The Crisis in Neodymium Speaker Drivers

[billfitzmaurice]

The only place I've seen Diesel/Electric used is when weight isn't an issue, such as with ships of locomotives. An extra few tons is nothing compared to the weight of the ship/train. Makes good sense for high HP/weight applications, but I've never seen it used in anything small. Maybe the economics of having an engine, generator, and motor in one vehicle don't make economic sense on a small scale. Propelling a train with a conventional transmission would be a nightmare, can you imagine all the shifting ?

I bet that no one's done it because they don't think it would sell, and they're probably right. Maybe when gas gets to $10.

[Taterworks]

The ideal infinitely variable-speed transmission for cars would be a hydrostatic transmission, with a variable-displacement hydraulic pump, independent hydraulic motors in all wheels, and unloading valves to permit coasting and freewheeling. This would avoid the wear-related issues that a friction-based CVT entails, and would permit the storage of energy in a gas-charged hydraulic accumulator which would not undergo leakage with time.

So much for the topic. I guess it's too early to really see the effects of the Neodymium shortage on the availability of speaker products in the marketplace.

[Deward Hastings]

The reason why diesel/electric works so well is that a relatively small diesel runs at a constant RPM for maximum efficiency, while high torque electric motors make use of the power.

An obvious application would be big-box delivery vans (UPS, FedEx) . . . and if economical such a drivetrain would be an easy retrofit as well. So it must not be economical for some reason . . . possibly battery life, possibly the "mixed use" cycle of stop-and-go in the delivery zone (where diesel-electric would seem ideal) combined with freeway transit to and from the distribution center (where the existing drivetrain is near optimum). A "hybrid" system like Prius, with either a lean-burn gas engine or a small diesel, either using the "electric" part primarily for startup and load leveling, works well for cars but may not work well at either end of the service that something like a UPS truck sees. It's the overall economy (and functionality) that dictates . . .

Cars (and trucks) are like speakers that way . . . you can always optimize for one thing, but the optimization almost always comes at a cost somewhere else. It's the best compromise for the intended use that ends up winning.

[hasekisgod]

saudi arabias opec said today oil can get up to 200-300 a bl.

I remember my dad showing me an acticle that a guy patented a cabrator that got 100 miles on a gallon and this was cars from the 50's and 60's that had big block engines and the cars were boats. They even had power too with 100mpg but guess what the big three bought the patent and we never heard of it again. sad

I always remember my good friends father telling me its not what you do in office on how they rate you and what you did, its when you leave office a a few years later and see how everything is on those years you made choices. Well lets see how did the last office did umm quite a few things isn't there?

If they cant get a buget done by friday we are in for a long two years

[Pete Schumacher ®]

If they cant get a buget done by friday we are in for a long two years

Shut it down, shut it down, shut it down.

Washington is spending money literally 8 times faster than the revenue coming in.

What's that word again . . . unsustainable? Yeah, that's it. Unsustainable.

Shut it down.

[PWR RYD]

Ah! The old "100 mpg carburetor" story

[johnnyrichards]

I remember my dad showing me an acticle that a guy patented a cabrator that got 100 miles on a gallon and this was cars from the 50's and 60's that had big block engines and the cars were boats. They even had power too with 100mpg but guess what the big three bought the patent and we never heard of it again. sad

One of the most enduring mythologies out there I have heard it several ways. My favorite variation is the "My uncle bought a new pickup, and he was getting 90mpg. When he brought it in for service, the dealer told him it needed a new motor and when he got it back, it was getting 13mpg like all the other trucks on the road."

[jeff_free69]

Ah! The old "100 mpg carburetor" story

Sure - put some neodynium magnets on it!!!
just gotta porperly polarize those gas molecules

[mike15]

did the designer of this carburetor explain how this device can take weight, friction, and aerodynamic properties out of the gas mileage equation

[MagicO309d]

Today's electronically controlled, gasoline direct injection engines/ management systems can come close to the 100 MPG carburetor's alleged performance (provided that the car is reasonably light enough).

Regarding Neodymium, according to today's news it seems that the associated North American mining operations are starting up again.

[jeff_free69]

did the designer of this carburetor explain how this device can take weight, friction, and aerodynamic properties out of the gas mileage equation

nah - he switched careers and started designing hi-end audio cables

[RINNAV]

It's utter nonsense to imagine that China is witholding rare-earth magnet materials in order to "steal" US technology. China, though still perhaps a bit behind Japan in electric vehicle design, is well ahead of the US . . . both in motors and batteries. They are limiting export of rare-earths because they have a national economic policy of not exporting "raw materials" where there can be any Chinese "value added", or there is domestic use. We, on the other hand, have a national economic policy of enriching the parasites on Wall Street at the expense of all the rest of the economy.

Don't blame China for being smarter than we are.

The game was ours to lose, and we threw it away. Virtually all consumer technology is now not only manufactured in Asia, but designed there as well. The only thing US "technology" provides is marketing and the dumbed down user interface for the stupid American consumer. You want to know what the rest of the world sees in those melting-down reactors in Fucushima? US technology and US design. That's our new reputation . . . we make junk. Our cars are a joke. When Ford wanted hybrid technology they bought it from Japan. When GM decided (again) to build an electric car they took a 30 year old design and built it with 20 year old technology . . . thus the "Volt". They won't sell ten thousand of them if the Government doesn't subsidize 1/3 to 1/2 the cost.

We've got nothing the rest of the world wants any more, except for farm products (harvested entirely my Mexicans) and blondes. American girls, at least, are still in demand and fetch a good price in Asia and the Middle East . . .

The Chinese have been deconstructing and reengineering (read stealing) technology for decades... Once they figure out how it is made they then figure out how they can undercut the cost of production and sell it back to the consumer for which the technology was "acquired" from--all made possible by poverty-type wages and consumers looking for a better bang for their buck! So who is at fault? That is for you to decide. Really, name one thing that you use that was originally developed by a Chinese inventor! I am not saying that there are no Chinese inventors, but the government controls all the ones that have “potential”. An example of Chinese technology tactics:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...racy-charges/#

…and there are many more! It all started with the Abacus...

Just my opinion…
Jason

[RINNAV]

Shut it down, shut it down, shut it down.

Washington is spending money literally 8 times faster than the revenue coming in.

What's that word again . . . unsustainable? Yeah, that's it. Unsustainable.

Shut it down.

LOL, as Winston Churchill said about democracy:

"Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."

Jason

[billfitzmaurice]

I remember my dad showing me an acticle that a guy patented a cabrator that got 100 miles on a gallon

And the oil companies bought the patent and buried it. Total myth.

Really, name one thing that you use that was originally developed by a Chinese inventor!

Gunpowder? Rockets? Pasta? Indoor plumbing? Written language? BOOKS! Get off the jingoistic high horse, China had a sophisticated civilization when Europe was still inhabited by tribes.
This has nothing to do with China stealing or copying anything. It's what fellows like Carnegie, Morgan, Vanderbilt, Rockefeller and Getty would have called good business sense. We're just in the unhappy position to be on the short end of the stick this time around.

[wg_ski]

And the oil companies bought the patent and buried it. Total myth.

If such a patent existed, they would have. It's what fellows like Carnegie, Morgan, Vanderbilt, Rockefeller and Getty would have called good business sense.

Count ourselves lucky that the only thing we're really concerned about here is the price of neodymium magnets and speakers. It could get a whole lot worse - and it's just good business sense for those at the top.

[RINNAV]

...Get off the jingoistic high horse, China had a sophisticated civilization when Europe was still inhabited by tribes.

I think I will stay on my "jingoistic high horse" As I said, just my opinion-- whose fault, is your opinion. I do agree that It makes good financial sense--no ethics, but good financial sense. Just like Carnegie and the likes dumping extraordinary amounts of money into a debunk economy...

Just like everything in life, cyclic--and so were the Chinese especially before and after the Opium War... That is when the true isolationistic attitude reared its ugly head. I surmise part of the reason of China's current international relationships.

Moreover, who was the Chinese inventor that invented gunpowder? As about as ambiguous as Chinese technology but still the credit goes to the Dynasty (now the government) not a person…

Jason

[billfitzmaurice]

If such a patent existed, they would have.

If the patent existed it would be sitting there in public view for all to see. Do a patent search, it's free, see what you find. You won't find a 100 MPG carburetor. Think about it: if carburetors were so efficient how come the only thing you see them still used on is lawnmowers? The only reason they were used on 60s muscle cars was because gas was 30 cents a gallon.

[czag]

Gunpowder? Rockets? Pasta? Indoor plumbing? Written language? BOOKS! Get off the jingoistic high horse, China had a sophisticated civilization when Europe was still inhabited by tribes.

Great, now how about anything since they became communist or in the last 300 years.

Chris

[MagicO309d]

If the patent existed it would be sitting there in public view for all to see. Do a patent search, it's free, see what you find. You won't find a 100 MPG carburetor. Think about it: if carburetors were so efficient how come the only thing you see them still used on is lawnmowers? The only reason they were used on 60s muscle cars was because gas was 30 cents a gallon.

There absolutely are 100 MPG carburetors and they've been around for decades, you can find them on Vespa scooters and Honda 125's!

[wg_ski]

If the patent existed it would be sitting there in public view for all to see. Do a patent search, it's free, see what you find. You won't find a 100 MPG carburetor.

Maybe "bury it" isn't the right term.... If such a patent did exist, big oil would buy it, pay their maintainence fees till the end of time, and refuse to grant anyone a license. Well, maybe for 100 quadrillion dollars.... everyone has their price.