A powerful new battery could give us electric planes that don’t pollute

MIT Technology Review ^ | October 30, 2018 | James Temple

[minnesota_bound]

That sudden stop when the extension cord runs out...TWANG!!!

[plain talk]

To heck with batteruy charged planes. It seems this idea might improve land-based batteries.

[catnipman]

i just LOVE magic battery posts!

[bgill]

Another reason not to fly.

[Vaquero]

It’s perpetual motion machine. No energy needed.

[I want the USA back]

Bull$hit. It takes more power to charge up the batteries to power the plane than what is available in petroleum products.

They keep repeating the stupidity.

[roadcat]

That sudden stop when the extension cord runs out...TWANG!!!

That gives me an idea: a combination of extension cords that automatically disconnects, with magnetic-induction catapults to get the plane moving along the runway (similar to new aircraft carrier catapults). That ought to reduce the amount of battery energy required onboard the plane during liftoff.

Heck, you might get 25 miles flight out of the plane. But the energy used from the ground sources would still be generating pollution, darn. Just shows that traditional liquid fuels currently carried on planes is the most efficient way to go, and has the most bang for the buck.

[dynoman]

People have no idea how much electricity it would take to replace the energy in fossil fuels. Every 100K gallons per month is the energy equivalent of 4.65 MW/hr of power. That's gasoline, diesel or Jet A had more BTUs/gallon.

100,000 gallons per month
= 138 gallons per hour
* 115000 btu/gallon
= 15700000 btu / hr
/ 3.41 btu /watt
= 4653958 watts
= 4.65 MW/hr of electric power equivalent

4.65 MW can power 3022 houses (650 houses per MW)

[dynoman]

Check post 28, then run the numbers on jet A used at a big airport!

[ReaganGeneration2]

[UNGN]

An Airbus A380 on takeoff, if hooked to electrical generators, could power a state. Not a city, a state.

[UNGN]

An Airbus A380 on takeoff, if hooked to electrical generators, could power a state. Not a city, a state.

[TonyM]

Relax! It will have had huge rubber band wound up inside and if the batteries fail all they have to do is remove the finger holding the prop and it will take over.

[mosesdapoet]

It just transfers the energy from a pollution source that’s needed to generate and store it to drive the motors.

[JZelle]

On the next episode of Air Disasters....

[marktwain]

A very useful technology, if developed.

Does little to reduce carbon emissions.

Not that reducing carbon emissions is necessary or useful.

[FreeperCell]

Ok. Now I can’t stop laughing!

[gigster]

Let me know when they manufacture a battery-powered SR-71 Blackbird.

[dynoman]

Here’s LAX;

48.6 million barrels per year
133,150 barrels/day
5,548 barrels per hour
233,013 gallons per hour

128,100 BTUs per gallon Jet A
29,849,054,794 LAX BTUs per hour
8747894427 watt/hr equivalent
8,747 MW/hr equivalent

Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant generates 2,256 MW of power.

It would take the equivalent of almost four Diablo Canyon nuclear power plants to charge electric airplanes equal those currently flying out of LAX.

[vette6387]

“At least they are attempting to bring their batteries to market. Other that it joins the thousands of long forgotten battery claims I’ve seen over the years.”

And let’s not forget the Fish Carburetor on which GM supposedly bought the patent rights to keep in off the market. Fish Motto: Zip, Plus Mileage!”