Recent Comments:
Inexpensive MPG modding {Hack a Day}
Jan 10th 2008 2:51AM @57 - That made me laugh :p
He didn't crack any secret - it's well known that streamlined shapes are far superior...
Yes, mfr's have picked up on it... The VW 1L project, for example (235mpg)... Or the Aptera as mentioned earlier (while it is a hybrid - it's still 150mpg). The prius does in fact share a similar design (it's more kammback though). And the best tank ever recorded for an unmodified Prius is somewhere around 110mpg. Driving technique + aero + mechanical... It's no secret ;)
The problem comes in driving and parking... Long cars don't work well in an urban situation - especially if you need to parallel park... And even when done well - many people still think they're dead ugly.
And the unfortunate fact is - despite oil prices - 50%+ of the new car market share in the US is... SUVs and "personal trucks."
Too bad Kei class cars aren't sold in the US
Inexpensive MPG modding {Hack a Day}
Jan 4th 2008 3:02AM @45
>except that they don't, they make shapes very similar to spheres
Umm no - surface tension causes them to go from spheres at small diameters to hamburger type shapes at somewhat larger diameters and eventually annular rings as big drops fall apart... USGS
@49
If aero were the only consideration for fuel economy - you'd be totally right... But that's not the case - I mean, one would assume the engine speed changes (and efficiency) at all of those different velocities :P
Seriously, why do people think a small amount of weight is such a big factor... Given the materials, and the parts removed... It's no different than having an extra passenger (if that). I can say from watching my scangauge - one extra passenger doesn't kill 30mpg off my car.. In fact, it's outside the realm of significance...
Aerocivic's mods combine great aerodynamic and a, um, stunning look in 95 mpg Civic {Autoblog Green}
Dec 27th 2007 10:00PM Dad, basjoos may have fallen on his sword with his estimates. But, at the very least, he didn't miss the point.
Basjoos has a set of data to support his estimation - it's not just looking at it and saying "ya, {number from my butt}." Even with his set of data, he was so kind as to call it an estimation - and not automatically take data and call rename them as fact ;)
Behold: Bacon placemats {Slashfood}
Jun 20th 2007 3:35AM It took me a few seconds to remember the melody to that song... But that was hilarious :)
I'm glad people like it :) I had one of those "So crazy, it just might work" moments. Followed a little later by "I can't believe he ate the whole thing" situations o.0 I haven't had a bit of bacon in awhile now - perhaps post place mat trauma?
Hackaday Design Challenge - yes, a contest! {Hack a Day}
Nov 15th 2006 2:15PM alright -- now the complainers can put the proverbial money to their excessively large proverbial mouth :P
O2 sensor simulator {Hack a Day}
Nov 15th 2006 1:07AM "In most cases, the ECU will know that this isn't a properly operating oxygen sensor, so it will mostly ignore it....Someone please tell me I'm wrong..."
Nope, absolutely right... Autospeed mentioned something about temporarily interrupting the O2 signal line in an article awhile back. When the ECU detects the O2 sensor(s) went dead - it tends to run on the rich side. Just fyi if you're trying to add a little bit more...
The reason why to build might have something to do with "because I can."
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http://www.mkiv.com/techarticles/oxygen_sensor_simulator/index.html
Is a sensor I used on my old car. The ECU was a little over sensitive on the downstream (post cat) sensor. So the check engine light would come on prematurely - that sensor did not control fuel trim whatsoever, so no worries there. Popped this on and the ECU was happy.
Sequential battery charging {Hack a Day}
Oct 19th 2006 11:58PM High end batteries, like EV batteries....You will **RUIN YOUR BATTERIES** if you charge them in this manner.
these are EV batteries... these are not the high end EV batteries that require special charging... these are AGM lead acid batteries (which I guess you could call "high end" for a non E-vehicle) ;)
Sequential battery charging {Hack a Day}
Oct 17th 2006 5:16PM "Why is California having rolling blackouts in the summer?"
Fair enough... and very good point ;)
"Send it out into space. Why not? Just send all the spent radiation at the sun. What is it going to do?"
Even that makes me (someone very supportive of nuclear) a bit nervous. I know the vessels the material would be in would survive a catastrophic failure. And I know vitrified waste isn't going anywhere... I just have a bad feeling. The best alternative I've heard was to place the casks in a zone under the ocean with no earthquakes that moves under the crust and back to towards the Earth's core. There was a few zones found to have these traits - sorry I'm sketchy on details, I read about this a long time ago :P
"emissions from them--the smog, the heavy metals, the chemicals needed to burn them--are what is really messing things up"
Hey, I'm all for that ;) I just don't see it reasonable (especially for most americans) to accept the next alternative outright. That is, without some sort of viable transition. Honestly, I really loathe hybrid cars. The idea is great, but the cost considering the average amount of passengers in a car is something like 1.2 people is very high. Hybrid busses, that's another story (average passengers in 2005 was about 29 persons).
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On the subject of efficiency. A friend of mine from poland had mentioned a system they have in his hometown. They have signs saying the speed you need to travel to get a green light at the next intersection. This means very little idle time. he was somewhat amazed that poland (not exactly a 1st world nation, but getting there) can accept this system. But here, going anything but 5+mph over the speed limit into a red light is not fashionable.
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Hey, don't get me wrong - I think we're on the same page for the most part. Maybe a different book, but on the same subject :P You want to hear something sad though... my hometown will not allow those solar roof tiles. "It doesn't meet code." Stupid crap of roof tile color!!! Yet one of my neighbors was allowed to paint their house canary yellow and put up a 6 foot privacy fence (hrmmm... robery? No witness? puh).
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"Yes. Because the people of this country have taken the easy route of letting the government run them instead of the people running the government."
Agreed... and to add - For some reason, something has to be fashionable to be acceptable. thankfully, not everyone shares these ideals...
ipod tube dock {Hack a Day}
Oct 16th 2006 11:15PM ^^ beat me to it... hell yeah fsm!
Sequential battery charging {Hack a Day}
Oct 16th 2006 3:33PM "The issue with all EV (Bikes, trikes, cars, trains, whatever) is that they still rely on dead dinos for the power. The power companies still burn them because they are cheap."
That's 100% correct, and I agree with you for the most part. The turbines that the power companies use are far more efficient than the ICE that would have been in the vehicle. Yes, it is still burning fossil fuels. But, it is getting more power per pound and then being used at a higher efficiency.
Meh, even nuclear (and now we're going to have members going nuts on us) - its too bad the united states has fallen behind in that area. Hell, Canada - our neighbors to the north, have a better system (from production to management) than we do... We don't need to be enriching all this uranium...
While its not a solution, its a start. If it (any alternative) is to be accepted, these smaller steps need to make their way through. We could very well be in trouble in 15 years - but change can not happen in a snap (unfortunately).
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And I completely agree with your solar idea ;) Every year the cost per kW slowly goes down AND even really old panels are capable of producing. I can't wait until solar road panels are developed. But if the masses are going to accept this while dino fuels are still around, the conveniences they have now can't go away.
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Last thing... those big power plants don't throttle back as expected. Yes, occasionally a turbine/boiler is taken offline for maintenance - but not because of daily load fluctuation. That is very expensive to do, very inefficient and can add extra wear (especially if go into wet steam area). In fact, its cheaper to discharge energy not used.
