Ahhh, Peter, I like *your* idea *much* better!
MW On 21 Feb 2014, at 15:58, Peter Eckhoff wrote: > I don't like pouring cold water on a brain storming session, but I think at > some point, we have to ask: "Is it doable?" > > When you are in the middle of eastern Montana, the nearest electric utility > line could be miles from the combine. The cord would be a PITA to move. It is > one of the reasons I switched from a corded to cordless mower. > > Combines running off the fermented alcohol from last year's crop might be a > better option. Also, at the end of a successful combine run, the combine > tanks might be dipped into to commence a celebration. This as opposed to > winding up miles of extension cord. > >> On Feb 21, 2014, at 10:25 AM, Bruce EVangel Parmenter >> <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Tethered electrically driven Ag vehicles/equipment is not new. >> In areas of the U.S. where rainfall is not when and where you want it, >> farmers may opt to use ground water pumped into a central pivot water >> system >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_pivot_irrigation#Overview >> [video >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTluHs-PCT0 >> Center Pivot irrigation >> >> >> - >>> On Fri, Feb 21, 2014, at 01:49 AM, Martin WINLOW wrote: >>> Dear List, >>> >>> I was having a chat recently at work (which is nothing whatsoever to do >>> with EVs!) about how vehicles that traditionally use lots of energy would >>> ever be able to switch to electric power due to limitations on energy >>> density. Fuel cell tractors came up amongst other things and then one of >>> my colleagues who, on learning of the enormous amounts of power required >>> by combine harvesters and plough-pulling tractors, jokingly suggested >>> using 'a very long extension lead'. Whilst he is an ill-informed >>> bumpkin, the thought did occur that in an agricultural context powering >>> machines directly from the grid might not be so daft. I immediately >>> thought of those enormous irrigation contraptions that work their way up >>> and down huge fields, laying and unlaying the hose that supplies the >>> irrigation water as it goes. Could not the same technique be applied to >>> tractors etc? Each field would have a connection point with power >>> brought in either above or below ground in the 'usual' way. >>> >>> An alternative idea would be to have mobile battery swap facilities >>> connected to the grid in each field and be moved from field to field as >>> the work progressed. >> - _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
