Was reading an article in the times a few months ago about the greatest invention of all time that hasn't yet been invented. It was the ultra efficient battery.
Was very interesting - basically saying look at how ridiculous a technology the motor car is. Driving around in vehicles with mobile furnaces on board and spending endless time and hassle with all the greasy mechanical bits wearing out / needing changing etc. will seem laughable in 30 years time.
Once somebody invents ultra efficient batteries, all cars (except recreational 'classics' such as Aston Martins etc.) will be electric. The reliance of the world on oil will be gone. We'll all recharge our cars overnight from the mains, which draw power from nuclear powerstations (probably based somewhere a long way away from anywhere such as the desert).
Sounds good to me - massively reduced pollution, quieter / less complex cars - fewer bits to go wrong.
Discuss.
Rich
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"Once somebody invents ultra efficient batteries"
Yes just that small matter. We will have power plants of a different type (fuel cells) before anyone overcomes that little hurdle.
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GreatestDancer you are an optimist, the holy grail of ultra efficient secondary cells has a long history and you may have longer than 30 years to wait. As for nuclear power stations in the desert, the transmission losses over those distances would render them unviable in this country. Local solar panels are a better bet.
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I read something about a new type of large capacitor that could replace the battery on a hybrid, which goes through a rapid cycle of discharge and recharge during use. Whether anything came of this idea and whether the capacitor was efficient and cheap or lasted a long time I've no idea.
Cheers, SS
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It would be lovely, but I reckon they could not introduce it because of the time taken to switch over to the new technology and in the meantime the oil producing countries would jack up the price of oil to unbeleivable levels ($500 a barrel) because they would know that their market is about to disappear. This would ruin economies.
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I think Oil would still be very much in demand. Airplanes, ships, massive plastic industry, lubrication etc.
Little cold fusion reactors 'buring' water will be along "real soon now" and power your car 500 miles per pint.
Martin
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>>because they would know that their market is about to disappear.>>
On a slightly different tack, that's why the Maktoum and Rashid families have spent two decades developing Dubai into one of the world's most spectacular and exciting places to visit or for businesses to undertake trade.
When the oil does eventually run out, the forward vision of Dubai's rulers will pay off handsomely.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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When the oil does eventually run out, the forward vision of Dubai's rulers will pay off handsomely.
Except it will be a very long walk to get there ;)
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When the oil does eventually run out, the forward vision of Dubai's rulers will pay off handsomely. Except it will be a very long walk to get there ;)
And when you've walked across the desert to get there, you'll find that the abandoned concrete office blocks are virtually uninhabitable without air-conditioning, and that the camels don't much like walking on the dual carriageways, the water don't taste so good since there wasn't the energy to run the desalination plants.
Stick to Blackpool, luv :)
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Cold fusion seems as far away as ever. The previous experiment that many got excited about was eventually proved not to be producing its energy from fusion.
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Cold nuclear fusion is fools gold. Fusion only works in stars and to replicate their internals on earth is going to take a lot longer than 'a few years'. Uncontrolled fusion explosions is another matter but the operative word is uncontrolled. We can do heavy element fission however and should concentrate on that: to produce cheap hydrogen for cars, perhaps.
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Until batteries can achieve the same energy density as fossil fuels, and the vehicle can be re-charged at the same rate, then for most practical purposes they will be a non starter. At least until the oil runs out. We have been running out of oil for the last 30/40 years, apparantly, but I haven't noticed.
Long term, but not in my time, nuclear in one form or another, will be the replacement.
Then the technicians doing the servicing will really have to be well trained---
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>Then the technicians doing the servicing will really have to be well trained---<
But the ones that are not well trained will probably not survive for long, or at least become sterile! Selective evolution, but not at Darwins pace.
Pity about the collateral damage, but maybe that is what will be the saving of the human race, mutations may even generate a better form of driver (motoring link).
When we get to mini reactor nuclear plants in every car, just think of how long you can close a motorway 'as a scene of crime' after a nuclear accident, (even better motoring link).
--
pmh (was peter)
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I have alway wondered about the accident thing with these hybrid petrol electric cars....
Officer one..."Yes Sarge, this was the scene of the accident, but as you can see, the battery acid has helped us to clear it up rather quickly!"
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