Diffuse energy has very little value, is expensive and has a lot of drawbacks. The more concentrated the energy source, the more added value. That is one reason why gasoline outshines things like hydrogen and batteries.
Yes I am not sure anything has more "K" at the point of need than gasoline/diesel/oil. And distribution is not super-fun, but we know how to do it at this point. And storage is fairly straightforward, up to a point.
Which is why gasoline/diesel/oil are still doing well.
EDIT: My comment was not well worded. What I meant was that the K you get from these fuels vs. the price you pay + the cost/complexity of the distribution/storage you need to employ to get it ... is still the best or nearly the best math. NG would be better, if we had more filling stations for it, more vehicles that could accept it, etc.
NG is not too bad. I drove a flip a switch NG and gasoline pickup truck sometimes for work. But NG has a density issue. It takes up a lot of volume. But it is fantastic for power plants. They need several NG power plants in west Texas as they are producing more than they can handle.
It can be. There has been some good work done with composite tanks for hydrogen. It would be interesting to see some range calculations for a smart vehicle configuration. It would be much safer than hydrogen (boom). But not as safe as gasoline or better diesel. But safe enough. An excellent project for an engineering college.
There would be some refueling safety issues, but I think could be handled easily. The good part is that most of the infrastructure is already in the ground to heat our homes and our food. If you designed a hybrid, the configuration options could be quite enticing.
Refueling time could be short, the engine could be small and light, the battery could handle the impressive acceleration and hill performance, no need for a lot of expensive pollution controls. It’s cheaper, the fuel is cheaper, virtually no impact on the electrical grid, you could have a home refueling station (outdoor) if you wanted.
It creates CO2 and H2O. And we actually need more CO2, not less. More food, more oxygen and a greener planet. Or you can use a NG fuel cell for just H2O.
Diffuse energy has very little value, is expensive and has a lot of drawbacks. The more concentrated the energy source, the more added value. That is one reason why gasoline outshines things like hydrogen and batteries.
Yes I am not sure anything has more "K" at the point of need than gasoline/diesel/oil. And distribution is not super-fun, but we know how to do it at this point. And storage is fairly straightforward, up to a point.
Which is why gasoline/diesel/oil are still doing well.
EDIT: My comment was not well worded. What I meant was that the K you get from these fuels vs. the price you pay + the cost/complexity of the distribution/storage you need to employ to get it ... is still the best or nearly the best math. NG would be better, if we had more filling stations for it, more vehicles that could accept it, etc.
NG is not too bad. I drove a flip a switch NG and gasoline pickup truck sometimes for work. But NG has a density issue. It takes up a lot of volume. But it is fantastic for power plants. They need several NG power plants in west Texas as they are producing more than they can handle.
Why can't it be compressed? I've always wondered this.
It can be. There has been some good work done with composite tanks for hydrogen. It would be interesting to see some range calculations for a smart vehicle configuration. It would be much safer than hydrogen (boom). But not as safe as gasoline or better diesel. But safe enough. An excellent project for an engineering college.
There would be some refueling safety issues, but I think could be handled easily. The good part is that most of the infrastructure is already in the ground to heat our homes and our food. If you designed a hybrid, the configuration options could be quite enticing.
Refueling time could be short, the engine could be small and light, the battery could handle the impressive acceleration and hill performance, no need for a lot of expensive pollution controls. It’s cheaper, the fuel is cheaper, virtually no impact on the electrical grid, you could have a home refueling station (outdoor) if you wanted.
It creates CO2 and H2O. And we actually need more CO2, not less. More food, more oxygen and a greener planet. Or you can use a NG fuel cell for just H2O.
Thanks for making me do this thought experiment.
Yep. I am familiar with NG vehicles. My experience with them is quite positive. The tank(s) do eat up space though.
Oops, I think I solved the problem. But it would violate my law of good enough.
If we could create a practical LNG vehicle, that would be something.