[SGVLUG] New Linux Lug

[Dustin Laurence]

On Thu, Feb 16, 2006 at 03:53:45PM -0800, David Lawyer wrote:

> On Thu, Feb 16, 2006 at 02:31:16PM -0800, Dustin Laurence wrote:
> > Why do we claim a membership area at all, anyway?
> 
> We don't by perhaps we should :-).  One reason being energy
> conservation.  Someone could use a shortest path algorithm :-)

Ah, yes, I imagine all the happy hackers writing C code to decide which
LUG meeting to go to, or at worst using something like octave.  Cool
world. :-)

> ... So to encourage energy
> conservation double the price b and the LUG membership regions will
> change. 

It's much more effective to simply not open the door for anyone who
isn't riding a moped. :-)

> ...Doing
> this will likely get better miles/gallon than a hybrid.

No.  It cannot *ever* do so for engines tuned for their respective jobs
and a hybrid that is meant to be the real thing (and not the "hybrid
assist" stuff some are apparently designed for).  Non-hybrids must have
a broad power curve, which greatly lowers peak efficiency.  A true
hybrid, by comparison (one where the engine generates power only and is
not directly connected to the wheels), can have an engine tuned with a
very narrow--and thus very highly peaked--power curve and run at the
most efficient point regardless of vehicle speed.

This is why, in fact, there has been interest in continuously variable
transmissions--you can get a similar benefit without the electric drive
train.  However, you still don't get the ability to run a smaller engine
that only needs to satisfy the average power demand (letting the
batteries take up the slack).  Non-hybrids, even with a CVT, must size
the engine to the *peak* demand, and this hurts average efficiency.

> And on the social cost of your drive, including non-renewable resources
> depletion and global warming.

Generally speaking nobody pays attention to that either. :-)

Dustin