EV skeptic, meet new linear motor

bwilson4web · Nov 28, 2009

I'm a fan of Design News and this issue has a number of complementary articles. Rather than separate threads, I'll post the list here.

Was The Tesla Story 'A Joke?' - Captain Hybrid | Blog on Design News

. . . You see, I still believe that the energy density of todayâ€™s electric car batteries is too low, the re-charge times are too long, and vehicle costs are too high to make a big impact on todayâ€™s market place. And â€“ based on the comments of battery experts Iâ€™ve talked to at MIT, the University of California Berkeley and elsewhere â€“ I donâ€™t believe thereâ€™s a magic bullet on the horizon. Getting to Electric Car Paradise is going to require a lot of hard, tedious work.
. . .
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I agree and we have both an electric motorcycle and two Prius. Electric vehicles have a future but not with the current technology nor the hydrogen fool cells. Air metal may work but we're not seeing enough 'hard, tedious work' to make that likely anytime soon. But there is a 'cheat.'

New Class of Linear Motors - 2009-11-16 01:00:00 EST | Design News

. . . a synchronous linear motor where the magnets are integrated [into rjw] the primary [vehicle rjw] part along with the windings ... the secondary part [road rjw] is much simpler, and consists of milled steel with teeth that are used to control magnetic flow ...
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This significantly reduces the per meter cost of building a magnetic levitation bed. The vehicle carries all of the expensive, active electronics so we can afford to make levitation beds with active vehicles floating above them. Supplying power by overhead conductors and we are looking at a new, high-speed Interstate system. Then as if on cue:

Rechargeable Batteries Extend Their Reach - 2009-10-21 13:41:55 EDT | Design News

Then my favorite day dream, running the house from our Prius:

Could Car Batteries Back up Our Electrical Grid? - 2009-11-09 09:36:02 EST | Design News

In the quest to supply electricity for millions of future electric cars, engineers have stumbled upon the most unlikely of energy prospects â€” the car itself.
. . .
Indeed, if it happens, it could be a game-changer. Proponents of the idea foresee it happening a little bit at a time. In the beginning, they say, electric cars will "talk" to the grid and determine the best times for charging. That way, they'll grab the energy when the utilities have surpluses. Later on, though, monumental changes will kick in. Car batteries will dump energy back onto the grid when utilities need help. People who need energy â€” possibly even for their electric cars â€” will draw it through the grid, from cars that don't need it. Ultimately, experts even foresee a day when retired electric car batteries, connected in long strings inside giant warehouses, will supply energy back to the grid when renewable sources aren't producing.
. . .
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My vision is called 'co-generation' and means I 'dock' my Prius and run it on natural gas. The engine waste heat provides space heating and hot water. The electricity powers the house and any excess is fed back to the grid. I have no problem with condensing the water provided disolved minerals are not a problem. When I leave, the house reverts to a low-power, sustaining energy mode.

Bob Wilson

Rokeby · Nov 28, 2009

bwilson4web said: ↑

My vision is called 'co-generation' and means I 'dock' my Prius and run
it on natural gas. The engine waste heat provides space heating and
hot water. The electricity powers the house and any excess is fed back
to the grid. I have no problem with condensing the water provided
disolved minerals are not a problem. When I leave, the house reverts
to a low-power, sustaining energy mode.
Click to expand...

Bob,

You have a very optimistic view of a comprehensive low energy
use foot print for the future.

My worry is, after a while, government acting for our self and
"national" interests, will require that to get onto the grid there will
also be a requirement to submit to a direct WiFi spinal tap for
continuous internet access, location tracking, commercial sales
profiling, political activism, and direct thought to transmission
"texting?"

I'll bet there is already a movie about this far-fetched possibility.
Something like an updated version of 1984. Or was that just
an Apple Super Bowl half-time ad?

bwilson4web · Nov 28, 2009

The movie is "The President's Analyst" and dates from the late 1960s.

Bob Wilson

EV skeptic, meet new linear motor

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EV skeptic, meet new linear motor

bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3