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Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work. |
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#1
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Large scale gasoline savings and emissions reduction idea
When idling your car, you get zero mpg., waste money and resources,
and create pollution. Do you turn your engine off when waiting for a train to pass? What about a red light that you just missed and know from experience will take several minutes to go green again? Would you do it more often if you always knew exactly how long you were going to sit before getting the green? I've got an idea for getting you this information without adding any infrastructure. It would only require some reprogramming. Most traffic signals are computer controlled nowadays. Why couldn't the DOT make the yellow light flash very briefly every five seconds during the red phase whenever there was more than a minute left? Then it could flash every two and a half seconds, until there were only ten seconds left, at which point it would flash every second. The red would of course remain continously red the entire time. Implementing this idea would cost almost nothing (in transportation spending terms) and require no changes in basic traffic laws or conventions, but could save unimaginable amounts of fuel and hugely reduce emmissions and CO2. Best of all, there would be no new rules or big brother. It would force nothing on anyone! When I learned to drive, they taught us that is was wasteful to idle for more than three minutes. On modern cars it is more like ten or fifteen seconds. Not everyone believes this, and many people refuse to ever turn off their engine when they are in their car for any reason, but there are plenty of people out there who are with the idea of saving money, reducing emissions, or both. Enough anyway, that this would have a significant impact from the outset. With a big public awareness campaign (Which could be privately funded) participation would grow quickly, the positive results would become documentable, and many naysayers would jump on board too. I'm sorry I can't provide documentation on gallons of gas or tons of CO2 saved, but I'm convinced it would be well worth doing. Documentation on this is thin, but the EPA claims ten seconds is the break-even time. Please read: http://www.edf.org/documents/9236_Id...where_2009.pdf Typical negative reactions: Shutting down the engine in traffic is a bad idea. 1. Bad for the car. 2. Bad for traffic flow and safety. 3. Confusing to motorists. 1. The starter will fail sooner from overuse. A: Yes, true, but don’t forget that with regular shutdowns the engine is running less, so other components should last longer. Repair costs should be reduced overall. Also: "Emissions at startup are much higher than at normal idle." Yes, but a warm start has much less impact that 30 seconds idling. Some people will not be convinced of this. Better to leave it alone until good studies are produced. 2. If lots of people shut down at traffic lights, many will not be able to restart in time, creating traffic jams and safety concerns. A: It seems unlikely. First, emergency vehicles make their presence known from a long way off – plenty of time to restart. Also, very few modern cars are difficult to start, and the owners of those which are are aware of the problem and would likely not shut down in the first place. The program would be strictly voluntary. Just because you suddenly have information about how long you are going to wait does not force you kill the motor. Many drivers would instead use the info to send a text, do a superb lipliner job which they would otherwise have skimped on, or even use the extra time to masturbate. Everyone wins! 3. Confusion. This would likely be the reaction from DOT officials. But come on. Red = Stop, Green = Go. How simple is it? If you have the intellectual capacity to go to the bathroom by yourself, you can easily get this. Subtle changes in the function of the yellow light would not disrupt traffic signal effectiveness for honest and reasonable people. Those who would use it as an excuse to run a light should get what they deserve – How ‘bout a Rodney King? Anyway, many people won’t like the idea of not idling through traffic lights, but I am only suggesting that we give some information to motorists via the yellow light, which is currently underutilized. They can make up their own minds how to use it. As I described, the program would cost almost nothing and force nothing, but could save huge amounts of fuel and reduce emissions. I would love to hear reasonable arguments against it. I’ve heard none so far. |
#2
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Large scale gasoline savings and emissions reduction idea
On Sep 8, 1:46*pm, robobass wrote:
When idling your car, you get zero mpg., waste money and resources, and create pollution. Do you turn your engine off when waiting for a train to pass? What about a red light that you just missed and know from experience will take several minutes to go green again? Would you do it more often if you always knew exactly how long you were going to sit before getting the green? I've got an idea for getting you this information without adding any infrastructure. It would only require some reprogramming. Most traffic signals are computer controlled nowadays. Why couldn't the DOT make the yellow light flash very briefly every five seconds during the red phase whenever there was more than a minute left? Then it could flash every two and a half seconds, until there were only ten seconds left, at which point it would flash every second. The red *would of course remain continously red the entire time. Implementing this idea would cost almost nothing (in transportation spending terms) and require no changes in basic traffic laws or conventions, but could save unimaginable amounts of fuel and hugely reduce emmissions and CO2. Best of all, there would be no new rules or big brother. It would force nothing on anyone! When I learned to drive, they taught us that is was wasteful to idle for more than three minutes. On modern cars it is more like ten or fifteen seconds. Not everyone believes this, and many people refuse to ever turn off their engine when they are in their car for any reason, but there are plenty of people out there who are with the idea of saving money, reducing emissions, or both. Enough anyway, that this would have a significant impact from the outset. With a big public awareness campaign (Which could be privately funded) *participation would grow quickly, the positive results would become documentable, and many naysayers would jump on board too. I'm sorry I can't provide documentation on gallons of gas or tons of CO2 saved, but I'm convinced it would be well worth doing. Documentation on this is thin, but the EPA claims ten seconds is the break-even time. Please read: *http://www.edf.org/documents/9236_Id...where_2009.pdf Typical negative reactions: Shutting down the engine in traffic is a bad idea. 1. Bad for the car. 2. Bad for traffic flow and safety. *3. Confusing to motorists. 1. * * *The starter will fail sooner from overuse. A: Yes, true, but don’t forget that with regular shutdowns the engine is running less, so other components should last longer. Repair costs should be reduced overall. Also: "Emissions at startup are much higher than at normal idle." Yes, but a warm start has much less impact that 30 seconds idling. Some people will not be convinced of this. Better to leave it alone until good studies are produced. 2. * * *If lots of people shut down at traffic lights, many will not be able to restart in time, creating traffic jams and safety concerns. A: It seems unlikely. First, emergency vehicles make their presence known from a long way off – plenty of time to restart. Also, very few modern cars are difficult to start, and the owners of those which are are aware of the problem and would likely not shut down in the first place. The program would be strictly voluntary. Just because you suddenly have information about how long you are going to wait does not force you kill the motor. Many drivers would instead use the info to send a text, do a superb lipliner job which they would otherwise have skimped on, or even use the extra time to masturbate. Everyone wins! 3. * * *Confusion. This would likely be the reaction from DOT officials. But come on. Red = Stop, Green = Go. How simple is it? If you have the intellectual capacity to go to the bathroom by yourself, you can easily get this. Subtle changes in the function of the yellow light would not disrupt traffic signal effectiveness for honest and reasonable people. Those who would use it as an excuse to run a light should get what they deserve – How ‘bout a Rodney King? Anyway, many people won’t like the idea of not idling through traffic lights, but I am only suggesting that we give some information to motorists via the yellow light, which is currently underutilized. They can make up their own minds how to use it. *As I described, the program would cost almost nothing and force nothing, but could save huge amounts of fuel and reduce emissions. I would love to hear reasonable arguments against it. I’ve heard none so far. Excuse me, but my Diesel vehicles require at least a 10 second glow plug heat time when it's cold, and it really gets COLD sometimes. You need to do a little more driving around the country and in Europe. Leominster, MA, and possibly other cities blink the yellow light at 4- way stops to allow pedestrians to cross ALL ways through the intersection during which there is a steady red light on all 4 positions. Also, very few traffic lights in this country are remote controllable. Most, in fact are on timers. A better idea is to do here like in Germany. Flash the yellow just before the green, so drivers can begin to accelerate and will have a green light as they cross the stop line. Much better traffic flow! Paul |
#3
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Large scale gasoline savings and emissions reduction idea
"robobass" wrote in message ... When idling your car, you get zero mpg., waste money and resources, and create pollution. Do you turn your engine off when waiting for a train to pass? What about a red light that you just missed and know from experience will take several minutes to go green again? Would you do it more often if you always knew exactly how long you were going to sit before getting the green? I've got an idea for getting you this information without adding any infrastructure. It would only require some reprogramming. Most traffic signals are computer controlled nowadays. Why couldn't the DOT make the yellow light flash very briefly every five seconds during the red phase whenever there was more than a minute left? Then it could flash every two and a half seconds, until there were only ten seconds left, at which point it would flash every second. The red would of course remain continously red the entire time. Implementing this idea would cost almost nothing (in transportation spending terms) and require no changes in basic traffic laws or conventions, but could save unimaginable amounts of fuel and hugely reduce emmissions and CO2. Best of all, there would be no new rules or big brother. It would force nothing on anyone! When I learned to drive, they taught us that is was wasteful to idle for more than three minutes. On modern cars it is more like ten or fifteen seconds. Not everyone believes this, and many people refuse to ever turn off their engine when they are in their car for any reason, but there are plenty of people out there who are with the idea of saving money, reducing emissions, or both. Enough anyway, that this would have a significant impact from the outset. With a big public awareness campaign (Which could be privately funded) participation would grow quickly, the positive results would become documentable, and many naysayers would jump on board too. I'm sorry I can't provide documentation on gallons of gas or tons of CO2 saved, but I'm convinced it would be well worth doing. Documentation on this is thin, but the EPA claims ten seconds is the break-even time. Please read: http://www.edf.org/documents/9236_Id...where_2009.pdf Typical negative reactions: Shutting down the engine in traffic is a bad idea. 1. Bad for the car. 2. Bad for traffic flow and safety. 3. Confusing to motorists. 1. The starter will fail sooner from overuse. A: Yes, true, but don’t forget that with regular shutdowns the engine is running less, so other components should last longer. Repair costs should be reduced overall. Also: "Emissions at startup are much higher than at normal idle." Yes, but a warm start has much less impact that 30 seconds idling. Some people will not be convinced of this. Better to leave it alone until good studies are produced. 2. If lots of people shut down at traffic lights, many will not be able to restart in time, creating traffic jams and safety concerns. A: It seems unlikely. First, emergency vehicles make their presence known from a long way off – plenty of time to restart. Also, very few modern cars are difficult to start, and the owners of those which are are aware of the problem and would likely not shut down in the first place. The program would be strictly voluntary. Just because you suddenly have information about how long you are going to wait does not force you kill the motor. Many drivers would instead use the info to send a text, do a superb lipliner job which they would otherwise have skimped on, or even use the extra time to masturbate. Everyone wins! 3. Confusion. This would likely be the reaction from DOT officials. But come on. Red = Stop, Green = Go. How simple is it? If you have the intellectual capacity to go to the bathroom by yourself, you can easily get this. Subtle changes in the function of the yellow light would not disrupt traffic signal effectiveness for honest and reasonable people. Those who would use it as an excuse to run a light should get what they deserve – How ‘bout a Rodney King? Anyway, many people won’t like the idea of not idling through traffic lights, but I am only suggesting that we give some information to motorists via the yellow light, which is currently underutilized. They can make up their own minds how to use it. As I described, the program would cost almost nothing and force nothing, but could save huge amounts of fuel and reduce emissions. I would love to hear reasonable arguments against it. I’ve heard none so far. Reply: Is what the Saturn hybrid does. Is I think Mode 1 hybrid. |
#4
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Large scale gasoline savings and emissions reduction idea
I'll go one step farther on this topic...
You want to save fuel? Slow down! |
#5
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Large scale gasoline savings and emissions reduction idea
On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:33:46 -0500, cavelamb
wrote: I'll go one step farther on this topic... You want to save fuel? Slow down! People need to remember that the harder you step on either pedal, the more it costs you... -- Leon Fisk Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b Remove no.spam for email |
#6
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Large scale gasoline savings and emissions reduction idea
People need to remember that the harder you step on either
pedal, the more it costs you... Try to explain that to the nutjob that races around you to end up at the same red light. Sooner. The problem is that many obviously don't care how much gas they're using. They just write a bigger check to VISA next month. They want to drive that huge pickup or SUV as fast as they want and whatever it costs is... whatever it costs. |
#7
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Large scale gasoline savings and emissions reduction idea
Moi wrote:
People need to remember that the harder you step on either pedal, the more it costs you... Try to explain that to the nutjob that races around you to end up at the same red light. Sooner. The problem is that many obviously don't care how much gas they're using. They just write a bigger check to VISA next month. They want to drive that huge pickup or SUV as fast as they want and whatever it costs is... whatever it costs. How about a national 45 mph speed limit. Enforced via governor on the car! |
#8
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Large scale gasoline savings and emissions reduction idea
On Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:44:02 -0700, Moi wrote:
People need to remember that the harder you step on either pedal, the more it costs you... Try to explain that to the nutjob that races around you to end up at the same red light. Sooner. I get a kick out of that - I see the light turn red, I take my foot off the gas and coast. The nutjob races around me and slams on his brakes at the light; I gently coast up to the light, and always want to ask, "Are you really happy you got to the red light before I did? ;-) " - note smiley inside quotes. ;-) It also saves on brake shoes/pads. :-) Cheers! Rich |
#9
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Large scale gasoline savings and emissions reduction idea
"Moi" wrote in message ... People need to remember that the harder you step on either pedal, the more it costs you... Try to explain that to the nutjob that races around you to end up at the same red light. Sooner. The problem is that many obviously don't care how much gas they're using. They just write a bigger check to VISA next month. They want to drive that huge pickup or SUV as fast as they want and whatever it costs is... whatever it costs. My diesel pickup gets better mileage at 60 than 45. Maybe it is in a better torque / rpm zone. |
#10
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Large scale gasoline savings and emissions reduction idea
On Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:44:02 -0700, Moi wrote:
People need to remember that the harder you step on either pedal, the more it costs you... Try to explain that to the nutjob that races around you to end up at the same red light. Sooner. The problem is that many obviously don't care how much gas they're using. They just write a bigger check to VISA next month. They want to drive that huge pickup or SUV as fast as they want and whatever it costs is... whatever it costs. Blink blink....people actually buy gas with Visa????? Cash..is king The current Democratic party has lost its ideological basis for existence. - It is NOT fiscally responsible. - It is NOT ethically honorable. - It has started wars based on lies. - It does not support the well-being of americans - only billionaires. - It has suppresed constitutional guaranteed liberties. - It has foisted a liar as president upon America. - It has violated US national sovereignty in trade treaties. - It has refused to enforce the national borders. ....It no longer has valid reasons to exist. Lorad474 |
#11
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Large scale gasoline savings and emissions reduction idea
On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:33:46 -0500, cavelamb wrote:
I'll go one step farther on this topic... You want to save fuel? Slow down! Isn't that somewhat of a trade-off? I certainly wouldn't expect to save gas by putting the car in first and just idling at 2MPH or so to the store and back! The point being, don't IC engines have a certain range of RPM where they're most efficient? At what point does wind resistance come into it? Thanks, Rich |
#12
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Large scale gasoline savings and emissions reduction idea
"Rich Grise" wrote in message news On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:33:46 -0500, cavelamb wrote: I'll go one step farther on this topic... You want to save fuel? Slow down! Isn't that somewhat of a trade-off? I certainly wouldn't expect to save gas by putting the car in first and just idling at 2MPH or so to the store and back! The point being, don't IC engines have a certain range of RPM where they're most efficient? Yes, but the bigger factor is the percent of available torque that's being used at any given RPM. At low RPMs or high ones, when the throttle is mostly closed your effective compression ratio goes 'way down, thermal efficiency goes to pot, and your mileage takes a dive. The most efficient way to run a conventional spark-ignition engine is at some moderate level of RPMs and full throttle -- assuming you get good fuel atomization. (That's *engine* efficiency, not total efficiency of the car, which falls off sharply with speed above 50 mph or so.) Fuel injection has solved the low-RPM problem; you get good atomization at all engine speeds. BMW ran extensive tests a decade or so ago, with the pretty good computer-controlled port-injection system they were then using, and found that the best fuel efficiency in acceleration was accomplished at FULL throttle, but by shifting at low RPMs. That was the opposite of the old idea, but that had been with carburetors. The new stratified-charge direct-injection systems are throwing all of the values into a cocked hat. The latest ones hardly use a throttle at all; Ford's new one "throttles" mostly by controlling the amount of fuel injected -- more like a diesel than a conventional IC engine. Partial-load fuel efficiency is up to unheard of levels in these new engines, which are taking over in the new designs from most manufacturers. At what point does wind resistance come into it? It's a square-ratio effect, but typically it becomes a major factor somewhere between 50 and 60 mph. That best-tradeoff speed may drop with the new engines -- it probably will, in fact, based on theory. -- Ed Huntress |
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