Asia, which often max out at 30 m.p.h. (48 km/h), Vectrix has to meet the demands of speed-obsessed Americans. Styled like a motorcycle, the V1 goes from 0 to 50 m.p.h. in 6.8 sec., has a maximum speed of 62 m.p.h. and travels up to 65 miles between charges. It's also the only electric scooter that is legal to drive on the freeway in the U.S. and Europe. Weighing in at 500 lb. (200 of which come from its massive nickel metal hydride batteries), the $8,750 aluminum-frame bike even has regenerative braking, which uses the energy absorbed by braking to recharge the batteries. That's the same technology used in hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius.
Michelin has produced an "affordable" active electric wheel with motor, electrical suspension, and shock absorption all built in.
A 7 kilogram (14.4 pound) in-wheel motor forms the heart of the Michelin Active Wheel. Packing in a sophisticated active shock absorption system, with its own dedicated motor, and disk braking brings the wheel to a hefty 43 kg (95 pounds). But Michelin Director for Sustainable Development and Mobility of the Future, Patrick Oliva points out in Die Welt that the unsprung weight in the Heuliez Will is 35 kg (77 pounds) on the front axle and 24 kg (53 pounds) on the rear, noting for comparison that the small Renault Clio has 38 kg of unsprung weight on its front axle. With battery packs on board, the prototype Heuliez Will weighs in at 900 kg, 75 kg less than the Opel Agila.
Looks like some companies are starting to produce Zinc fuel cells what utilize zinc as a fuel to provide energy and charge electronic gadgets. This is an alternative to lithium-ion or hydrogen fuel cells.
Zinc is already used in many products, including batteries, and it is abundant. It has high energy density, which means that batteries or fuel cells can pack more power into a given space compared to other batteries based on other chemistries, [Power Air CEO Don Ceci] said. It's also safe, and the material can be recycled, he said.
So it's been a while since I did this -- not sure exactly why it's been so long. I certainly dove into a start-up for a while where I worked harder than I've ever done before. But we've throttled back for 6+ months now so I have no excuse except I've been out of practice. Oh well. I've got a list of URLs I've been meaning to blog. I'll try to do a couple every day and keep up with new stuff. Here we go....

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