sk47
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2020
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- North Eastern TN
- First Name
- Jeff
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- Chevy Silverado & Nissan Sentra SE
Hello; The idealized notion of electric power has merit. The best way it can work is to have what is called a point source of pollution. That being that whatever way the electricity is generated the emissions from, say a power plant, is in one spot and the hope is the pollution can better be controlled in one spot rather than in millions of vehicles. Thing is the ICE is so very much cleaner now than ever before.So here’s a crazy shit idea someone figures out a combustion energy source that replaces the Carbon Foot print effect but keeps the Ice Engine in service
Electric power plants can range from very clean to nasty depending on the fuel being used. I do not know how the average works out for all power plants, but as is already mentioned places such as India and China are running a lot of the nasty types.
There are two combustion engines which are pretty good. ICE can be run on hydrogen or one of the natural gases (Propane or natural gas).
Hydrogen is likely the cleaner and so much easier to come by. All you need is water. Among the problems is storage containers and the cost of getting it out of the water. Electrolysis would be the more likely to be used method, but that uses a lot of electricity. Hydrogen is the simplest atom so can be hard to keep in a container. The hydrogen would also have to be compressed to have enough to amount to many road miles.
Natural gas is some easier if you had a pipeline running to your house. Just a compression pump to squeeze enough into a high pressure container.
Propane is even easier as there are lots of propane sites around. I considered having a propane setup on a pickup some years ago. It would have been so I could run on propane or gasoline. just switch from one source to the other.
The big problem with the battery cars continues to be the range and how long it takes to recharge. Both are some better but not good enough. Even if these two issues are worked out I just do not see driving one myself.
But I have not addressed your idea. A big issue with combustion is getting the fuel to burn completely. A gasoline fueled engine is better than ever at this but I am still fairly sure around sixty percent of the energy winds up as heat. Not a bad thing in the winter. Some depends on the fuel being used. But if some one could come up with a super efficient way to burn a combustion fuel in an ICE that would great. I would not want 100% efficiency I think. 100% efficiency would mean there would not be any combustion sound is my guess.
For someone my age, 73, the end of available crude oil is not likely. For someone in their twenties I am not so sure. Even if political or other forces do not step in, crude oil is a finite resource. We will only be able to find and recover so much. Eventually amounts available will not be practical. On top of this there are products made from crude which are vital to our lifestyles. Medical plastics for example. Having alternative fuel/power sources around is not a bad idea. I am just not sure I want to be forced into a change. Cost and availability will eventually be enough reason to switch to some other fuel without being forced.
I like my LED lights for example and do not mind saving money while using them. Same sort of thing could push me to an electric car, but I am not sure they cost less to run and I would worry about range.
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