Steve W-O Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Posted by Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator on 30/03/2012 12:17:28:ink about it for a second. I reckon a human being can dish out about 0.5hp peak, so that's about 375W in round figures - call it 400W............................... Now, does that mean a fit person needs a licence to ride a bicycle, if you make it electric, you are only allowed 250W (was 200 I think before) without a licicnce of sorts and registration. My wife had an electric scooter (not the sissy type, the one that looks like a petrol motorbike) and that was only 250W, and it would take me up all the hills OK, with her it didn't even slow down. You can buy conversion wheels push bikes, up to about 700W, they would fly along at 40mph plus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Quite Steve - as your figures confirm - its not such a daft idea is it? It would work. BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flytilbroke Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Posted by Peter Miller on 30/03/2012 11:28:22: By the way. Does anyone know if diesel fuel deteriorates over time if kept in an approved plastic container. I have some which is years old and wondered if it was still OK. Not a bubble car. Its an AIXAM 500. Cute little thing Peter. I sort of remember that Diesel can go off with age, although I have used some which was at least five years in an old comercial single cylinder bench/table saw. I suggest you use some at a time topped off with fresh stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erfolg Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Steve, I guess she got off and gave the scooter a good push. In this age of obesity (why are you all looking at me) the weight loss and improved cardio vascular system can only be to the good. In fact, if the wife were to push my car, I would be doing her a favour! I understood the attraction of the Pebble Bed, was its safer, shut down. From a thermo efficiency and longevity aspect of the turbine and systems a disaster, due to the wet, low temperature steam. A bit like Magnox stations. There always seems to be a lot of hysteria from the media and all opposition parties (when not in power). I know a lot of people who have a can of petrol, stored in the garage, garden sheds, which is used in their lawn mowers and strimmers. I am sure there are accidents, but then again, I tripped over the front door step last week. Need to be vigilant to avoid accidents. In the case of woman in her kitchen, what was she transferring from what, into what, seems a bit strange. I have heard that the tanker drivers are considering striking over safety. How many times have I heard of a tanker being unsafe due to compromised safety by the transfer procedures? I remember a major incident where there was a plant failure, involving a tanker, though the inferno and massive damage, was not due to the procedures being faulty. Oh, I wish I were younger, it seems a better job driving a tanker, than being an engineer, a teacher, or junior doctor, and you get to work limited hours and overtime paid to. Anyway I am of to the petrol station to fill right up, the strike has been called of, I am getting ready for any shortage, when the threat is reinstated. It makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W-O Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 No, she only weighs just under 45kg. I though the PBMR was a high temp high pressure system, one of the advantages it doesn't need huge cooling towers??? I think we are missing out, they could be built at an attractive price, built where the power is needed saving transmission losses, don't impact on the skyline (single story building about the same size as a small primary school) and are safe. The only disadvantage is waste disposal, more bulk, but there are ways to deal with that. Of course petrol can be dangerous, so can the gas piped into our houses, or the electricity, weedhiller, bleach, fertiliser etc etc. A friend of mine couldn't see how much was left in a gallon can, so he used his cigarette lighter to see! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hargreaves - Moderator Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Classic....I have seen a guy at a petrol station trying to de-ice his filler cap with a lighter......I didn't watch for long..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 hmmm, just seen a comment from the union '300 trained military drivers cannot replace more than 2k civilians' true, but i think there are a few more than that...and it wouldn't take long to train more either.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antiquated Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 BEB & Steve W-O - I think you are slightly out on the amount of power that can be produced on a bike. The world record is about 430W for one hour, but lesser mortals can usually only manage 100-200W for any length of time. I suspect that is where the 200/250W legal limit came from - it was meant as a human engine replacement, not something more powerful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Harris - Moderator Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 4 day training course according to the news last night... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Apart from the ludicrously lemming-like behaviour of the Great British Public, my biggest concern in this whole issue is the level of utter incompetence demonstrated by the Government in their handling of this non-crisis. Cobra??? That is for national emergencies, surely........... Whatever happened to statesmanship, political wisdom and the ability and character to lead the country? What the heck do we do when something serious besets the UK? Squirming with embarrassment at our international image (and have been for some time)...... Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erfolg Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 You appear to be correct in that it operates at high temp (PBR). On that basis the steam cycle could be fine. I can see the attraction of the PBR, in that it could use MOX fuel apparently. Given the plant is a commercial disaster (MOX) I personally would see that as a disadvantage as a consumer. It would be a way of passing the bills of an inefficient plant with few customers onto the UK public. Although there is talk about the proposed strike being about safety issues, I am surprised no one has said what these issues are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 As BEB correctly deduced my comment about electrifying a push bike was really a bit of fun. I thought maybe it would start a brain storming session amongst you engineers. The awesome power of cheap electric plane motors makes me think that electric bikes are ridiculously over priced. A 200 watt brushless motor is quite cheap now. A 5mm shaft rubbing on a 660mm dia bike wheel would gear it down a lot, ( remember the MiniMotor on bikes in the 1950's?) so maybe a 2000KV motor would give about 5 mph on 3S LIPO! I am not being really serious of course but for any experimenters out there ........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hargreaves - Moderator Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 This type of bike already exists....see here...the motor is incorporated into the front wheel hub....so if we can find a very low kv brushless motor & attach the spokes to the rotating can...use the motor shaft as the axle & we're good to go......an ESC & battery in a box on the crossbar & one of those 5 quid servo testers connected to the ESC & mounted on the handlebars to control the speed & we're good to go..... What could possibly go wrong..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Posted by Martin Harris on 30/03/2012 14:00:09: 4 day training course according to the news last night... 4 days at normal civilian training speeds, 9-5 max, lots of tea breaks. Sorry, slightly biased here. I have conducted training in 48hours which normally takes 5 days. It is intense and it is hard work for all concerned but it is doable. The other thing to remember is that a number of those fuel tanker drivers will be in the reserves, either ex-military or territorial type, and therefore can be called up if needed, i.e. royal assent is given. Thus they would have to work. If they did not turn up for mobilisation then they would be sent to jail.... I'm just glad the panic buying appears to have stopped, for now. Well done to the media and the grant high chiefs for causing mountain out of mole hill..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 I must come clean, it's all my fault really. As some of you may know I like the odd bit of long distance walking and we did the coast to coast route in Sept 2000....when, of course, we had all this fun last. We've been planning to do it again next month..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erfolg Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 The best way of advancing electric bikes and the technology, would be a race series. Nothing pushes technology forward than competition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W-O Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Posted by Erfolg on 30/03/2012 15:19:30: You appear to be correct in that it operates at high temp (PBR). On that basis the steam cycle could be fine. I can see the attraction of the PBR, in that it could use MOX fuel apparently. Given the plant is a commercial disaster (MOX) I personally would see that as a disadvantage as a consumer. It would be a way of passing the bills of an inefficient plant with few customers onto the UK public. Although there is talk about the proposed strike being about safety issues, I am surprised no one has said what these issues are. I don't think there is any commercial failure on any part of the project, it was delayed because of political disinterest and commercial interests being bought by companies that had conflicting interests, but you can be sure that it will be built. They have the expertise (SA was one of the first countries to dismantle its nuclear weapons). I still see it as one of the solutions that will be used in future. As for the safety issues of the strike, I imagine that is an unspecified risk that can be used to say "we warned you" should anything at all go wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reno Racer Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Just for SA, COBRA is the Cabinet Office Briefing Room. Rather than been some national emergancy planning CIA style organisation, its just an empty conference room that people get pulled into for a meeting/planning session as required before going back to their normal job/areas. It always makes me chuckle when I hear the Great British Public talk about COBRA as if its some organisation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avtur Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 Posted by Christian Ackroyd on 30/03/2012 17:55:51: It always makes me chuckle when I hear the Great British Public talk about COBRA as if its some organisation. Clearly you have a greater degree of understanding than most members of the general public, which probably explains your comment. However I regard myself as reasonably intelligent, interested in theses matters and was certainly of the opinion that COBRA was an organisation ... If you're comments means you think anyone who associates COBRA with an organisation is thick .... then thick I obviously am ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avtur Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 Posted by Pete B on 30/03/2012 14:38:56: Apart from the ludicrously lemming-like behaviour of the Great British Public, my biggest concern in this whole issue is the level of utter incompetence demonstrated by the Government in their handling of this non-crisis. Cobra??? That is for national emergencies, surely........... Whatever happened to statesmanship, political wisdom and the ability and character to lead the country? What the heck do we do when something serious besets the UK? Squirming with embarrassment at our international image (and have been for some time)...... Pete Very well put, I couldn't agree more ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erfolg Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 It is the Mox plant which is the White Elephant, the owners and operators are looking for some one else to pay the bills. The design of PBR did belong to the UK, having obtained the rights from SA, who obtained the concept and information from West Germany. I expect that French PWR will be built in the UK, now that RWE have pulled out I doubt if the Westinghouse (design owned by a Japanese Company) will be built here. That is without guarantees and good rates for the electricity. I would bet on Petrocarbon Fuels for the near future. As electricity so cheap that there will be no need to meter it, will not come from Windmills or Nuclear power. I will join the petrol que, you know it makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bott - Moderator Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Did someone mention an electric scooter? Does anyone want to buy one - extremely cheap. It was fallen off some while ago, hence all the scratching and one broken brake lever. The wonderful people helping at the scene even managed to tip it from one side to the other and then drag it to the pavement, hence the scratching on the other side. It's a 48V machine with a 2Kw motor (I think) The batteries are topped up now and again and appear full each time. I can't vouch for them though hence not really knowing what to do with it. I've always wanted to take out the heavy 20Ah lead acids and try some lighter batteries... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W-O Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Posted by Chris Bott - Moderator on 30/03/2012 18:37:43: Did someone mention an electric scooter? Does anyone want to buy one - extremely cheap. It was fallen off some while ago, hence all the scratching and one broken brake lever. The wonderful people helping at the scene even managed to tip it from one side to the other and then drag it to the pavement, hence the scratching on the other side. It's a 48V machine with a 2Kw motor (I think) The batteries are topped up now and again and appear full each time. I can't vouch for them though hence not really knowing what to do with it. I've always wanted to take out the heavy 20Ah lead acids and try some lighter batteries... Will it have sufficient range to reach my house? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bott - Moderator Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Almost certainly not, depends where you are, that's the problem. They told us range was about 30 miles, we've never tested that. For a daily trip to work of 4 miles each way it was absolutely brilliant. Charge it overnight and range couldn't possibly be a problem. But if you take it out for a run, and run out of range - what then? You can't exactly top up with a gallon can of electrons.. Edited By Chris Bott - Moderator on 30/03/2012 18:58:39 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Stevens Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 i walk everywhere i have it easy anyways get them big 50cc+ engine out the planes fit them to the kids bmx problem solved apart from glow fuel is expensive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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