"History is a wonderful thing, if only it was true"
-Tolstoy

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Illogical

Ran across this yesterday

Modeshift Blog Archive Build High Speed Rail in the Midwest:

"As for the technology that will get you there…. The train: is mix of mag-lev propulsion and regenerative onboard energy. Using the forward motion and wind created from the train itself. On-board turbines on the roof of the engine car will capture and re-generate power into the grid/propulsion nodes on the rails. The trains magnetic induction, or repelling factor, compliments by turning the magnetic force into an electrical conduction that makes energy as you go. Not a pure perpetual motion machine, but very very close in the terms of energy derived from its use."

What is this person thinking?
To move the mass of the train takes energy
Trying to suck energy out of the wind is just flat bass-akwards.
If you need the energy, just go straight to the source.

That said - regenerative braking makes some sense, recapturing energy for subsequent use. But not from the air you are having to move aside

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