ROHS directive and electric vehicles?

[Rich Grise]

Cadmium doesn't cause mad politician disease (more likely mercury!) and Cd
is more likely to turn up in tobacco than drinking water!

Years ago, I read an article about some family who impovised a barbecue
grill by pressing a refrigerator rack into service.

The rack was cadmium plated, and they all died.

Cheers!
Rich

 

[ian field]

Years ago, I read an article about some family who impovised a barbecue
grill by pressing a refrigerator rack into service.

The rack was cadmium plated, and they all died.

Cheers!
Rich

From the info I've seen, Cd is rarely fatal - its way way shitloads worse
than that!!!!!

Cd is a cumulative toxin that causes such severe osteoporosis that sufferers
frequently fracture ribs just by coughing or sneezing!!!

 

[Keith Wootten]

It's very hard to build a decent EV using NiCad, NiMH or Lead cells anyway.

Sodium Nickel Chloride is pretty good, within some practical limitations
- see www.betard.co.uk They need to be hot to work, but are pretty safe
and not too expensive.

Cheers

 

[CWatters]

anyway.

Sodium Nickel Chloride is pretty good, within some practical limitations
- see www.betard.co.uk They need to be hot to work, but are pretty safe
and not too expensive.

Cheers

Thanks for that. I had a look at some of the paper on their web site. The
self discharge, through heat loss, might be an issue (I'm not sure) but
otherwise they look quite interesting.

 

[Keith Wootten]

In message <[email protected]>,

Thanks for that. I had a look at some of the paper on their web site. The
self discharge, through heat loss, might be an issue (I'm not sure) but
otherwise they look quite interesting.

It takes about 80W to maintain an idle battery pack at operating
temperature and takes about a day to heat up a pack from cold, so
applications are often urban busses or similar where there is regular
daily use and where local pollution is an issue.

Cheers

 

[CWatters]

It takes about 80W to maintain an idle battery pack at operating
temperature and takes about a day to heat up a pack from cold, so
applications are often urban busses or similar where there is regular
daily use and where local pollution is an issue.

I've been building high power electric RC model planes (1500W) for many
years and have a background in Electronics.... An electric powered car would
seem like an interesting project to do. Perhaps when I finish building my
house!.

Meanwhile I've been scanning the web for articles and other peoples projects
in my spare time.... It seems like it's quite easy to get say 30-40 mile
range but quite hard to get more than 100. Suitable (well reasonably
suitable) cells seem to exist but it's not clear if they are available on
the open market. Every builder seems to have to work hard to persuade the
manufacturer to part with them.

 

[Mark]

Wait until we get the RoHP, Regulation on Harmful Politicians

Otoh, I have seen at least three solutions to that bind hydrogen to a
metalpowder or bricks. Which will release it with a small heater.

I've read about one solution that uses hollow nanospheres, filled with
hydrogen. The resulting bulk flows like a liquid, is easily stored and
the spheres release thier hydrogen is released under heat.

Mark

 

[ian field]

Hi all.

Seems that the EU have again shot themselves in the foot by totally
banning NiCad batteries, as it seems that the recycling of old
batteries into the electric vehicle (EV) market is not allowed.

This effectively means that LiIon is the only acceptable choice, and
given the lack of a certified pack design for automotive use means that
they have effectively outlawed electric vehicles for the forseeable
future.

So the next time you fill up at the pump and see the ridiculous price
of petrol, you can blame the idiots in Brussels

-A

http://search.dti.gov.uk/kbroker/dt...s=utf-8&sc=dti2&sm=0&mt=1&to=0&ha=667&qt=rohs

 

[John Larkin]

I've read about one solution that uses hollow nanospheres, filled with
hydrogen. The resulting bulk flows like a liquid, is easily stored and
the spheres release thier hydrogen is released under heat.

Mark

There's an even higher-density, easier-to-release way to store
hydrogen: bond it to carbon atoms.

John

 

[Richard Henry]

I think its quite low, they are being used as backup cells for low power
circuits.

hmm, I wish I could...
ah here is my old elna catalog...
2.5V 100F hmm its not clear, looks like 30uA

"Panasonic's GoldCaps comprise several ranges of pc-board-mounting
capacitors with values of 0.1 to 2F at 2.3 or 5.5V, targeting a variety
of data-retention and -backup functions.
The company recently added the Ultra-Power (UP-Cap) device, which it
aims at emerging 42V automotive applications. It specifies these
devices, which come in cylindrical-can format, at 500 to 2500F and 2.3V
and claims a lifetime of 2000 hours at 2.3V and 60°C. Panasonic's
automotive-device-marketing specialist Matthias Frey, describing the use
of an array of 40 to 50 capacitors in a vehicle, anticipates that the
technology will reach the full 75°C rating that the automotive industry
would like to have by 2005 or 2006. Panasonic is currently building
capacitor arrays to explore automotive applications as special custom
projects.
"

http://www.edn.com/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA268379


see, I'm not off my rocker!
2500F thats just crazy

Speaking of crazy, what happens when you short the outputs (as in a
vehicle crash) or hit them with too high a charge voltage? Do they
need to be surrounded with a composite crash cage?

 

[Rich Grise]

There's an even higher-density, easier-to-release way to store
hydrogen: bond it to carbon atoms.

I think the hard part then would be separating the hydrogen from the
carbon, without burning the carbon. ;-)

I've heard of metal hydrides, but apparently that hasn't panned out
either.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Eeyore]

There's an even higher-density, easier-to-release way to store
hydrogen: bond it to carbon atoms.

Oh so true. Well tried and tested.

The economics of the widely toutde 'hydrogen economy' are simply berserk. Never
mind the negative impact it would have on pollution and energy efficiency.

Graham

 

[John Larkin]

Oh so true. Well tried and tested.

The economics of the widely toutde 'hydrogen economy' are simply berserk. Never
mind the negative impact it would have on pollution and energy efficiency.

Graham

Yeah. It's so obviously bogus, yet very important and otherwise
apparently sane people are pushing "the hydrogen economy."

John

 

[Eeyore]

Yeah. It's so obviously bogus, yet very important and otherwise
apparently sane people are pushing "the hydrogen economy."

John

Anyone with any common sense who bothers to look at the numbers knows it's a bag of
shite. Only almost unlimited quantities of ultra-cheap nuclear or hydro power would
make it even remotely feasible.

I can barely believe how ppl fall for it. Hoping for simple answers from fairy-tale
land I suppose ?

Graham

 

[rue_mohr]

YES!

My buddy just scored a palletteload of motors at an auction! the ONE
thing I couldn't find to do a converstion was a motor!

he has some around 10-20HP, 3 phase, high voltage, which is almost
exactly what I was looking for ( I wanted 400Hz idealy)

now I just have to grab a VFD off ebay and I'm good to go

dan

 

[CWatters]

New Scientist this past week has an article about making hydrogen from water
"as you go" using Boron. If I remember correctly 45Kg of water and 18kg of
Boron makes 5kg of Hydrogen... which has the same energy as about 40L tank
of gas. The important bit is that the total weight of 63kg (45+18) is
lighter than that of a 5kg cylinder of hydrogen. This is because you need a
strong cylinder to store hydrogen gas under pressure. The Boron oxide
produced in the reaction can be recycled and reused.

 

[Rich Grise]

New Scientist this past week has an article about making hydrogen from water
"as you go" using Boron. If I remember correctly 45Kg of water and 18kg of
Boron makes 5kg of Hydrogen... which has the same energy as about 40L tank
of gas. The important bit is that the total weight of 63kg (45+18) is
lighter than that of a 5kg cylinder of hydrogen. This is because you need a
strong cylinder to store hydrogen gas under pressure. The Boron oxide
produced in the reaction can be recycled and reused.

So, where do you get the boron? You can use calcium carbide and make
acetylene, too.


Thanks,
Rich

 

[krw]

So, where do you get the boron?

The greenies think it comes from mules.

You can use calcium carbide and make acetylene, too.

Poor man's (weenie state) fireworks.

 

[John Woodgate]

So, where do you get the boron?

Chernobyl; they dumped tons and tons of it on the reactor. Might be a
bit difficult to recover it, of course.

 

[Rich Grise]

Chernobyl; they dumped tons and tons of it on the reactor. Might be a bit
difficult to recover it, of course.

I remember a TeeVee ad many many years ago, for a new gasoline additive:
boron. They called it "DX Super Boron" and there was supposed to be
something special about it.

Thanks,
Rich