MIT

[diverdog]

We are up here taking a tour of MIT. My oldest wants to attend school here in a few years. Anyway I learned about a super new technology called a virus battery. Check it out:

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2009/virus-battery-0402.html

[SanJoaquinSooner]

We are up here taking a tour of MIT. My oldest wants to attend school here in a few years. Anyway I learned about a super new technology called a virus battery. Check it out:

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2009/virus-battery-0402.html

I guess this comes down to cost-to-produce at some point. Sounds promising.

[yermom]

What is the point of electric cars? There is plenty of oil. Drill baby, drill!

[diverdog]

I guess this comes down to cost-to-produce at some point. Sounds promising.

We listened to one of the research assistants and the technology is real cutting edge stuff.

[pphilfran]

What is the point of electric cars? There is plenty of oil. Drill baby, drill!

So you own a Leaf?

[yermom]

If they weren't so expensive or ugly I might think about it.

I did just hear a talk about converting cars to run off of forklift motors that was pretty cool.

[badger]

We are up here taking a tour of MIT. My oldest wants to attend school here in a few years. Anyway I learned about a super new technology called a virus battery. Check it out:

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2009/virus-battery-0402.html

Why do I picture the movie "The Matrix" when the term "virus battery" is typed? :(

[rock on sooner]

Read the article but didn't see anything about size or weight, just conforming
to its container. Makes my brain ache cause I know nothing about this stuff
but I understand size and weight of batteries are what's keeping the distance
travelled in the low 100's, which, IMO, is keeping the sales numbers down.
Until the numbers go up the cost of the vehicle will stay pretty high.

[pphilfran]

If they weren't so expensive or ugly I might think about it.

I did just hear a talk about converting cars to run off of forklift motors that was pretty cool.

Winna...expensive...

Give em a decade and they will be viable....

Remember the uproar when GM pulled the plug on the EV1...and a decade later electrics are still 25% more than a standard vehicle...

And the purchase price is not the only added cost...

How much more electricity will we need to produce to supply 50 million cars...and what will it cost to build the facilities to produce the electricity...and who will ultimately pay for those additional power plants....

imo electrics will have about a 20 year run and then fuel cell technology will overtake them and make them obsolete...

[pphilfran]

Read the article but didn't see anything about size or weight, just conforming
to its container. Makes my brain ache cause I know nothing about this stuff
but I understand size and weight of batteries are what's keeping the distance
travelled in the low 100's, which, IMO, is keeping the sales numbers down.
Until the numbers go up the cost of the vehicle will stay pretty high.

it will be a balancing act between cost and range....

They have to increase range so I expect to see cost drop very slowly so range can be improved...once you get range up to 300-400 miles with current battery weight then the focus will be on lowering costs...

imo we need to standardize battery size...then we can have battery changing facilities...getting low on "fuel" and you pull in and the battery is changed....small cars that weigh less might only need one battery while larger vehicles might need two or three...there is a video out there of an automatic battery changing system...saw it a year or two ago...I'll see if I can find it...

I seriously doubt if we ever see heavy trucking use battery technology in any of our lifetimes...

[pphilfran]

KKA4GhVn0a4

[diverdog]

Read the article but didn't see anything about size or weight, just conforming
to its container. Makes my brain ache cause I know nothing about this stuff
but I understand size and weight of batteries are what's keeping the distance
travelled in the low 100's, which, IMO, is keeping the sales numbers down.
Until the numbers go up the cost of the vehicle will stay pretty high.

They said they will be all sizes capable of powering personal electronics to cars.

[rock on sooner]

As I said, makes my brain ache...:tranquillity:

[diverdog]

What is the point of electric cars? There is plenty of oil. Drill baby, drill!

Funny you brought this up. The other area MIT is studying is global warming. They had satellite photos of the pollution over China. It is unreal. We saw their research of glacier retreats at the 8000 meter mountains. Our kids will have some real problems to solve. My son wants to go to MIT to do global warming research.

[pphilfran]

Diver, that is interesting stuff...no telling what the next decade or two will bring...hopefully somebody will catch lightening in a bottle and all of our oil problems will come to a screeching halt...

[pphilfran]

MIT...I thought the thread was going to be about Romney...

[diverdog]

As I said, makes my brain ache...:tranquillity:

Don't worry the Chinese and Indians will solve it for us. We went by both MIT and Havard and all we saw were Asian students. Really pissed me off.

[yermom]

If they weren't so expensive or ugly I might think about it.

I did just hear a talk about converting cars to run off of forklift motors that was pretty cool.

http://venturebeat.com/2012/07/29/do-it-yourself-how-to-build-your-own-electric-car/

it seems like there should be some middle ground between this type of project and a Leaf or Volt in commercial options

[diverdog]

Diver, that is interesting stuff...no telling what the next decade or two will bring...hopefully somebody will catch lightening in a bottle and all of our oil problems will come to a screeching halt...

We had a wonderful visit. All of us get down on America from time to time but you go to a place like MIT and you realize we have such great potential.

[cccasooner2]

Don't worry the Chinese and Indians will solve it for us. We went by both MIT and Havard and all we saw were Asian students. Really pissed me off.

Why would that **** you off?

[rock on sooner]

Why would that **** you off?

Just guessing, mind you, but it might have something to do with student
visas,green cards, or whatever that occupies a slot at a prestiguos school
that might otherise be taken by an American student. Foreign countries
pay whatever the school askes to get their student in, so like everything
else, it's about the $$$$. Don't know about the academics..how do you
compare China or India with American disciplines? Do know how to compare
dollar to dollar, though...jus sayin...

[49r]

Nothin' but a buncha liberal qu33rs and eggheads with more time than sense and nothing good to do but indoctrinate the American youth with their lefty dogma at MIT.

MIT sucks!!!

[49r]

They pry all listen to NPR, too.

[StoopTroup]

What is the point of electric cars? There is plenty of oil. Drill baby, drill!

I think you're wrong and it's why I'm working on turning a food processor into a trash disposal unit that powers my Delorian Space Car.

http://io9.com/assets/resources/2007/11/Delorean.jpg

[StoopTroup]

Funny you brought this up. The other area MIT is studying is global warming. They had satellite photos of the pollution over China. It is unreal. We saw their research of glacier retreats at the 8000 meter mountains. Our kids will have some real problems to solve. My son wants to go to MIT to do global warming research. He could just skip school take over the Golden EIB Microphone once they finally pull the plug on the current whack job that thinks its all bunk. :D

[BigTip]

Why would that **** you off?

Maybe it is because of our American school systems that do not fully develop the students that have the brain power to attend a MIT type school.
Or jealous of the work ethnic of Asian American families that insist that their children do all they can with the resources that they have to work with.

[StoopTroup]

Pretty big generalization though.

[yermom]

I think you're wrong and it's why I'm working on turning a food processor into a trash disposal unit that powers my Delorian Space Car.

http://io9.com/assets/resources/2007/11/Delorean.jpg

you left out the most important part of that process, Mr. Fusion.

[okie52]

What is the point of electric cars? There is plenty of oil. Drill baby, drill!

Even more NG.

What's going to power these electric cars?

[cccasooner2]

Maybe it is because of our American school systems that do not fully develop the students that have the brain power to attend a MIT type school.
Or jealous of the work ethnic of Asian American families that insist that their children do all they can with the resources that they have to work with.

Apparently though, Diverdog's kid is prepared to attend an MIT type school. But if in his quote "Don't worry the Chinese and Indians will solve it for us", then more power to us and the world. Who really cares who solves the world's problems as long as they are solved. His kid can be a part of it too.

[olevetonahill]

Even more NG.

What's going to power these electric cars?
Lectricity, Sheesh you aint very bright at times :P

[StoopTroup]

Apparently though, Diverdog's kid is prepared to attend an MIT type school. But if in his quote "Don't worry the Chinese and Indians will solve it for us", then more power to us and the world. Who really cares who solves the world's problems as long as they are solved. His kid can be a part of it too.

I'd like to feel that those that we educate don't leave after ten years to join a Government in their Country that's in direct opposition to the American way of life. I have no problem with the old system of allowing them to come to our Country to study if they will allow us to send some of our brightest to study their languages and culture and that the number of students we allow their Country to have aren't restricted should we want to send a whole bunch of American Students to Study in their Country.

I think it was Gambia that was happy as hell that we allowed their students to come to our Country and when we send a Documentary Film Crew to their Country, they hold them at customs telling them they can't bring any of their equipment into the Country because they suspect they might be CIA / Spies.

I think the US has been very lenient in allowing many international travelers and students to visit and educate themselves on top of a whole lot of money we might have given to them to invest in the infrastructures of their own Countries.

I'd like to think we the American Tax Payers are getting a little bang for our buck instead of rolled like bums by some outside influence that really believes "Death to America" is an agenda 10-20 years down the road.

When I was younger we had some Iranian Students who were sent here to get a real nice private HS education and then go to TU. Once they were done with their education in oil and geology they went back Home. It wasn't long after that that the Ayatollah over throw of the Shaw happened and the entire friendship between our Countries was destroyed. 1979. That's when that happened. I've never seen or heard of those two brothers since. I surely hope they were able to stay and live here as loyal Shaw of Iran and Loyal Americans but just the thought of wondering how many more might not have stayed and instead went Home to become radial Islamists that we educated....well....it would **** me off and make me feel that my 1st feelings in the early 70's was right and that I was justified to feel they really had no business being educated in America to only later bite the hand that would have given them and their family shelter.

[jkjsooner]

How much more electricity will we need to produce to supply 50 million cars...and what will it cost to build the facilities to produce the electricity...and who will ultimately pay for those additional power plants....

The idea is that cars charge overnight when the rest of the electrical use is diminished.

[okie52]

Lectricity, Sheesh you aint very bright at times :P

I do struggle with the basics sometimes....

[olevetonahill]

I do struggle with the basics sometimes....

:adoration:

[okie52]

The idea is that cars charge overnight when the rest of the electrical use is diminished.

Its still consumption of energy sources required to power the plant for the additional loads...even if everyone charged their cars overnight.

[jkjsooner]

Its still consumption of energy sources required to power the plant for the additional loads...even if everyone charged their cars overnight.

I was only addressing the question about the need for additional power plants and transmission lines which is minimized by using the existing infrastructure during down time.

[okie52]

I was only addressing the question about the need for additional power plants and transmission lines which is minimized by using the existing infrastructure during down time.

Hopefully that would allow for the grid to absorb much of the new load although certainly there would still be a need for many new additional power plants.

Until batteries increase their range substantially beyond 40 miles it will be a moot point.

[pphilfran]

The idea is that cars charge overnight when the rest of the electrical use is diminished.

Excellent point...

But it is a chitpot full of energy...

http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/annual/pecss_diagram.cfm

The transportation sector uses 28% of the total BTU that are produced by all energy sources...electricity usage is 40% of the total BTU...

Transportation 27.4 quadrillion BTU
Electric power 39.6 quadrillion BTU

Electrical use (at least in Vermont) decline about 40% from peak during the midnight to 6 am time frame...so, at least in theory, we could support about half of all transportation if they were electrics amd they were only charged during those time frames...

http://blog.tomevslin.com/2007/02/time_of_day_pri.html

Add in some electrical efficiency improvements and it is probably doable...

[cccasooner2]

I think by now (the discussions on Lectricity and such) it's obvious why the Chinese and Indians are so very much needed.

[okie52]

Excellent point...

But it is a chitpot full of energy...

http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/annual/pecss_diagram.cfm

The transportation sector uses 28% of the total BTU that are produced by all energy sources...electricity usage is 40% of the total BTU...

Transportation 27.4 quadrillion BTU
Electric power 39.6 quadrillion BTU

Electrical use (at least in Vermont) decline about 40% from peak during the midnight to 6 am time frame...so, at least in theory, we could support about half of all transportation if they were electrics amd they were only charged during those time frames...

http://blog.tomevslin.com/2007/02/time_of_day_pri.html

Add in some electrical efficiency improvements and it is probably doable...

Of course, in Vermont, they just have to crank up that nuke.

[diverdog]

Why would that **** you off?

Their governments pay for their schooling and it drives up the cost of education and denies opportunities for kids in the states. It also upsets me that folks in the US do not value education as much as the families from China or India.