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To: skyman
"By adopting their contraption - which taps into the electrical system, using fans to blow hot air through five Peltier chips and then releasing cold air - they say the country stands to save 3.9 billion gallons of fuel annually, or about $10 billion based on current gas prices."

Doesn't necessarily follow. The energy to charge the batteries has to come from somewhere.

Still, it's a 'cool' idea...

4 posted on 07/06/2005 8:39:22 AM PDT by null and void (No man's life, liberty, or property are safe as long as court is in session)
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To: null and void

Of the 7.9 billion gallons they say is used to run AC they estimate they can save 3.9 billion. Guess that 4 billion would go to charge the batteries. ;^)


9 posted on 07/06/2005 8:45:52 AM PDT by Arkie2 (No, I never voted for Bill Clinton. I don't plan on voting Republican again!)
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To: null and void

No, it just takes half the amount of power to run. It says the gas consumption annually would go from 7.9 billion gallons to 3.9 billion gallons.


11 posted on 07/06/2005 8:46:41 AM PDT by Rad_J
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To: null and void

AC Compressors suck down way more power than these Peltiers, you definately should cut down the power requirements by at least 50% to run A/C using these vs gas based..... Will be interesting to see where this goes.


15 posted on 07/06/2005 8:47:54 AM PDT by HamiltonJay
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To: null and void
Today...U.S. drivers use about 7.9 billion gallons of fuel each year to run their air-conditioners...

...they say the country stands to save 3.9 billion gallons of fuel annually,...

They acknowledge there will still be fuel consumption, reducing it 50%, though.

16 posted on 07/06/2005 8:49:32 AM PDT by Fierce Allegiance (This ain't your granddaddy's America!)
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To: null and void

These things draw 35watts per peltier chip, * 5 gives 185 watts (at least). At 12 volts this is 15 amps, maybe doable, but a good load on the alternator.


20 posted on 07/06/2005 8:54:48 AM PDT by FastCoyote
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To: null and void
Doesn't necessarily follow. The energy to charge the batteries has to come from somewhere.

Exactly, I have run the calculations and the fossile fules necessary to charge the batteries will quadruple the pollution levels in the US, killing millions of people the first year, oh well, it helps the global warming crowd, thus the award
46 posted on 07/06/2005 9:23:53 AM PDT by Scythian
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To: null and void

takes alot less to run an alternator than to run an a/c compressor. i've got a jeep that i increased gas mileage (and power output) by yanking the a/c and upgrading the alternator.


47 posted on 07/06/2005 9:25:32 AM PDT by absolootezer0 ("My God, why have you forsaken us.. no wait, its the liberals that have forsaken you... my bad")
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To: null and void

"Doesn't necessarily follow. The energy to charge the batteries has to come from somewhere."

I don't know the specifics, but I do know charging the battery isn't near the drag of running a compressor. The alternator is always "running", and a voltage regulator system decides whether the batter needs a charge or not. So, even though it's not free to charge the battery, it's close.


57 posted on 07/06/2005 9:44:28 AM PDT by brownsfan (Post No Bills)
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To: null and void

yup , they're on a good course


137 posted on 07/06/2005 11:15:31 AM PDT by Dad yer funny
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To: null and void
Very true. And peltiers are pretty inefficient.

Watt, er, what would be a cooler idea is to figure out a way
to use the engine/exhaust heat with additional peltiers to
generate the power needed to run the cooling peltiers.

186 posted on 07/06/2005 12:15:06 PM PDT by Calvin Locke
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To: null and void

The energy to charge the batteries, or rather the energy to run the generators that feed the peltiers are accounted for in the 4 billion gallons of fuel left over. Apparently this system is twice as efficient as standard AC, which of course means they still require energy, but only half as much.


240 posted on 07/06/2005 9:38:34 PM PDT by Melas (Lives in state of disbelief)
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