[Peakoil] Ask an Expert; the End of Oil - part 2 (ABC)

[Adrian Whitehead]

Either the figures they put on their website are a hoax, (i.e. 200-300km for
1.5 euros to fill a tank) or it works if its 3 buck to fill a tank then they
can do it with wind for 9 bucks.

One of my friends is an aero eng. I will ask him about the energy contained
in the specs of their tank.

The problem with cars is that they are very nice to use and people will seek
to hang onto a version of them, 

There is a risk in thinking they will just disappear, if seeking to create
more equitable and sustainable transport options. 

Whether it's air, electric, hydrogen or alcohol they are still likely to be
around for a while.

And I think these guys have indeeded skipped through denial, anger,
bargaining and depression and begin to work within a framework of acceptance
- which to them mean f oil were going electric.

http://www.nedra.com/

Is worth a look. 



-----Original Message-----
From: peakoil-bounces+adrian=ecoaction.net.au at act-peakoil.org
[mailto:peakoil-bounces+adrian=ecoaction.net.au at act-peakoil.org] On Behalf
Of Keith Thomas
Sent: Sunday, 21 May 2006 12:14 PM
To: 'Peakoil Discussion'
Subject: Re: [Peakoil] Ask an Expert; the End of Oil - part 2 (ABC)

I'm no engineer, but it looks to be as sound as the model that took Joh
Bjelke Petersen in when he was premier.

With LPG-powered cars you have a tank filled with LPG under pressure (the
compression of which itself takes energy). But the gas is, at least, a fuel.
Compressed air is not a fuel, but a carrier of energy - the energy stored in
it by the compression process. Unless I have the mechanical basis of the air
car's engine all wrong, all the compressed air car does is to use the energy
stored during the compression as it's released from the tank. Just like
allowing a balloon to deflate.

So, how many calories (or whatever unit of energy) does it take to (a)
compress 90 cubic metres of air to 300 bars? How many units of energy does
it take to (b) drive an air car 200 km? Is (a) significantly less than (b)?

Isn't that the key question? The next question is: where does the energy
come from to compress the air? It'll be coal-fired electricity in Australia
until Johnny's nukes come on stream.

Incidentally, last month I came across a stat I have been seeking for the
past couple of years. It's on page 8 of the eighth edition of New Solutions,
available here:

http://www.communitysolution.org/pubs.html

The stat is that a litre of petrol contains 8190 calories. Compare that to a
kilogram of fat: 3700 calories.
--------------------------------------------
Keith Thomas
www.evfit.com
--------------------------------------------
On 21/05/2006, at 11:02 AM, Leigh Kite wrote:

> Why the pessimism over compressed air cars?  These guys think they 
> have a solution.
>
> http://www.theaircar.com/thecar.html
>
> Those stats look pretty encouraging, and the cars seem to be at 
> production status.  Is there any reason for us to believe its all a 
> big hoax or something?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Leigh
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Keith Thomas" <keith at evfit.com>
> To: "'Peakoil Discussion'" <peakoil at act-peakoil.org>
> Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2006 9:30 PM
> Subject: [Peakoil] Ask an Expert; the End of Oil - part 2 (ABC)
>
>
>> ASK AN EXPERT: THE END OF OIL - PART 2 How do we deal with less oil 
>> in a growing world? In part 2 of the end of oil we look at the 
>> alternatives and implications: Are there technologies that can 
>> replace our dependence on oil? What about medicines and plastics?
>> Are we
>> looking at a world catastrophe? Here are the answers from some of 
>> Australia's top experts.
>> http://www.abc.net.au/science/expert/realexpert/endofoil/
>>
>> Not a bad collection. I'm pleased they put the boot into compressed 
>> air cars :-).
>> Sadly, the answers are about peak oil and related topics, but they 
>> don't touch on climate change, nor how the end of cheap oil will make 
>> it harder to deal with the impacts of climate change.
>> --------------------------------------------
>> Keith Thomas
>> www.evfit.com
>> --------------------------------------------
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Peakoil mailing list
>> You are subscribed as lkite at tpg.com.au 
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>> lkite%40tpg.com.au
>>
>

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