June 16, 2009: Kinetic Plates

[stanford93]

"What this system does do is rob customers of (granted, minute amounts of) fuel energy, so the overall cost of this system considering everybody involved is greater than before."

um, that is more than a reach. it's using kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost completely when the vehicle braked and came to a stop. it was going to be dissipated/wasted regardless as 99.99% of the vehicles out there aren't going to have regenerative braking systems. if it was placed in the middle of a street where you wouldn't normally be decelerating, different story.

[Beest]

Originally Posted by stanford93

"What this system does do is rob customers of (granted, minute amounts of) fuel energy, so the overall cost of this system considering everybody involved is greater than before."

um, that is more than a reach. it's using kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost completely when the vehicle braked and came to a stop. it was going to be dissipated/wasted regardless as 99.99% of the vehicles out there aren't going to have regenerative braking systems. if it was placed in the middle of a street where you wouldn't normally be decelerating, different story.

Only if the plates performed a braking function, if they are just in the lane so you drive over them then they are taking the kinetic energy of your vehicle, which if you just speed up again caused you to burn more fuel to replace it.

If they are placed say at the entrances where there would be a speed bump ( sleeping policeman ) to reduce speed as you enter the car park, then it could be an efficient and green redistribution of energy, damn I'm going to have to RTFA now