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Gentlemen, stop your engines
CNN Money ^ | September 20 2006 | Erick Schonfeld and Jeanette Borzo

Posted on 09/21/2006 8:51:08 AM PDT by Malsua

The Innovation: A ceramic power source for electric cars that could blow away the combustion engine

The Disrupted: Oil companies and carmakers that don't climb aboard

Forget hybrids and hydrogen-powered vehicles. EEStor, a stealth company in Cedar Park, Texas, is working on an "energy storage" device that could finally give the internal combustion engine a run for its money -- and begin saving us from our oil addiction. "To call it a battery discredits it," says Ian Clifford, the CEO of Toronto-based electric car company Feel Good Cars, which plans to incorporate EEStor's technology in vehicles by 2008.

EEStor's device is not technically a battery because no chemicals are involved. In fact, it contains no hazardous materials whatsoever. Yet it acts like a battery in that it stores electricity. If it works as it's supposed to, it will charge up in five minutes and provide enough energy to drive 500 miles on about $9 worth of electricity. At today's gas prices, covering that distance can cost $60 or more; the EEStor device would power a car for the equivalent of about 45 cents a gallon.

(Excerpt) Read more at money.cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Technical
KEYWORDS: alternativefuels; energy; perpetualmotion
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To: who_would_fardels_bear

For this to work, it would have to be at temps approaching 0 degrees Kelvin?


21 posted on 09/21/2006 9:02:07 AM PDT by sportutegrl (This thread is useless without pix.)
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To: Dixie Yooper
I can already hear the keyboard clickings of all the naysayers descending on this thread...

From FReepers who have heavy investments in the petroleum sector.

22 posted on 09/21/2006 9:02:13 AM PDT by GraniteStateConservative (...He had committed no crime against America so I did not bring him here...-- Worst.President.Ever.)
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To: Huck
I really feel like the momentum is growing, and someone sooner or later is going to come up with a new technology that will work.

I'm perhaps months away from my technology that will harness the power of the windbags in Congress. Cheap, abundant energy as long as you don't need it in August or between Thanksgiving and New Years Day.

Shalom.

23 posted on 09/21/2006 9:03:09 AM PDT by ArGee (The Ring must not be allowed to fall into Hillary's hands.)
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To: GraniteStateConservative

Is it a Flux Capacitor?


24 posted on 09/21/2006 9:03:10 AM PDT by umgud
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To: Malsua

Have you ever seen a large capacitor discharge catastrophically?

That's just what I want in all the cars that I see on the road.

Energy is energy. Look at all the BTU's burned on the road in the US on a daily basis and try to make that up with the equivalent amount of electrical energy to charge the capacitors. Can you say lots more power plants operating 24 hours a day?

Energy is a shell game. You don't get it for free.


25 posted on 09/21/2006 9:03:25 AM PDT by montomike (If you didn't find this funny and were offended...have a riot.)
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To: Dixie Yooper
I can't wait for the day I can stop filling up at gas stations.

I don't think that we will ever eliminate a refueling depot of some sort be it gasoline, ethonal, hydrogen, electricity, whatever.

Interestingly enough, it charges in 5 minutes at a cost of about $9 in electricity. At 600 volts, how many amps would you need?

26 posted on 09/21/2006 9:03:38 AM PDT by Malsua
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To: who_would_fardels_bear

If we define capacitors in three categories, standard, super and ultra. I would say this falls into the super capacitor range. They seemed to have solved some of the problems inherent to using capacitors for storage, but it will require testing to verify.

Here is another take on it based upon someone else's review of the patent.

http://ipdiscover.com/pipermail/newcandle_ipdiscover.com/2006-March/000480.html


27 posted on 09/21/2006 9:04:08 AM PDT by taxcontrol
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To: Youngman442002
Capacitors explode real good too...

Well, DUH! How do you think they made those 0-60 claims???

;)

Shalom.

28 posted on 09/21/2006 9:04:18 AM PDT by ArGee (The Ring must not be allowed to fall into Hillary's hands.)
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To: Malsua
it will charge up in five minutes and provide enough energy to drive 500 miles on about $9 worth of electricity.

9$ in 5 minutes? Sounds lie you'll need 440 3-phase in every home to charge this sucker. My arc welder won't draw 9$ worth of electricity in a an hour.

29 posted on 09/21/2006 9:04:28 AM PDT by Toby06 (Hydrogen is not a fuel source. Hydrogen is an energy storage method, like a battery.)
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To: who_would_fardels_bear

It's a ceramic ultracapacitor with a barium titanate dielectric.

Battery power as good as gas?
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1141599010468&call_pageid=970599109774&col=Columnist971715454851
Mar. 6, 2006


30 posted on 09/21/2006 9:04:32 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: east1234
whoops It should have read any intelligent person
31 posted on 09/21/2006 9:04:53 AM PDT by nascarnation
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To: umgud

32 posted on 09/21/2006 9:04:54 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: Malsua
Is not Caterpillar working on similar battery technology. I do like Hybrid technology and not because of loony green stuff but it drives like the dickens.
33 posted on 09/21/2006 9:05:40 AM PDT by gumboyaya
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To: Thrusher
"I think it is a flux capacitor"

Yeah but you still need gas to get that sucker up to 88 MPH.

34 posted on 09/21/2006 9:05:53 AM PDT by #1CTYankee (That's right, I have no proof. So what of it??)
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To: Malsua
Boy, considering we already have a power shortage in California, that sounds like a whizzbang idea!
35 posted on 09/21/2006 9:06:54 AM PDT by oldleft
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To: Petronski
Damn, beat me.

Secondary offering:


36 posted on 09/21/2006 9:06:57 AM PDT by Toby06 (Hydrogen is not a fuel source. Hydrogen is an energy storage method, like a battery.)
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To: Thrusher; Flux Capacitor

You are being discussed over here!


37 posted on 09/21/2006 9:08:09 AM PDT by Toby06 (Hydrogen is not a fuel source. Hydrogen is an energy storage method, like a battery.)
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To: montomike
Energy is energy. Look at all the BTU's burned on the road in the US on a daily basis and try to make that up with the equivalent amount of electrical energy to charge the capacitors. Can you say lots more power plants operating 24 hours a day?

A lot of energy. However, this would likely increase our base load with most charging done at night while our usage is low. That greatly helps nuclear plants and large coal plants and becomes less economical for Natural Gas.


38 posted on 09/21/2006 9:09:17 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: Malsua
EEStor is backed by VC firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

That's the element that adds substance to this article.

39 posted on 09/21/2006 9:09:49 AM PDT by Dark Skies
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To: montomike
Have you ever seen a large capacitor discharge catastrophically?

Having worked on TVs back in the day and industrial lasers currently, yes. Nasty.

And I agree, energy is a shell game. I'd like for us to have a blended approach that will eliminate the need to import oil from tin pot dictators, islamowhackos and unstable regimes.

If these folks can pull it off, more power to 'em.

40 posted on 09/21/2006 9:09:52 AM PDT by Malsua
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