This is Bob Niland's Typepad Profile.
Join Typepad and start following Bob Niland's activity
Bob Niland
Kansas
Recent Activity
re: It is unlikely that coho salmon are uniquely sensitive…
No kidding. It's rather important to elucidate the biological pathways here. 6PPD was tested to LD50 in rodents, but it appears that, being an anti-ozonant, that would not have included any downstream reaction products.
Researchers discover that a ubiquitous tire rubber–derived chemical is killing coho salmon in urban waterways: 6PPD-quinone
A team led by researchers at the University of Washington Tacoma, UW and Washington State University Puyallup have found that a highly toxic oxidation product of tire rubber particles turns streams toxic and may be responsible for the annual die-offs observed among migrating adult salmon across...
re: … 14 JBL speakers …
Umm, how about lifecycle $TCO/mile, or even, say, range?
2021 Toyota Mirai arrives in US dealerships in December
The second-generation Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV), which made its debut in 2019 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, will arrive in US dealerships—in California and Hawaii—in December. With a significant change in styling, this Mirai will offer multiple grades for the f...
My guesses would be to prioritize seat heaters (& only if occupied) and the steering wheel, with thermostatic control for energy management. As I recall, science says that performance impairment really needs only temp management in the extremities.
I've had a vehicle with a seat heater, and it works, but to a large extent it was just compensating for an artifact of IC engines - they take some time to warm up.
With electrics, heat delivery can be nearly instant, with pre-heat if the veh is still plugged in prior to departure. I'm sure both the car industry & the component suppliers are way ahead of us on this.
IAV and Louisenthal develop new heating concept for EVs; increased range with SmartMesh foils
IAV and Louisenthal, a technology leader in the production of security foils and papers for banknotes, have developed an energy-efficient heating concept for electric vehicles that requires considerably less energy while increasing comfort for drivers and passengers. This increases cruising ran...
re: This is the other half of the circle.
Thanks, Davemart
Having authored NH₃ safety content for an agricultural tank manual, I'm [only] a bit surprised that it is considered for H₂ energy transport. Of course, any form of concentrated stored energy has risks.
Minot, or Hindenburg? When driving, and I find myself following an anhydrous tank out here in rural country, I keep my distance and pay attention to the wind direction.
Northwestern team develops solid acid electrochemical cell for the production of hydrogen from ammonia
Researchers at Northwestern University, with colleagues from SAFCell, Inc, have demonstrated the production of high-purity hydrogen by thermal-electrochemical decomposition of ammonia at an intermediate temperature of 250 ˚C. A paper on their work is published in the journal Joule. The process ...
So where does the feedstock NH₄ come from?
Modern ammonia production seems to rely on H₂ that's already been produced.
PS - nothing on the SAFCell site, and the DOI doesn't lead anywhere (posted too soon, perhaps).
Northwestern team develops solid acid electrochemical cell for the production of hydrogen from ammonia
Researchers at Northwestern University, with colleagues from SAFCell, Inc, have demonstrated the production of high-purity hydrogen by thermal-electrochemical decomposition of ammonia at an intermediate temperature of 250 ˚C. A paper on their work is published in the journal Joule. The process ...
This might be the first attempt I've seen at the real bottom line:
TCO$/mile
which almost nobody seems interested in discussing, esp. the car industry.
Anyway, for some life cycle & annual use models, and locales, EV is today a viable choice. How soon it becomes more so is strictly down to battery tech trend, mainly:
$/kWh
Analysis finds annual running cost of EVs less than ICE; but with purchase price factored in, it flips
Self Financial, a fintech company, has compared the running costs of electric and non-electric vehicles in each state. Across the US the average annual cost of running an electric vehicle is $2,721.96, while gasoline vehicles cost an average of $3,355.90 per year to run—a difference of $633.94 ...
The primary financial number that matters for any vehicle use (owned, leased, rented, uber, ...), of whatever motive power, is
TCO/mi (or /km if you prefer)
and we don't really get that in this report. Due to politics, TCO/mi is, of course, presently widely varied by jurisdiction for EV and hybrids. But some national model could be proposed.
The ICE car business has never been much inclined to discuss TCO/mi. But if some dissident brands want to break that taboo, there is a rough benchmark that consumers can compare to, and that's the annual IRS mileage deduction.
Concur with the critiques of the models chosen for the report. Also, personally, I buy-new and drive-into-ground, so re-sale value is irrelevant to me, but any standardized TCO/mi model would have to make certain assumptions that don't work for everyone.
Study of 5-year TCO suggests ongoing challenge to unsubsidized BEV cost-competitiveness
A team at Arizona State University has analyzed the five-year Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for representative electric, hybrid, and conventional vehicles—the Nissan Leaf (BEV), Toyota Prius (HEV), and Toyota Corolla (ICEV)—in 14 US cities from 2011 to 2015. The results, reported in a paper in ...
TDIclub is reporting that this is models back to 1993 or so.
The discounts might amount to selling the new cars at something close to factory cost.
Although the deal is not extended to N.Amer., and may never be, for anyone still running one of these older machines, it would be a pretty attractive deal. Anything prior to the already-recalled models (2009+) is likely already fully amortized, if not well beyond design life (at 373K miles, ours is).
Volkswagen to offer incentive in Germany of up to €10,000 to scrap Euro 1-4 diesels
Volkswagen is offering an incentive of up to €10,000 (US$11,815)—depending upon the model purchased—for the purchase of Euro 6 vehicles in Germany if an older diesel vehicle (Euro 1 to Euro 4 standards) is scrapped at the same time. The incentive is one of a number of elements of a new environme...
re: …materials like unfinished eucalyptus and burlap which are not made to last.
That's not going to fly during the transition to electric cars. A subtext of this revolution (which I'm sure is troubling to major petrocar firms) is that an eCar could run forever with reasonable maintenance. It doesn't need to have huge expensive mechanical failure points (like an IC engine or transmission, the failure of which often causes gassers to be replaced).
The lightbulb industry has already been through this culture shock. LED bulbs may sell for more than incandescents, but turnover, for many sockets, has dropped to zero.
BMW of North America and partners to install up to 100 EV charging stations in and around US National Parks
BMW of North America has partnered with the National Park Foundation, National Park Service and the Department of Energy to install up to 100 electric vehicle charging stations in national parks and nearby communities across the country. The first of these was powered on today during a press co...
If this is really "nearly silent", that could be valuable. I used to fly out of a glider port that got shut down over noise (the owner tried to game neighborhood complaints by offering to sell the strip to them at some too-high price - they bought it).
Battery energy density may already be to the point where certain applications make economic and mission sense, such as: island hoppers, river/lake hoppers, motorgliders, glider aero tow, jump planes, some trainers. Regional feeders and aerial applicators are next up.
Siemens-powered electric plane sets two new speed records; first aerotow
The Extra 330LE aerobatic plane, powered by a propulsion system from Siemens (earlier post), set two new speed records. At the Dinslaken Schwarze Heide airfield in Germany, the electric aircraft reached a top speed of around 337.50 km/h (209.7 mph) over a distance of three kilometers. The speed ...
311 miles would suffice for 98% of the driving my family does. The remainder would require either a different vehicle (perhaps rented), or carefully planned charging station logistics. An 800 mile range would be ideal, but I frankly expect that to never happen (we're apt to get faster charging first).
Environmental dissonance trigger warning:
I suspect that in the not-too-distant future it won't be unusual to see a pure EV SUV pulling a trailer with a generator strapped to it. If the generator is running as the SUV passes by, you'll also know that the SUV's firmware has been hacked to allow charging while in motion.
Volkswagen Group’s Škoda to unveil 500 km Vision E electric concept at Shanghai show; leveraging MEB for electromobility
ŠKODA will stage the world premiere of the VISION E electric concept vehicle at the upcoming Shanghai Motor Show 2017 (19 – 28 April). The five-door SUV coupé can travel up to 500 km (311 miles) on purely electric power and meets the level 3 requirements for autonomous driving. ŠKODA, a member o...
So which safety standards does this meet (e.g. AS1, AS2?).
Since the CVD layer is only on one side (so far), it would seem to be unsuited to lift windows, due to scratching on the unhardened face.
For some context, aircraft glazing has been polymer for pretty much ever (Perspex/Plexiglas, and who knows what today). I could see polymer glazing happening in cars, but the Teijin press release was focused on abrasion, and was silent on economics and regs.
Teijin develops new hard-coating technology for automotive plastics glazing
Teijin Limited has developed a new hard-coating technology that can be applied evenly on large or complex-shaped automotive windows made of resin to achieve the same level of abrasion resistance as glass windows and double the weather resistance of conventional plastics glazing. Teijin initia...
DrSL: We need to work on Grid storage anyways, so we don't need this.
True, but any battery technology at least has to be shippable from factory to stationary installation site, as well as resistant to any stresses from cycling.
MIT study finds lithium sulfide solid electrolyte more brittle than ideal for batteries
Researchers at MIT have probed the mechanical properties of Li2S–P2S5—thought to be a promising amorphous lithium-ion-conducting solid electrolyte—to determine its mechanical performance when incorporated into batteries. The study, published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials, found that...
When sailing into the wind, does this thing even compensate for its own aerodynamic drag?
Viking Grace LNG ferry to install rotor sail; first LNG/wind electric propulsion hybrid ship
Norsepower Oy Ltd., a provider of low- maintenance, software-operated, and data-verified auxiliary wind propulsion systems, signed an agreement with Finnish shipping company Viking Line to install its Rotor Sail Solution onboard the M/S Viking Grace, an LNG-fueled cruise ferry. The 57,565 GT ...
Since 61% of China's electricity is from coal, is the
CT6 PHEV
actually a
CT6 PCFV
(Partially Coal-Fired Vehicle)?
GM launches Cadillac CT6 plug-in hybrid in China
SAIC-GM has officially launched the newest member of the Cadillac CT6 American luxury sedan family—the CT6 Plug-In (earlier post)—in China. It is available in two variants priced at RMB 558,800 (US$80,400) and RMB 658,800 (US$94,700). Built on GM’s all-new intelligent rear-wheel electric driv...
re: And we need study for this NOW? Why not 10 years ago?
This is not news; at all. I can recall Usenet discussions leading to the same conclusion 25 years ago. It's probably been suspected since Bell's MTS of 70 years ago.
The visual distraction often required for hands-free call setup is a minor problem, but the real problem is the mental abstraction of striving to maintain a common cognitive context with the remote conversant.
And all the other [growing] electronic distractions in the modern car further aggravate the problem.
Study finds hands-free just as distracting as handheld mobile phone use behind the wheel
Talking hands-free on a mobile phone while driving is just as distracting as a conversation using a hand-held phone, according to a recent study by researchers at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia. Dr. Shimul (Md Mazharul) Haque, from QUT’s School of Civil Engineering and B...
Does use of second-life EV batts really enhance the life-cycle TCO of home power storage to any measurable degree?
My impression is that LC-TCO per kWh for off-grid or extended-outage-capable grid-intertie is basically limited by battery technology, both the high initial cost per kWh, and the relatively short life expectancy.
Used EV batts have both lower kWh capacity, and reduced remaining life expectancy. Also, failure modes at the end of their second life might be less than entertaining.
Last I dug into it, even NiFe batteries were a hard sell for the empowered home scenario.
Nissan and Eaton broaden xStorage Home energy storage portfolio; 10-year xStorage Buildings deal with Amsterdam ArenA
Nissan and power management leader Eaton are broadening their portfolio of xStorage Home residential energy storage solutions—which can use second-life EV batteries—by introducing a range of six product configurations, giving consumers greater choice to meet their energy needs. This announcemen...
With any luck this won't degenerate into the situation we have with the OSHA backup beeps. These invariant beeps are pervasive on construction sites, and so ingrained that almost no one pays any attention to them.
Since end users won't just be able to download GoTones from NHTSA, I can see dealers licking their chops at the prospect of being able to sell GoTone changes.
NHTSA sets Quiet Car safety standard for new HEVs and EVs to protect pedestrians
The US Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is adding a sound requirement for all newly manufactured hybrid and electric light-duty vehicles to help protect pedestrians. The new standard, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 141, responds to ...
Henrik: "...all the hardware for the fully self-driving Autopilot is build into every vehicle that Tesla produces whether you order it or not."
Yes, I now see reported elsewhere that all the needed servos are pre-installed, and also that Tesla says turning them on is simply an over-the-air download (assuming the internet is actually working at that moment, I suppose ☺).
Tesla putting hardware for full autonomy in all models; temporary loss of some Gen1 Autopilot functions
Tesla announced that effective immediately, new Tesla vehicles—including Model 3—will have the hardware needed to support full autonomous driving. The required software for full autonomous driving is still under development and will need validation and regulatory approval. In fact, Teslas with t...
Neither this story nor the Tesla press release defined the full extent of the "Full Self-Driving Hardware".
In addition to the sensor enhancements, does it imply that all vehicle systems are hardware-capable (if not yet enabled) for full autonomous ops? This would include full-authority forward/reverse motion, braking, turning, parking, signalling, lighting, lock/unlock, maybe even the horn.
With any luck, we'll learn of the full capabilities on Tesla's schedule, and not well before that due to hackers.
Tesla putting hardware for full autonomy in all models; temporary loss of some Gen1 Autopilot functions
Tesla announced that effective immediately, new Tesla vehicles—including Model 3—will have the hardware needed to support full autonomous driving. The required software for full autonomous driving is still under development and will need validation and regulatory approval. In fact, Teslas with t...
Highest Energy Density isn't necessarily the click bait I wanted to see as a potential future EV owner.
Firstly, there's no assurance it will translate to more range. It may just mean less space consumed by batts in a today's-range design. (I need a credible 300 miles on one charge, with an option to execute 700 mile same-day drives - via pervasive fast charge stations, optional packs, whatever.)
But more importantly, what, if anything was traded off to get that density? Density alone, without claims of equal or longer battery life, and without equal or lower lifetime TCO, just raises eyebrows.
LG Chem to supply Li-ion cells to Faraday Future; targeting highest energy density production cell for automotive battery
Faraday Future (FF) announced a partnership with LG Chem to supply lithium-ion cells for FF’s electric vehicles. The partnership also represents a joint commitment between both companies to collaborate on the development of EV battery technology, resulting in the world’s highest energy density ...
re: The flat lithium-ion battery that is integrated in the floor lowers the center of gravity and results in an ideal axle load/weight distribution.
Other outlets (☺) are reporting that the battery is part of the vehicle structure, and thus not intended to be routinely swappable, raising questions of just how difficult/expensive it would be to replace.
So a key question on this platform might be intended service life (speaking as someone who expects at least 240,000 miles out of a vehicle - at 360K on one at the moment - and has been willing to replace an engine or transmission to get it).
So is this the Apple model (to replace battery, get new phone), or the Samsung model (battery can be replaced, and if you have a 7, needs to be)?
Volkswagen unveils I.D. EV concept; 1st MEB-based vehicle, to launch in 2020; up to 373 miles
At the Paris Motor Show, Volkswagen staged the world premiere of the I.D., a concept vehicle presaging the first of a new fleet of Volkswagen electric cars and highlighting Volkswagen’s vision for the future in a number of areas, including autonomous driving and a new Open Space concept for the ...
Didn't easily find anything on QinetiQ's site about…
What is the braking solution? (regen?)
What is the overall impact on unsprung weight?
DARPA invests $2.7M in QinetiQ electric wheel-hub drive technology; moving to build-and-test phase
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has announced a $2.7m investment in UK-based QinetiQ’s electric hub-drive technology. As part of an electric propulsion system, QinetiQ’s hub-drive replaces multiple gearboxes, differentials, and drive shafts with compact and extremely ...
In addition to the points made by Brian P, there's also the question of the GA demographic trend. If the population+active_hours of 100LL powerplants is flat or declining, there are probably bigger fish to fry.
Grounding the whole fleet would also likely have little impact on what Zika is about to do to the IQ trend. And don't get me started on what average diets do to IQ.
MIT team calculates lead emissions from avgas fuel in US contribute to ~$1B in annual damages due to IQ losses
Researchers at MIT have produced the first assessment of the annual costs of IQ losses from aircraft lead emissions in the US. Their study, published in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology, found that that atmospheric lead pollution attributable to leaded aviation gas (avgas) cont...
Back before Dieselgate™, the big concern with 2009-2014 VW TDIs was the Bosch CP3.1 HPFPs (High Pressure Fuel Pumps) self-destructing, and contaminating the whole fuel system, from tank to injectors. The repair expense might amount to a "total" if the owner couldn't get VW to cover it.
A lot of the failures were supposedly due to misfueling with gasoline (and the tank inlets were placarded and tweaked to discourage that). The basic problem was arguably design. Prior models didn't have a pervasive problem with this. Fundamentally, the 2009-2014 fuel system wasn't designed to deal with the reality of point-of-use US diesel fuel, from theoretical wear-scar spec, through lubricity agent stewardship, to what actually comes out the nozzle.
The tank contamination reported here might have been part of the problem. I'm also wondering if USTs with biodiesel blends contributed in some way to both HPFP failure and UST corrosion (due to being more hygroscopic).
The shift to ULSD might have played a role too, but again, TDIs not using the Botch CP3.1 didn't seem to have much trouble. Our MK4 TDI is about to roll over 360K miles on the original fuel system.
EPA finds moderate or severe corrosion in majority of diesel fuel underground storage tank systems studied
In a report released recently on corrosion inside diesel fuel underground storage tanks (USTs), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found moderate or severe corrosion that could affect metal components inside both steel and fiberglass underground tank systems. Corrosion inside USTs can...
More...
Subscribe to Bob Niland’s Recent Activity