SuzukiSavage.com - Print Page

SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl
General Category >> Politics, Religion (Tall Table) >> Part of the answer maybe?
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1400212852

Message started by old_rider on 05/15/14 at 21:00:52

Title: Part of the answer maybe?
Post by old_rider on 05/15/14 at 21:00:52

I think this is a very plausible idea for some of the answer.... hope politics do not ruin it....
They have an operating model right now...that a DOT grant helped to fund... now they want to improve it a bit more before production and are asking for folks to help fund it...

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/solar-roadways

If you are interested go to their site and read and watch some videos....

http://www.solarroadways.com/intro.shtml

Title: Re: Part of the answer maybe?
Post by Serowbot on 05/15/14 at 22:34:52

It seems incredibly impractical, considering the abuse these surfaces take...
... but, if it can be done, practically, and efficiently... it would be amazing...

...and, if it's tough enough for that... I'd like to roof my house with them too...
Modern roofing materials are seriously lacking anything... modern...
:-?...

Title: Re: Part of the answer maybe?
Post by Paraquat on 05/16/14 at 06:16:25

They paved the highway in Hartford in the Fall.
They already have a crew out repaving it because the pot holes were so bad they made the local news.
Maybe out in Texas or Arizona. Maybe along the road, not the actual road.

--Steve

Title: Re: Part of the answer maybe?
Post by oldNslow on 05/16/14 at 09:36:13

Wonder if they tested them to see how they stand up to having a coupla hundred thousand tons of salt dumped on them every winter. Freeze/thaw cycles. Where I live I think you would just wind up with the worlds biggest underground short circuit ;D

Title: Re: Part of the answer maybe?
Post by Serowbot on 05/16/14 at 09:51:52

No salt needed... they would power their own heating elements, preventing snow and ice build-up...

They're talking about using them on sidewalks, too...

Title: Re: Part of the answer maybe?
Post by Paraquat on 05/16/14 at 11:17:16

I never have, but I have plenty of friends who have...
Dropped their smart phones on the sidewalk and cracked the screens.
The screens made from the same glass they make helicopter glass from.

Quote:

Front glass of my iPhone4 shattered yesterday when I got out of the car. Fell from my lap to the pavement and that was all she wrote. Short fall, a little higher than knee height.

Quote:

I never really bought the stronger glass claims. Glass is glass and will break if it hits something harder than it is. Even airplane and helicoptor glass breaks when something hits hit.

To which I add a motorcycle analogy I heard when I started riding regarding the motorcycle vs car debate:

Whether the glass hits the stone, or the stone hits the glass, it doesn't bother the stone.

--Steve

Title: Re: Part of the answer maybe?
Post by old_rider on 05/20/14 at 16:41:47

So... if you would go watch the videos

They added heating elements to keep the road at about 38 degrees, no freezing

They have been traction tested to road standards (actually had to tone down the traction due to removing rubber off tires)

They have been load tested to 250,000 lbs (glass company says it can make the panels stronger than steel)

They will not sell to "big companies" to start production in overseas....they want to keep it in the US to help the job market.

I just hope that politics does not get in the way of this progress :(