Hello Geoff!
Replying to a message of Geoff Dyer to John Meroth:
 GD> At 08:42 on 12-10-96, John Meroth wrote to LAURA MILLER:
 JM>> Neither are electrics. Based on the energy lost during the
 JM>> charge/discharge  cycle and the methods of obtaaining that energy,
 JM>> your unless  energy provider derives its electricty from nukes, 
 JM>> your electric car will pollute far more than any diesel or 
 JM>> gasolene fed car.
 GD> Hmm, do you know whether removing just the losses due to 
 GD> the grid would change this balance?  
Close call there. I believe it is close to even, though it would take an 
engineering study to see the net effect. After all, it takes quite a bit of 
energy to haul around 1,500lbs of battries.
 GD> This has reminded me of an article I saw about 20 years 
 GD> ago in (I think) Popular Mechanics, which described a car 
 GD> someone had converted to electric operation, but with a 
 GD> turbine to recharge the bank of batteries.  The idea was 
 GD> to separate the production of energy from its use, 
 GD> eliminating the need for the car's engine to 
 GD>  1) run at variable speed, and 
 GD>  2) have peak output far in excess of normal requirements.  
That would be more efficient that recharging off of the grid. Better yet, 
would be a hydrolic drive system using the turbine for power. That was 
demonstrated in 1970 or so by Embry Riddle Aero Univ. It was very efficient. 
I believe Ford's Turbine 18 wheeler semi-truck uses a simular system.
TTYL,
John Meroth
--- FleetStreet 1.17 NR
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