Hybrid cars, transportation
A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to propel the vehicle.
Data sources: Alternative Transportation, Hybrid, Hybrid Cars, Hybrid Jungle, Transportation Alternatives, Wired
CORE BioFuel Inc., a Canadian biofuel company that is commercializing its MKS Gasoline Synthesis Process to convert biomass to gasoline (earlier post), has entered into an agreement with Elbow River Marketing Limited Partnership for the purchase and distribution of 100% of the biogasoline produced by the CORE BioFuel wood to gasoline production facility to be built in Houston, British Columbia.
he ZFI Gasoline produced by the MKS Process will be a 92 octane, carbon-neutral alternative to conventional gasoline produced from petroleum sources.
Given our participation in the biofuels industry over the past 7 years, the addition of a green biomass gasoline marketing component to our current list of products is a natural extension for our company and one we are excited to be part of. We believe COREs activities to be particularly timely given the focus on GHG emissions and alternative fuels in North America and across the globe.
Ed Malcolm, the President of Elbow River Marketing
Elbow River Marketing was established nearly 30 years ago and has since grown to become a wholesaler of butane, propane, olefins, natural gasoline, asphalt, propylene, ethanol, fuel oils and gas oils throughout all of North America. In Fiscal Year 2009 Elbow River marketed in excess of 6,000 railcars. Elbow River has 22 full time employees and operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Avenir Diversified Income Trust.
Lotus Engineering has been commissioned by the California Air Resources Board of California to undertake the second stage of a study investigating efficient, lightweight vehicles manufactured using lighter, stronger materials. Lotus Engineering will conduct a detailed structural design and analysis of the prototype vehicle from an earlier study to demonstrate it meets the crashworthiness and stringent safety requirements for vehicles sold in the United States.
In April this year, Lotus Engineering concluded the first part of the study, released by the International Council on Clean Transportation in California, which recognized that a reduction in vehicle mass of 38% can be achieved for medium volume vehicles (around 50,000 units a year) with just an increase in 3% in vehicle cost and giving a 23% reduction in fuel consumption. (Earlier post.)
This study will be led by Lotus Engineerings Michigan, USA office with completion in April 2011. The vehicle design will use a mixture of materials best suited to its application including aluminium, magnesium, composites, high strength lightweight steel and plastics.
A reduction in vehicle mass can yield more efficient vehicles; with the global drive to reduce emissions, manufacturers are working hard to take mass out their cars. Lightweight vehicles have additional benefits in terms of performance, agility and cornering, (the lighter the car, the less power it needs to propel it along the road for the same performance as a heavier car).
For 62 years, Lotus has been a proponent and leader of the performance through light weight engineering. Lotus consultancy division, Lotus Engineering, has been applying its light weight principles behind the scenes for other car makers for years on many types of vehicles, both low volume and mass production.
Specialty chemical producer Rhodia, the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), the Ecole Normale Superieure of Lyon (ENSL) and the East China Normal University (ECNU) of Shanghai recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen their scientific collaboration focused on green chemistry.
As a first step of a structured and long-term collaboration, this agreement aims to develop common research on materials and processes based on eco-design principles and renewable raw materials. Drawing on product lifecycle analysis methodology, this collaboration will help to strengthen research into innovative products such as new polymers or surfactants based on natural raw materials, and to develop new and more efficient eco-friendly catalytic processes.
Underscoring its sustainability strategy, a third of Rhodia’s sales are from products that help customers to reduce their carbon footprint; 90% of Rhodia’s major innovation projects are directly related to the challenges of sustainable development.
With a presence in China that spans 30 years, Rhodia operates one of its five major research centers in Shanghai. Opened in 2008, this laboratory employs more than a hundred researchers. Here, Rhodia develops new products that target the needs of Chinese consumers and industrial customers, especially in electronics, plastics, and formulations for personal care, home care and agricultural applications.
Structured around six Enterprises, Rhodia is the partner of major players in the automotive, electronics,flavors and fragrances, health, personal and home care markets, consumer goods and industrial markets. The Group employs around 13,600 people worldwide and generated sales of 4.03 billion (US$5.16 billion) in 2009.
The hunt for a commercially viable biobutanol could finally be over thanks to an inspired, if ironic, bit of recycling by scientists working at Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland.
They've taken the two main waste products from the Scotch whisky production cycle and brought them together in a process which outputs biobutanol, long heralded as a next generation biofuel because it produces up to 30% more power than ethanol and can be used in existing combustion engine cars without modification.
The process has now been patented by the University which has also set up a limited company to leverage the commercial possibilities of the invention.
Professor Martin Tangney, Director of the Biofuel Research Centre at Edinburgh Napier University, believes the biofuel could be sold at garages alongside normal gas. He said, I would expect to see this as a fuel in forecourts in years rather than decades.
The Symptoms:
- Event attendance at NASCAR, MotoGP and other series has plummeted during the recession.
- Formula One and MotoGP fans and racers alike complain that excessive use of electronics has ruined the sport by making it less competitive.
- The new Moto2 spec engine class is by far the most competitive and exciting, yet comparatively low-tech.
- Electric motorcycle racing series TTXGP has spawned more innovation halfway through its first season than quite possibly the entire ICE motorcycle industry has over the past decade.
Dinosaurs vs. LiIons
Just as the iPod and Napster gave music fans an easier way to enjoy their music, electric motorcycles are poised to revolutionize the motorcycle industry. While the major OEMs have seen sales plummet in the recession and have little to offer in the way of real innovation, startup electric motorcycle companies are cropping up every month, with increasingly faster and better bikes.
Many of these brands compete in the TTXGP series, and have enjoyed tremendous development as the season has progressed, as mentioned here. While these bikes are still not head-to-head competitors for equally priced ICE bikes, they are rapidly closing in on that goal. Sure, many current motorcyclists say they cant imagine riding without the deep rumble of their motor beneath them. After all, people still ride horses, even though its no longer necessary. But for every Harley rider theres at least one sportbike rider who cares more about performance than sound, and expects the latest technology to make him at least feel capable of riding like Rossi. (more)
Interested in joining the new guard?
TTXGP Founder and CEO Azhar Hussain will be at Intel September 14th for an exclusive presentation of TTXGP and the Mavizen, the race-ready bike theyre manufacturing. More information and registration instructions here.
Last week, I wrote a post about the EPA's proposed new-vehicle window stickers, which issue a (controversial) letter-grade to different new cars, and wondered how different cars would actually be graded, in practice.
The first sample grades are in
let the questions begin.
More cars, and grades C-D, after the jump.
Last week, the guys at Roush Performance Products proved that propane could be a winner at the NCMA Muscle Car Nationals at the Milan (Michigan) Dragway.
With a perfect 0.00 reaction-time, driver Donnie Bowles drove his propane-powered Roush Racing Mustang across the quarter-mile track in 10.580 seconds at 121.00 miles per hour!
Read the official press release from Roush Performance, after the jump.
Most of the media buzz in the past few months has been about electric cars and hybrids. Yes, they offer plenty of advantages over petrol cars, but so do hydrogen cars. Hydrogen's only emission is water, if it is made from a non-polluting renewable resource. So where are the hydrogen cars?
Well, they are coming, and sooner than you might have thought. Hyundai has announced that starting in 2012, it will sell 500 hydrogen cars, ramping up production annually after that. That beats most of its competitors to the finish line. Is it too good to be true?
Daimler AG is launching a new ride sharing pilot project in Ulm, Germany. The new car2gether service can serve as a complement to the car2go car sharing service. (Earlier post.)
car2gether is a web-based ride sharing community arranging incoming offers and requests for lifts. The system takes advantage of the increasing use and acceptance and the many different communication possibilities offered by mobile internet. Rides can be arranged via smartphones on the way or from a PC at home.
The idea for this concept was developed by the Business Innovation division at Daimler AG which identifies business areas with future potential. Futurologists expect that due to the living conditions in cities, an increasing number of people will not own a car at all in future (“zero-car households”), Daimler says.
There is still a need for flexible, convenient and inexpensive mobility. With car2gether, we exactly offer these advantages and also encourage the more efficient use of resources.
Project Manager Michael Kuhn
Daimler is the first major car company to trial this form of mobility in a pilot project that tests intelligent and contemporary use of a ride sharing system especially for urban areas.
The official pilot phase will start in Ulm on 18 September and Daimler AG will test the car2gether concept in real-world conditions together with its partner Scientific Computers GmbH. All interested citizens of Ulm will be able to try out the ride sharing system. In addition, at the beginning of the winter semester car2gether will be presented to students at the universities of Ulm and Neu-Ulm.
The pilot phase serves to test specific individual functions of the system and the acceptance and use patterns of participants. Experience with the system will be gathered in close cooperation with the users. The findings will be incorporated in the further development and optimization of car2gether. In the 4th quarter of 2010 Daimler will extend the car2gether pilot project to a further city in Germany.
If users intend to offer or take advantage of a ride, they have first to register on the car2gether website and create a profile with their photo, mobile phone number and other personal information. There are no fees for registration or for the smartphone software required. Following registration, users can enter the desired starting time and the destination using their smartphone or PC. car2gether uses a complex algorithm to bring together rides offered and wanted and sends details of suitable drivers or passengers to the user.
Users can then confirm the journey via their mobile phone or PC. Once both parties have agreed to the journey, the journey details will be shown to both participants. Users can also receive text message or e-mail notifications.
The ride offers and searches are also displayed in the form of a live ticker on the car2gether web portal. This ticker, which is similar to Twitter, displays all offers and searches in a short form and is automatically updated every 15 seconds. If interested, users can get further details of the ride from the live ticker and directly opt for it.
The recommended charges for car2gether passengers are modelled on the car2go concept. Costs are not based on the distance travelled, but rather on the calculated driving time and they are charged by the minute. The recommended price to be paid by passengers to the driver is 9.5 cents per minute. During the pilot phase passengers will pay the driver in cashbut for the future an automatic, cashless payment procedure is planned. Using car2gether via website and smartphone applications will be free of charge in the pilot phase. The participants’ acceptance of car2gether models that are subject to a charge will be tested during the pilot project.
car2gether is integrated in the public mobility chain. The concept is an addition to car ownership and other means of transport. For example, free car2go smarts are displayed in the relevant map section on the car2gether website and on smartphone applications, and the user can book them immediately if interested.
If a suitable ride share is not found, car2gether is also able to show other ways of reaching the destination. For example, a taxi symbol takes the user straight to the central taxi switchboard in Ulm. For the future there are also plans to include information on public transport stops and departure times on car2gether.
The community idea of car2gether will also be addressed right from the start: a Facebook fan page and a Twitter account will integrate the system in the virtual world and promote communication between its users.
As an incentive for utilization of the new service, if 40,000 kilometers (24,855 miles) or more have been travelled after 80 days with the help of car2gether, Daimler AG will donate 20 cents per kilometer i.e. a total of 8,000 (US$10,000) to the community foundation Bürgerstiftung in Ulm.
The Greenland and West Antarctic ice caps are melting at half the speed previously predicted, according to research by a joint US/Dutch team from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, TU Delft and SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research. The scientists have published their findings in the September issue of Nature Geoscience.
The corrections for deformations of the Earths crust have a considerable effect on the amount of ice that is estimated to be melting each year. We have concluded that the Greenland and West Antarctica ice caps are melting at approximately half the speed originally predicted.
Dr. Bert Vermeersen of TU Delft
The average rise in sea levels as a result of the melting ice caps is also lower.
The melting of the ice caps has been charted since 2002 using the measurements produced by the two GRACE satellites. (Earlier post.) From space they detect small changes in the Earth’s gravitational field. These changes are related to the exact distribution of mass on Earth, including ice and water. When ice melts and lands in the sea, this therefore has an effect on the gravitational field.
| “Gravity measurements of the ice-mass loss in Greenland and Antarctica are complicated by glacial isostatic adjustment. Simultaneous estimates of both signals confirm the negative trends in ice-sheet mass balance, but not their magnitude.” |
| Bromwich and Nicolas |
Based on this principle, previous estimates for the Greenland ice cap calculated that the ice was melting at a rate of 230 gigatonnes a year (i.e. 230,000 billion kg). That would result in an average rise in global sea levels of around 0.75 mm a year. For West Antarctica, the estimate was 132 gigatonnes a year.
However, these results were not properly corrected for glacial isostatic adjustment, the phenomenon that the Earths crust rebounds as a result of the melting of the massive ice caps from the last major Ice Age around 20,000 years ago. These movements of the Earths crust have to be incorporated in the calculations, since these vertical movements change the Earths mass distribution and therefore also have an influence on the gravitational field.
Researchers from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena (US), TU Delft and SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research have now succeeded in carrying out that correction far more accurately. They did so using combined data from the GRACE mission, GPS measurements on land and sea floor pressure measurements. These reveal that the sea floor under Greenland is falling more rapidly than was first thought.
The innovative aspect of our method is that we simultaneously matched the current changes in the ice mass and glacial isostatic adjustment to the observations, instead of assuming that a particular glacial isostatic adjustment model is correct. For Greenland in particular, we have found a glacial isostatic adjustment model that deviates rather sharply from general assumptions. But at present there are too few data available to verify this independently. A more extensive network of GPS readings in combination with geological indicators for the local and regional changes in sea level changes around Greenland over the last 10,000 years, will possibly be able to provide conclusive evidence on this matter in the years to come.
Dr. Bert Vermeersen
Resources
Xiaoping Wu et al. (2010) Simultaneous estimation of global present-day water transport and glacial isostatic adjustment. Nature Geoscience 3, 642 - 646 doi: 10.1038/ngeo938
David H. Bromwich and Julien P. Nicolas (2010) Sea-level rise: Ice-sheet uncertainty. Nature Geoscience 3, 596 - 597 doi: 10.1038/ngeo946
People’s Daily. Estimated automobile ownership in China will exceed 200 million by 2020, causing serious energy security and environmental issues, according to Wang Fuchang, director of the Department of Equipment Industry under China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
Wang said when delivering a speech at the 2010 International Forum on the Development of the Chinese Automotive Industry that fostering and developing alternative-energy automobiles will aid in the long-term development of the auto industry. Popularizing energy-efficient automobiles aims to reduce fuel consumption quickly and considerably.
Wang said that China’s auto industry should achieve the following objectives in 2020 after 10 years of efforts. First, the country should master the core technology for energy-efficient and new-energy cars, and the overall technologies for these cars should meet high international standards. Second, a fairly complete new-energy car industrial system should be developed, and some internationally competitive auto manufacturers and key parts suppliers should be established. Third, the sales of pure-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles should increase by a large margin. Fourth, fuel economy should reach high international standards, he said.
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| The iOn with (1) Motor, (2) Traction battery pack, (3) Inverter and (4) On-board charger. Click to enlarge. |
Peugeot says that it will market the iOn based mainly on an all-inclusive mobility offer. As an example, in France this offer lasts for five years and costs 499 (US$643) including VAT per month, which includes: the vehicle and its battery; 5-year warranty covering the battery and electric power train; servicing and maintenance for five years or 50,000 km (31,000 miles); specific electric assistance; and Peugeot Connect, Electric Driving (smartphone application) services and access to the Mu by Peugeot mobility program.
Peugeot is targeting the iOn mainly at local government, local authorities and public services and companies active in the transport and energy sectors, leasing companies, car sharing companies and the fleets of large corporations. In the first half of 2010, Peugeot has already signed 15 letters of intent with:
- three public transport companies, including two for an offer in different European countries;
- six leasing companies in three European countries; and
- six energy companies in six European countries.
Peugeot is also a partner in the consortium VTLIB (Veolia urban transport), still in the running as a candidate for the Autolib project, a future electric car self-service system planned for Paris and nearby suburbs in 2011. To a lesser extent, the company says, private individuals are also target customers.
Powertrain. The iOn is a rear-wheel drive vehicle in which the electric motor and single-ratio reduction gearbox are installed in front of the rear suspension. The motor is supplied with a 330 V three-phase alternating current (AC) from the inverter which is supplied with a 330 V direct current (DC) from the main battery pack.
The inverter regulates the current, frequency and voltage according to the position of the accelerator pedal. The inverter, the motor and the reduction gearing provides a potential speed range from 0 to 130 km/h (81 mph). The single reduction gear provides an overall ratio of 6.066 in both forward and reverse gears. Reverse gear is obtained by reversing the direction of the motors operation.
The compact synchronous permanent magnet electric motor delivers maximum power of 47 kW (64 bhp) and has a maximum torque of 180 N&iddot;m (134 lb-ft) from 0 to 2000 rpm.
The lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4 battery pack was developed by Lithium Energy Japan (LEJ, a joint venture between Mitsubishi/GS-Yuasa). The batteries are produced in Kusatsu in Japan. Each battery module has four or eight 3.7 V cells and a capacity of 50 Ah. With a total of 88 cells, connected in series, the battery pack can store 16 kWh of electrical energy with a nominal voltage of 330 V.
The recharging of each cell in the battery pack is controlled continuously by a control system which includes monitoring of each cell and a central battery controller.
The battery can be fully recharged in six hours using a single-phase 220 V household supply via a five meter cable fitted with a standard socket and a special plug for connection to the vehicle.
For quick charging, the 50 kW charging unit directly supplies voltage and direct current to recharge the drive battery. The unit operates on a three-phase 380 V supply (supplied directly from the countrys electrical network). The cars battery is, therefore, supplied with a single-phase direct current of up to 125 A. A quick recharge fifteen minutes to provide 50% battery capacity and 30 minutes for 80% capacity.
Range per the European standard cycle is 150 km (93 miles).
The inverter, on-board charger, (DC) converter and electric motor are cooled by circulating water supplying a radiator positioned at the front of the vehicle. To optimize the life of the battery, if certain temperature thresholds are reached by elements of the battery pack during quick charging, ambient air or air cooled by the air conditioning is circulated through the pack.
The instrument panel features a battery charge indicator (with sixteen positions) letting the driver know the battery charge level. A power meter encourages economical driving by providing an instantaneous readout of levels of energy consumption or energy recovery during deceleration and braking, by means of a needle which moves across coloured zones:
- the green zone, driving with minimal energy consumption,
- the white zone, energy hungry driving,
- the blue Charge zone, level of energy recovery;
- the trip computer, as well as the usual information, indicates the available range calculated on the basis of driving conditions recorded over the last 25 kilometers. Parameters taken into account include the type of driving, traffic conditions, the type of journey and use of the heating or air conditioning; and
- gradual range reduction warnings and an emergency strategy.
When the battery charge level falls to two bars, the gauge symbol flashes, warning of the need to recharge the battery (17% of energy remaining). When the last bar is reached, it too flashes in addition to the gauge symbol. Charging is now essential.
When no bars are displayed any more, the gauge symbol stays on and the trip computer indicates no range. The heating and air conditioning are switched off by the vehicles onboard systems. The vehicle inertia allows the heater blower to diffuse any remaining hot or cold air. The power of the electric motor is gradually reduced.
When the requested acceleration can no longer be fully supported a tortoise symbol appears on the instrument panel and the vehicles performance is reduced; the vehicle comes to a complete stop when the minimum battery level is reached.
The electrical air conditioning and heating systems of the passenger compartment are powered from the lithium-ion battery pack.
The heating system operates via the circulation of coolant which is electrically heated. It provides warm air immediately after a cold start or when the vehicle is at a standstill. The power of the heating can be adjusted to obtain just the right level of comfort in order to minimize the consumption of electricity.
An optional cold pack is available which includes a heated drivers seat ensuring good thermal comfort when only the driver is present, and optimizing the energy usage for the heating of the passenger compartment.
Air conditioning is provided by a refrigeration unit with an electric compressor controlled electronically so that only energy required for the current setting is consumed.
Enbridge Inc. will undertake an expansion of its Athabasca Pipeline to accommodate recent shipping commitments by the Christina Lake oil sands project operated by Cenovus. The expansion, to be achieved through modifications at five existing pump station facilities, as well as the addition of one new pump station, is expected to be in service in the third quarter of 2013.
The estimated cost of the project is approximately $185 million. The Athabasca Pipeline transports crude oil from various oil sands projects to the mainline hub at Hardisty, Alberta.
Since mid-2009, Enbridge has announced approximately $1.8 billion in commercially secured projects to expand and extend its Regional Oil Sands System.
Enbridge is the leading pipeline operator in the Fort McMurray to Edmonton/Hardisty corridor and is positioned to tie-in new oil sand developments to mainline pipelines and increase capacity for current customers. Enbridge’s Regional Oil Sands Infrastructure includes the Athabasca and Waupisoo pipeline systems, connecting six producing oil sands projects.
The Nikkei reports that Suzuki Motor Corp. will build a third auto assembly plant in Manesar, near New Delhi, aiming to bring the facility online as early as 2013. With an annual capacity of 250,000 vehicles, the new plant will boost Suzuki’s annual production capacity in India to 1.7 million units.
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., a local subsidiary of Suzuki, in 2007 launched an assembly plant with an annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles in Manesar. It is now building its second factory on the same site, with the annual capacity set for 250,000 units. The second plant is scheduled to come onstream in spring 2012, but given the surging demand in India, Suzuki decided to build a third one at the site even before launching its second.
India’s passenger car market surged 25.6% on the year to nearly 1.95 million vehicles in fiscal 2009, and it has been growing at a rate of about 30% a month so far this fiscal year. Against this backdrop, Maruti Suzuki shipped a record 105,000 vehicles, including exports, in August.
Kyodo News reports that the planned expansion will make India the biggest production base for Suzuki, even outstripping Japan. The company currently has a market share of nearly 50% in the country, with nearly two-thirds of its group operating profit estimated to come from India.
A new Albertsons supermarket in the San Diego, California community of Clairemont is generating nearly 90% of the electricity it needs with a PureCell 400 kW fuel cell from UTC Power, a United Technologies Corp.
The PureCell 400 system uses a Fuel Processor (reformer) to reform natural gas to hydrogen to feed the Fuel Cell Stack.
The project is estimated to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 478 metric tons each year compared to California non-baseload powerplants. The annual nitrogen oxide emissions reduction is equal to removing 82 cars from the roadways per year.
Byproduct heat from the fuel cell process will be captured and used to warm water used in the store, heat the store when necessary and to power a chiller to help cool the refrigerated food, resulting in an overall energy efficiency of approximately 60%, nearly twice the efficiency of the US electrical grid, UTC Power said.
Other environmentally focused amenities situated throughout the Albertsons Clairemont store include:
- Highly efficient LED lighting in the dairy and frozen food doors that reduce energy consumption by more than 50 to 65%.
- Photo sensors in 33 skylights measure the amount of day light from the outdoor sky and adjust the electric light levels accordingly, saving energy.
- Night curtains that are pulled over all open cold cases in the evening to seal in the cool air, and reduce spoilage and energy costs by up to 25%.
- Water-saving faucets and fixtures installed in the restrooms to reduce the amount of water used by more than 45%.
Whole Foods Market is also a supermarket customer of UTC Power, with three stores now equipped with stationary fuel cell power systems.
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| Discharge curves at different rates after charging at 1C. Credit: ACS, Lee et al. Click to enlarge. |
A team of researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Universit` degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca (Italy), and Stanford University have synthesized ultrathin LiMn2O4 nanowires for use as a Li-ion cathode material offering high power densities.
Galvanostatic battery testing showed that the ultrathin LiMn2O4 nanowires deliver 100 and 78 mAh/g at very high rate (60C and 150C, respectively) in a larger potential window with very good capacity retention and outstanding structural stability. Such performances are due to both the favorable morphology and the high crystallinity of nanowires, the researchers said in a paper published online 26 August in the ACS journal NanoLetters.
Although lithium ion batteries can provide higher energy density (W h/kg) than other secondary systems, they have limited power density (W/kg) compared to double layer and pseudocapacitors. Hence the improvement of the specific power density in lithium ion batteries is a fundamental issue to develop better HEVs and EVs. Spinel LiMn2O4 is a promising candidate to replace layered Ni or Co oxide materials as cathode in lithium ion batteries because of its intrinsic low-cost, environmental friendliness, high abundance, and better safety.
However, the application of LiMn2O4 in high power systems requires the development of fast kinetic electrodes which appears nowadays possible thanks to the use of nanostructured morphologies...we believe ultrathin nanowire LiMn2O4 is a promising cathode material for lithium ion batteries for HEV and EV applications thanks to its high rate capability and superior structural stability.
Lee et al.
The researchers had earlier shown that one-dimensional nanosized materials have faster kinetics and higher rate capability than micrometer-sized materials due to the large surface-to-volume ratio that enhances the contact between active material grains and electrolyte. LiMn2O4 nanorods with 150 nm diameter showed good capacity retention (around 60%) up to 5C.
In the current paper, they synthesized the ultrathin spinel nanowires using a two-step process: a solvothermal reaction to prepare &lpha;-MnO2 nanowires followed by solid state reaction with LiOH.
The team used a coin-type cell configuration to evaluate the electrochemical properties of the nanowire materials as cathode electrodes. When charged at 1C the electrode shows a discharge specific capacity of about 90 mAh/g at 20C between 3.1 and 4.3 V vs Li. When the cycling potential range is enlarged to overcome electrode kinetic limitations, nanowires are able to deliver “relevant discharge capacities” (around 80 mAh/g) even at an extremely high current density (22.2 A/g, 150C rate), with high reversibility and good capacity retention, they found.
As produced LiMn2O4 nanowires have around 10 nm diameter, and they are several micrometers in length. Such morphology improves the kinetic properties at very high current rate and was capable of the facile structural transformation of the cubic and tetragonal phase in the large compositional range.
Lee et al.
Resources
Hyun-Wook Lee, P. Muralidharan, Riccardo Ruffo, Claudio M. Mari, Yi Cui and Do Kyung Kim (2010) Ultrathin Spinel LiMn2O4 Nanowires as High Power Cathode Materials for Li-Ion Batteries. Nano Lett., Article ASAP doi: 10.1021/nl101047f
Nikkei. Japan’s Marubeni Corp. will market energy-efficient coal-fired power plants in Asia, leveraging a bilateral emissions offset mechanism between Japan and other countries that enables Japan to receive carbon reduction credits in return for providing low-carbon technologies and equipment. The company is targeting orders in Asia for plants capable of supplying a combined total of up to 4 million kilowatts (4GW) by 2020.
Marubeni’s technology is designed to increase power plant efficiency. Traditional coal-fired plants used in developing nations generally have an efficiency ratio of around 38%, but Marubeni can raise that to roughly 43% with its technology.
But construction expenses for a highly efficient 1 million kilowatt plant can exceed 200 billion yen, about 30-40% higher than conventional plants. Countries that adopt the technology, however, benefit from declines in coal consumption and a roughly 1 million ton reduction in annual carbon dioxide emissions. And these nations can sell carbon credits and pocket more than 1 billion yen in annual revenue, thereby reducing the plant's construction cost.
Marubeni has already been awarded a contract to build a 600 MW advanced-technology coal-fired power station in Vietnam. Marubeni will procure Steam Turbines and Generators from Fuji Electric Systems and Boilers from Foster Wheeler as the main equipment, and the plant is expected to be commissioned in March 2014. The plant will be equipped with highly efficient anthracite coal-fired boilers and flue gas desulfurization equipment.
This project is Marubenis tenth in Vietnam. The total power generation capacity of Marubenis supplied facilities in Vietnam exceeds 3,400 MW, representing about 20% of Vietnams total power generation capacity.
Iowa State University (ISU) researchers and their colleagues at the Iowa Energy Center have developed a novel process for converting cellulose and related materials to high-value chemicals with low molecular weights. The biomass conversion process is based on the chemistry of supercritical fluids.
Methods to hydrolyze cellulose and related carbohydrate materials for production of small molecules often require the use of harsh or expensive reagents such as strong acids or enzymes since cellulose is usually not soluble in conventional solvents and is also refractory to chemical or biological treatments. Conventional acid hydrolysis methods have also suffered from the high cost of building corrosion resistant plants, acid recovery, and generation of chemical wastes.
The ISU method, which involves heating under pressure a mixture of cellulose and low-molecular-weight alcohol, does not require pretreatment of the starting material and can be used to produce ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and other low molecular weight materials without the use of expensive reagents, metal catalysts, hydrogen gas or enzymes. In addition, this method produces alkyl glucosides and levoglucosan that can be converted into glucose for subsequent production of ethanol and other products.
All this happens without the use of any expensive reagents such as acids, enzymes, catalysts or hydrogen gas, ISU Professor Walter Trahanovsky said. The process even works when there are impurities in the biomass.
The ISU team has demonstrated efficient conversion of cellulose to ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glucosides, and levoglucosan under laboratory conditions, and ISU is seeking partners interested in commercializing this technology. The Iowa State University Research Foundation Inc. has filed for a patent of the technology.
Trahanovsky and colleagues were studying the reactions of cellulosic materials in alcohols at high temperatures and pressures using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Early experiments produced the expected sugar derivatives. Additional work, however, clearly revealed significant yields of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol.
It was a real surprise. These products were unexpected, so we never looked for them. But they were always there.
Walter Trahanovsky
Uses for ethylene glycol include auto antifreeze, polyester fabrics and plastic bottles. Propylene glycol has many uses, including as a food additive, a solvent in pharmaceuticals, a moisturizer in cosmetics and as a coolant in liquid cooling systems.
The research has been supported by grants from the Iowa Energy Center. Other Iowa State researchers who have contributed to the project include Ronald Holtan, a postdoctoral research associate in chemistry; Norm Olson, the project manager of the Iowa Energy Center’s BECON facility near Nevada; Joseph Marshall, a former graduate student; and Alyse Hurd and Kyle Quasdorf, former undergraduate students. Trahanovsky said the research team is still working to develop and improve the conversion technology.
No more deals after Labor Day?
No more deals after summer?
This may be as good as it gets, and get used to it, Jeff Schuster, the executive director of forecasting for J.D. Power and Associates, recently told the AP about summer car deals.
In the past automakers have used August to unload excess inventories in preparation for new models, but more and more excess inventories are becoming a thing of the past as automakers pare down production.
So, is Labor Day your last best chance for a good deal on a hybrid?
That's the conventional wisdom amongst most automotive analysts. Still, with hybrid sales tanking, for instance, will automakers never again offer a deal to move inventory? Obviously, only time will tell, but the deals on hybrid vehicles have typically been far less ripe than those offered on pickup trucks, for instance, so the lack of a summer sale will probably have limited impact on hybrid sales and hybrid prices.
Likewise, with Toyota anticipating a large increase in hybrid sales over the next few years, coupled with growing competition, especially from lukewarm Ford, and red hot Hyundai, cheaper hybrid prices seem an inevitable trend.
Nevertheless, the Nissan Altima hybrid is still one of the best deals this summer, so that's worth a look if in the market. Likewise, Toyota Prius leases are the best I've ever seen. For other hybrids, why not make a low ball offer? The future probably holds better hybrid pricing anyway, and that makes it a bit easier to walk away if your dealer won't budge on pricing.
Shifting into fuel economy
Hybrid fuel economy or hybrid performance?
When the Lexus CT 200h hybrid hits dealers it will offer 4 different driving modes Normal, Eco, Sport and EV that will provide a nice element of control that might be demanded from Lexus drivers.
While control is a nice option, is a focus on fuel economy slipping away from hybrid technology?
Much of my hybrid driving is focused on trying to achieve ever-greater fuel efficiency but there are times, however, when I've definitely taken advantage of the extra torque my Camry hybrid can provide. No one's perfect. Even hypermilers need to step on it every once in a while just to get the blood flowing.
And, as new hybrids hit the scene, newer and more sophisticated driving modes are becoming standard. In the upcoming CT 200h hybrid for instance, EV mode can be used to power through some extremely sluggish congestion using pure electricity, and Eco mode can provide the most efficient driving in a any kind of driving conditions. Of course, if you just want a nice balance of performance and efficiency, normal is your mode, but if you need to get the blood pumping, Sport mode will help cure the craving.
There's no harm in that, right? And in a luxury brand like Lexus, Sport mode will probably enable the CT200h to appeal to a wider range of buyers.
Still, horsepower and acceleration have been big drivers of the US auto industry for decades, resulting in a massive foreign oil dependency problem. While hybrid drivers will certainly appreciate ever greater control over their hybrid vehicles via such driving modes, isn't it possible that hybrid buyers are slowly being led astray from the original point of hybrid technology: fuel economy?
I have survived Southern California's horrendous traffic jams, though just barely. How anybody could stand to sit in traffic for hours on end, day in and day out, is beyond me. People do it though, and it seems to have bred a special kind of patience in the residents of Southern California. California also is a bastion of green living, and there are many advantages to owning a hybrid car in the state, like use of their HOV lanes.
While California recently announced that the Nissan LEAF would have access to HOV lanes immediately, the Chevy Volt was shunned. That has changed though, as Governor Schwarzenegger signed a bill allowing the Volt to use HOV lanes starting in mid-2012.
The Peel P50 was built on the Isle of Man in the 1960's and powered by a 49cc gas engine that pushed the car to a 40 mph top speed and delivered more than 80 mpg. It was the smallest production automobile ever built, anddespite only 70 examples being produced has become wildly popular in microcar circles, especially since appearing in a 2007 segment of the BBC's hit show TopGear.
This new-found popularity and BBC visibility has breathed new life into the Peel concept, and new investment dollars mean that Peel is back in business!
More, including the hilarious TopGear sketch, after the jump.
When it was introduced several years ago, Mercedes' ultra-luxury Maybach line was originally intended to compete with offerings from BMW's Rolls-Royce and Volkswagen's Bentley. To put it mildly: Maybach flopped, selling only a fraction of the cars Rolls and Bentley did year after year. Maybach was such a spectacular failure that many industry analysts predicted Mercedes would discontinue the brand altogether.
They were wrong, and Mercedes has confirmed that green is the new fast, committing to a series of new Maybachs that tick all the right green boxes.
Read more about the whys and hows of Mercedes' greenwashing of Maybach, after the jump.
Too reliable for a mechanic to make a living.
Reliable hybrid cars
Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers have picked the ten cars they hate the most for being too reliable. Yes, the cars we hate most, as mechanics, claim the brothers, are the cars that provide us with the fewest repair dollars.
The list is mostly Japanese and includes 2 hybrid cars: the Ford Fusion hybrid and the Toyota Prius.
Regarding the Prius, the brothers note, From our point of view, the Prius is terrible news for mechanics not even the brakes wear out, thanks to the regenerative braking system. All we get to install are wiper blades. How are you supposed to buy a pair of Jet Skis on that money?
And the Fusion, it's one of the few American cars that really approach the reliability of the Japanese brands.