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Does anybody else feel that they should be calling these iterations "Mark I" and "Mark II"? When I read mach I think of the speed of sound.
The technology behind Ford’s Lightweight Concept Vehicle; prospects for Mach-II with 50% mass reduction difficult
Earlier this month, Ford unveiled its Lightweight Concept vehicle, which uses advanced materials to explore future weight-reduction solutions that could improve performance and fuel efficiency while reducing CO2 emissions. The Ford Lightweight Concept reduces the weight of a 2013 Fusion to that ...
Holy. Guacamole.
Japanese start-up seeks to commercialize dual-carbon battery technology; anion intercalation
Capacity vs. cycle number. Source: Power Japan Plus. Click to enlarge. Start-up Power Japan Plus announced plans to commercialize a dual-carbon battery technology, which it calls the Ryden dual carbon battery. Power Japan Plus says that its battery currently offers energy density comparable ...
WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING?
BYD’s “5-4-2” performance standard for New Energy Vehicles; 3 models over 3 years
Using the recent Beijing Auto Show as its stage, BYD introduced its new “5-4-2” New Energy Vehicle performance standard and a series of cars designed to meet it. “5” represents the maximum time in seconds to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h (0-60 mph in less than 5 seconds) in future car models...
At Engineer-Poet and Roger Pham: I was thinking the exact same thing.
MIT study: higher octane standard fuel in US could lower fleet fuel consumption & GHG an extra 4.5-6% by 2040
Offering a higher-octane gasoline to the consumer market in the US as the standard grade could deliver an incremental 4.5% to 6% reduction in fleet fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, on top of a projected 26.8% reduction by then in the baseline case (i.e., without higher oct...
@HarveyD I wouldn't count steel out yet. Flash Bainite steel is pretty remarkable and, IMO, a better material for the safety structure because of its failure mode. What we'll probably see in the future is an amalgamation of materials in vehicles:
-advanced steel safety structures possibly integrated with composite foam for energy absorption.
-cfrp cosmetic panels
-aluminum and magnesium suspension components as well as miscellaneous components (seat frames etc)
-carbon fiber drive shafts and probably other applications I can't think of at the moment.
Danish startup produces carbon-fiber lightweight chassis
Danish start-up ECOmove has developed a technology which it says makes it possible to manufacture a carbon-fiber chassis without using special equipment. The first unit has already been shipped to a company in Germany. The greatest challenge for most electrical car manufacturers is to increas...
Clever. Hopefully this doesn't add too much in terms of cost (eyeballing the components, it shouldn't add more than $500).
ExxonMobil, Corning and Toyota develop onboard membrane system to separate gasoline into octane fractions to optimize engine efficiency and performance
ExxonMobil, Corning and Toyota have collaborated to develop an Onboard Separation System (OBS) to optimize gasoline engine efficiency and performance. OBS is a membrane-based process that separates gasoline into higher and lower octane fractions—essentially creating a dual fuel system from a sin...
@Roger Pham
I believe the reason nuclear cargo vessels have not been adopted is because, at this time, any build would be a one-off and the refueling facilities and staff would be specialized/one-offs. As such, there is disadvantage to being a first mover.
IMO, SMRs could work now but utilities are capital constrained as they have milked their equity to pay shareholders and pensioners.
US Navy demos recovery of CO2 and production of H2 from seawater, with conversion to liquid fuel; “Fuel from Seawater”
Researchers at the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Materials Science and Technology Division have demonstrated novel NRL technologies developed for the recovery of CO2 and hydrogen from seawater and their subsequent conversion to liquid fuels. Flying a radio-controlled replica of the histori...
@Engineer-Poet, this is true but $3-6/gal is nearly an order of magnitude cheaper than current fuel costs. Further, being able to produce your own fuel at multiple mobile forward points of operations has tremendous value. This seems like a no-brainer decision to me for the military... which is why they'll probably drag their heels, lol.
@Davemart: I have a friend at Burns and Roe who has told me that the USN's capital costs for nuclear power are in the $1,000-1,500/kw range so that certainly doesn't seem out of line. No interest payments to make and no regulatory bodies to stop them.
US Navy demos recovery of CO2 and production of H2 from seawater, with conversion to liquid fuel; “Fuel from Seawater”
Researchers at the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Materials Science and Technology Division have demonstrated novel NRL technologies developed for the recovery of CO2 and hydrogen from seawater and their subsequent conversion to liquid fuels. Flying a radio-controlled replica of the histori...
Really interesting and creative design. Coupled with a diesel, this could lead to mid-sized cars that get >60mpg combined. Perhaps allowing the engine to operate in such a narrow range would also do away with the need for certain after-treatment systems as well.
Magnetic eCVT could replace conventional hybrid mechanical eCVT with likely 1-2% fuel economy improvement and other benefits
MAGSPLIT is intended to replace mechanical eCVTs with a combination motor/magnetic gear. Source: Magnomatics. Click to enlarge. At the SAE 2014 Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Technologies Symposium in San Diego, Chris Kirby, founder and Managing Director of UK-based Magnomatics, presented an ove...
That Cd figure is impressive given the general shape of the vehicle (a box). Appealing and sensible vehicle IMO.
The new MINI makes its debut; new architecture, new fuel-efficient engines, including 3-cylinder diesel
New MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S. Click to enlarge. The BMW Group’s new MINI made its worldwide debut at MINI’s UK production plant in Oxford. The new MINI features an all-new vehicle architecture, an evolutionary design and a range of new fuel-efficient engines. The new MINI will make its...
21mpg for a city bus is pretty darned impressive! Passenger mile per gallon is probably in the 250-300mpg range for a dense city.
Field test shows Volvo Buses’ plug-in hybrid reduces fuel consumption by 81% and energy consumption by 61%; 21 mpg
Volvo Bus’ plug-in hybrid. The pantograph for rapid charging can be seen on the roof. Click to enlarge. Field tests being conducted in Gothenburg show that Volvo Buses’ plug-in hybrid reduces fuel consumption by 81% and total energy consumption (diesel plus electricity) by 61% compared to a...
@Lad: if it weren't for really high production runs a lot of these technologies simply wouldn't be economically viable and I suspect electric cars would be way cheaper on a per-unit basis.
That said, cylinder deactivation isn't hard at all if an electronic/hydraulic valve train is used.
Audi offering three engines with cylinder deactivation technology; fuel savings up to 20%
Cylinder on demand V8. Click to enlarge. Audi has three gasoline engines equipped with its cylinder-on-demand (COD) technology (cylinder deactivation): the 1.4 TFSI COD, the 4.0 TFSI COD and now also the 12-cylinder W12 COD in the new Audi A8 L. (Earlier post.) COD can deliver reductions in...
@mahonj: reducing the deficit/debt would be counter-productive as that is the only means the Federal Reserve has to convey monetary policy. Deflationary forces still loom large in the U.S. Just look at a chart of M2 velocity: still in free-fall.
Japan, South Korea, and the EU have protectionist trade policies to help their automakers. Can't the U.S. respond in kind or are we just supposed to take it on the chin?
Yes, cash for clunkers was not efficient. That doesn't mean future implementations couldn't be efficient. Target old, inefficient vehicles and raise the fuel economy requirement of newly purchased vehicles. Simple.
Mandate free air pumps at all gas stations and subsidize it through a tax credit or something. Employ people to drive "pace cars" during rush hour on our most congested highways and implement variable speed limits.... there a tons of ideas out there.
Brookings analysts recommend against repeating cash for clunkers program in future recession
According to a new paper and policy brief by Brookings, the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) or “cash for clunkers” program, launched during the height of the recession with the intention of stimulating the economy and reducing emissions, actually resulted in only a small and short-lived impac...
The eight-speed auto is a slush-box made by ZF.
BMW introduces the 2 Series; power up, fuel consumption down by up to 21% over 1 Series, depending upon model
New BMW 2 Series Coupe. Click to enlarge. BMW has introduced an entirely new model series in the form of the BMW 2 Series Coupe. Offering both gasoline and diesel engines at launch (depending upon market), output is up by as much as 10 kW over the new car’s 1 Series predecessor, yet average...
@Calgarygary, re: steam to oil 3:1
Your statement is correct from the data I have seen
@Thomas Pedersen
You're referring to the PRISM reactor. People that I know in the nuclear industry tell me that GE is going to file with the NRC for a design certification with an eye to having a prototype reactor online sometime around 2020. The same people tell me that GE can make a mint by reprocessing spent fuel. Supposedly, the government has a rather large and stagnant fund that the nuclear industry has been paying into since its inception to pay for fuel remediation. It would GE's pearl if they bring a commercial PRISM reactor online... not to mention they might make some money selling electricity into the grid while they're at it.
U. Calgary analysis of energy balances and emissions of SAGD oil sands production finds need for improved processes; some operations not thermally efficient or net generators of energy
Plot of cumulative steam-to-oil ratio (cSOR) vs. ratio of energy produced in form of chemical energy contained in bitumen if combusted to energy injected in form of steam (75% efficient steam generation). From Gates and Larter (2013). Click to enlarge. A team at the University of Calgary ha...
A more appropriate study in this case, IMO, would be comparing fuel savings to a car lightweighted with a CF hood and trunk.
Volvo Car Group testing lightweight structural energy storage material applied in trunk lid and plenum cover
A composite blend of carbon fibers and polymer resin is being developed that can store and charge more energy faster than conventional batteries can. Volvo Cars is the only car manufacturer participating in the EU-funded project, which started in early 2010. Click to enlarge. Volvo Car Grou...
Way too expensive. Just buy a Tesla at that price point.
Cadillac ELR EREV goes on sale in January, starting price $75,995
Initial sales of the 2014 Cadillac ELR extended range electric luxury coupe (earlier post) will begin in January in all major US metropolitan areas. The 2014 ELR has a starting price of $75,995, including a $995 destination charge but excluding tax, title, license and dealer fees. (Base price o...
Ok, so I shouldn't have said "floating bombs" but, still, this is a terrible idea for so many reasons. They should just build some MSRs and a couple of breeders and call it a day. It's their best option.
Kawasaki Heavy to build first ocean-going liquid hydrogen tanker with demo in 2017; H2 for transport, industry, power in Japan
KHI’s view of a “CO2-free hydrogen chain”. Source: KHI. Click to enlarge. The Nikkei reports that Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. (KHI) will build the first ocean-going ships to carry liquefied hydrogen (LH2), with plans for a demonstration test by 2017 in which liquefied hydrogen will be sh...
It's more dangerous in that when/if the hydrogen is allowed to enter into a gaseous state (note that "boil-off" gas is being used to cool the electrical motor) it's much harder to prevent leaks as hydrogen can tunnel through any material.
Kawasaki Heavy to build first ocean-going liquid hydrogen tanker with demo in 2017; H2 for transport, industry, power in Japan
KHI’s view of a “CO2-free hydrogen chain”. Source: KHI. Click to enlarge. The Nikkei reports that Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. (KHI) will build the first ocean-going ships to carry liquefied hydrogen (LH2), with plans for a demonstration test by 2017 in which liquefied hydrogen will be sh...
Oh yeah, great idea: turn your backs on nuclear and build floating bombs instead. *facepalm
Kawasaki Heavy to build first ocean-going liquid hydrogen tanker with demo in 2017; H2 for transport, industry, power in Japan
KHI’s view of a “CO2-free hydrogen chain”. Source: KHI. Click to enlarge. The Nikkei reports that Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. (KHI) will build the first ocean-going ships to carry liquefied hydrogen (LH2), with plans for a demonstration test by 2017 in which liquefied hydrogen will be sh...
@EP great points all around
Two things I'd like to add. First, with such a high potential specific energy, you can afford designs that reduce said specific energy by 20, 30, 50+% and you still end up with an incredibly dense energy source. Second, I get the feeling that this type of battery architecture would have a practically "unlimited" cycle capacity.
GWU researchers introduce new class of molten air batteries; significantly greater energy capacity than Li-air
Generalized form of the molten air battery. Licht et al. Click to enlarge. Researchers at George Washington University led by Dr. Stuart Licht have introduced the principles of a new class rechargeable molten air batteries that offer amongst the highest intrinsic electric energy storage cap...
If they could design the TEG stack so that it also served as a muffler that would be quite crafty and possibly push the system that much closer to being economically viable.
Locating the TEG stack very close to the exhaust header outlet and using a ceramic coating on the inside of the exhaust header to minimize heat loss would improve the thermodynamics of the whole system (hotter hot side, cooler cold side).
Tenneco/Gentherm showcasing prototype of thermoelectric generator for waste heat recovery; targeting 5% fuel economy improvement
TEG component (cartridge) and TEG architecture concept. Source: Crane (2013).Click to enlarge. Tenneco and Gentherm (formerly BSST/Amerigon) are part of a US Department of Energy (DOE) consortium actively developing a thermoelectric generator (TEG) for capturing waste exhaust heat in vehicl...
Creative
Researchers developing binary-ion batteries
Researchers at Changzhou University in China are developing a “binary-ion” battery system—a battery that uses cooperative behavior between Zn2+ and Li+ ions to conduct charge in a Zn/LiFePO4 battery. Cycling behavior of Zn|CH3COOLi+Zn(CH3COO)2|LiFePO4 battery at 1 C rate in the window rang...
You'd think Exxon et al would pour money into an idea like this. "Gas stations" would simply deoxidize the spent electrode.... electrode, right? Meh, it's early...
GE and Berkeley Lab developing water-based high energy density flow battery for EVs
Conceptual design of a water-based flow battery GE scientists are researching as part of ARPA-E’s RANGE program. This battery could be one-fourth the cost of current car batteries, and could nearly triple the distance electric vehicles could travel on a single charge. Click to enlarge. Rese...
^Good opportunity to phase in vehicles that can drive themselves as well. In 2-3 years the tech should be "there". Totally worth it,IMO, for the U.S. to spend several hundred billion (if not 1tril+) on "cash for clunkers" program to encourage Americans to cycle into BEVs capable of autonomous operation.
Tesla says Model S comes out on top in US-NCAP crash testing with lowest Vehicle Safety Score
Formulation of the overall vehicle rating according to US-NCAP based on weighted Relative Risk Scores (RRS). Source: NHTSA. Click to enlarge. Tesla Motors announced that in recent US-NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) testing, the Model S earned an overall 5-star safety rating from NHTSA as w...
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