Any mechanical engineers in the haus? Help requested!

**Real_Wolf** · 18th June 2010, 10:16

Originally Posted by avgas

Very simple actually - if you burn 100KCal of Diesel, you receive it all in 1 burst. Where if you eat it all, you use some and store the rest.
Very smart TDi does this to an extent, it has stored diesel, and only uses what it can depending on what it knows.
So does this make one better than the other - nope.
Efficiency is a wonderful thing - its absolutely fucking useless without a system.
Otherwise everything is 100% efficient as you should never lose energy, it just changes.

Gotta just say, nothing is 100% efficient because of entropy. But your right that efficiency means nothing unless the efficiency applies to a system. After all, your heater is averagely efficient in terms of electrical to heat, but how efficient is it in heating up a room?

**bogan** · 18th June 2010, 10:24

Originally Posted by Real_Wolf

Gotta just say, nothing is 100% efficient because of entropy. But your right that efficiency means nothing unless the efficiency applies to a system.

oh i dunno, my entropy generator seems to be working pretty well

**jono035** · 18th June 2010, 10:55

Originally Posted by Real_Wolf

Gotta just say, nothing is 100% efficient because of entropy. But your right that efficiency means nothing unless the efficiency applies to a system. After all, your heater is averagely efficient in terms of electrical to heat, but how efficient is it in heating up a room?

That's a perfect example because in actual fact it isn't even the efficiency of heating the room, it's the efficiency of making the people inside the room feel warm, which is an entirely different kettle of fish altogether!

**Real_Wolf** · 18th June 2010, 11:25

Originally Posted by jono035

That's a perfect example because in actual fact it isn't even the efficiency of heating the room, it's the efficiency of making the people inside the room feel warm, which is an entirely different kettle of fish altogether!

Yeah, I'm really suprised, because usually my analogies are terrible

**jono035** · 18th June 2010, 12:57

Originally Posted by Real_Wolf

Yeah, I'm really suprised, because usually my analogies are terrible

Well it was a good example to begin with, but the fact that you'd singled out the wrong outcome of that same discussion made it a better one. Success with partial extra credit.

**schrodingers cat** · 18th June 2010, 18:43

Originally Posted by bogan

its considered renewable, which is important for the greenies. And more interesting than trying to figure out the relative efficiencies is considering the implications

Ok then, ignore the efficiency question. Implications are interesting. Biofuel for instance. It really isn't terribly 'green' is it? That's why we have a responsibility to ask hard questions.

As a point of interest, the last year of A1GP, a big fuss was made of them running BioFuel and having a green conscience. It was E85 made from sugerbeet - no problems there then - until they AIRFREIGHTED the meeting supplies to New Zealand.

**Real_Wolf** · 18th June 2010, 20:27

tbh shrodinger, most of us here don't particularily care, either way.

The greens do have some good points, we are polluting the environment. The anti-greens also have some good points, the things we're doing to save it aren't helping. The ones on the fence also have a good point, politicians will always try to look like their doing something important

**bogan** · 18th June 2010, 20:39

Originally Posted by Real_Wolf

tbh shrodinger, most of us here don't particularily care, either way.

The greens do have some good points, we are polluting the environment. The anti-greens also have some good points, the things we're doing to save it aren't helping. The ones on the fence also have a good point, politicians will always try to look like their doing something important

so in the end it doesn't matter which horse you back, you can still look down on everyone from atop it

if you're into that sorta thing that is.

**Real_Wolf** · 18th June 2010, 21:23

lol, bogan, if we're taking an 'in the end it doesn't matter', we might as well not be energy efficient, as entropy will catch up to us anyway. We already know what will 'end' the universe.

**bogan** · 18th June 2010, 21:48

Originally Posted by Real_Wolf

lol, bogan, if we're taking an 'in the end it doesn't matter', we might as well not be energy efficient, as entropy will catch up to us anyway. We already know what will 'end' the universe.

perhaps i should have said at the moment it doesnt matter, thats more what i meant, anyway the whole end of universe is ages away, we will have found another one by then.

**motorbyclist** · 20th June 2010, 01:20

Originally Posted by Real_Wolf

tbh shrodinger, most of us here don't particularily care, either way.

The greens do have some good points, we are polluting the environment. The anti-greens also have some good points, the things we're doing to save it aren't helping. The ones on the fence also have a good point, politicians will always try to look like their doing something important

dude i think someone else has been using your account

**Real_Wolf** · 20th June 2010, 01:43

why, cause i made a good point?

**Slyer** · 20th June 2010, 02:24

I believe that was the jab, yes.

**Dare** · 20th June 2010, 14:46

Originally Posted by Real_Wolf

lol, bogan, if we're taking an 'in the end it doesn't matter', we might as well not be energy efficient, as entropy will catch up to us anyway. We already know what will 'end' the universe.

The big crunch?