TheEEStory.com

Lensman wrote:

I don't think that's a fantasy, TimBitts. We might very well see self-driving taxicabs, when the technology advances to that point.

Lens - here is a vision of what a 'self-driving' cab might look like in the future:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H5k--n7sFI

Lens Scale: 1.5 (hope in EEStor fading away...like tears in the rain)

A site that keeps track of Polywell developments:

IEC Fusion Technology

http://iecfusiontech.blogspot.com/

TLee wrote:

The vocabulary and sentence structure in the blog reads like a Nigerian scam e-mail.

Yea - I was waiting for the blogger to ask for bank account numbers...the spirit of the article was good...grammer - not so much.

Lens Scale: 1.5 (Time Erosion of hope).

hoarybat wrote:

eeOrange wrote:

There are several super volcanoes (or megacaldera) in the world

1.Yellowstone - Wyoming, USA
2.Long Valley - California, USA
3.Valles Calderas - New Mexico, USA
4.Lake Toba - North Sumatra, Indonesia
5.Taupo Volcano - North Island, New Zealand
6.Aira Caldera - Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyūshū, Japan
7.Siberian Traps - Russia.
8.Laacher See - Germany
9.La Garita Caldera - Colorado, USA
10.Kikaki Caldera - Osumai Islands, Japan
11.Mount Aso - Island of Kyushu, Japan
12.Mount Tambora - Sumbwawa Island, Indonesia
13.Campi Flegrei - Naples, Italy
14.Baekdu Mountain - Borders of China and North Korea
15.Whakamaru - North Island, New Zealand
16.Snowdonia - Wales, United Kingdom
17.Lake District - England, United Kingdom
18.Glen Coe - Scotland, United Kingdom
19.Cerro Galan - Catamarca Province, Argentina
20.Bennett Lake Volcanic Complex - British Columbia/Yukon, Canada
21.Macauley Island - Kermadec Islands, New Zealand


Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Where_are_super_volca...

Nice list. Some of these here erupt with greater frequency than others as known. Yellowstone by comparison with its infrequent massive eruptions is troubling. We should put the same effort and research into Yellowstone's overdue ticking time bomb in our back yard as we do in searching the cosmos for killer asteroids and comets.

I believe there is a lot of focus on Yellowstone - such as measuring the anual rise in elevation due to the inflation of the underground magma chamber (or deflation - as was seen recently). Troubling - yes. Some good shows on the Discovery Channel, etc. The question is - what to do about it if it actually looks like it might erupt? Other than evacuation and stockpiling of food and other resources as widespread crop failures are expected.

Something the mainstream media might not admit - is that global warming might help offset a suddent global cooling event - such as a super volcano. Maybe the net temperature drop might not be as severe?

Lens Scale: 2 (time erosion of hope -- call me EE-Weary)

Interesting engine development - is it an improved Wankle?

http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/new...

If the claims are true - couple this with a battery (as he implies in the comments) - you have a plug-in electricy hybrid vehicle - that might be lighter and cheaper than the Volt.

Lens Score 2 (time erosion of hope).

Interesting article from Seeking Alpha with some good points regarding the challenges of making Electric Cars economical:

http://seekingalpha.com/article/323301-10-reaso...

If ever we needed an EESU - then this article points out the obvious.

Lens Scale: 2 (time erosion of hope)

A light article from our friends at General Electric:

http://www.ecomagination.com/the-dawn-of-the-el...

From the article:
“The enthusiasm behind these infrastructure plans is fantastic, and a sprinkling of public charging is useful to support EV deployment,” she said. “I do wish those in the space would heed the lessons we’ve learned over the last 15 years—there’s too much infrastructure going into some areas, not enough in others or not in the right places. And most of the monetization schemes proposed can at best be described as wishful thinking, and will result more likely in the waste of large amounts of taxpayer funding and a well-deserved public and media backlash as chargers go unused.”

As with any new technology, this is just the beginning. Next generation fast-chargers are said to power batteries to 50 percent capacity in as little as three minutes—with full charges capable in 10 to 13 minutes. Companies are also working on automated “battery swap” stations that would get motorists back on the road in under one minute; considerably faster than today’s conventional gas stations.

By 2015, the number of charging points in the U.S. is expected to jump from the current 2,900 to over one million. Such a ubiquitous infrastructure coupled with future battery advancements will likely be the catalyst needed for the electric car industry to cut the range anxiety leash and hit the open road. As the saying goes, it’s all just a little bit of history repeating itself."

Now - if only we could have some working prototypes of the EESU - so these charging stations could be properly sized.

Lens Scale: 3 (time erosion of optimism - will 2012 be the year?)

"Everyone at ZENN is as eager as shareholders are to get to a public announcement about the progress of EEStor's technology and we consistently encourage EEStor to provide regular public updates on the progress of its technology, but unfortunately both the pace of development of the ultracapacitor technology and any announcement regarding progress are not within the control of ZENN or its Directors. We are well aware of the frustration this can lead to for shareholders, but we have no choice but to respect the NDAs we are subject to. Going forward ZENN will need to strengthen its financial position. It is important to all shareholders that ZENN has the financial resources to ensure that it can capitalize on its investments in EEStor if and when the technology is ultimately developed."

2012 Anyone?

eeOrange wrote:

Well, I for one would never blame Canada for my own stupidity. One of the many problems the US is currently experiencing/causing is a lack of direction from the US on energy policy. I read an interesting article recently that indicated that the US currently has one of the most liberal presidents and one of the most conservative congresses in several decades. I don't expect to see any stable direction setting in the next couple of years.

As Paul Cummings pointed out with his reference to the John Stewart clip - it seems like we can't shake the oil habit - regardless of what the talking heads, er, I mean presidents have to say. This video says it all:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-june-16-2...

Maybe, just maybe, 2012 and go forward - we might have the technology to eventually give us alternatives to combustion.

Pretty funny..."If you can screw in a lightbulb, you can build a HoJo Motor..." Quote from the pitch.

"See your electricity bills disapppear". I wonder if it is a pair of wire clippers - to clip the powerline coming into your home?

Brian wrote:

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.460...

An interesting bet...

But Marchionne foresees the industry turning instead toward compressed natural gas as an alternative fuel, as gas prices falling due to the huge investments being made in extracting it from shale.

Chrysler plans to introduce in March a compressed gas-fueled truck using technology developed with Fiat.

Why the Electric Vehicle House of Cards Must Fall...

http://seekingalpha.com/article/318079-why-the-...

I, for one, believe in the EV revolution. I don't think the author considers the cost polution, and that EVs - if their power sources are renewable or Nuclear, have a smaller environmental impact. Plus - anytime we can keep $$ from going out of the country to unsavory regimes (Iran anyone? Saudi Arabia? You get my point) - we are better off in the long run.

Lens Scale: 2 - hoping 2012 gives us more insight.

Seems like Jay Leno may be convinced on the EV revolution.

Maybe Tec will take notice.

http://inhabitat.com/jay-leno-drives-his-chevro...

Lens Scale: 2 (was a five - but tired of waiting by the phone - and EEStor never calls)

A nice looking car...hopefully this will help 'mainstream' the plug-in concept. Now - if they can only drive the prices down by about $10K (assuming it will be priced similar to the Chevy Volt).

http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/09/autos/ford_fusi...

Lens Scale: 2 (time erosion on this score)

Tec wrote:

that data is typical of "any" auto sales regardless of technology.

Well, I can see that take up might be slow for a new vehicle of course, but when you get sales falling over months like this it is surely not a good sign.

In the UK, sales over the first three quarters of 2011 were 465, 215, and 106 EVs - that's ALL models from ALL manufacturers - which looks like a similar pattern and probably explains Nissan's decision not to proceed with the batttery factory in Portugal.

I wasn't suggesting you were attempting to 'spin' any of this, by the way, but I feel that nissan and other manufacturers certainly will.

At some point - one would think that using combustion to power motor transport will become a thing of the past. There is the hope that companies like Joule Unlimited might be able to scale the production of bio-fuels for continued ICE use, and Compressed Natural Gas might also push back the move to EVs, but it almost seems inevitable that the transition will happen- as fossil fuels become increasingly expensive and steady supply uncertain. EV technology will improve - look at the Nissan Leaf compared to the GM EV1 - some would consider it a giant leap in performance. Hopefully in another 10 years - the Leaf will look completely outclassed by the next generation of EVs. And - if the electricity used to charge all of those EVs was derived from Solar, Wind, and advanced nuclear (Thorium?) reactors, then the concept of Smog might be a thing of the past as well. I would hope the EESU is in the middle of this transformation - but even if it is not, the move to EVs will most likely happen. Hopefully Sooner, rather than later.