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Old 04-26-2009, 07:35 PM   #2 (permalink)
trebuchet03
MechE
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Orlando
Posts: 1,148

The Wagen - '00 Jetta GLS
90 day: 32.72 mpg (US)
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Cool!

I love human power But one must take care in understanding human efficiency.... For you efficiency aficionados, a human in a cycling situation is at most ~25% efficient - that's an extremely fit, trained human... That's before mechanical losses

Human power for the developed market, I feel is most suitable in local transport and potentially niche market applications. That is, a human powered home appliances could be costly from a power stand point. Arguably, you would be more fit, but quality of life would likely suffer (I hate stationary cycling, for example - I really enjoy moving through my world ).

Human Power in emerging markets - especially where in areas without a reliable (if any) source of electrical power are amazing. I strongly support enablers. Money isn't really an enabler (ask a sub Saharan country in turmoil) when compared to tools that can power devices like machinery, pumps, small electrical generators, medical devices etc. etc. I saw a human powered rice thresher at Stanford's extreme affordability presentation day - that's exactly the sort of thing I'm thinking of

So that went a bit off topic, but that's me
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