Zero Emissions Vehicle (was Electric Veh.)

[Matthew Lamari]

At 04:28 PM 8/19/96 MET, you wrote:
>
>Hello John,
><I am fairly certain that the peak hours for electric generation will
><shift, not to mention the rates for electric power- especially after
><they get you over a barrell.  So the term "Zero Emissions Vehicle" is
><a LIE.  They ought ...
>You are absolutely right! The efficiency rate from power-producer 
>to end user is not more than 10% (I am not shure, but I can get 
>exact numbers if you want)
>Also solar power is not the cleanest. Some years ago there was a 
>study about solar-cells. It said, that solar cell production consumes 
>more energy than the cell will bring back in it's lifetime.
>Maybe things have changed in between, but "zero emmission" is 
>something else.
>Sorry, I don't have better ideas neither (spelling?), so we have to 
>make the best out of existing energy possibilities.
>Regards
>Hans
>
>hiha@ brain.nefo.med.uni-muenchen.de
>Munich / Germany
>
>

How about alcohol in a hybrid?  So it takes twice as much methanol to
produce the same amount of energy as petrol; but at least you get all the
convenience of fuels (use it when you want.)  Okay, you'd have to screw with
compressions and stuff; but it wouldn't mean an engine redesign of any more
epic proportions than souping up your car for a massive compression ratio
change.

I seem to remember back in North Queensland when all the cane farmers and
processing mills were getting interested in something.  They were going to
turn the cane into Ethanol and mix it in with Petrol (in parts so
compression didn't have to be changed on a regular vehicle.)  It had been
tested and worked well.  Alas, as it opposed the best interests of those in
the oil industry it went away.

Sure it seemed expensive; but think of it in volume.  The farmers get $30 a
tonne for the cane.  Somewhere in between would be a competitive price.  You
don't get anything particularly nasty when you burn alcohol.  Not like some
of the stuff that comes out (even with a catalytic converter) when you burn
petroleum.

It can be made directly from plants that efficiently use sunlight.  Any
energy used in the process of making the actual alcohol would be used by
higher-efficiency (than the cars) dedicated machinery.  Someone with a
heavily modified engine would merely use more alcohol, not add to any
pollution problem (except maybe water vapour/humidity? :)  At the end of the
day you'd have a fuel that didn't really pollute, renewable from solar
energy, and always ready to produce plenty of power, conveniently located in
the fuel tank.


Matthew.