[geeks] [rescue] Computerfests (was: first real server hardware) -OT

[wa2egp at att.net]

> You could, but solar is tough to manage in real time.  You'd need some
> sort of intermediate storage.  Hydrogen fuel cell maybe?  You could
> use an array of mirrored parabolic dishes to focus sunlight onto
> a boiler or something... but again it would only work when the sun is
> shining and if it clouded up your boiler would cool off and you'd
> have to heat it up all over again.

If that means you can't get when you want it, then store what you get.
If you get enough plants, you'll always have "excess".

 
> > There is some upcoming technology that could (I hope) boost solar cells to
> > almost 60% efficiency.
> 
> Great!  Solar panels have always had a horrendous efficiency.  Their
> saving grace is that you can capture a small percentage of what was
> already a free energy source.
 
> > There has been some work done on chemicals that
> > can break up water by just using light thus avoiding the electricity part.
> > The only problem is said to be storage but there are some foamed metal
> > tanks that can store hydrogen at low pressure in reasonable amounts.
> 
> You can always compress it later, I guess, but it does take energy.
> Hopefully the compressor would be hydrogen powered.
 
Foamed metal has the potential of storing the same amount as compressed
gas as far as storage.  Depending on the metal used, the adsorption process
would be either exothermic or endothermic....don't need a compressor.
In Germany, they are testing a bus that runs on hydrogen.  Two fuel tanks,
one used in winter, one in summer.  They pass air "over" the appropriate
tank to either heat the bus of cool it off.

> > True.  Too bad we can't get something to go hydrogen to electricity
> > and the vehicle will be "minimal" emissions.
> 
> Simple.  Fuel cell.  That's basically what it does.  You separate
> hydrogen and oxygen with a special membrane and they combine
> with virtually no heat.  The result is very efficient electricity.
> NASA has been using it since the 60's.

Retrofitting cars would be cheaper.  Engines can burn hydrogen with 
little modification.  The fuel tank is
 the big mod.

 
> True, but thinking about it as zero emissions sets a bad precedent.
> Out of sight should NOT be out of mind.
> 

> > That would never fly.  Can't make enough money.  Need to s-can the whole
> > vehicle and buy a new one ;->
> 
> That's why I said they could switch the DESIGN.  It would cost them
> virtually nothing to make the change on the production line but they
> would still sell the car with a pricetag that looked like it contained
> normal R&D costs.
> 
> Oh.  My.  God.
> 
> http://www.auto123.com/en/info/news/news,view.spy?artid=21889
> 
> I want one.  Now.
> 
> > I'm surprised external combustion engines were not more intensely
> > investigated.  Burn clean with plenty of oxygen, no pressure so
> > minimal nitrogen-oxygen compounds.  Darn efficiency no better than
> > internal but more potential to reduce pollution.
> 
> Parhaps a lot of it is inertia.  I dunno.

More like lack of future profit.