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Dang.. that ^ is an expensive record player needle. ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by island911 (Post 11228367)

Just look at the current FUBAR in Germany and Texas. All of their "Green" wind and solar farms rendered USELESS by snow. Fire up the ICE.

One 1.3GWh nuke reactor tripped as its cooling circuit was clogged by ice (being in Texas, ice in cooling circuit was not really something they designed the plant for). Regardless if you boil water by nukes or gas, you still need coolant water in the steam loop.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy/how-and-why-a-nuclear-reactor-shut-down-in-texas-cold-snap-when-energy-was-needed-most

"
Many of the state’s gas plants were knocked out from icy conditions, and some plants shut down from being unable to access the fuel they need because producing wells froze.

Wind turbines froze, too, but to a lesser extent."

Quote:

Originally Posted by afterburn 549 (Post 11226869)

Most engines bring the air charge through the side around a turn and dwn the port to the throat of the intake valve.
That seems stupid as the first thing learned in porting is to get the transition a little *shorter and less curvy .
SO
How come the intake ports dont come straight dwn into the top of the valve cover to the intake valve?
It will be almost a straight shot!
Ok, OK this will take more room for some applications...but form follows function so BS to that.
If spark plugs can be protruded through valve covers I am sure an intake port would be no problem either.
What's the problem here?
It is more EZ they rotatory valves!
Several patents have been issued, etc but nothing is ever done because of a laundry list of problems with that design .

* yes I know about long runners.

this requires no serious thought.

1. the reason you dont have straight runners is you need to actuate the valve, either a cam or rocker will be there. even in a cam-free engine, you still have the linear motor for the valve that needs to be there.

2. rotary valves would not solve the problem, as you still need something to spin them, and they will because of the need to spin, use ~50% less area than a standard poppet valve.

file this one under "no, you arnt smarter than ~100 years of engine designing engineers"

Quote:

Originally Posted by island911 (Post 11228367)

That was the case. Not anymore. Mercedes has a 50% car you can buy.

I agree with most of what beep posted BUT the ICE is not going away. The energy density of fuel so vastly outpaces that of the best battery... ICE are not going away. Ata minimum for the production of electricity. Just look at the current FUBAR in Germany and Texas. All of their "Green" wind and solar farms rendered USELESS by snow. Fire up the ICE.

texas relies on above 85% fossil fuels for its power.

so, its the natural gas that is failing them, not wind or solar. solar actually works better in the cold. a serious problem in solar power is actually the cells getting too hot. the cells themselves are actually more efficient in the cold. the issue in the winter time is that there is simply less solar power available, due to, you know, the angle of the earth. snow/cold does not render solar cells ineffective, and texas doesn't have many anyway.

its privatization of the grid, and optimizing there power system for profit that has them without power. not solar and wind power.

Quote:

Originally Posted by beepbeep (Post 11229602)

The biggest issue on the Peaking Gas Turbines was the gas contract, where they were not allowed to run. They normally only run in the summer peak, so having a gas contract which allows disconnection in winter is not normally a problem.

And the ones that could run, some of the gas compressors were shut down by the local utilities during the rolling blackouts, making things worse.

Ice build up in a cooling tower is definitely not normal for south Texas. North Texas did far better, since they regularly go below 32F/0C in winter, for extended periods of time.