Saw a short (10 minute) report tonight on the idiot box for an Aussie "invention", that claims to provide up to 40% energy (fuel) savings, for trucks involved in stop start freight haulage.
What they have done is wrap a hyraulic pump around the tailshaft of such trucks.
Once the fule is brurnt to start the truck in motion - any time it has to "stop for traffic or stop lights etc, all that energy used to get it rolling is lost - wasted.
This system uses the hydraulic motor on the tailshaft to pump oil into two large reservoir tanks that presumably "pressurize air" inside the tanks as the oil fills them.
Then when you take off - the compressed air forces the oil backwards out of the reservoirs, and assists driving the tailshaft, thus saving on fuel to get moving again.
They claim up to 40% in stop / start traffic applications.
US Army has backed it to the tune of $25US Mill according to the news report.
Not quite rocket science - just Aussie ingenuity.
Every large fiscal house in Oz laughed when they sought development funds, BUT now that the US has backed it, all the fiscal folks want on board...
This happens ALL THE TIME, in Oz - great inventions never get up for lack of backers! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]
Were an inventive lot bye and large...just non of our financial institutions have any faith in Aussie ingenuity!
Remember Ralph Sarich who invented the electronic fuel injection system (to power his revolutionary orbital engine concept) now in use in Merc OB's?...took him over 20 years to gain any backing and he had to go offshore to do it! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]
I worry bout this country, I really do! No one with ANY vision [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif[/img]
When I'm benevolent dictater - things will be different! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]
Cheers!