NASA's biggest worry right now: What if something goes wrong with the Webb telescope?

On Wed, 21 Feb 2018 09:00:12 -0700, Chris L Peterson
wrote:
This is true for electrical appliances. It is worth noting that
almost
all electronic devices operate automatically from any mains power
system used in the world.

The next step is having the appliances automatically switch to 12V DC
when given that. And we are on our way there. In Europe there are
electrical railway engines which automatically switch between 16kV
16.667Hz and 1.5kV DC. That is needed when crossing nation borders on
rail because then the electric system often switches too. This
particular case happens when crossing between Sweden and Denmark.

On Wed, 21 Feb 2018 11:20:51 -0700, Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
wrote:
I vote for "Chris is delusional."

The word "delusional" is inappropriate here, since it means something
different than "having a different opinion than mine".

On Wed, 21 Feb 2018 01:07:47 -0700, Chris L Peterson
wrote:
On Wed, 21 Feb 2018 07:33:12 +0100, Paul Schlyter
wrote:

On Tue, 20 Feb 2018 13:21:02 -0700, Chris L Peterson
wrote:
Some cars will take power from the system, some will provide it.
That's part of how charge balancing works in a system like that.
Users
pay for what they consume, and are compensated for what they
provide.

Interesting! So you then connect your car not just to charge it,
but
sometimes to discharge it?

Exactly. Most models of a power grid with a substantial amount of
wind
and solar now include this in their design. A huge amount of fixed
storage can be eliminated from the system once there's a large
enough
base of electric vehicles.

(Of course, the design would only discharge within parameters the
driver defines. If they needed a full charge, they might not offer
to
supply power. But most of the time, for most people, reducing your
battery charge by a few percent would have no practical impact.)

It must be more efficient to instead avoid charging your car more
than you actually need. Of course this requires some planning, and
car owners often hate to plan ahead...

"Chris.B" wrote in
:

On Wednesday, 21 February 2018 20:40:33 UTC+1, Jibini Kula
Tumbili Kujisalimisha wrote:

It would take me two hours each way to take a bus to work. I
live about 8 miles from the office.

A pleasant cycle ride with all the known health and economic
benefits in some countries.

So now you condemn disable people to homeless and death by slow
starvation, and healthy people risk being run over by the millions of
maniacs on the road. (Southern California is *not* friendly to
pedestrians or cyclists.)

How very . . . liberal of you.

In the event of hills, an electrically assisted cycle might be
an option. At least until you become reasonably fit.

Your mileage may vary.

My milease is nealry 40 mpg on the highway. More like 30 on city
streets. And I've got better things to do with my time.

--
Terry Austin

Vacation photos from Iceland:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/collection/QaXQkB

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.

Paul Schlyter wrote in
:

On Wed, 21 Feb 2018 11:20:51 -0700, Jibini Kula Tumbili
Kujisalimisha wrote:
I vote for "Chris is delusional."

The word "delusional" is inappropriate here, since it means
something different than "having a different opinion than mine".

I means exactly what I think it means: "believing something is real
when it's not." Another word is "hallucinating."

You're not really any better, though you're not quite as stupid.
Almost, but not quite.

--
Terry Austin

Vacation photos from Iceland:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/collection/QaXQkB

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.

Paul Schlyter wrote in
:

On Wed, 21 Feb 2018 01:07:47 -0700, Chris L Peterson
wrote:
On Wed, 21 Feb 2018 07:33:12 +0100, Paul Schlyter
wrote:

On Tue, 20 Feb 2018 13:21:02 -0700, Chris L Peterson
wrote:
Some cars will take power from the system, some will provide
it. That's part of how charge balancing works in a system
like that.
Users
pay for what they consume, and are compensated for what they
provide.

Interesting! So you then connect your car not just to charge
it,
but
sometimes to discharge it?

Exactly. Most models of a power grid with a substantial amount
of
wind
and solar now include this in their design. A huge amount of
fixed storage can be eliminated from the system once there's a
large
enough
base of electric vehicles.

(Of course, the design would only discharge within parameters
the driver defines. If they needed a full charge, they might
not offer
to
supply power. But most of the time, for most people, reducing
your battery charge by a few percent would have no practical
impact.)

It must be more efficient to instead avoid charging your car
more than you actually need. Of course this requires some
planning, and car owners often hate to plan ahead...

That is largely handled by automated system. Currently, they go to
a trickle charge state when full charge is achieved, but that's a
setting, not an inherent feature. Only planning required is for the
programmers to change the setting.

--
Terry Austin

Vacation photos from Iceland:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/collection/QaXQkB

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.

On Thu, 22 Feb 2018 10:19:43 +0100, Paul Schlyter
wrote:

It must be more efficient to instead avoid charging your car more
than you actually need. Of course this requires some planning, and
car owners often hate to plan ahead...

I'm not sure. Often there is excess power available, which with a
solar/wind source system is essentially free. So when you have an
excess, you charge everything that is asking to be charged, and that
gives you reserve to draw on when demand exceeds supply at other
times.

On Thu, 22 Feb 2018 09:43:03 +0100, Paul Schlyter
wrote:

On Wed, 21 Feb 2018 01:10:26 -0700, Chris L Peterson
wrote:
On Wed, 21 Feb 2018 07:21:07 +0100, Paul Schlyter
wrote:

Interesting - so you have two-phase AC with a 180 deg difference
between the phases! We don't have that, instead we have
three-phase
AC with 120 deg difference between the phases. Connecting between
two
phases will increase the voltage not hy a factor of sqrt(4) but by
a
factor of sqrt(3) to 400v from the single phase voltage of 230V.

Split-phase is actually a single phase system. We also have
three-phase systems, but they're usually only found in commercial
installations. But I do know people who have had them installed
residentially to power their personal shops.

Which means you have 240V single phase center grounded. To get, 120V
you connect between ground and one of the live wires. Are the power
ground and protective ground separate wires or are they the same
wire?

They are separate wires from the service panel to the individual
outlets.

On Thu, 22 Feb 2018 09:44:49 +0100, Paul Schlyter
wrote:

The power is distributed as two wires and a neutral (ground).

You can't distribute three phases like that.

Right. It isn't three-phase. Many high voltage distribution lines
carry three-phase, which is why it's usually available. But for
residential distribution, a transformer at the pole or distribution
box converts this to a split-phase supply.

On Thursday, 22 February 2018 18:06:29 UTC+1, the latest s.a.a. boor wrote:

My milease is nealry 40 mpg on the highway. More like 30 on city
streets. And I've got better things to do with my time.

Not enough time to type accurately it seems. Or even make much sense. I did stipulate that successful cycling is country specific. In some countries city cycling is much faster than average vehicle traffic speeds and has been for decades. But do have nice commute. No doubt the time you [think you] save in the car will be amply repaid in hospital time somewhere down the road.

Do try to remember:
You cannot insult anybody who does not respect you.
You merely insult your own intelligence.
Always assuming there was any to insult in the first place. ;-)