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Originally Posted by Old Mechanic
What is the all electric range of a first generation Insight? You are missing the point, which is the storage and release capacity of hydraulics allows for highest efficiency operation of an IC engine or a battery powered car that does not need voltage control for speed control.
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Nope, not missing the point - which is how much an hydraulic energy storage system would need to weigh to store the same amount of energy as the Insight's battery.
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The gas in an accumulator is an inert gas, same type used in some types of fire extinguishing systems.
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Irrelevant, because what causes the damage is the sudden release of pressure as the storage tank ruptures and sends shrapnel flying in all directions, not chemical reactions.
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Accumulator technology is ancient, dating even before WW2. How many times have you heard of an accumulator "explosion" in any application that ever cost a single human life.
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And I would bet that all those accumulators are a) very strong and heavy; and b) at comparatively low pressure. To be of practical use in a passenger vehicle, they need to be light and work at very high pressures.
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while I don't remember a single instance of a death related to hydraulic accumulator failure.
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Any accumulator in an airplane would have to be pretty small (about the only practical use I can think of is landing gear, and perhaps hydraulic controls).
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Maybe james can provide us with some examples?
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Now how am I supposed to do that, when this type of accumulator basically doesn't exist yet? But if you do a search, you'll find lots of product literature (all pdf, so I can't quote it) with warnings about how improper use can cause serious injury or death.