51–60 of 69 posts
Another is how they investigated if they should make own nuclear weapons. They decided not to after getting assurances from industry that they can make an atomic bomb within months if needed.
I wonder what other possibilities or backup technologies they considered?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It looks like the author's first language may be Dutch, where carbon monoxide is "koolmonoxid" and "kool" can mean both "coal" and "carbon" (although there are more specific words for coal such as "steenkool" = "stone carbon").
Same in most Germanic/Scandinavian languages I believe. Carbon and Coal are synonymous. Coal as in coal power, coal barbecue, and the element carbon use the same word. That’s not a coincidence. Apart from some exotic forms like diamonds, trees or rabbits (less pure), coal is how we normally encounter carbon.
Would a steam engine make more sense? Then you could run it on anything.
In order to be efficient and powerful, a steam engine needs high-pressure steam, which can only be safely contained by thick, heavy boilers and pipes. This makes miniaturization of steam engines for cars difficult. Gasification of wood allows you to keep the benefits of the internal combustion engine.
I’m not saying this is common knowledge, but it’s not a new idea: https://archive.org/details/FEMAEmergencyGassifer , https://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/old/3022.pdf . Then again, the fact that the article focuses on WWII cars says it’s not a new idea.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
In the last years of WW2 I think Japan chopped down the last of its trees to make a bit of aviation fuel.
Wait, what? There's absolutely no evidence that "Japan chopped down the last of its trees". Why would you say such a thing? You enjoy lying on the internet?
Nice thing about wood power is that as long as you have a sustainable source of wood, you're 100% solar-powered and carbon neutral. That is to say, it's a source of energy that is (can be) non-fossil, nor derived from any fossil sources, and which recycles it's own CO2 emissions. There are very few other alternatives that can claim the same. Perhaps Hydro? Solar panels don't offset their construction CO2 costs, and i…
If you turn the wood to charcoal and only burn the syngas, it's even carbon negative. Charcoal is stable for hundreds or thousands of years when buried. It also improves the soil.