I've been wondering how Maryland will achieve it's goal of an average mileage of 47mpg. How do electric cars figure into the average? They don't use any gasoline at all, and are "zero emissions." Of course, zero isn't really zero at all, but that's another topic.
I looked into how many kWh of grid power are in a gallon of gas. Here's a good link:
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hframe.html
From Hyperphysics, one of my favorite enginnerding destinations!
Time for some more fun energy conversions. I get really into these.
Thirty thousand calories = one gallon of gasoline = 36kWh = 166 Tastykake Kandy Kakes = 86 slices of papa johns sausage pizza = 64 starbucks frappucinos (yum, I wish I could drive my car on those! and can you tell that i'm dieting this week?)
If the cost of grid power is $.12 per kilowatt hour, which is what mine was last month, then purchasing the equivalent of a gallon of gasoline is $4.32. I'm thinking that the "mpg" of an electric car would be the "miles per 36kWh." How far can you drive after you used 36kWh to charge your car?
Probably farther than 47 miles. Because if you aren't dragging that stinky old ball-and-chain, the ICE and its meathead mechanical posse, around with you. Just the weight savings alone will up your mileage significantly. And given the higher gas prices we've been seeing lately, the energy costs of driving an electric car compares rather nicely with a gluttonous gas guzzler.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Sunday, March 4, 2007
The Hype about Hydrogen
Because I'm a nerd, I read the book "The Hype about Hydrogen" by Joseph J. Romm. And because I'm even more of a nerd, I recently re-read the first three chapters. (those were the best chapters.)
The book was published in 2005, and the author used to work for the Department of Energy. He seizes on the fact that George W talked up "the hydrogen economy" in his 2003 State of the Union address, and points out that "the hydrogen economy" is a bunch of bullshit. I couldn't agree more, if I hear one more person tout the amazing future of the car, one that is "powered by water," and/or a car whose "only emissions are pure, drinkable water," then I'm going to scream. This is such a clusterf*ck of logic. The energy density of water is ZERO. As this blog points out, there are thirty thousand calories in a gallon of gasoline. There are NO calories in a gallon of water. Which means, you can not do anything that requires energy (ie, move, burn, heat) with water as your power source.
One of my favorite documentaries of all time, "Who killed the electric car?" refers to hydrogen fuel cells as a "bait and switch." Which it is, and a well-played one at that.
Romm's book is informative. HOWEVER I feel that he glosses over a two points which I beileve are crucial.
First of all, he does not mention that a hydrogen fuel cell car is an ELECTRIC car. Maybe he assumes that his audience already knows this, but I'm willing to bet that most people who know a little something about fuel cell cars still don't know how different a fuel cell car would be from what we drive today. Especially when people see images such as this one:
This is a picture of W refueling a hydrogen powered car. Looks like a gas pump to me. Looks like a normal car, too. But be wary. This photo is misleading you. There is no engine under the hood of that car. There is no engine in that car at all. Which means there is no Dual Overhead Cam, no VTEC, no fancy Allison Transmission. No need for high gear ratios. No catalytic converter, no muffler, no exhaust manifold. No oil pan, no oil filter - with no pistons, there is no need for lubrication and there are no oil changes required. No alternator. No brake pads. No brake fluid. With an electric car you can use regenerative braking.
Romm does not mention this, and I think it is important for people to be clear on this. A fuel cell car is an electric car.
In chapter 2, Romm reviews the types of hydrogen fuel cells and what their primary uses are. The PEM fuel cell is the one that is being developed for transportation. He mentions, but briefly, the fact that a PEM fuel cell is reversible. Meaning that when it's full of hydrogen and oxygen gases, it will create electricty and water. AND if its full of water, it can use electricity to create hydrogen and oxygen gas.
Take your fuel cell, plug it in, and what have you got? A RECHARGEABLE BATTERY!
Romm also points out the downfalls of PEM fuel cells. One is their expense, the other is the fact that they are susceptible to contamination. This is a problem if you plan to refuel it. But not if you use it as a closed system, and recharge it instead of refueling it.
"Refueling" your fuel cell car, as W is shown doing, is not required. It could be an option - but a pretty lame one. It would be better to treat your fuel cell stack like a propane tank and if you're driving a long distance, stop and swap your spent stack with a charged one. But if your car has enough range (and there's no reason why the range couldn't be very high, especially when you consider the weight reduction of the fuel cell car) then why would you ever want to waste your time stopping at a stinky dirty gas station? I wouldn't. No way. I'd recharge my car when it was parked. That way I'd never discover that I need to stop at the gas station (which always seems to happen when I'm already late for something....) I'd only run out of charge when I was driving for hours at a time. And I don't do that very often.
Now it's possible (maybe even likely) that some other type of battery will be developed that has a higher energy density that hydrogen. Lithium Ion, for example, is being developed like crazy for laptops and phones. Maybe that will be it. If so then hydrogen is all "hype." We don't really know yet.
Either one will do the trick. This is the kind of technology advancement is ripe, and that people would latch onto, because it will IMPROVE life. No need to waste time refueling, no need to spend $30 doing it. Yeah your electric bill goes up. But not by as much as you spend on gas. And God, do I hate it when I have to waste my lunch break going to Jiffy Lube. And feeling guilty because I've procrastinated too long and I'm at 4000 miles since my last oil change. (which reminds me...uuugh...my poor civic.)
Romm, tell your readers: No more jiffy lube on your lunch break! No more stopping at Amoco when you're already late for work! Yay electric cars!
The book was published in 2005, and the author used to work for the Department of Energy. He seizes on the fact that George W talked up "the hydrogen economy" in his 2003 State of the Union address, and points out that "the hydrogen economy" is a bunch of bullshit. I couldn't agree more, if I hear one more person tout the amazing future of the car, one that is "powered by water," and/or a car whose "only emissions are pure, drinkable water," then I'm going to scream. This is such a clusterf*ck of logic. The energy density of water is ZERO. As this blog points out, there are thirty thousand calories in a gallon of gasoline. There are NO calories in a gallon of water. Which means, you can not do anything that requires energy (ie, move, burn, heat) with water as your power source.
One of my favorite documentaries of all time, "Who killed the electric car?" refers to hydrogen fuel cells as a "bait and switch." Which it is, and a well-played one at that.
Romm's book is informative. HOWEVER I feel that he glosses over a two points which I beileve are crucial.
First of all, he does not mention that a hydrogen fuel cell car is an ELECTRIC car. Maybe he assumes that his audience already knows this, but I'm willing to bet that most people who know a little something about fuel cell cars still don't know how different a fuel cell car would be from what we drive today. Especially when people see images such as this one:
This is a picture of W refueling a hydrogen powered car. Looks like a gas pump to me. Looks like a normal car, too. But be wary. This photo is misleading you. There is no engine under the hood of that car. There is no engine in that car at all. Which means there is no Dual Overhead Cam, no VTEC, no fancy Allison Transmission. No need for high gear ratios. No catalytic converter, no muffler, no exhaust manifold. No oil pan, no oil filter - with no pistons, there is no need for lubrication and there are no oil changes required. No alternator. No brake pads. No brake fluid. With an electric car you can use regenerative braking. Romm does not mention this, and I think it is important for people to be clear on this. A fuel cell car is an electric car.
In chapter 2, Romm reviews the types of hydrogen fuel cells and what their primary uses are. The PEM fuel cell is the one that is being developed for transportation. He mentions, but briefly, the fact that a PEM fuel cell is reversible. Meaning that when it's full of hydrogen and oxygen gases, it will create electricty and water. AND if its full of water, it can use electricity to create hydrogen and oxygen gas.
Take your fuel cell, plug it in, and what have you got? A RECHARGEABLE BATTERY!
Romm also points out the downfalls of PEM fuel cells. One is their expense, the other is the fact that they are susceptible to contamination. This is a problem if you plan to refuel it. But not if you use it as a closed system, and recharge it instead of refueling it.
"Refueling" your fuel cell car, as W is shown doing, is not required. It could be an option - but a pretty lame one. It would be better to treat your fuel cell stack like a propane tank and if you're driving a long distance, stop and swap your spent stack with a charged one. But if your car has enough range (and there's no reason why the range couldn't be very high, especially when you consider the weight reduction of the fuel cell car) then why would you ever want to waste your time stopping at a stinky dirty gas station? I wouldn't. No way. I'd recharge my car when it was parked. That way I'd never discover that I need to stop at the gas station (which always seems to happen when I'm already late for something....) I'd only run out of charge when I was driving for hours at a time. And I don't do that very often.
Now it's possible (maybe even likely) that some other type of battery will be developed that has a higher energy density that hydrogen. Lithium Ion, for example, is being developed like crazy for laptops and phones. Maybe that will be it. If so then hydrogen is all "hype." We don't really know yet.
Either one will do the trick. This is the kind of technology advancement is ripe, and that people would latch onto, because it will IMPROVE life. No need to waste time refueling, no need to spend $30 doing it. Yeah your electric bill goes up. But not by as much as you spend on gas. And God, do I hate it when I have to waste my lunch break going to Jiffy Lube. And feeling guilty because I've procrastinated too long and I'm at 4000 miles since my last oil change. (which reminds me...uuugh...my poor civic.)
Romm, tell your readers: No more jiffy lube on your lunch break! No more stopping at Amoco when you're already late for work! Yay electric cars!
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