Re: The future of hybrid cars

From: Alex Terrell (alexterrell_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 10/14/04 

Date: 14 Oct 2004 15:24:49 -0700

Dan Bloomquist <EXTRApublic21@lakeweb.com> wrote in message news:<416DEAB9.4020308@lakeweb.com>...
> Alex Terrell wrote:
> >
> > It can be wasted at in resistors, or the heat of a generator can be
> > wasted. Most generators can't be just turned-off at night. Even if
> > they are, a huge amount of thermal energy is wasted.
>
> You will have to back this up. The load is well understood by the
> production industry. They don't let 'waste' go by easily.
>
No concrete data, but demand falls by about 1/3 at night. So some
generators are turned off. As we (UK) don't have much hydro (apart
from the pumped storage) this means shutting down therm stations. This
certainly wastes thermal heat, and creates strain on the boilers,
which would prefer a constant temperature.

Sorry, I can't quantify it. Perhaps a power systems engineer can.

> However, I have nothing against EVs if you can sell'm.
>
In terms of overall efficency:

Electricity generated in station at 45%, transmitted, placed in
battery, consumed by electric engine;

versus

Fuel shipped to refinery, refined, tanked to petrol station, placed in
car, converted to motion at ~25%;

I think the former is slightly ahead, but not much. From a European
end user perspective, EVs will wins hand down financially because of
the current tax regime. (With fuel cell powered cars, the two options
would come out broadly level, at which point car batteries can be used
as energy sinks)

>From an environmental / social perspective, some points about the EV
scenario:

- No extra infrastructure needed, since extra demand is night time (at
least till EVs become the majority)
- Significantly reduced local pollution (against increase power
station output)
- Power stations tend to be cleaner thsn cars (better scrubbers)
- Some, and increasing so more, of our generation will be CO2 free
- electricity genration is less dependent than cars on Middle East oil

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