Posted on 12/11/2010 3:38:13 PM PST by editor-surveyor
Vlado Bevc
Synergy Research Institute, P.O.Box 561, San Ramon, California 94583
The promotion of General Motors Chevy Volt by three mayors (Contra Costa Times, November 6, 1010) merits some mundane evaluation from the energy standpoint. Electric vehicles –with an internal combustion engine assist – are compared to a “typical car” using 13 cents of $3.00/gallon gasoline per mile, that is one that makes 23 miles per gallon. (13/300 = 0.0433 gallon/mile)
In a conventional car 25 percent of 37 kWh from a gallon of gasoline gets into traction (because of losses in the engine and drive train). “Conventional car” thus uses 0.4 kWh/mile and so does any comparable car.
Reader Coughlan (CCT, November 13, 2010) correctly pointed out that at residential electric rates of 40 cents/kWh the energy cost is “about 10 cents/mile” rather than 3 cents/mile (above calculation shows 16 cents/mile). Moreover, Chevy Volt has a 435-pound battery costing $8,000 which wears out after 100,000 miles. That adds 8 cents to the energy associated operating cost of the electric car.
PG&E also has an experimental tariff designed for users of electric cars through which all of us are subsidizing electric vehicle owners.
Electric power plants supplying energy require from 3.5 to 4 kWh of thermal energy to generate 1 kWh or electrical energy. Thus the 0.4 kWh used by the electric car requires 1.6 kWh to generate. Energy wise we are at the same place as with an internal combustion engine.
About 70 % of electric power generating plants America use coal. At heating value of 3 kWh/lb, 1.3 pounds of coal is needed to generate 1 kWh. As coal is 80% carbon 3 pounds of carbon dioxide is emitted in generating 1 kWh of electric energy. In other words, electric vehicles cause production of 1.25 pounds of carbon dioxide per mile. On the other hand, an equivalent conventional car using 0.0433 gallon/mile emits 0.78 pounds of carbon dioxide per mile. Electric cars thus cannot reduce emissions of carbon dioxide to which climate changes are wrongly attributed.
The mayors say 500,000 electric vehicles in the Bay area would reduce costs and emissions dramatically. As shown no cost reduction can happen. Moreover, if 500,000 electric vehicles using 500 gallon/year producing 4 tons of carbon dioxide each were eliminated, there would be 2 megatons of carbon dioxide emissions less. This would be only 0.4 percent of the annual fluctuation (48,000 megaton) of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which totals about 3 million megatons, an insignificant amount.
Particularly unreasonable is the hint that electric vehicles while parked in employee parking lots could be running their gasoline engines to feed energy it back to the network. Efficiency of any electrical generator is proportional to the fourth power of its dimensions, hence a number of small power generating stations would waste more energy than a normally sized electric power plant.
Vlado Bevc
925 683 9254
> “Huh?
.
Flunked chemistry?
Because of the free O2 supplied by the AIR pump, the catalyst converts all of the sulphur present in the exhaust to anhydrous acid, thus the choking odor usually present on steep highway upgrades.
> “The ‘article’ is full of false and misleading statements. Two thumbs down.”
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One of your thumbs is in your anus, and the other is in your mouth - you just switched thumbs.
What are your other qualifications?
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What air pump?
I am sure you are impressing your bf with that post.
> “Probably the reason no one but this kook brings it up.”
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No, it was in reply to the feature article that had highlighted that absurdity.
The article was so stupid that it appeared that you had written it.
> “What air pump?”
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The one required by law on gasoline powered IC engines installed in vehicles intended for sale in the US.
No air pump is required on gasoline powered IC engines installed in vehicles intended for sale in the US and no air pump is installed.
You’ve just proven that you’re an idiot.
They have been required since release of the 1975 model year, and all gasoline powered cars have them, and without them the catalyst could not function and would quickly become plugged.
This is 2010, not 1975. Smog pumps are not required and are not installed.
You: You’ve just proven that you’re an idiot. They have been required since release of the 1975 model year, and all gasoline powered cars have them,
Actually, smog pumps were introduced in 1866 and have since been discontinued. Catalytic converters were introduced in 1975. Check your facts.
Typo. 1966
You missed again. The smell is hydrogen sulfide, not sulfuric acid.
Hey Einstein, the catalyst will not function without an air injection system.
I guess you can be forgiven on this one, but Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an anhydrous acid.
This would be helpful, since this is largely a public policy forum.
I see you looked it up on your 'break'. But it is in black and white that you said the problem was sulfuric acid:
The biggest problem is the catalytic converter that emits sulphuric acid.
I see you looked it up on your 'break'. But it is in black and white that you said the problem was sulfuric acid:
The biggest problem is the catalytic converter that emits sulphuric acid.
Then you better go tell the EPA that no car makers put smog pumps on their cars anymore.
Perhaps you should direct your post to e-s. It is his thread.
>Hey Einstein, the catalyst will not function without an air injection system.<
Please tell Ford. Here is a list of parts for my emission system.
Canister
Connector hose
Connector pipe
Connector tube
EGR tube
Egr system
Egr valve
Emission system (PCV Valve)
Hose assy
Lwr oxygen snsr
Purge valve
Solenoid
Tube assy
Upr oxygen snsr
Vapor canister
Vapor hose
Wire
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