Appliance Design - April 2008 - (Page 5)

EDIToRIAL ® www.applianceDESIGN.com publishing staff Fern Sheinman Publisher Richard J. Babyak Editor Larry Adams Managing Editor Daryl Delano Economics Editor Amy Alef Production Manager MaTT Britcher Art Director (858) 259-4585 sheinmanf@bnpmedia.com (440) 886-1210 babyakr@bnpmedia.com (773) 467-8590 adamsl@bnpmedia.com (508) 746-7986 ddelano@adelphia.net (248) 244-6409 alefa@bnpmedia.com (734) 354-1874 britcherm@bnpmedia.com I Green Thinking and Clear Thinking sidy that parasitically siphons about $5 billion of taxpayers’ money annually and deposits it into the pockets of already over-subsidized agribusiness – all behind a cloak of green. The reality is that the creation and distribution of ethanol consumes more energy than it delivers. It increases fuel costs while decreasing mileage. It hasn’t made a dent in the demand for oil, and, as an added “benefit,” it has dramatically boosted food prices. Economists on both the left and right have railed against it as a failed policy. Yet the subsidy continues to barrel on like a runaway train. The ethanol boondoggle perfectly demonstrates one of the key risks of heading down the wrong technology track. Political, cultural and economic inertia make it hard to turn around and go back. But the most depressing aspect of the matter comes when pondering the opportunity cost of the ethanol course – what might have been accomplished if those tens of billions of dollars had been spent elsewhere. If those billions had been applied to high-voltage battery research, might we not already have a fleet of plug-in hybrids on the road, significantly reducing demand for imported oil? If those billions had been poured into researching solar hydrogen conversion, the photocatalytic splitting of water, might we not already have a lowcost method for producing hydrogen in limitless quantities? We’ll never know. There is, correctly, a growing sense of urgency about energy and environmental challenges. But anxiety should not give new ideas a free pass from the rigors of testing and validation. Good policy comes from good science. Many nations, companies, and individuals stand eager to demonstrate their environmental stewardship, but it has to be more than a show. Painting a socially responsible image is disingenuous unless it’s based on intellectually responsible choices. Green thinking need not exclude clear thinking. < circulation Christine Baloga (248) 244-8262 Corporate Audience Development Director balogac@bnpmedia.com Amy Schuler (920) 231-4932 Group Audience schulera@bnpmedia.com Development Manager Alison Illes (248) 244-1730 Corporate Fulfillment Manager Illesa@bnpmedia.com Catherine M. Ronan (248) 244-8259 Corporate Audience ronanc@bnpmedia.com Audit Manager Robert Liska 800-223-2194 List Manager robert.liska@edithroman.com marketing Amanda Podina Marketing Director Paul Dykstra Trade Show Coordinator (248) 244-8257 podinaa@bnpmedia.com (248) 786-1609 dykstrap@bnpmedia.com editorial advisory board Mark Skaer, Senior Editor, The News Susan Sutton, Editor, Ceramic Industry Roy Sakelson, Editor-in-Chief, Circuitree Tom Williams, Publisher/Editor, Quality Magazine Darlene Brezinski, Ph.D., Editor, Paint and Coatings Industry Don Hegland, Editor, Assembly BNP Media Helps People Succeed in Business with Superior Information BNP Media 2401 West Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084, (248) 362-3700, Fax: (248) 362-0317; www.bnpmedia.com For subscription information or service, please contact Customer Service at: call (847) 763-9534 • Fax: (847) 763-9538 or email: AD@halldata.com APPLIANCE DESIGN (ISSN 1552-5937) is published 12 times annually, monthly, by BNP Media, 2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084-3333. Telephone: (248) 362-3700, Fax: (248) 362-0317. No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in the U.S.A.: $128.00 USD. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in Canada: $159.00 USD (includes GST & postage); all other countries: $172.00 (airmail) payable in U.S. funds. Periodicals Postage Paid at Troy, MI and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: APPLIANCE DESIGN, P.O. Box 2148, Skokie, IL 60076. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2008, by BNP Media. GST account: 131263923. Change of address: Send old address label along with new address to APPLIANCE DESIGN, P.O. Box 2148, Skokie, IL 60076. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. For single copies or back issues, contact Ann Kalb at (248) 244-6499 or KalbA@bnpmedia.com. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. Send returns (Canada) to Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON, N6C 6B2. ce cream freezers chilled by propane and soft-drink vending machines cooled by carbon dioxide represent two concepts designed to be more environmentally friendly. (See Rethinking Refrigerants, page 29.) Those approaches may or may not become more widespread, but what’s important is that the two companies behind them are doing their homework, performing extensive comparative testing, carefully evaluating the data, refining the technology. They aren’t moving forward with the projects just because it seems like the green thing to do. They are achieving genuine technical and economic benefits. And that’s exactly the right approach – test and validate new technology before widely deploying it. Unfortunately, producing hard facts may not always be enough when greenmania simply chooses to ignore them. For example, a recently concluded three-year test of hydrogen fuel cell buses in the San Jose area found that the operating cost for a fuel cell bus was $51.66 per mile, compared to $1.61 per mile for a conventional diesel bus. The “green” buses also broke down much more frequently. The technology is clearly not ready for prime time, but, undeterred, the California Air Resources Board plans to spend another $36 million to put more of those babies on the road. That’s not to say that fuel cell vehicles won’t play a role someday, but rather to question whether scarce resources are better spent on more R&D for emerging technologies, than on rushing their deployment. That was precisely the issue in an analysis of solar photovoltaic panels performed by Severin Borenstein, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. His January paper on the matter concluded that the current costs of solar panels still far outweigh their economic and social benefits. He argues that, instead of subsidizing residential solar PV installations, as many states do, state and federal agencies should provide more R&D funding. “We need a major scientific breakthrough,” Borenstein said. “And we won’t get it by putting panels up on houses. It’s going to come in the labs.” Of course, the embodiment of misguided environmental enthusiasm is the ethanol sub- Richard Babyak, Editor E-mail: babyakr@bnpmedia.com | HVAC | Majors | Water Processing | Housewares | Commercial Appliances | | Vending | Medical | Lab | Test & Measurement | Lawn & Garden | Electronics | | Computers | Communications | Business Equipment | applianceDESIGN April 2008 5 www.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.appliancedesign.com http://www.bnpmedia.com http://www.appliancedesign.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Appliance Design - April 2008

Appliance Design - April 2008 Contents Editorial Shipments/Forecasts News Watch A Variant of Thermoacoustic Refrigeration Known as Acoustic-Stirling is Expanding Its Range Outside Cryocooling Into More Conventional Applications Such As Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Free-Piston, Stirling Coolers Are Now Showing Up in Mainstream Applications As Costs Come Down and Heat Transport Solutions Are Devised Heat Exchanger Innovations Are Helping To Improve the Overall Efficiency of Vapor Compression Systems Environmental Concerns Have Once Again Ignited a Debate Over Refrigerants A New Glass Ceramic Material for Induction Cooktops Can Be Decorated In a Variety of Glimmering Metallic, 3-D Looks That Can Employ a Number of Shades, Patterns, Styles, Colors, Intensities, and Textures Colorful, Reflective Coatings for Glass Create a Variety of Design Options To Help Designers Establish a Unique Look for Their Products Appliance Designers Faced With Different Motor and Drive Options Need To Understand the Differences and Tradeoffs Before Choosing A New MEMS Valve Offers a Number of Advantages Over Solenoids In Certain Applications, Including the Opportunity To Cut Energy Use The AHR Expo Set Attendance Records and Showcased Thousands of Innovative New Products Classifieds Design Marts Advertiser’s Index Association Report: CEA

Appliance Design - April 2008

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