Energy Tech: Blue Skies Ahead - A Response
Peter Fusaro is right, "science doesn't cut it" on Wall
Street (it never really did). Look at hybrids and coal and
CO2 sequestration. He is "positive about hybrid vehicles"
and "clean" coal.
First, hybrids. The energy recovered during braking is
just about compensating for bigger weight due to batteries
and electrics. Only about 25% of kinetic energy of the
vehicle can be recovered during braking. In highway
traffic at constant speed, there is just penalty from
rolling resistance due to extra weight. Also, comparing
hybrids with ordinary cars is wrong, as hybrids
(generally) have much better Cd (drag coefficient) to
improve highway driving performance (0.25/0.36 ~ 30%
better). Official test are proving that results of hybrids
are generally ~30% off the official figures. Why is the US
pushing hybrids, when in Europe they flopped?
Hybrids would make a lot of sense if the batteries had
much better energy density (one day they will), and if
they were recharged from an external source (not a car
engine, that is just a range extender) which would get
energy from clean and renewable sources (wind, solar
etc.). In this case, a small IC engine could be used, and
complemented by electric motors in the first stage. The
second stage will be pure electric car (BEV) with electric
motor for each wheel, but not in the wheels, on board
(with brakes as well) for reduction of unsprung masses.
Charging the batteries from IC engine on board (which we
blame for low efficiency) just does not make sense.
Clean coal? I agree the impurities can be cleansed
before coal is burnt. But CO2 is still the problem. Who
will supervise that CO2 was capped, sent to
"sequestration" sites and kept there? With all the
cheating going on all around us, someone may pocket money
for doing it, without doing it. Very difficult to enforce.
The right solution is to reduce consumption of energy (ultralight
and superefficient cars, homes, rail and waterway freight)
and use of renewable energy sources. I know that the US
has 300 years (or more) of coal supplies, and is also
counting on nuclear power. But that is not the way to go.
We have to stop using fossil fuels as the way to make
money. The government should step-in, it is about time!
Mark Kmicikiewicz
CKE TECHNOLOGIES INC. |