Billy Harvey <Billy.Har...@thrillseeker.net> wrote:
>In article <t19jfu4iulg...@corp.supernews.com>, Ian Stirling
><Inquisi...@I.am> [talking about energy storage for motorcycle use]
>wrote:
>>As you can get hydrogen from the water vapour in the air, and nanotech
>>is likely to make solar panels better, then it can really help too.
>Extraction of hydrogen from the air requires energy.  If you're going
>to do that on-the-roll using the energy obtained from a solar panel,
>then it is more efficient to use the solar panel directly.  Storage of
>energy needs to occur at a rate at least equal to its use.

>>Nanotech may also make flywheels a lot smaller, and potentially safer, so
>>that in a crash for example, the flywheel container bursts, releasing lots
>>of marble sized flywheel containers, that bounce around, and eventually
>>discharge safely.
>A flywheel can certainly act as an energy storage device but any
>dependence on kinetic energy is going to have to handle the
>dissipation of that energy.  Remember that this flywhell has to be
>strong enough to handle sufficient charge to drive this machine for a
>couple of hours.  While in normal use that energy dissipation is