Energy

@Pemerson,

Pemerson wrote:

Solar energy. The sun's heat would be magnified shining through crystal. Now, who will expound on that idea and find ways to harness that heat to create energy, power.

That is an interesting idea, I hear they could grow crystals on the moon. I wonder if the moon could ever aid the earth in our energy needs. Either way crystals are beautiful and perhaps lasers and crystals could one day function together for energy purposes.

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http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/researchers-develop-more-powerful-biofuel-alt

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http://www.gizmag.com/laser-scribing-to-create-better-solar-cells/18118/

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@RexRed,

RexRed wrote:

What is our greatest resource?

People.

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@dadpad,

People seem dependent on a world (earth/food supply) to sustain them. But I could not agree more. Smile

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http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/03/spinning-the-suns-rays-into-fuel.html?ref=hp

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42472638/ns/business-oil_and_energy/from/toolbar

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I find this particular episode 7 by James Burke quite remarkable.

"How long can we keep it up?"

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http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/us-goes-after-some-game-changing-energy-proje

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http://inhabitat.com/researchers-develop-a-heat-pump-that-can-last-10000-years/

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@RexRed,

RexRed wrote:

I hope someday day solar cells will become 100% efficient. This would also by collecting the sun's rays prevent a good amount of the sun from hitting the earth (considering how many cars are on the road) and raising global temperatures. Thus an electrically efficient car could come into play.

You should study some basic thermodynamics.
=>No heat engine can be 100% efficient.
=>Solar energy captured in solar cells ultimately does contrinute exactly as much to terrestrial heating as that which strikes the earth directly. There is no savings - it all ends up as heat.
=> Substantial energy is lost in the transmission of electrical power from the source to the user - no matter what fuel is used to generate the energy.
=> Electrical vehicles aren't as efficient as you may think. More natural gas is consumed in generating and trasnsporting the electrical energy to the car's batttery and motor to drive the vehicle than would be consumed in a compressed natural gas internal combustion engine directly powering a vehicle of the same weight and payload.

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@georgeob1,

georgeob1 wrote:

RexRed wrote:

I hope someday day solar cells will become 100% efficient. This would also by collecting the sun's rays prevent a good amount of the sun from hitting the earth (considering how many cars are on the road) and raising global temperatures. Thus an electrically efficient car could come into play.

You should study some basic thermodynamics.
=>No heat engine can be 100% efficient.
=>Solar energy captured in solar cells ultimately does contrinute exactly as much to terrestrial heating as that which strikes the earth directly. There is no savings - it all ends up as heat.
=> Substantial energy is lost in the transmission of electrical power from the source to the user - no matter what fuel is used to generate the energy.
=> Electrical vehicles aren't as efficient as you may think. More natural gas is consumed in generating and trasnsporting the electrical energy to the car's batttery and motor to drive the vehicle than would be consumed in a compressed natural gas internal combustion engine directly powering a vehicle of the same weight and payload.

It is not totally a matter of how efficient solar cells are... err, sunlight is free... And as it stands our earth is being bombarded by too much sunlight. So if solar cells are not 100 percent efficient so what, the energy itself is free. The more "clean" sunlight we collect the less our earth suffers from global warming. It is not like we have to "produce" sunlight. I do understand that free energy source is being wasted for temporary energy sources that will eventually run out. And when will the sun run out of energy? Eventually sunlight may be the only energy source left on earth other than nuclear. And we know how dangerous nuclear is. The amount of sunlight wasted at the equator is significant and all of these hand held devices should be charged by the sun and not only USB cables. If a magnifying glass can start a fire with mere sunlight why can't that be used also in charging devices too? It has all to do with big business lobbying stepping on the hose of progress and change. How will they make their billions on a free source of energy?

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http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/products/toyota-plans-100-solar-powered-car/

100% solar, no mention of any fuel needed to convert sunlight... and the sunlight is transported billions of miles by the sun itself directly to the car not by supertankers from the middle east.

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@RexRed,

Bullshit................

The plans is to power fans to help cool the car not move the car itself.

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@BillRM,

BillRM wrote:

Bullshit................

The plans is to power fans to help cool the car not move the car itself.

haha :: The article states that Toyota has plans to build a 100% solar powered car. Argue that one with their err, "engineers".

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@RexRed,

Quote:

haha :: The article states that Toyota has plans to build a 100% solar powered car. Argue that one with their err, "engineers". 0 Replies

Ha ha haa back to you as the article is bullshit indeed and if you look by googling the true story is running some small cooling fans that people with no knowledge of engineering or solar cells had taken to powering the whole car.

There is no way in any case with current technology or any near term technology that you could get enough power to power a car or even to recharge batteries of a car in time periods of less then many many days from solar cells on a car roof.

So unless you only planning on driving a car once a week or so and you also happen to live in a very sunny climate such a car is not in the picture.

Have you not learn yet that information of the internet need to be screen by at least a filter of commonsense?

Hmm I could do the math for you but why bother as this is a story you what to belief in is it not and boring engineering facts are not likely to get in your way?

I remember how I did wish to believe in claimes of cold fusion and then evil facts about how the universe work got in the way...........

OR how as a young man I wish that there was something behind the claims of a reactionless space drive and once more facts got in the way.

In your case it is simple math of the power needed to drive a car or recharge a set of batteries in any sane time period and the maximum power a few square yards of solar cells on a car roof top can generate.

Side note I had help set up solar cells, wind mills battery systems to give power to people off the power grid.

1 Reply

@BillRM,

BillRM wrote:

Quote:
haha :: The article states that Toyota has plans to build a 100% solar powered car. Argue that one with their err, "engineers". 0 Replies

Ha ha haa back to you as the article is bullshit indeed and if you look by googling the true story is running some small cooling fans that people with no knowledge of engineering or solar cells had taken to powering the whole car.

There is no way in any case with current technology or any near term technology that you could get enough power to power a car or even to recharge batteries of a car in time periods of less then many many days from solar cells on a car roof.

So unless you only planning on driving a car once a week or so and you also happen to live in a very sunny climate such a car is not in the picture.

Have you not learn yet that information of the internet need to be screen by at least a filter of commonsense?

I guess that is the idea that they are sold where the sun shines... and there would theoretically be more than just a roof panel and considering this car took many years to bring to market, solar panels of today are much more efficient than the ones currently on this model.

Since you apparently did not read the article I will post the most pertinent part here.

Excerpt:
"but now a secret has leaked that trumps that by a mile. Get this: The company's goal is to create a car that's totally solar powered."

As I said Bill argue that one with Toyota's engineers... Apparently they are not as educated as you on the laws of thermodynamics.

And in the desert and equatorial regions where sunlight is not only plenteous but scorching and nearly constant during most days this could be totally feasible. How abut Canada, enough sunlight there?

http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=83009&page=1

"The team hoped the tour would educate the public about viable energy alternatives. "

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@RexRed,

Quote:

As I said Bill argue that one with Toyota's engineers... Apparently they are not as educated as you on the laws of thermodynamics.

First where is there any proof that any Toyota engineer had claimed that they are on the road to a fully power solar car?

I am disagreeing with some fool who wrote an article not an engineer of any kind.

Second I would have no problem with disagreeing with any one on the subject as the maximum amount of power from any given area of solar cells with current technology or likely near term future technology is known to the mill-watt and the power to needed drive an electric car or recharge an electric car batteries in any sane time frame is also known.

Simple math is simple math that even you could do.

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I have a cell phone and i use it only about once a week if even that... but still i have to plug it in once a week to charge it. It would only take a single solar cell patch on the back for me to set the phone on a windowsill in my apartment to charge it. But the utility companies would not make a buck every time I plug it in... As for Ipads the back could be lined with solar panels too but the "Apple" is not as "green" as they claim... For 600+ USD the device should have solar cells. Hell, it should be gold lined for that price. I will not buy an Ipad till it is down to 50 to 100 bucks.

1 Reply

The sun fuels the entire earth and all life on it but it can't fuel a car?

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