Happyflyer Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 The Chinese are perfecting an Aluminium/Graphite Dual-ion battery (AGDIB) for commercial production in the very near future. This AGDIB has 200% better energy density than any current Li-ion, is 50% lighter, and costs 50% less to produce than Li-ion batteries. In addition, it's more environmentally friendly than Li-ion, and is unlikely to see raw material cost spikes - as has happened with Lithium - because Aluminium is cheap and plentiful. It's a big step forward in the EV field, and it's highly likely we will see it in commercial production within a couple of years. https://phys.org/news/2016-10-efficient-dual-ion-battery.html That would be a game changer, for the same weight, four times the capacity, at about the same price! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gravity Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 It sure would be but I'll believe it when I see it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunder Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 An area where batteries are different, is that they are a fixed weight. Full or empty. Fuel (petrol) capacity is reduced during flight, so weight & balance issues need to be designed into the airframe. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bexrbetter Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 An area where batteries are different, is that they are a fixed weight. Full or empty. Also the argument against a diesel to a degree too, they can start near the same weight as petrol, eg; heavier engine, less fuel required, but land heavier. Made a decision today to follow electric power up, but will start learning with the car first, it's a bit safer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allowera Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 In the Automotive world they are considering 'String Batteries'. These pre-charged Strings are 'poured' into a tank in a similar time to liquid fuels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boleropilot Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 a couple of points in Europe a lot of trike drivers with 582s are looking for an alternative power unit due to increasingly stringent emission laws - some have changed over to BMW motorcycle (flat two) motors - the thought of one of those in my Drifter gives me a woody... charging loops embedded into the road are being tested - just like the 'cordless' phone charger I use, just pop the phone in the cradle (which of course has a USB lead on it) the driver simply pulls into that lane and charging takes place without any connection whatsoever - while the car continues without slowing... our Chinese friends have designed huge electric 'inverted U shaped' buses that allow three lanes of traffic to pass underneath when they stop at stations - during the stop a transmitter wirelessly sends high voltage into a receiver on the roof of the bus and to top it all off, the UK are saying that no motor vehicle with internal combustion motors only will be able to be sold after 2040 - only pure electrics or mutants allowed and the fly in the ointment? how many coal fired power stations are we going to need to supply all this non-polluting electricity? um - hang on....as Pauline would say....please explain???????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bexrbetter Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 and the fly in the ointment? how many coal fired power stations are we going to need to supply all this non-polluting electricity? Indeed true, and Ford themselves proved a few years back that with all the processes from start to finish to build, maintain and recycle an electric car, there is almost nothing to be gained with electric cars. One point usually missed though, is the density of pollution in cities, and the quality of the immediate breathing air, not to mention noise, is drastically improved by electric vehicles. I'll video one of our electric buses compared to a normal bus here and you will see (hear) the difference. Electric buses, you know, those things countries who don't waste their money on plebiscites can afford. Shenzen city (over the bridge from Hong Kong) just spent 600 million replacing every public bus with an electric one, they now have more electric public buses in one city than the entire amount of public suburban buses in all of America. China's Shenzhen city electrifies all 16,359 of its public buses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetrack Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Coal-fired power stations are an anachronism, a legacy of the early 1900's, and about at the stage of horse-drawn vehicles in 1904. "Those new-fangled motor cars are just a fad! They need a constant supply of gasoline, and regular repairs!" Your electrical energy sources in future are going to be a combination of solar, wind, batteries, pumped hydro, geothermal power, plain hydro, and probably even wave power energy. A lot of people don't realise it yet, but we're on the cusp of an Electric Industrial revolution, on a par with the Industrial Revolution of the early 1800's. Digging up coal at enormous cost (environmental costs in the form of land degradation, massive machinery costs, fuel costs), then transporting that coal via rail and ship over thousands of kms at more cost again - then burning that coal at huge environmental cost - is a total cost the world can no longer tolerate, and it's simply an outdated technology which is a relic of a bygone era. China is leading the pack here, with moves to shut down coal useage and replace it immediately with much cleaner natural gas. Australia has the worlds second largest natural gas deposits on the NW Shelf of W.A., and we will soon be the worlds largest NG exporter. I will wager that China is also progressing to a larger energy mix, with more of the "renewable" energy sources I mentioned previously. I don't have any problem with removing coal mining, and coal-fired power stations, from the planet in the near future - there are so many better options available immediately. Our electrical energy costs will reduce in coming decades as new technology makes it cheaper and easier to generate electrical power. The problem we have here in Australia, is a weak-kneed, wishy-washy Govt, and a pack of political leaders from the PM on down, who have failed miserably to take the lead, and provide a long-term plan for energy production, and renewable energy development. Part of the problem is that these politicians are hostage to businesses with a vested interest in ensuring we all stay enslaved to oil and coal, for all time. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gravity Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 The love affair between OTTO & hydrocarbons will be around for a very very long time yet! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bexrbetter Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Onetrack; It doesn't matter about the content of you post, right or wrong, there is no way the change can be supported financially, it's not going to happen, it's that simple. Labor came out in 2016 (whenever) with the launch of "50% Renewables by 2030!!" then experts, including from their own Party and even the Greens, explained what the cost would actually be, they just as quickly pulled their heads in and don't mention it (as presented) any more. I'll walk out to the street and see if an electric bus comes by, there's usually a bus every 5 minutes, and there's one of your answers, force people out of cars in city areas. Like when you go to a big sporting event, car park a few kms away with non-stop shuttle buses, ideal. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_d Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 there is no way the change can be supported financially, it's not going to happen, it's that simple. It's cheaper than the effects of a 4+ degree rise in temperature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bexrbetter Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 It's cheaper than the effects of a 4+ degree rise in temperature. I would like a new Ferrari 548, I'm not having one because I can't afford it. It doesn't matter what you say, it doesn't matter what evidence you offer, we can not afford to change at a rate other than a trickle over numbers of generations, it's that simple, period. And here's the paradox, Australia needs to sell coal and iron ore (they go hand in hand, iron needs coking coal) and other 'climate damaging' minerals to be able to afford any changes. And when there is no more coal and iron ore being sold, where do you experts reckon the money to cover the costs are going to come from? You understand that coal and iron ore are our biggest sellers? We do pretty well with bauxite too, oh wait, still need coal for that aluminium ... It's hypocritical to enjoy every part of Australia's wealth that comes from coal, iron ore, bauxite etc. and on the other hand, stand completely against it. That's just us, there's plenty of areas that can't afford not to use coal for electricity, either we pay for them as well, when we can't afford it ourselves, or we just pretend they aren't there. Now excuse me, I have to jump in my hydro electric power source charged electric car and nick down to the factory after finishing my soup from the veg I grew on my roof. Enjoy your drive home tonight in your particle spewing petrol powered antique with your energy sapping, sealed foodstuffs, you planet killer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_d Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 No need to get your knickers in a twist Bex, I'm just pointing out the fact that seems to get glossed over whenever the costs of transition are mentioned. Go talk to NASA about the worsening weather events. Then put a price on their effects over the next 30 years and tell me whether it's more than transitioning out of coal fired generation. Saying "we're never going to transition from coal because we can't afford to" is like refusing to get a life-saving operation because you don't want to take out a loan. I'm not saying I know what the solution is, but like Onetrack I reckon it'll be a combination of LNG and a broad mix of renewables. There's a million ways to reduce emissions and most of them just require political will. Bit hard when a sizeable proportion of one party doesn't even believe the science and many others in both parties just pay lip service to attract the social conscience vote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red750 Posted January 17, 2018 Author Share Posted January 17, 2018 is like refusing to get a life-saving operation because you don't want to take out a loan I couldn't get a loan if I needed one. Firstly, I'm over 70, and I can't afford to pay off the loans I've got, let alone take out another one. So some medical treatment goes begging. I got referred for a test recently and got told I'm on the shortest available waiting list, about 6 months. Meanwhile, Mal "Santa" Turnbull gives his public servants a huge pay rise on top of already large salaries. What is Australia getting for its money? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boleropilot Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Brisbane used to have electric buses - and trams... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boleropilot Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 and a railway line to the Gold Coast - ah yes, we do have one now, but that's not the point... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueadventures Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 and a railway line to the Gold Coast - ah yes, we do have one now, but that's not the point... Overseas governments are working on the lost revenue from the lost fuel excise / tax. They gota replace the lost money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boleropilot Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 my wife and I are going to run away to Tasmania (from S E Qld) in 2020 to escape the heat - only problem is that by then we will probably have to move even further South to avoid being fried... anybody know anyone who knows how to build an igloo? BP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetrack Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 It is true that iron ore and coal are our largest export earners in pure dollar terms. But we have to examine who actually gets all the money from these two major earners? Global corporations and their CEO's, their senior management, shareholders, oil companies, banks, and the legal and accounting fraternity get more than their fair share of every iron ore or coal dollar earned. The average Joe Blow has to wait around for a long time, to then get piXXed on, before he feels the "trickle-down effect"? I won't even start on the Hancock and Wright families totalitarian greed and royalty rort, that they pull on us daily, where 2.5% of a large proportion of Rio Tinto's iron ore production goes directly into their tax-free family trusts. The amount of money pulled out of Australian iron ore production by these two greed-based families over the last 50 years would cover the nations total debt today, if it was repaid to its rightful owners - all Australians. Our world history is full of energy/transport decisions that were forced on us by global corporations and robber barons. John D Rockefeller has made us pay dearly for over 100 years for his oil monopolisation and total destruction of any energy opposition. The auto manufacturers and oil companies have colluded to destroy nearly every major proposed public transportation project in the U.S., in the last 100 years. Little surprise that these two groups also share common directors! Australia can survive quite nicely without digging up and exporting coal. Our Natural Gas exports will continue to increase, making up for lost coal exports - and we have the potential to increase Australias export earnings substantially with increased, more intensive food production, increased technology advances, and increased levels of education offerings for overseas students. Meanwhile, enough sunlight falls on Australia every day, to provide enough energy to totally eliminate conventional, coal fired power stations. It just needs some money spent to capture it. If you prefer to scoff at the cost of installing solar power production, I can point you to a coal-fired power station rebuild fiasco here in W.A., where the State Govt blew well over $300M of taxpayers funds, trying to recondition a rust-bucket coal-fired power station - which never produced any more than 20% of its capacity at any time after the refurbishment - and which was closed last September, due to it being an energy-generation disaster of national proportions. WA taxpayers foot huge bill for botched power project The Collie coal-mining operations have lurched from disaster to bankruptcy and back again, over the last 15-20 years, and it's only been major Govt support that has ensured the constant supply of coal to the local power stations. We had the embarrassment of the selling off of one of the Collie coal mine operations to the Indians, who have incurred massive losses, leading to borderline bankruptcy, leaving the entire coal-mining operation operation in limbo for weeks. The Collie coal mine employees have been forced to accept massive reductions in wages and salaries (up to 35% reduction in some cases), just to keep their jobs. So much for the fabulous local coal industry. Collie mine workers take 35pc pay cut 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gravity Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 This is Australia where corruption, big business and the Govt are all in bed with each other, no one is steering Australia's resource ship in any direction other than towards greedy pockets! Australian citizens are just the miners! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bexrbetter Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Australia can survive quite nicely without digging up and exporting coal. Our Natural Gas exports will continue to increase, making up for lost coal exports - No, Australia can not continue 'quite nicely', I'm not sure where you get your figures from, I take mine from the Governments themselves and known factual reporting institutions, not from Vegan Green Weekly. Australia, number 4 in the World for coal, isn't even in the top ten for Natural Gas, and is by a mile the most expensive of those in front, yeah, good luck with that. Note that China, Australia's largest coal buyer, is going to gas in a big way, and no increase from Australia as they are finding their own, and about to start large imports from Russia, as well as new access to other Euro/ME countries. Of course we could discuss Australia's open arms to fracking for gas .... not. more intensive food production, increased technology advances, and increased levels of education offerings for overseas students. Wait, are we heading to severe weather patterns changing that will severely disrupt food production due to climate change or not? Increased technology sales? Can't see it at the rate Asia and India are expanding in those areas. Australia is outpricing itself as other countries are seeing the benefits of foreign students, New Zealand for example who have grown their intake by 50% in the last 5 years, who have less stringent entry restrictions, especially for carers/parents, and cheaper living costs. When, like South Australia, the costs in Oz continue to go up with renewables, you think the use of even more expensive electricity making everything in turn more expensive, is going to increase our student imports, and foodstuff exports do you? If you prefer to scoff at the cost of installing solar power production, Oh cool, thanks for your support. it's not the cost of installation by the way, it's getting the power to your home and maintaining it, is what the issue is. Coal you just throw on a vehicle and take it to the convenient local, and it works at night too, also cloudy days. Uses far less Windex too. Oh, and I caught an intercity bus today, CNC (compressed natural gas) powered, and CNC powered taxis at both ends, because I'm always doing my part. You're welcome. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yenn Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 While we made good money, just digging up and selling off coal and iron ore, we were shutting down our steel industry, car industry, white goods manufacturing and anything else that could have been called value adding. Now what have we got? Nothing of any use and we have to import just about everything we need. Not content with that we are now selling off good agricultural land and before we know it we will have to import food. That is the sort of thing that happens in third world countries, such as Ethiopia, where all the subsistence farmers sold their land and moved to the city. The buyers produced cut flowers for the European trade and Ethiopians enjoyed famine. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gravity Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 Sadly Yenn that's all too true. What probably saddens me more is the empty legacy we have left our children's children. Successive inept corrupt Govt's who are short sighted and weak have essentially destroyed Australia, a far & wide brown land now more dersolate than it has ever been, geography wise and industrial wise -:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetrack Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 I get my information from DFAT and the World Energy Council - which group has a pretty good handle on energy supplies and use throughout the world. The simple fact remains that coal production and use, is in decline, and has been since 2014. That decline will accelerate in coming years as our Natural Gas production from the NW Shelf of W.A. ramps up to massive levels. Someone seems to have missed the fact that the combined big energy companys capital investment, in all the huge NG projects on the NW Shelf of W.A., make the Snowy Scheme look like a kids backyard pool project. The total capital investment in the NW Shelf projects is AU$180B, and Australia will become the world s largest exporter of NG by 2019 - beating Qatar hands-down. The worlds NG production and consumption is projected to double by 2030. By 2030, the worlds coal production and consumption is likely to halve, purely because of the rise in NG use. Trade https://www.worldenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/World-Energy-Resources-Full-report-2016.10.03.pdf 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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