The most efficient means of travel

[Pengwuino]

Here is something that I have been pondering for the last few days. What is the most efficient means of travel?

I figured I wanted to compare air travel vs. car travel vs. train vs. boat vs. walking vs. biking.

Now I figured I can compare air, car, train and boat pretty easily by comparing how much energy could be captured out of the fuel used in each case... but I'm kinda stumped as to how I can compare the energy needed for walking and biking. You need energy to travel by foot or biking but I'm not sure how I can compare gasoline to fruits and meat and milk. Any suggestions? :D

 

[Evo]

You would have to weigh quite a few things, such as distance, number of passengers, the route traveled, for example, flying over rivers and gorges, hills and mountains, as opposed to the additional distance if you were to travel by land.

You'll find that there is not one single most efficient or possible mode. It would depend. I'd say you'd find traveling downstream in a boat would be the most efficient, you can just float along.

 

[Gale]

Definetly the most efficient means of travel can be found here, Most efficient travel methods

 

[dduardo]

No Gale17, this is the most efficeint means of travel:

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=90818

 

[Gale]

whats funny is that both methods were suggested by penguins...

 

[Lapin Dormant]

And the winner is?

So 'The most efficient' is not about the Caloric heat values derivable from batteries, or food, although I had heard that food was roughly 100 times better at it, then baterries, but when looking for efficiency what you want to know is how much of the 'work' is resulting in how much 'work', sounds funny right, (hey I'm A rabbit wadda you want?) Oh no, it is actually how much of what is applied to the Machine in force that results in work done or achieved, how much of the energy output of a motor is actually driving the car, engine pushing the Jet, as it needs have all of the resistances subtracted from the two sides that get read, that is how you determine a Machines efficiency.

So it is a Bicycle, three sets of Bearings Minimum, four if you want to steer it, least resistence, so best energy transference = Most efficient.

If you want to know about energy read it.

 

[EnumaElish]

So it is a Bicycle, three sets of Bearings Minimum, four if you want to steer it, least resistence, so best energy transference = Most efficient.

If you want to know about energy read it.

Is bicycle more efficient than hovercraft, or minimum-contact boat (e.g. a catamaran), or the Russian ekranoplan?

 

[Lapin Dormant]

Is bicycle more efficient than hovercraft, or minimum-contact boat (e.g. a catamaran), or the Russian ekranoplan?

Yes to all, least amount of resistance to motion means it loses the least amount of the work put into it to make the output of work that makes it go, forwards.

Way more efficient then a Hovercraft.

 

[Andy]

Catapult must be the most efficient.

 

[zanazzi78]

My vote goes to sleeping!

I can go anywhere in my dreams

 

[Lapin Dormant]

look ma, my new, errrr? transport...errrerrrrr...

Catapult must be the most efficient.

Good point, use it for transportation, Often, do you?

 

[Andy]

Beats riding my bike all day long.

 

[EnumaElish]

My vote goes to sleeping!

I can go anywhere in my dreams

In Herbert's Dune, spice-smoking mutants can send people and objects "traveling without moving" (by turning spacetime around, as it were). That's exactly why spice is so valuable.

That motto is somewhat similar to "mobilis in mobili" used to describe the submarine mode of travel in Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.

 

[EnumaElish]

You'll find that there is not one single most efficient or possible mode. It would depend. I'd say you'd find traveling downstream in a boat would be the most efficient, you can just float along.

Could not agree more. It also depends on the direction and the medium. Gravitation-propelled travel if the goal is to travel toward the Earth (aka jumping down). Solar sails in space travel.

 

[rachmaninoff]

Nuclear Segway.

 

[edward]

The TransGlide 2000

This company is looking for investors.

The TransGlide 2000™ Bicycle Transit System is a new strategy in bicycle transportation for which there are allowed U.S. patents and the right to file foreign patent applications has been preserved. This technology increases the efficiency of the bicycle by providing an environment within which bicyclist can ride comfortable at average speeds of 25miles [40km] per hour, making the bicycle a faster, safer, less expensive, and more convenient mode of transportation in urban areas. The TransGlide 2000™ Bicycle Transit System is an interstate highway style transportation corridor that is only 25 feet [7.62 m] wide with a 13 foot [3.96 m] tall center sloping to 10 foot [3.04 m] high side walls. Running through the center of the System is a dividing wall with twelve-foot [3.65 m] wide traffic lanes on each side to accommodate bicycle traffic moving in opposite directions. What is not apparent from the small size and simple design of the TransGlide 2000™ Bicycle Transit System is its capacity to move people and freight faster in urban areas than any other available transit system. The key is that air is moved through the System in the same direction as the bicyclists are riding.

http://www.biketrans.com/info.html

 

[Lapin Dormant]

Near to far, away

Beats riding my bike all day long.

I suppose, but it will not get you anywheres near as far, that, and landing must be kinda rough on your noggin, Oh yes! that explains it!

The again after you get the short distance that the thing can throw you, you now need to move it, and that is NOT efficient.

 

[Andy]

Nothing gets past you does it lazy rabbit, am i glad that your back around to point me in the right direction.

 

[Lapin Dormant]

Is that a Question? or an answer?

 

[Pengwuino]

Thanks for the reply evo!

The rest of you need rehab

I'll deal with you later gale

 

[Andy]

You tell me thumper.

I think a train would be the most efficient, due to the fact that it can transport many people over long distances quite cheaply.

 

[Pengwuino]

Yah trains are pretty efficient...

But its not about price, its about energy useage in my lil thought excercise

 

[edward]

You tell me thumper.

I think a train would be the most efficient, due to the fact that it can transport many people over long distances quite cheaply.

Yea, the high speed trains in Europe and Japan are great.
So what is going to happen in 40 years when the oil is all gone? Electric airplanes?

 

[Smurf]

Electric airplanes?

I'm more inclined to believe hydrogen powered.

 

[edward]

I'm more inclined to believe hydrogen powered.

Oops I for got to put the little at the end.

I remember back in the sixties when the Airforce spent millions trying to build a nuclear powered bomber. It never got off of the ground. Neither did the Russians Nuke powered rocket. oops sorry off topic.

 

[Pengwuino]

Yea, the high speed trains in Europe and Japan are great.

I hear they use very little power too relative to other modes of transportation.

 

[edward]

I hear they use very little power too relative to other modes of transportation.

They are very efficient. And quiet, they use concrete railroad ties with rubber insulation between the tie and the rails.

 

[Pengwuino]

Oh nevermind, I thought you were talking about the maglev systems.

 

[Huckleberry]

Whatever happened to that rascal Bicycle Tree? I'd love to hear his colorful rants about the efficiency of bicycles.

 

[Lapin Dormant]

Yeeeeeeeeeeoooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwww gone

Thanks for the reply evo!

The rest of you need rehab

I'll deal with you later gale

Need rehab? for what?? I at least answered your question. Harumph!

LD
Walks, nay RUNS away from this character[/color]

 

[Lapin Dormant]

You tell me thumper.

I think a train would be the most efficient, due to the fact that it can transport many people over long distances quite cheaply.

Well then, you do the calculations of how many people, over how far, and how efficiently it accomplishes that task, of moving MANY people, but I seen to recall that the efficiency of travel that was questioned for, wasn't specific in it's search for quantity of persons travelling, just efficiency of the travellers mode of travel, 'a La Mode' if you wish :shy:

As for "Thumper" just remove the t and it is a little more approriate

 

[Gale]

I'll deal with you later gale

ya, right...

and am i the only one who can't believe huckleberry mentioned BT? i think we've heard enough about the efficiency of bicycles to last a life time...

 

[Lapin Dormant]

ya, right...

and am i the only one who can't believe huckleberry mentioned BT? i think we've heard enough about the efficiency of bicycles to last a life time...

Except maybe the idea that Walking is the most efficient means of travel, sans Machine.

 

[Pengwuino]

I should have noted that I wanted to determine per person statistics. For example, if you found out how much energy it took to fly an A380, you'd divide by how many people it can actually hold.

I'm also skeptical about walking. Everyone cna bike far more then they can walk so it makes me think that biking is more efficient. I also remember someone saying we can produce 100W of mechanical energy which means people probably need to be fed 150W-200W to keep up and keep all your organs worken.

 

[Lapin Dormant]

Sans Regret

I should have noted that I wanted to determine per person statistics. For example, if you found out how much energy it took to fly an A380, you'd divide by how many people it can actually hold.

So then a Ship at sea would be most efficient, preferably a Sailing ship.

I'm also skeptical about walking. Everyone cna bike far more then they can walk so it makes me think that biking is more efficient. I also remember someone saying we can produce 100W of mechanical energy which means people probably need to be fed 150W-200W to keep up and keep all your organs worken.

Should I be sorry for putting it in French? the "Sans Machine" thing, as apparently you didn't know that 'Sans' means "Without", as in NO {without} Machine-mechanized assitance.

That was 'why' = walking.