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General discussion

Fill 'er Up (your laptop that is)

Mar 2, 2006 2:17PM PST

Discussion is locked

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Fuel Cells and other energy storage
Mar 2, 2006 4:07PM PST

It's finally nice to see that it may materialize in the not-too-distant future.

Alternative energy storage devices (though it would be almost impossible in a laptop) include flywheels. That is what we should be thinking about for cars, instead of hydrogen (potentially as much a contributor to Global Warming as fossil fuels. Hydrogen LOVES to react with elements and create new baddies).

Today, they make them out of high-strength, lightweight, advanced composites which allows them to spin at speeds of up to 100,000 RPM. Older metal flywheels would fly apart under their own weight in the low thousands. Also as opposed to metal, they have sort of a bult-in failsafe if they are in an accident. At such high speeds, the material essentially vaporizes in its container if it comes unseated.

-Kevin S.

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What?
Mar 3, 2006 11:52PM PST
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Oh yeah
Mar 3, 2006 11:56PM PST

I've been waiting for these for a long time now. just Imagine a 20second charge time for you laptop or cell phone. that will be great. now we just need to put solar cells on everything.
Philip P.

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Flywheel - different technology
Mar 3, 2006 11:58PM PST

Sorry for the confusion, yth1300. My bad. It was a poor transition to a different technology on my part.

Since fuel cells and other alternative forms of energy storage are being discussed these days, I mentioned another alternative which is a flywheel. Unfortunately, a flywheel would never really work in a laptop for a lot of reasons but I'd like to see them as an option in auotomobiles. It would be perfect for that particular application.

-Kevin S.