I'll add to Jed's comments, that:
If cold fusion were indeed proved a geniune, plausible, pollution-free
alternative, the market would be upended due to external pressures. I could
not fathom a scenario where the climate lobbies would not try to exorbitantly
tax carbon-releasing fuels in order to expedite their "phase out."
Before natural market changes have the opportunity to bring about the
carbon-fuel extinction, the issue will be forced based upon "public welfare."
Hydrocarbon engines would share the preordained demise of leaded fuel and
incandescent lighting - market be damned.
Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2012 15:49:23 -0500
Subject: Re: [Vo]:Transportation energy
From: jedrothw...@gmail.com
To: vortex-l@eskimo.com
Jay Caplan <uniqueprodu...@comcast.net> wrote:
A quick cursory search shows the coal to liquid route to be less expensive than
current oil and, of course, S Africa has been forced on this route for decades
:"...Estimates of the cost of producing liquid fuels from coal suggest that
domestic U.S. production of fuel from coal becomes cost-competitive with oil
priced at around $35 per barrel . . .
You are missing the point. You could make the cost of liquid fuel zero ($0.00)
but cold fusion would still be cheaper. As I said, you still need fueling
stations, trucks distributing the fuel, and people manning the gas stations.
The minimum cost for that overhead is approximately $0.50 per gallon. A person
driving a liquid fuel car would have to pay that overhead cost. A cold fusion
car would have zero overhead cost. So even taking into account the premium you
pay for the more complicated motor, it would be cheaper, except perhaps for a
few people who drive only a little, like 15 miles a week.
Also -- as I pointed out -- the cold fusion motor would soon be cheaper, as the
technology matures. Two reasons:
1. No pollution control, gas tank, muffler, or catalytic converter needed.
2. Thermoelectric chips will be used across a much wider range of applications
than a gasoline motor, so the cost per watt will fall lower than today's
gasoline motor.
- Jed
