Green diesel any one?

220629

Well-known member
I WANT to like nukes. The advantages are clear. But, for the reasons you state, I just can't. ...
But...
In a macro sense, it will not be any nuclear generating plant disaster which will set humanity back into the dark ages. It will be an overall failure of the systems to provide the masses the power which they absolutely depend upon so much. Keeping the overall grid supplied and operating is absolutely paramount. Everyone is for the environment until it affects their lifestyle.

You doubt my logic? Watch most anyone these days as they go into minor panic mode when there is no way to charge their dying cell phone battery. And cell phones do nothing to provide us food and shelter.

Back to topic.

vic
 

avanti

2022 Ford Transit 3500
But...
In a macro sense, it will not be any nuclear generating plant disaster which will set humanity back into the dark ages. It will be an overall failure of the systems to provide the masses the power which they absolutely depend upon so much. Keeping the overall grid supplied and operating is absolutely paramount. Everyone is for the environment until it affects their lifestyle.

You doubt my logic? Watch most anyone these days as they go into minor panic mode when there is no way to charge their dying cell phone battery. And cell phones do nothing to provide us food and shelter.
But...
If it were nuclear or chaos, I would certainly accept the risks, which I agree are bounded. But, as I said, there are much better alternatives that appear to be perfectly practical.
Back to topic.
No thank you. This one is better.
 

Old Crows

Calypso 2014 View Profile
Two famous quotes come to mind. Lewis Strauss was appointed by Eisenhower as Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission in 1953. He's famousmformthis quote: In 1954, Strauss predicted that atomic power would make electricity "too cheap to meter." Regarded as fanciful even at the time, the quote is now seen as damaging to the industry's credibility.

As we now know, it never happened that it would end up being "cheap power".

I worked form the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and in 1991 when Ivan Selin (PhD EE from Yale & PhD in Math from U of Paris) made one of his first speeches. At them time, industry and regulators were looking at creating Advanced Reactors that would be built more quickly and were identical & modular to reduce costs and speed up safety improvements as needed. Iselin said:

"In France they have one kind (design) of reactor and 120 kinds of cheese. In the US, we have 120 kinds of reactors and one kind of cheese."

120 reactors because each one is similar to it's cousins (GE, WESTINGHOUSE) but individually designed and modified to suit the site and application. Almost everything is individualized right down procedures. Not much is the same. And that is a big expense and safety issue.

Regarding "barge power", at NRC I worked with two retired Army Officers. Both were USMA grads; Corps of Engineers, combat vets from Korea & VN, fancy post grad degrees and both were qualified reactor operators for the Army reactors. They told me about the adventures concerning Army nuclear power and MH-1A. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MH-1A

Barge power is pretty cool and the Sturgis had a longish and important contribution in power production. I don't think any regulator would approve one today considering the threat levels and decommissioning problems.
 

220629

Well-known member
The China Syndrome.

Three Mile Island.

The entertainment industry found a windfall and was victorious. The U.S. energy industry lost. (Three Mile Island was the convergence of most all of the things that could go wrong. The safety systems kept it basically contained as designed. There really wasn't any China Syndrome style meltdown)

I'm an old guy living in the past...
Oh wait. I've learned recently that I'm a privileged xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx and part of the power structure. - Retired.

I retract that as unproductive.

:cheers: vic
 

avanti

2022 Ford Transit 3500
I can't resist yet another Bucky Fuller aphorism:

In arguing for renewable energy (way ahead of his time), he made the case that Earth was bequeathed with oil to serve the same function as the starter battery in a car--a short-term energy source needed to get things rolling. So, he said, running the economy on oil is like powering your car on the starter battery. Nuclear, he said, was like powering the car by burning pieces of it.

That last part was maybe not his most persuasive argument, but I still think it is cute.
 

Old Crows

Calypso 2014 View Profile
China Syndrome hit the screens in March 79. TMI about 12 days later. We we 90 miles south of TMI in MD. A day after TMI, the 'hood was nearly a ghost town because everyone and their cats and dogs bailed out. Kind of funny.

I knew some of the guys who worked TMI response. Particularly Harold Denton, President Carter's hand picked personal representative and a handful of Engineers supporting our Region I office from HQ. These men were largely unassuming low maintenance guys but very smart. Geeks without pocket protectors. One worked out criticality calculations and the hydrogen bubble problem at home using memory and slide rule***. Interesting times and place to work.

***Because was middle of the night and we didn't have an agency computer. We used the computers at NIH and ancient programming. It would have taken too much time to get answers. Also, I think they were concerned about some one hacking the process and spinning up mis-information about the ongoing event. So, one guy, at home, pencils, paper and slide rule.
 
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CaptnALinTiverton

xT1N Westfalia
WOW! Touchy subject. I didn't know this was an energy forum. Anyway you all sound real smart and should be put in charge (but I know, you're busy enjoying your vans). Nothing wrong with that I say.

My prediction is that someday there will be a car battery size box, maybe fuel cell with simple hydrogen synthesis front end, that creates enough to power your home, boat, car and upscalable for buildings, ships and planes. As a result, say goodbye to transmission lines and everything used today becomes obsolete, but unfortunately the tax payer will end up paying for the removal of everything left behind by the rich developers of those items.

Taking the conversation back down to the van level, as I sit here on Saturday night listening to cars and trucks racing all night, it is evident that most of them don't give a rats arse about their fuel, tire and wear and tear expense as well as the environment. That's just the way it has become.

AL
 
D

Deleted member 50714

Guest
My prediction is that someday there will be a car battery size box, maybe fuel cell with simple hydrogen synthesis front end, that creates enough to power your home, boat, car and upscalable for buildings, ships and planes.
I predict someday bicycles will become primary mode of personal transportation.

...I sit here on Saturday night listening to cars and trucks racing all night, it is evident that most of them don't give a rats arse about their fuel, tire and wear and tear expense as well as the environment. That's just the way it has become.
AL
That's because most people drive with their heads up their patooties.
 

HarryN

Well-known member
All of this is irrelevant because humankind is destroying the earth by the fallacy of "Better living through Science." Extra credit for an example of a science not creating more problems than it has solved?

Happy GMO

Da NOx
Bob - well I became an engineer at least in part due to that adv, so I can't really deny that aspect. Science and engineering aren't as much the issue as much as people twisting it into what they want to happen.

Probably everyone can look at their industry / job and imagine how it might be done better for society - even yours is run sub optimally.
 

220629

Well-known member
...

Taking the conversation back down to the van level, as I sit here on Saturday night listening to cars and trucks racing all night, it is evident that most of them don't give a rats arse about their fuel, tire and wear and tear expense as well as the environment. That's just the way it has become.

AL
:thumbup:

... Everyone is for the environment until it affects their lifestyle.
...
vic
 

Riptide

Active member
Taking the conversation back down to the van level, as I sit here on Saturday night listening to cars and trucks racing all night, it is evident that most of them don't give a rats arse about their fuel, tire and wear and tear expense as well as the environment. That's just the way it has become.

AL
Uh, don't get too righteous. I would offer that none of our Sprinters have much redeeming value over a race car...

Love the nuclear discussion though. I've more than a passing curiosity in them...
 

Wasaabi

Sprinter Westfalia #133
Interesting and lively dialogue here, for sure. I'm going to take a bit of a tangent back to the original topic to share my experiences with the GDE tune for those who might be interested in doing it:

- I bought the tune almost three years ago with 72K on the Westy

- I've driven about 50K miles since installing the tune

- Purpose for the purchase was to reduce risk of EGR problems, reduce soot (added longevity), increased efficiency, and reduce possibility of SKREEM issues

- Original tune files provided had a revise shift map. I found this to shift too soon and did not like the feeling of lugging the engine. Upon conversation with GDE, they provided replacement tune files that returned the original shift map. The result was the feeling of the original Westy with an added boost of power when needed

- Since the tune, the Westy seems to maintain highway speeds (~65 MPH) more easily and with less strain

- MPG has increased between 1-2 mpg based on my records. Whereas I used to average mid 16's-18, I now typically average high 17's to 20. This excludes the times we tow a trailer.

- I have an Ultra Gauge and watch stats while driving. I downshift when the load goes above the low 70s. I watch temps and they are never a problem. The hottest I've seen is around 205 F on some long steep passes. I do not push it hard up hills, always keeping in mind that the Westy is a super heavy vehicle pulled by a little 5 cylinder diesel engine.

- I use a cetane boosting "cocktail" that sometimes varies depending on what I run out of. I don't know how much it works, but it does seem to result in more quiet operation on the highway, so I presume it is doing something. I also try to stick to higher cetane diesel brands.

- Apparently there are versions of the OM647 diesel in our Westies in other areas in the world (New Zealand?) that were sold without EGR, so that may be some sort of endorsement

At the end of the day, I am satisfied with the upgrade. I would venture to guess that longevity is probably not going to change much with/without the tune, as it has more to do with the way it is driven/maintained than anything else. There are stock T1N Sprinters out there with over a million miles on them.

Would I purchase the GDE tune again? Probably, as I do like the added power and MPG, the added simplicity by eliminating the complexity of two systems, and I am comfortable with my calculation (so far) that the risk of resulting problems is lower than the risk of problems with the EGR and SKREEM.
 

Tardis

Member
I had a MAF Plausibility code (P0100-128) on my Autel. Ihave no issues with the way the van runs. The code comes on after driving for a bit. No dash light comes on. I cleaned the MAF and it did not help.

I bought a cheap MAF on Amazon just as a test. Intead, now I get a consistent P1043-1 Exhaust Gas Recirculation valve positioner signals. I have read that this error can be the EGR valve and it can also be faulty wire connections. The EGR seems to be a bit sticky when it is wide open. If a sticky EGR valve is the issue I suppose the GDE tune could be installed without replacing the valve?

I was just on the GDE site and the price of a tune is $595.
Does the $100 rebate for referencing the Sprinter Forum apply to bring it to less than $500 before shipping?
 
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Kiltym

Active member
A new egr is < $300. We took ours out, cleaned it, and works fine again with no codes. Worth a shot. Only replaced the gasket.
 

Tardis

Member
A new egr is < $300. We took ours out, cleaned it, and works fine again with no codes. Worth a shot. Only replaced the gasket.
Thanks Kiltym,

On a 2002 model I see them for just over $500. I cleaned mine but at the end of travel the follower bearing seems to fit tight in the slot and jamb up a little. I may try a temporary stop by wraping a piece of wire at the end of the slot. Or maybe it has a weak return spring.

If this eliminates the error I may order the GDE tune. Most all my driving will be highway and I believe the EGR is closed anyways while on cruise at highways speeds. I would opt for the Eco tune as I have little in my 140" Low roof model. Just a queen size bed and 32" TV. I will likely add 400 to 500 lbs. of camping gear but already have half of it in there and it drives fine. I put Airtabs on it to look like a real dork and have 50 psi in the tires. Wish I had air suspension in the seats.
 
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Tardis

Member
I thought I read on here that GDE had ceased trading, and all their tunes show as 'SOLD OUT' on their website!
Just as I was starting to think it was a possible solution. I do see that it says sold out. I sent an email but it does not sound like I will get a reply.
 
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