Earlier quoted context omitted.
But that will never happen in the USA due to the influence of the oil industry.
You may be interested in the Norwegian TV series "Occcupied": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okkupert The premise is that Norway develops thorium reactor technology and ceases all fossil-fuel production. And then is clandestinely and later openly invaded by Russia, with the blessing of other countries, to seize oil and gas production facilities and forcibly re-open them.
Airbus and Boeing are exploring the viability of electric planes
101–110 of 149 posts
Re: Airbus and Boeing are exploring the viability of electric planes
#102Norway is in an ideal position; a surplus from oil money and excessive access to hydro power. I would hope they can use their current oil prosperity to prepare for a hydro (and other green energy) powered future, in all kinds of new places. After I typed that I realized that the whole world could be said to be in oil prosperity still, so the same applies to us all: with less evenly distributed oil prosperity, and not…
Re: Airbus and Boeing are exploring the viability of electric planes
#103Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is more than that. Planes become lighter as they burn fuel, batteries don't become lighter as they drain. Lighter planes are more efficient, and most airliners are not designed to land with their tanks full. They have a option to jettison their fuel in case of emergency. It means that just matching the energy density of fuel is not enough, batteries must exceed it. Jet engines are also quite efficient: around 4…
> batteries don't become lighter as they drain. Right, but they can be thrown overboard :-)
That might work for disposable rockets launched from the south Pacific, but it does not work for a reusable aircraft flying over populated continents.
Re: Airbus and Boeing are exploring the viability of electric planes
#104If you're interested in the electrification of flight check out this episode of Fully Charged: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1g1JrRRkY Its kindof like a "roadster" for the sky. I was really impressed by the contra-rotating prop opportunity that becomes possible because of how small electric engines are (for their power).
I feel like it would chop up The air too much for the second propeller?
Re: Airbus and Boeing are exploring the viability of electric planes
#105How about Hybrid planes? Take a conventional Dreamliner or A320, and add batteries and electric engines. Plane takes off using fossil fuel (hard to electrify), and then switches to electric engines once at cruise altitude. This is best of both worlds, and provides additional redundancy...
Re: Airbus and Boeing are exploring the viability of electric planes
#106Earlier quoted context omitted.
But that will never happen in the USA due to the influence of the oil industry.
You may be interested in the Norwegian TV series "Occcupied": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okkupert The premise is that Norway develops thorium reactor technology and ceases all fossil-fuel production. And then is clandestinely and later openly invaded by Russia, with the blessing of other countries, to seize oil and gas production facilities and forcibly re-open them.
Re: Airbus and Boeing are exploring the viability of electric planes
#107Norway is in an ideal position; a surplus from oil money and excessive access to hydro power. I would hope they can use their current oil prosperity to prepare for a hydro (and other green energy) powered future, in all kinds of new places. After I typed that I realized that the whole world could be said to be in oil prosperity still, so the same applies to us all: with less evenly distributed oil prosperity, and not…
But that will never happen in the USA due to the influence of the oil industry.
Hydro power is an impossible resource to perpetually manufacture more of. The US has heavily tapped out its potential in hydro. First it's difficult/undesirable to manufacture a new source of hydro once you reach saturation, and second it's arguably a terrible idea to do so when you have good alternatives to damming up a natural water flow.
The US is the world's #2 nation in wind energy production and is adding more wind capacity per year than any other nation not named China.
Let's put it into context with the parent's comment you're replying to:
Norway had 1,162 MW of wind capacity in 2017. The US had 89,077. That's a 76 fold gap. However there is only a 63 fold gap in the population size between the two nations.
Given Norway has a meaningfully higher GDP per capita than the US (~15-20% higher typically), it looks even worse when you consider the GDP per capita vs wind energy capacity per capita ratio.
The US exceeds the vast majority of all countries on per capita wind energy capacity, including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, France, South Korea, Italy, Belgium, China, Greece, Turkey, Taiwan, Poland, Mexico, Brazil. Overall the US is doing OK with renewables and keeps getting better by the year. It's obviously important that that trend remain intact.
Re: Airbus and Boeing are exploring the viability of electric planes
#108side note: a few companies are also bringing back zeppelin, so far for freight/cargon (10s of tons) but also but slow public transport. Hindenburg drama aside, I find them superbly peaceful. see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxotOEZCh8g
I can totally see them in helicopter-like roles for heavy cargo. I have my doubts about the viability of public transport. In the times of the Hindenburg the zeppelin was already becoming obsolete. If you wanted comfort ships could provide much more because weight was a major issue for zeppelin interiours, and if you wanted speed planes were already several times faster. The high number of crew combined with slow spe…
Re: Airbus and Boeing are exploring the viability of electric planes
#109Earlier quoted context omitted.
> batteries don't become lighter as they drain. Right, but they can be thrown overboard :-)
> Right, but they can be thrown overboard That might work for disposable rockets launched from the south Pacific, but it does not work for a reusable aircraft flying over populated continents.
Then you just need a fleet of smaller planes to carry those drones.
Re: Airbus and Boeing are exploring the viability of electric planes
#110Earlier quoted context omitted.
You also expel all that burnt fuel reducing weight was you fly. Some aircraft even redistribute fuel between tanks to control stability and performance. [0] [0] https://www.amevoice.com/blog/1058/airbus-a340-fuel-system-d...
A large gas tank was added behind the pilot's seat in the P-51 to extend its range. But it unbalanced the airplane, and made it difficult to fly. Pilots always drained it first. The Luftwaffe never figured out that they could have trashed the P-51s if they caught them early enough. These days, that tank has been replaced by a passenger seat so you can get a joyride on a P51.