Future Car on Discovery

[mercanucaribe]

I just caught the end of the show. First, they said that a compressed air requires "some energy" to compress the air.. Uh, no. It requires the energy you get out of the compressed air, plus losses. It's not like you're using a marginal amount of energy to create more energy.

THEN, the narrator presented this "tantalizing possiblity": A car running on compressed air with a generator that creates compressed air.
A "perpetual motion machine" even according to the narrator.

WTF?


WTF?

How did that make it into a Discovery Channel show??

Found this thread:
http://e85vehicles.com/e85/index.php?topic=621.msg2397

Anyone else infuriated at the end of part 3 where the retarded person doing the voice over says that a vehicle running on compressed air that also has an air compressor on board would be a perpetual motion machine? Discovery needs to review the shows to make sure comments like that never make it on the air or they will get a reputation for promoting "junk" science!

Keith

 

[mercanucaribe]

Apparently the hate for Future Cars is widespread.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/02/23...covery-highlights-fuels-of-the-future/

From my own viewings of the show, as well as the other comments I've seen, you may be the only person who wasn't disappointed with it. The many inaccuracies, the uncritically accepted and presented claims, and the muddled explanations all added up to a show aimed at 12 year olds. Or possibly produced by 12 year olds. I know it's possible to do far, far better.

Yeah Im surprised by the amount of good ideas mixed in with complete and utter idiocy in this program!!
I agree the air compression bit was the most stupid thing I've heard in a long time. Why dont we just pick ourselves up by our shoulders and fly while we're at it!!

 

[SVT Cobra]

marked

 

[StageLeft]

That is pretty funny. Prety brutal, too!

 

[Oscar1613]

some of the car designers on there remind me of the people on American Inventor... completely convinced that their invention and/or design is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but in reality it's totally impractical and/or totally retarded

 

[mercanucaribe]

http://community.discovery.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/8081928318/m/2331939178

As a physics teacher, when I watch these programs I keep an eye out for things that would be good to show my students.
But the amount of careless non-science seems to be growing in the name of entertainment/drama.
(remember when TLC stood for something? "The Learning Channel"?!)
The last segment in this episode of Future Car touted the potential for a "self re-fueling" air powered car.
This is nonsense and is contradictory to the laws of thermodynamics. It specifically claimed that this compressed air car could use its compressed air (fuel) to drive a compressor that would compress more air to refill its (fuel) tanks. Providing perpetual motion (stated in an authoritative voice by the narrator).
This is irresponsible.

 

[SlitheryDee]

lol I just had an argument with my grandfather about this. He was convinced that it should work and I just couldn't explain it well enough to convince him otherwise.

I went from "but some of the energy that was originally in the tanks is used up to turn the wheels, so it can't all make it back into the tank" to "then why are we using this on cars instead of electric generators for free, clean electricity"? He wasn't convinced. After all it WAS on the Discovery Channel...

 

[mercanucaribe]

It should be really obvious to anyone older than 6 or 7 that the energy from the compressed air is being used to turn the wheels, so even if converting between two forms of energy was 100% efficient, it would be impossible to compress the same amount of air.

 

[mobobuff]

Originally posted by: SlitheryDee
lol I just had an argument with my grandfather about this. He was convinced that it should work and I just couldn't explain it well enough to convince him otherwise.

I went from "but some of the energy that was originally in the tanks is used up to turn the wheels, so it can't all make it back into the tank" to "then why are we using this on cars instead of electric generators for free, clean electricity"? He wasn't convinced. After all it WAS on the Discovery Channel...

Two words summarize it quite well. Diminishing Returns. Applying economics to mechanics FTW!

 

[Bateluer]

So in the mean time, we'll sit tight with our gas guzzling SUVs and poopoo every new alternative fuel idea? At least some people are trying to come with new ideas of providing fuel for vehicles. What are you doing, driving around looking to save a few pennies per gallon on gasoline for your sports cars.

 

[mobobuff]

Originally posted by: Bateluer
So in the mean time, we'll sit tight with our gas guzzling SUVs and poopoo every new alternative fuel idea? At least some people are trying to come with new ideas of providing fuel for vehicles. What are you doing, driving around looking to save a few pennies per gallon on gasoline for your sports cars.

With a name like Bateluer, nobody will fall for your flamebait, although it would be hilariously ironic.

*waits*

 

[SlitheryDee]

Originally posted by: Bateluer
So in the mean time, we'll sit tight with our gas guzzling SUVs and poopoo every new alternative fuel idea? At least some people are trying to come with new ideas of providing fuel for vehicles. What are you doing, driving around looking to save a few pennies per gallon on gasoline for your sports cars.

No one's blaming people for trying to find alternative fuel sources.

Claiming that the compressed air engine is a perpetual motion machine is a blatant lie. That's what is pissing people off here.

Edit:...oops

 

[Oscar1613]

Originally posted by: Bateluer
So in the mean time, we'll sit tight with our gas guzzling SUVs and poopoo every new alternative fuel idea? At least some people are trying to come with new ideas of providing fuel for vehicles. What are you doing, driving around looking to save a few pennies per gallon on gasoline for your sports cars.

ok you go spend $20k on your new car with the engine that defies the laws of physics... then spend even more money recharging it every 5 miles when it doesnt operate as advertised

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
http://community.discovery.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/8081928318/m/2331939178

As a physics teacher, when I watch these programs I keep an eye out for things that would be good to show my students.
But the amount of careless non-science seems to be growing in the name of entertainment/drama.
(remember when TLC stood for something? "The Learning Channel"?!)
The last segment in this episode of Future Car touted the potential for a "self re-fueling" air powered car.
This is nonsense and is contradictory to the laws of thermodynamics. It specifically claimed that this compressed air car could use its compressed air (fuel) to drive a compressor that would compress more air to refill its (fuel) tanks. Providing perpetual motion (stated in an authoritative voice by the narrator).
This is irresponsible.

Yeah, I agree that those shows are turning into absolute garbage. The quality of programming used to be better. Now it's primarily entertainment.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: Bateluer
So in the mean time, we'll sit tight with our gas guzzling SUVs and poopoo every new alternative fuel idea? At least some people are trying to come with new ideas of providing fuel for vehicles. What are you doing, driving around looking to save a few pennies per gallon on gasoline for your sports cars.

If you're talking about wasting energy, why should someone waste their energy trying to develop a concept that cannot work?

 

[0roo0roo]

"discovery" isn't exactly a mark of tv quality. they put out plenty of filler "documentary" garbage, future cars, future weapons future whatever, silly pseudo documentaries on fake alien planets... its all a buncha sh*t.

 

[LS20]

i like all the students future-forward concepts of cars.... small, tight, roof-and-panel-less 1-passenger cars to navigate narrow city streets. small cars that lean for natural turning feel. small cars to carry children age 7-10 who cannot drive.


hmm... wasnt something like that invented in the 19th century... called a bicycle?

 

[nonameo]

Well, it *could* mean that through regenerative breaking, it runs a compressor that reduces some losses.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

I watched and thought at first it had potential. then I said... WTF is this?