Posts by PJ

Science-boosting thickie questionnaire backfires

70 or 71%

Yeah right but when the tide goes out its only 70% isn't it because there's more beach?

And anyway everyone knows the earth is only about 4000 years old and we killed the dinosaurs because they didn't believe in God.

3D TV by Christmas, hints Sky

No pic no proof

Oh, hang on...

The Equalizer prowls Albert Square

Perhaps a new(?) acronym

I hereby propose the tag [NITA] to prevent the unwary Reg reader from stumbling innocently into an article with No IT Angle.

In a similar way to the NSFW tag this will avoid the spattering of keyboards with the froth of righteous rage.

No wireless sex please, we're American

@Doug Lynn

I believe that the negative effects of radio waves is effectively averted by the application of a tin foil hat...

Big cheer for joy-free free internet. Now I can get back to reading about creationism without worrying about the anyone else having fun.

Inventor promises bottle-o-wind car in a year. Again

Unfair comparison

Transmission losses:

Sure the compressor will remove some efficiency from the process and grid transmission losses will knock a bit more off (although this is so trivial in comparison to other losses it is hardly worth mentioning). The key losses will be in the conversion of air to compressed air and back to work. The main question is the efficiency with which work is generated from the compressed gas.

However, if one is going to consider these losses then one must also benchmark ICE efficiency against the extraction, refining and distribution costs for hydrocarbon fuel. I suspect the air-car may compare favourably in this respect. It's the practicality and scalability aspects which are going to knacker it.

CCGT efficiency:

Actually gas power plant is only 55% efficient overall; the 85% refers to the maximum energy available from the cycle rather than the total energy put in I imagine.

ICE efficiency:

ICEs may approach 35% efficiency at optimal running conditions but the true value is closer to 20%

Heating compressed gas by burning fuel:

Hey! My car does this. It's a turbo diesel.

Planting trees will not save the planet: official

Well, I didn't see that coming.

Think this is stupid? Anyone catch this sparkling gem of a news story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/6917693.stm

National Express bus kingpin ditches biofuel trial

2nd generation biofuels

I always thought the hope for biofuels lay in the second generation stuff, i.e. using the stalks and stems to create the fuel. Personally it sounds like non-starter to me, better just burn up the stuff we produce anyway (wood shavings etc.) Anything purpose grown is a waste of time.

"few people want gallons of sulphuric acid, lithium or hydrogen in their car when they crash."

Yeah, give me 45 litres of petrol any day. At least with hydrogen you know that you're short fiery death isn't contributing to you carbon footprint.