Following another path?
Of course I am ... though it dismays me to feel my ears burning.
"Judgments prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances."
Wayne W. Dyer
Hi d8veh,
I agree … and I accept … a
traditional DIY ebike lithium pack is usually configured as you state and, of course, I could make a space saving, lightweight pack using various combinations of 7 cells as you, rightly, highlight, if (as I have mentioned previously), I simply made a routine,
bespoked, battery pack up from scratch.
However …
(Have you noticed? I always like to add a “however”), I hold a personal philosophy, (and live in a fictional world), I like to describe as
Planet Generica!
On Planet Generica, (an alternative reality that only exists deep, deep within my own mind), society runs on a mindset where
everything, (every manufactured product), is conceived, designed and utilised to counter or nullify any threat of redundancy or waste!
It is a world where every product has to demonstrate an ability to hold a
second life or a
second purpose if and when its main role ceases due to wear, tear, age or entropy.
On Planet Generica, a manufactured product must demonstrate this
second life characteristic to even be considered a worthy benefit to society and products failing to adopt such a recyclable or re-usable function or purpose are viewed as cynical, profit driven, products deemed unethical or taboo.
I’ll give a trite example of an appalling 21st century product in a moment, highlight a useful contemporary system – and provide an example of an existing, everyday throwaway consumer product that might be re-engineered to earn a Planet Generica (P-Gen™) seal of approval.
BTW. This is just a light hearted, tongue in cheek, post to let you see what sometimes ticks away in my mind from time to time!
OK. Now I am back in the room!
Having read the above, you may now be
slightly aware of my own philosophical mindset so let me return to the battery cell container I have become fascinated with.
I like it because it has a simple set of three pins … and a standard charging port! OK. Sure, it is a God awful, awkward shape, (and would fail a P.Gen™ seal of approval), but the idea of re-using the container or creating a SIMPLE universal interface to connect several together, just appeals to my quirky nature.
Perhaps all of the above sounds bizarre or unattainable as a system for society to adopt, (especially after so many millions of individual products and devices have already been manufactured since the birth of the Industrial Revolution BUT … if we were to adopt my Planet Generica philosophy on some new world, (Like Mars … which is on the cusp of being colonised), Mankind would be able to build a new, off world, civilisation where waste, redundancy and the plundering of
limited resources could be managed far more efficiently than on our existing planet.
It would become a world where every consumer product, motor, lighting system, electronic motherboard and battery module could be harvested, utilised, installed or re-engineered to hold a second, meaningful purpose … rather than being discarded or dumped as some, worthless, scrap of junk!
Examples.
What I mention now is a petty, minor example of modern waste. It isn’t some profound example but it is one I often relate when discussing this topic.
Example of a badly designed product. (Below)
A Pringles lid
A Pringles lid seals a tubular pack of savoury crisps … and we throw away, (or possibly recycle), said lid when we have consume our Pringles.
Meanwhile, someone else buys their dog a can of pet food … and while they are in the supermarket, they decide to buy a set of 3 “plastic re-sealable tin can lids” to seal part used cans of baked beans or dog food … for £2.45.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PET-FOOD-CAN-COVER-LIDS-DOG-CAT-PETS-TIN-LID-PLASTIC-REUSABLE-COVERS-CAPS-TOP-/121564784973
How come a plastic Pringles lid is a couple of mm too large to seal a regular tin can … and therefore viewed as a waste by product … while other consumers have to BUY a near identical, (slightly smaller plastic lid), to seal their baked beans or pet food cans?*
Example of a decent universal system. (Below)
A USB port
A reasonable example of a universal electrical interface.
I’d give it a hurray and a tick … but would scold Apple for using idiosyncratic ports and cables … to ensure they could charge a premium by selling extortionately priced add ons totally against any P-Gen ™ principle ... to suit their bank balance)
Example of applying PGen ™ principle. (Below)
A plastic milk container
With a little design and ingenuity, a humble plasic milk container could be transformed into a Lego style building block … (Made stackable or connectible).
Instead of being discarded, they could be utilised to form screens, insulation or varying structures.
Filled with water, they would make robust, stackable / interconnecting plastic bricks, (for garden features, construction shuttering or temporary barriers), and, if sold in pastel colours, could be re-used as children’s building blocks or Wendy style houses!
But, Yes d8veh, I hear you.
My idea of utilising an old, redundant battery pack case has its flaws, but, as I have now explained, I was simply playing with the idea of giving a redundant object
some new purpose … some second life.
That sentiment also applies to the old recycled cells you, yourself, dismiss.
Last thought …
Perhaps … 3D printing will, (perversely), complement my Planet Generica philosophy one of these days.
On the surface, such a device should seem like an abomination to me, (further creating bespoked, one off, objects to solve some problem), but, at least, with a 3D printer, we would be able to create plastic or metal interfaces, junctions or mating connections to make a square peg fit a round hole!
Ha ha
Happy Christmas, Pedelecers
*Unless Kellogg’s have come to their senses and made their Pringle lids COMPATIBLE with the billions of tin cans manufactured each year.
