Only have a 30min SI but still need to charge the scooter?

[curtschu]

When did this become the Techno Geek Forum????? Bahh Technology.... Just kidding guys as Tegg found out this week I'm a Computer Geek too. What is it with Cave Diving it seems to attract Techno junkies? and Cops?

[normblitch]

When did this become the Techno Geek Forum????? Bahh Technology.... Just kidding guys as Tegg found out this week I'm a Computer Geek too. What is it with Cave Diving it seems to attract Techno junkies? and Cops?

(Thread now officially Hijacked)

IMHO, this is a natural effect from the needed multi-disiplinary science ed needed by today's tech diver...believe me, the Internet (thus the XPTR Geek) has made the promulgation of Tech info MUCH more full than in the pre-WWW days)...the Law Enforcement angle MAY be an outshoot of Police Divers, or just the legasy of Henry N...

This phenomonon is not limited to Divers...Many Ham Radio ops share Model Railroading and Gun Lust...go figure...

73 de Norm KE4GAH

[Genesis]

Norm - there is nothing particularly difficult about forming the electrodes/plates in most chemistries that don't use a liquid electrolyte to whatever shape. The cylindrical shape used by most common batteries is a matter of convenience and economy of space (and thus cost, since the case costs money too)

[normblitch]

Norm - there is nothing particularly difficult about forming the electrodes/plates in most chemistries that don't use a liquid electrolyte to whatever shape. The cylindrical shape used by most common batteries is a matter of convenience and economy of space (and thus cost, since the case costs money too)

(Unless it is the PNO2 talkin')...I could SWEAR I had seen a report (maybe SPACE.com) about a high Watt/Hr density dry/paste electrolyte battery style that had STRONG possibilities for forming...the idea was to use aircraft skin (think of the sq foot of a WING) or the outer shell of a satillite AS the battery...the TRICK is to use a low mass plate, so as NOT to invent a gel-lead acid battery sheathed Dirigible (see also; Led Zepplin)

So sorry, could NOT resist...

Norm

[ethan_brodsky]

Toshiba's been doing a lot of cool stuff lately. They also have miniature fuel cells:
http://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/press/2005_02/pr2801.htm

100 mW (presumably at 3-5V) out of a 2.2 cm x 5.6 cm x 0.5 cm module. Or, including a 2cc methanol fuel tank good for 20 hours burn time, 2.2 cm x 5.6 cm x 0.9 cm.

Assuming your scooter pulls 10 A @ 24 V, that's 240 W. You'd only need 2400 of these fuel cells, along with a 5 L tank of 99.5% pure methanol, and probably some air too, to make a scooter with 20 hour burn time. The energy storage module would weight approximately 20 kg (50 lbs) and occupy 27 L (1 cubic foot) of space. You might need to run some water through it to keep them cold, but we're only talking about 1kW or so of waste heat, so that's not too much (perhaps you could run it through your suit for added warmth). You'll also need to find a way to get rid of the combustion - that might be the biggest problem underwater. Perhaps a small compressor that pumped them overboard? Would a scooter that bubbled be DIR?

The biggest problem is that these babies probably cost $1000 each right now, and probably will cost $10-100 when they are commercially available.

Then again, we could always just get power from the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. Then all you would need would be a tank of high-purity hydrogen peroxide, a small pump, a catalyst, and a turbine. You could probably build a scooter that would pull you at 50 knots or more - it works in torpedos.

Just dreaming,

Ethan