Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[Ozexpatriate]

16 minutes ago, AndyID said:

What I'd really like is EV version of a Fiat Spider with four motors. That would allow the torque to be controlled at each wheel which is something automotive engineers have been trying to do for a long time.

The 2020 Tesla Roadster:

Quote

The Roadster has three electric motors, one in front and two at the rear, allowing for all-wheel drive, and torque vectoring during cornering. Tesla said that the vehicle had a 200 kWh (720 MJ) battery, twice the capacity of the Tesla Model S P100D, and giving a 1,000 km (620 miles) range on one charge at highway speeds. Tesla stated that the torque at wheels was 10,000 N⋅m (7,400 lb⋅ft). The rear wheels are larger than the front wheels

It won't go on sale until after the Model Y (a crossover utility vehicle based on the Model 3) is introduced.

 

It's a 'semi-convertible' a coupe with a removable glass roof. (Think a Targa* top.)

 

* Another Trademark used as a generic term.

 

It won't come cheap but they are advertising it as the "quickest" car in the world and will be charging supercar prices.

 

Edited January 23, 2020 by Ozexpatriate

[AndyID]

8 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

The 2020 Tesla Roadster:

It won't go on sale until after the Model Y (a crossover utility vehicle based on the Model 3) is introduced.

 

It's a 'semi-convertible' a coupe with a removable glass roof. (Think a Targa* top.)

 

* Another Trademark used as a generic term.

 

It won't come cheap but they are advertising it as the "quickest" car in the world and will be charging supercar prices.

 

 

See, I told you I wasn't paying attention!

 

Yes, torque vectoring gives them a huge advantage over anything that relies on a differential. I'm a bit dissapointed they wimped-out and only use one motor at the front. If they had used two they could have dumped the power steering.

[roundhouse]

8 hours ago, brianusa said:

 No matter how long you've been over here, these Englishisms keep coming up, absentmindedly I suppose.  Although my wife and I revert now and again, its best not to do utter such in front of the locals.  If they catch your accent, they will ask you where you're from and its best to answer London, as most don't have a clue.  Others though, show genuine interest!

       Brian.

I recall sitting in the railfan shelter at Rochelle a few years ago when someone asked where we were from. When we said London another piped up  ' you probably know our friends in Leeds'. There was groaning from others sitting there.

 

Morning all.

 

Brother and his wife arrived safely from HK. They are off house hunting again now that they have downsized their HK home with the two kids now over here.

 

I will be back in the shed later this morning - decided that I need to rip up a small area of track and move a turnout as the station loop is too long. I knew it was (due to baseboard joins) but once running trains I realised that the down train will be stopping in the wrong place compared to a passing up train.

 

Luckily I have plenty of time as next crust earning has been put back a few days.

[Gwiwer]

Good morning all

 

I would normally be setting forth for the House of Fun about now. But I am not yet in a fully fit condition to do so. 
 

Why, then, am I up and about at such an hour?  
 

I am wondering that also. 

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

It's a somewhat milder morning today.  The temperature is around freezing and there is a light drizzle falling - but the roads didn't appear to be too icy.

 

Time for a coffee!

 

Have a good day everyone...

 

 

 

[AndyID]

4 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

See, I told you I wasn't paying attention!

 

Yes, torque vectoring gives them a huge advantage over anything that relies on a differential. I'm a bit dissapointed they wimped-out and only use one motor at the front. If they had used two they could have dumped the power steering.

 

Mind you, for a super-car it might make a lot more sense if it's a hybrid petrol-electric with short term energy storage for rapid acceleration. It's probably a contest between battery weight versus IC engine and generator weight. A small gas turbine powering a generator could be interesting.

[Robert]

1 minute ago, AndyID said:

A small gas turbine powering a generator could be interesting.

 

Like this?  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocket_Power_Stations

[AndyID]

14 minutes ago, Robert said:

 

Like this?  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocket_Power_Stations

 

I was thinking of something a wee bit smaller

 

The turbochargers in cars are only a fraction of the mass/size of the engine but they are capable of contributing a substantial amount of power, possibly 50% more power than the non-turbo charged version of the same engine. They lack the combustion stage of a gas turbine of course, but that does not need all that more "stuff".

 

Gas turbines are not efficient unless they are running "full tilt", but that's what they would be required to do if they were charging a battery. They'd either be off or on. At the time Rover didn't have that option but it could be quite practical now.

 

But I'm probably dreaming!

 

Edited January 23, 2020 by AndyID
MoInfo

[BoD]

41 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

Good morning all

 

I would normally be setting forth for the House of Fun about now. But I am not yet in a fully fit condition to do so. 
 

Why, then, am I up and about at such an hour?  
 

I am wondering that also. 

I have been retired four and a half years now and am only just starting to sleep later than six o’clock.  
I now get up at six thirtyish.

 

Morning all.

[chrisf]

5 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

Wot an 'orrible waste of IPA!

 

(Around here IPA is India Pale Ale)

 

Or "I'm p!ssed already".  Good morning one and all

 

I passed through Dunstable last night, under cover of darkness.  Since my last visit much of my route has been endowed with a 20 mph speed limit.  This was brought home to me when I managed to set off a speed camera at about 30 mph.  Whether I will be offered another speed awareneness course or just have to bite the bullet and take the points remains to be seen.  Apart from that, all is as well as can be expected with the world.  The car is in the next street again.   A few doors along from me some building work is taking place and it is amazing how many car parking spaces can be taken up by piles of rubble and bricks, not to mention the lorry belonging to the builders.

 

Tonight there is a LGBT meeting at the methodist church.  Those attending are expected to bring something to share so when I do the fodder run later I must add a packet of shortbread or similar to my shopping list.   Later there is a pile of comics - sorry, magazines - which are crying out to be read.   Some will be more interesting than others, naturally.  The lurgi is still making its presence felt but the feroocity of the coughing fits has declined, thank goodness.  Expect me at Southampton show over the weekend though I have not yet decided whether it will be Saturday or Sunday.  Oh, the suspense.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

[Ozexpatriate]

34 minutes ago, AndyID said:

hybrid petrol-electric with short term energy storage for rapid acceleration

Like an F1 engine?

[AndyID]

4 minutes ago, BoD said:

I have been retired four and a half years now and am only just starting to sleep later than six o’clock.  
I now get up at six thirtyish.

 

 

Keep working on it. Anything before 8:30 am is early for me. I was just saying to MrsID today that it would be completely impossible for me to go back to work. I'd get fired in less than a week.

[AndyID]

5 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Like an F1 engine?

 

A bit, but they use a flywheel, or at least they did. Are they still doing that? And they don't use motors at the wheels.

Edited January 23, 2020 by AndyID

[TheQ]

10 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

The only place you could buy petrol was at a gas station. (As opposed to a train station.)

My dear Chap, using such Americanisms is just not the done thing...

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is no such thing as a train station, a is it a station for trains of camels, wedding dresses, or thought?

 

No My dear Sir, it is a railway station..

Edited January 23, 2020 by TheQ

[Robert]

36 minutes ago, AndyID said:

Gas turbines are not efficient unless they are running "full tilt", but that's what they would be required to do if they were charging a battery. They'd either be off or on. At the time Rover didn't have that option but it could be quite practical now.

 

Actually, it's a pretty good idea to be honest.  The turbine really wouldn't need to be all that big - probably not a lot bigger than a large model aircraft turbine and with the correct soundproofing it would also be pretty quiet.

 

I've long thought that electricity is the way to go - we just need a cheap, sustainable, safe and efficient way of generating it!  Electricity is fantastic because it can be used to do practically anything - provide traction, heat or light.

 

Of course, even an internal combustion engine is much more efficient at a constant speed.  Even going back to the time of the Hillman Imp with its Coventry Climax engine.  That had been designed as a fire pump engine.  Therefore, it could be wheeled out, started, and run on full throttle for hours without problems.  The problems only came in if you treated the engine with kid gloves!  It was always considered to be the one engine that you should never try to run in.

 

By the way, on the subject of Gas Turbines.  Does anyone remember those trains that used to run from Boulogne Maritime down to Paris via Amiens?  They had gas turbines, and boy were they loud!  Not as loud as the Hovercraft, admittedly, but few things were!

Edited January 23, 2020 by Robert

[Ozexpatriate]

6 minutes ago, AndyID said:

A bit, but they use a flywheel, or at least they did. Are they still doing that? And they don't use motors at the wheels.

Many different approaches are possible. 

 

From Wikipedia:

In addition to the turbo-charged V6, kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS), now called Motor Generator Unit–Kinetic (MGU-K), also called regenerative brakes can be used. Energy can either be stored as mechanical energy (as in a flywheel) or as electrical energy (as in a battery or supercapacitor. Heat energy recovery systems were also allowed, under the name Motor Generator Unit–Heat (MGU-H)

 

There's also Formula E for electric motors.

[AndyID]

5 minutes ago, Robert said:

 

Actually, it's a pretty good idea to be honest.  The turbine really wouldn't need to be all that big - probably not a lot bigger than a large model aircraft turbine and with the correct soundproofing it would also be pretty quiet.

 

I've long thought that electricity is the way to go - we just need a cheap, sustainable, safe and efficient way of generating it!  Electricity is fantastic because it can be used to do practically anything - provide traction, heat or light.

 

Of course, even an internal combustion engine is much more efficient at a constant speed.  Even going back to the time of the Hillman Imp with its Coventry Climax engine.  That had been designed as a fire pump engine.  Therefore, it could be wheeled out, started, and run on full throttle for hours without problems.  The problems only came in if you treated the engine with kid gloves!  It was always considered to be the one engine that you should never try to run in.

 

I consider my lack of knowledge to be an asset. But it seems to me the EV manufacturers like Tesla should be investing in the development of an ultra-compact GT generator. My uneducated guess is you could get about 100 bhp out of something no bigger than a suitcase if it used state-of-the-art turbine blade technology. The sound would also be quite impressive.

[Ozexpatriate]

9 minutes ago, Robert said:

By the way, on the subject of Gas Turbines.  Does anyone remember those trains that used to run from Boulogne Maritime down to Paris via Amiens?  They had gas turbines, and boy were they loud!  Not as loud as the Hovercraft, admittedly, but few things were!

The "TurboTrain" ran in North America. Rapido made a model. There's plenty of videos on YouTube but in a quick search I didn't find one with a good sound recording of them operating.

 

There's also the "Turboliner". 

[AndyID]

41 minutes ago, Robert said:

 

Actually, it's a pretty good idea

 

But don't hold your breath. I've done two rounds of "no-brainer" patents to the automobile industry in the US and Germany. All the people I dealt with seemed to be stuck in the 19th Century!

 

In fairness it is a brutal industry. The people I was dealing with were probably more concerned about staying employed for the next six months than anything else.

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl Inner Temple Hare, 1046/654.

An interuppted but good nights sleep, since I dropped off quickly  after each interuption so probably about 7.5 hour in all..

 

Ben the no Chance Collie didn't want out this morning it was Driech, very Driech, everything dripping wet with a heavy fog, all the way into work, wipers on to clear the mizzle.

 

Further considerations and sketches of the keel with trim tab have hit a problem. The shaft for the trim tab would come up through the floor in an indelicate place... Leaving the helmsman (me ) looking like  victim of Vlad the impaler..  Further drawings, different ideas for trim tab control will be drawn....hmmm indecisions... indecisions..

 

I have a minumum of 3 high current shunts to do, first a 50 Amp one is warming the room at this moment. Also a high accuracy thermometer has arrived, one bit of paper says measurement only, the other says pre measure , adjustment, post measure.. no doubt emails will have to be sent.. Though it's stone cold at this moment and requires 4 hours to warm up and settle..

 

I just have a 4kW diesel generator to charge up the batteries on the motorboat, definately no high acceleration even with both battery and electric online.. it does have one advatage.... This year the broads tax has gone up 2.9 % except for rowing, sailing boats, electric boats  AND hybrids... Their increase is only 1%, I was getting a discount of 25% before.. Note, to qualify as a hybrid on the broads there can be no direct drive from the diesel or petrol engine to the prop..

 

Time to measure the next shunt..

Edited January 23, 2020 by TheQ

[TheQ]

Hmm just received an Email, the factory Boss has left, after less than a year. He's been off sick for several months (why not revealed, but I suspect Stress) He always seemed out of his depth. He was ex RAF via other companies, but his RAF back ground was the same as mine (same trade), and  was a new entrant just 6 weeks before I left after 12 years.

He is temporarily being replaced by his deputy who is already in his 70s!!!

Edited January 23, 2020 by TheQ

[Dave Hunt]

Just to set the record straight, the bottle I spilled yesterday contained isopropyl alcohol that I was using to clean flux off soldered joints. I was not secretly supping India pale ale under the baseboard, although after the event it probably wouldn't have been a bad idea! Anyway, I blame Jamie as we had just been talking on the phone and apart from the fact that I was still amazed at the size of his wagon collection he had suggested that I should have some Scottish falling down water and the thought had distracted me. Well, that's my story anyway and I'm sticking to it.

 

With a bit of luck today will feature some more wiring (without the GDBs) as well as getting in a ton or so of water weed and filling the pond for the visit of the Muddy Hollow gang tomorrow.

 

Ta-ta for now - Baz the day if at all possible.

 

Dave

[jamie92208]

Morning all from a cool Charente.   Off to the ferry soon so best wishes to all.  Notice how Hunt D tries to shift the blame.   As to IPA, it can produce strange results. I decided to propise to Beth after several pintsbof William Youngers cask Conditioned  IPA.  NUFF SAID.

 

Rick, i hope that you recover quickly.

 

Regards to all, off to shut the shutters now, I will try to remember to turn the lighrs in in the respe tive roons before shutting them, then of course remember to turn the lights off.

 

Jamie

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Another dull start to the day, but at least the overnight rain has ceased to fall. I may be asking for trouble again, but there isn’t a lot planned for the day. I only have 1 more MERG kit to make, which shouldn’t take long, so I’m hoping to do a bit more in the line of experiments with various bits and pieces of electronic components etc. 

 

Enjoy the day, back later.