pbmonster's recent activity
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Comment on Rooftop solar panels are flooding California’s grid. That’s a problem. in ~enviro
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Comment on Rooftop solar panels are flooding California’s grid. That’s a problem. in ~enviro
pbmonster Link ParentThat might be the future in places like California and Hawaii. But in large parts of the word, this won't really work. Many people live in places where winter has persistent cloud cover, and wind...Ultimately, I think a larger version of that community-based model is the future of electricity, with a kind of Internet of microgrids
That might be the future in places like California and Hawaii. But in large parts of the word, this won't really work.
Many people live in places where winter has persistent cloud cover, and wind is unreliable. There's to many days, where the wind is not blowing after an overcast day of diffuse winter sun on your panels has left your batteries empty.
During those days, a community like this will need to import so close to 100% of its energy, you save nothing by having a microgrid in the first place. You still need all of the macrogrid anyway.
I'd advocate expanding the macrogrid instead. California and Arizona have their worst "duck curves" in spring, before everybody there turns on the AC. Luckily, this is right when the northern states still have lots of overcast days with low incidence sun light. So don't have the microgrids throw electricity away, sell it up north instead. Just needs a couple of new HVDC transmission lines.
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Comment on Startups want to geoengineer a cooler planet. With few rules, experts see big risks. in ~enviro
pbmonster LinkI'm really partial to marine cloud brightening. Only uses sea water, can be powered by wind and solar power, cools the planet the same way exhaust gas from shipping diesel engines used to (before...I'm really partial to marine cloud brightening. Only uses sea water, can be powered by wind and solar power, cools the planet the same way exhaust gas from shipping diesel engines used to (before they cleaned it up), completely stops the same day you stop spraying.
I expect we'll see it on a larger scale in the near future. Design a swimming platform with a small wind turbine and/or solar panels, make it use all its energy spraying sea water into the air. Park a few hundred of those platforms upwind of the Great Barrier Reef and we probably could significantly slow the reef's dying in summer from warm water.
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Comment on Will the Apple antitrust case affect your phone’s security? in ~tech
pbmonster Link ParentIt's probably more, and even the literate often don't care enough to escape the walled garden. I know so many highly technical people who watch Youtube with Ads on their phone (or worse, let their...In reality 90%(if not more) of their users are tech illiterate, same with Android.
It's probably more, and even the literate often don't care enough to escape the walled garden.
I know so many highly technical people who watch Youtube with Ads on their phone (or worse, let their kids watch Youtube with Ads). On Android, it takes 5 minutes tops, to get rid of them forever. Almost nobody does so.
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Comment on IronLev has demonstrated the first-ever magnetic levitation test on regular train tracks in ~transport
pbmonster Link ParentWait what, that's what they are doing? But instead of large diameter rotors over sheets of copper, they're using 3" wide bars of carbon steel, which has at least 10x the electrical resistance?...Wait what, that's what they are doing? But instead of large diameter rotors over sheets of copper, they're using 3" wide bars of carbon steel, which has at least 10x the electrical resistance?
Making a 20 ton car levitate like that will take absurd amounts of power. Think about it, if they tilt those rotors forward, they could use the same effect to create forward thrust. That's how the skateboard can accelerate. If you apply 20 tons of thrust to a 20 ton train wagon, it will accelerate - by definition - to its terminal velocity in air. Which should be hundreds of mph.
So, a train like this levitating statically over its rails would draw the same amount of power - at minimum, ignoring all resistive heating in the rails! - as a train going hundreds of miles per hour in air.
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Comment on IronLev has demonstrated the first-ever magnetic levitation test on regular train tracks in ~transport
pbmonster Link ParentNo way you're floating a 20 ton rail car over a piece of conventional steel railway track like that. Especially not without using external electrical power. They claim to use permanent magnets in...I would imagine it's using Lenz Law (specifically, eddy currents) to create an electromagnetic response using the spinning motors to induce the momentary magnetism.
No way you're floating a 20 ton rail car over a piece of conventional steel railway track like that. Especially not without using external electrical power.
They claim to use permanent magnets in the car. I don't see a way how you levitate over a piece of railway steel using a permanent magnet.
From a physical perspective, their website is extremely vage on how this all works. I also couldn't find any patent applications by IronLev, either. The longer I think of this the more certain I become that this is scam.
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Comment on IronLev has demonstrated the first-ever magnetic levitation test on regular train tracks in ~transport
pbmonster Link ParentI'm looking for how this works at all, on a physical level. How do you levitate over an extremely weak ferromagnet like a piece of steel track (without using a diamagnet like bismuth or a...I'm looking for how this works at all, on a physical level. How do you levitate over an extremely weak ferromagnet like a piece of steel track (without using a diamagnet like bismuth or a superconductor, because both are much to expensive for comercial rail)? How do you achieve static stability? How do you achieve dynamic stability?
Or simpler: how does the train float at all? If it floats, why doesn't it fall of the track? How does it keep following the track once it moves?
All existing maglev trains work completely differently, they use strong magnets on all 4 sides of a special monorail. I see how it works if the rail is strongly ferromagnetic and you can get part of the train "under" it. But normal train tracks are not strongly ferromagnetic, and you can only put magnets on 3 sides of it.
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Comment on How can I best keep my room cool in summer? in ~life.home_improvement
pbmonster Link ParentThere's plenty of fresh air, there's a ventilation system that takes the "stale" air out of the rooms and puts in air from outside. The heat pump usually transfers the temperature of the outgoing...There's plenty of fresh air, there's a ventilation system that takes the "stale" air out of the rooms and puts in air from outside. The heat pump usually transfers the temperature of the outgoing air onto the incoming air, and controls for humidity.
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Comment on How can I best keep my room cool in summer? in ~life.home_improvement
pbmonster Link ParentGood to know! I can see the reason, every back alley in south east Asia is filled with the constant low chatter of dozens of small AC compressors of all the surrounding buildings.Good to know! I can see the reason, every back alley in south east Asia is filled with the constant low chatter of dozens of small AC compressors of all the surrounding buildings.
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Comment on How can I best keep my room cool in summer? in ~life.home_improvement
pbmonster Link ParentYeah, pretty normal for extremely energy efficient houses. There is no need to ever open a window (room ventilation is automated, and all escape routes are planned in advance - they might include...Yeah, pretty normal for extremely energy efficient houses. There is no need to ever open a window (room ventilation is automated, and all escape routes are planned in advance - they might include a single window you can open/break).
The advantage is that you can build well-insulating windows a lot cheaper if they can't be moved and don't need seals.
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Comment on How can I best keep my room cool in summer? in ~life.home_improvement
pbmonster (edited )LinkDe'Longhi makes compact air conditioners. They're sold everywhere in Switzerland, e.g. Galaxus. If you're not to sensitive to noise, you should be able to sleep while it runs in silent mode. The...De'Longhi makes compact air conditioners. They're sold everywhere in Switzerland, e.g. Galaxus. If you're not to sensitive to noise, you should be able to sleep while it runs in silent mode.
The tube goes out the window, and De'Longhi sells window covers even for "door style" windows. It's basically a piece of fabric that runs along all three sides of the open window, and the tube goes through a hole in the fabric.
If you're sensitive to noise, you need a "split system", which has a second device sitting outside your window and the tube connects to it. It contains the compressor, and so the device inside is much quieter. Those are less common for rental apartments, and often require you to mount the thing outside the window to the wall somehow. Also usually more expensive. A single unit compact system is several hundred bucks, a split system is often several thousand.
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Comment on Mexico aims to compete with Panama Canal by using cargo trains in ~transport
pbmonster Link ParentI mean in the end it's just engineering - theoretically. Practically, of course, the limiter is cost. To load/unload multiple container vessels simultaneously, you need to build out the ports on...I can't think of any hard limiters on throughput.
I mean in the end it's just engineering - theoretically.
Practically, of course, the limiter is cost. To load/unload multiple container vessels simultaneously, you need to build out the ports on both ends. To do it quickly, you need to upgrade the existing infrastructure. Once the existing train track is maxed out, you need to put down 200 miles of new track.
And you need to do all of that at a cost that rivals just waiting in line for a few days in front of the Panama Canal in the few weeks/months every couple of years when Panama suffers from drought. Which, if I understand correctly, is an El Nino event, which means it happens on a 7 year cyle.
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Comment on The world’s first autonomous snowplows are in service in ~transport
pbmonster Link ParentOh yeah, you can't just rely on preexisting road GPS data. You still have map the routes the plow takes, ideally by having a driver drive them with a plow. And yes, in those cases newly planted...Oh yeah, you can't just rely on preexisting road GPS data. You still have map the routes the plow takes, ideally by having a driver drive them with a plow.
And yes, in those cases newly planted mailboxes might get plowed if they don't show up on radar clearly enough.
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Comment on The world’s first autonomous snowplows are in service in ~transport
pbmonster Link ParentI don't think mailboxes would be a problem. Such an application would definitely use differential GPS, which gives the plow a position accuracy of <1 inch. Cars are also probably not the main...I don't think mailboxes would be a problem. Such an application would definitely use differential GPS, which gives the plow a position accuracy of <1 inch.
Cars are also probably not the main issue, automotive radar should pick them up even in the worst snow storms, potentially much better than a driver would.
The trouble really starts once you have tree branches and entire trees on the road, avalanches and slides blocking roads to a degree the plow can't clear or people walking around in the snow storm.
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Comment on Recommendations for wireless earbuds for extended PC use? in ~tech
pbmonster LinkIf you're into great sound, the world of wireless in ear monitors (IEM) is amazingly interesting. It's one of the markets, where the Chinese manufacturers are eating everybody's lunch. You can get...If you're into great sound, the world of wireless in ear monitors (IEM) is amazingly interesting. It's one of the markets, where the Chinese manufacturers are eating everybody's lunch. You can get $20 earbuds that sound like $500 earbuds.
The reason for this is that the relevant components — the cables, the casing, the drivers, the wiring, the wireless modules, the batteries — are all relatively cheap, even at the highest quality. And Sennheiser, Bose, Bowers & Wilkins, et. al. also just buy them from their respective Chinese factories.
The rest, assembling all into a compact package and guiding the sound into the ear, is usually just injection molding, which doesn't have a high barrier to entry. This is greatly simplified by the fact that the shape of the wave-guide can be simulated in software pretty accurately, because it is sitting right inside the ear canal. This greatly simplifies boundary conditions (unlike for speaker design when the speakers are sitting inside a room, or for over-ear headphones sitting on the skull).
So there's tons of cheap Chinese OEMs that now also make fantastic IEMs. When I did my research last, Truthear Zero: Red was widely hyped in the budget audiophile community. By now, they are known for their quality, and they don't sell for $25 anymore. Still below $50, though.
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Comment on Apple terminates Epic Games developer account calling it a ‘threat’ to the iOS ecosystem in ~games
pbmonster Link ParentApple seems to be under the impression that they only have to comply with DMA regulation on devices inside the EEA, and that determining whether a device is there is straight forward. I expect...Apple seems to be under the impression that they only have to comply with DMA regulation on devices inside the EEA, and that determining whether a device is there is straight forward.
I expect them to get sued for that in the near future. Because it isn't straight forward at all.
There's a reason you get cookie banners everywhere, not only when you're inside the EEA.
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Comment on FastSDXL.AI: Free demo that lets you generate AI images as fast as you can type in ~tech
pbmonster Link ParentYeah, I always test hands first. It's so interesting how difficult the repeating pattern of fingers is for the diffusion models. For some reason, this model has a very high chance to produce 6...Yeah, I always test hands first. It's so interesting how difficult the repeating pattern of fingers is for the diffusion models.
For some reason, this model has a very high chance to produce 6 fingers. Not 4, 5 or 7. Almost exclusively 6.
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Comment on Norway is well on the way to achieving its target of 100% new electric vehicle registrations by 2025 – the situation is different for vans in ~transport
pbmonster LinkI'm not surprised. A large commercial van like an E-Transit has maybe 300km range. Empty, with a warm battery. I can't even imagine how bad this number gets if you load 1-2 tons of equipment and...I'm not surprised. A large commercial van like an E-Transit has maybe 300km range. Empty, with a warm battery.
I can't even imagine how bad this number gets if you load 1-2 tons of equipment and drive through the Nordic winter...
And for commercial vans, time is money. You just can't stop to charge several times a day.
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Comment on The real danger to civilisation isn't runaway AI it's runaway capitalism (2017) in ~misc
pbmonster Link ParentWhat gave you the impression that those two countries specifically are relatively un-capital-obsessed? Most EU states are significantly more collectivist than those two examples. Also, Switzerland...You can also look at kind of centrally managed states such as Singapore or Switzerland to see how models which aren't as capital-obsessed function.
What gave you the impression that those two countries specifically are relatively un-capital-obsessed? Most EU states are significantly more collectivist than those two examples.
Also, Switzerland is a comically bad example for a centrally managed state. It is strongly federated.
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Comment on Signal messenger releases 'usernames' so you no longer need to tell someone your phone number in order for them to message you in ~tech
pbmonster Link ParentThey probably never will. Phone numbers serve two important purposes on Signal: they offer simple user discovery in exactly the way the average user expects (install Signal, Signal shows you who...I wish they'd gone farther and not required a phone number at all.
They probably never will.
Phone numbers serve two important purposes on Signal: they offer simple user discovery in exactly the way the average user expects (install Signal, Signal shows you who in your address book can be messaged on Signal) and phone numbers limit spam on the platform.
If they would have gotten rid of phone numbers some years ago, I believe they would have 90% less users than they have today. It's hard to overestimate how important easy user discovery is for the average user.
I don't think so. Once you go a few miles inland, that's most of continental Europe, the Pacific Northwest or the Northeastern United States. And even if you have a pretty good spot for wind power, you're still screwed if there's even only 1 week of low winds in winter or spring. Which happens frequently, even in spots that have perfect wind 300 days a year. Because on the micro-grid level, storing power for a week is completely non-trivial.
I think the current consensus is that once you go towards weeks or months (multi-TWh storage with multi-GW output), hydrogen is really the only game in town. At least once you take into account basic economic factors and constraints like actually available land for pumped hydro.
Relevant condensed graph:
https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/17r9q6s/oc_most_costcompetitive_technologies_for_energy/
The source has much more detail, not animated:
https://www.storage-lab.com/levelized-cost-of-storage