kernals12
Banned
Frank Shuman was not the only person doing research on solar power.No WW1. Not only does that see Frank Shuman's experiments in concentrated solar continuing, but also reduces the number of trucks.
Frank Shuman was not the only person doing research on solar power.No WW1. Not only does that see Frank Shuman's experiments in concentrated solar continuing, but also reduces the number of trucks.
When you mix Hydrogen and Carbon, you get easily transported gases and liquids...Uh, no. AIUI, this presupposed mixing hydrogen with something else, & turned into bricks.
Noted, but he did at least have a practical experiment going, and in Egypt at that, so it would have been noted by the British.Frank Shuman was not the only person doing research on solar power.
Why am I thinking of Ben Braddock?When you mix Hydrogen and Carbon, you get easily transported gases and liquids...
And if you add Oxygen, you get C6H10O5, a solid called cellulose
There have been lots of practical experiments in solar power in the last century. But they've all been wickedly expensive until very recently.Noted, but he did at least have a practical experiment going, and in Egypt at that, so it would have been noted by the British.
Yeah, but trying to set up a steam engine where he did would have got pretty expensive too, in fuel transport costs.There have been lots of practical experiments in solar power in the last century. But they've all been wickedly expensive until very recently.
At least the steam engine works at night.Yeah, but trying to set up a steam engine where he did would have got pretty expensive too, in fuel transport costs.
Most of the sources you listed are incredibly expensive. And hydropower has already been developed to the max in many countries."Kill the car industry"? "Only nuclear"? Really? So run-of-the-river hydro is impractical anywhere? Ocean thermal is impossible (especially at high latitudes)? Solar power satellites are impossible?
Motor fuels from other sources than oil are possible, not least algae oils or hydrogen from ocean thermal.
Generating methane from landfills would be a good start.
And even in Egypt, the sun does go down.OTOH you can get a triple expansion steam engine anywhere. I am not sure how a solar system for sunny Egypt would go in Europe.
How do you get solar panels before the invention of semiconductors? And why would you assume it'd only take 30 years for solar panels to become economically feasible? IOTL it's taken 60 years from the invention of the Solar Photovoltaic cell in the 50s for it to become competitive.France's 1880s experiments with solar steam power lead to (primitive) solar panels by the 1920s and solar providing 1/4 of energy by the 50s or 60s.
That's becaue they've been built in such trivial numbers.Most of the sources you listed are incredibly expensive.
Really? How many rivers that are unsuitable for conventional hydro dams have been tapped with RotR? 10?And hydropower has already been developed to the max in many countries.
At least the steam engine works at night.
On a similar note, many farmers got electricity from wind turbines before rural electrification made it obsolete.
How do you get solar panels before the invention of semiconductors? And why would you assume it'd only take 30 years for solar panels to become economically feasible? IOTL it's taken 60 years from the invention of the Solar Photovoltaic cell in the 50s for it to become competitive.
Fuel cells cost too much and hydrogen is difficult to store.
If you want your vehicle to go more than 5 yards, you need the efficiency of fuel cells. Hydrogen has a very low energy density, even in liquefied form.First hydrogen engines were produced in 1806, first vehicle in 1863. You don't need fuel cells to use hydrogen as a power source.
If you want your vehicle to go more than 5 yards, you need the efficiency of fuel cells. Hydrogen has a very low energy density, even in liquefied form.
The tank also took up a lot of trunk space.BMW's Hydrogen 7, with 260hp V-12 engine, had +200 KM range. I would imagine that with less outrageous chassis and performance the range could be a lot higher. And of course, fuel cell development would get a boost.
And of course, prinicipally hydrogen economy would not cut out alternative forms of propulsion. EV's would compete with them, and biofuel could take the role of oil in needs which could not be served with hydrogen, such as aviation and military uses.
Biofuels are expensive and corrode engine components
The tank also took up a lot of trunk space.
EVs are a nonstarter in a world of lead acid batteries.
Biofuels are expensive and corrode engine components.