This is mahonj's Typepad Profile.
Join Typepad and start following mahonj's activity
mahonj
Recent Activity
One Utah can replace 10% of US gasoline.
So you would need 10 Utah's for all the gasoline and this does not include diesel and AVgas.
Gives an idea of the scale of the problem.
Alternately, electrify the surface transport and use the kelp to make avgas.
USC study shows promising potential for giant-kelp-based biofuel with depth-cycling approach
Scientists at the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies on Santa Catalina Island, working with private industry, report that a new aquaculture technique on the California coast significantly increases kelp growth, yielding four times more biomass than natural processes. The researche...
Everything would be fine if it weren't for the people.
UMD collaborative study finds that fuel efficiency of one car in household may be cancelled out by next car purchase
A recent collaborative study led by researchers from the University of Maryland (UMD) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources found that consumers tend to buy something less fuel efficient than they normally would for their second car after buying an eco-friendly vehicle. While this sounds...
My first question is could you run it on a mix of H2 and CH4 or diesel.
If so, you could dial in your CO2 emissions and would be immune from getting stuck between H2 sources on a long run, or whatever.
If green H2 gets as cheap as the boosters say, that will be the fuel of choice.
Westport Fuel Systems & AVL conclude high-efficiency H2 powertrain can outperform fuel cells in TCO for heavy-duty applications
A model-based analysis by Westport Fuel Systems and AVL indicates that H2-HPDI (High Pressure Direct Injection with pilot ignition)—a combustion approach for hydrogen in engines—has the potential to achieve fuel economy close to that of a fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) for heavy duty applicat...
All good as long as people remember to charge them.
They could put a nag system into them telling people to charge them if they let the power go too low for too long and they are parked at home, or wherever they are going to be charged.
Audi upgrades battery capacity in Q5, A6 and A7 Sportback PHEVs
Audi has upgraded the battery capacity for the Q5, A6, and A7 Sportback PHEVs. The TFSI e models now come with 14.4 kWh net (17.9 kWh gross), which supports an increased electric range of up to 91 kilometers (57 miles), measured in accordance with the NEDC cycle (73 km (45 miles) according to t...
My feeling is that this will overwhelmingly benefit the insurance company, rather than the drivers.
Arity partners with Ford to enable more efficient usage-based insurance (UBI) offerings
Arity, a mobility data and analytics company, is teaming up with Ford Motor Company to enable any participating insurer to deliver simple and secure usage-based insurance (UBI) programs to eligible connected Ford and Lincoln vehicle owners. Usage-based insurance programs give drivers access to...
I wonder how long they were sitting on this possibility and why it took so long.
Did the possibilities only become apparent after they had done the Ecolife 2 upgrade, or did no one care that much (about fuel economy) at the time of the first one.
I am not suggesting a conspiracy, it is just funny how things evolve and improve.
ZF transmission software upgrade improves fuel economy of NYC buses 6-14%
ZF recently completed software upgrades to first-generation EcoLife tranmissions in 740 New York City Transit buses, resulting in significantly improve fuel economy (6-14%), and thus resulting in an annual savings of approximately $1.6 million or 720,000 gallons of fuel. The upgraded software 2...
Good.
Let's hope it is affordable so it can be used in mid priced cars as well as fancy ones.
Novelis introduces new high-strength aluminum solution for structural automotive applications
Novelis Inc., the world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, unveiled its strongest automotive aluminum product to date: Novelis Advanz 7UHS-s701. The technologically advanced, ultra-high-strength material is now available commercially to the global automotive industry. The 7xxx alloy prov...
Might be hard to make money from smaller vehicles, like the Fiesta and Ka.
But maybe by 2029 batteries will be much cheaper, or people will accept small battery cars for local and urban use and not expect 50 kWh.
Ford commits to 100% all-electric passenger vehicle range in Europe by 2030; $1B to transform Cologne plant
Ford committed today that by mid-2026, 100% of Ford’s passenger vehicle range in Europe will be zero-emissions capable, all-electric or plug-in hybrid, and will be completely all-electric by 2030. Similarly, Ford’s entire commercial vehicle range will be zero-emissions capable, all-electric or p...
@Durson, yes, IMO, if they want to do wave, they should just bring it ashore and use it on the grid.
@Lad: it sounds great, but it isn't:
a: You are at sea so everything is expensive
b: It is a very hostile environment: Corrosion and stuff growing on it.
c: Very expensive
d: The wavelength of the waves is variable and so it is hard to make a system that resonates with all of the available wave types.
e: It has to be massively strong to handle storms, hence expensive (variable amplitude of waves)
f: It is not good for marine ecosystems so this pushes many greens away.
g: I suppose it is being overtaken by onshore and offshore wind, which looks like a better bet.
+ good article in wikipedia (as always)
AW-Energy entering green hydrogen market with wave energy device
AW-Energy Oy is entering the commercial hydrogen market by introducing a combined WaveRoller and HydrogenHub process for the production of green hydrogen. AW-Energy says that its wave energy device, when combined with other renewable energy sources, can enable significant green hydrogen cost red...
There's a small article in wikipedia which is of interest:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrolysis#Methane_pyrolysis_for_Hydrogen
They say it uses 1/7 the electricity of H2 from hydrolysis.
However, the reaction happens at 1050 degrees C so you probably want to run it all the time, and not just when you have excess renewables on the grid.
C-Zero raises $11.5M Series A to produce clean hydrogen from natural gas via methane pyrolysis
C-Zero Inc., a pioneer in natural gas decarbonization, recently raised $11.5 million in a Series A funding round co-led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Eni Next, with participation from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and AP Ventures. The funding will accelerate the first commercial-scal...
I imagine they will use no renewable methane at all. People will use that to "green" their gas grid, or whatever.
They'll just have to get better at handling methane to prevent leaks.
And this includes Russia et al., not just "the west"
C-Zero raises $11.5M Series A to produce clean hydrogen from natural gas via methane pyrolysis
C-Zero Inc., a pioneer in natural gas decarbonization, recently raised $11.5 million in a Series A funding round co-led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Eni Next, with participation from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and AP Ventures. The funding will accelerate the first commercial-scal...
That would be something if it worked out.
As always, the devil is in the details, like how long will the catalyst last?
(And 10 other things that I am unaware of).
C-Zero raises $11.5M Series A to produce clean hydrogen from natural gas via methane pyrolysis
C-Zero Inc., a pioneer in natural gas decarbonization, recently raised $11.5 million in a Series A funding round co-led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Eni Next, with participation from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and AP Ventures. The funding will accelerate the first commercial-scal...
Building a "2 car PHEV" out of two cars is IMO a very good idea. You'll already have the ICE car, all you need to add is a low (<= 25 kWh) EV such as a Leaf mk1 or MIEV as described above by both Gdb and Dave.
It means you do not need to wait for long range EVs to appear or wait to be able to afford one.
Additionally, you might be able to use a neighbour's ICE for the odd long trips.
What is needed here is support from governments and insurance companies.
You should be able to have both cars on one insurance policy, such that you can only drive one car at a time. Ditto for road tax and car inspection services. (Say you have a golf tdi that you use a few times a year and put up 2K miles, on top of a Leaf that does most of the driving, you shouldn't need to get a full check on the Golf every year.
Study finds EVs are traveling less than half the US fleet average
New data suggests that electric vehicles may not be an easy future substitute for the gasoline-powered fleet, as EVs currently travel less than half as much as the US fleet average. A team from the University of Chicago, University of California, Davis, and UC Berkeley combined billions of hou...
Batteries + caterary are such a good idea. You get electric drive but you don't have to build catenary all they way, you can skip large sections and run those on battery.
+ you can charge on the go, so you don't have to wait at the terminus to charge up as you can charge on the way in.
The same could be used for streetcars as long as you can bring the poles up into contact with the (dual) wires.
If you used machine vision guidance, you could connect without stopping.
Thus, no charging at the end of the run+ you can simplify city center areas with a lot of routes passing through.
Bombardier (now Alstom) to convert AGC hybrid trains to full battery power
Bombardier Transportation (now part of Alstom) introduced a variety of green innovations to reduce CO2 emissions and pollution in the railway sector. One of our first sustainable mobility solutions was a dual-mode Autorail à Grande Capacité (AGC) train, designed and developed by its Crespin sit...
That is a good thing. You'll be storing fuel for much longer in a PHEV than a normal ICE (if you are using it right).
Rheinmetall wins orders for innovative fuel tank isolation valve for plug-in hybrids
Rheinmetall Automotive has booked its first orders for an environmentally friendly fuel tank isolation valve (FTIV). Developed by Pierburg in Neuss, Germany, it is used in modern plug-in hybrid vehicles, which generally feature a hermetically sealed tank system so that fuel fumes cannot escape w...
@GdB, if you could make a plane that could fly 3000km on H2, you would be a hero.
This is enough for most intra-Europe flights.
If you wanted to fly to the USA, you could either use traditional fuels or stop in Newfoundland to refuel as they used to do.
Also, for very long flights, you want to go at about M 0.82 - 0.85, so you need lots of power.
In terms of cost, it is really competing with biofuel based aviation fuels, which I would guess are expensive - you are certainly not competing with mains electricity for aircraft (!)
IMO, E-bikes and e-scooters are good enough as they are, and will only get better as LiIon batteries improve.
(As are push bikes, BTW)
Fraunhofer suggests e-scooters as application for its magnesium hydride paste hydrogen storage technology
Researchers at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Dresden have developed an ultra-high-capacity hydrogen storage substance for PEM fuel cell applications based on solid magnesium hydride. Fraunhofer’s POWERPASTE releases hydrogen on contact...
Obviously they increase congestion if you move people from buses carrying 80 people to cars carrying one person (or 2 cars in the place of one bus).
What do you think is going to happen?
And it doesn't matter whether they are electric or unmanned, they still take a space ~6m long in traffic. If you go electric, you reduce local pollution (at the cost of more tire particles due to heavier cars). If you go unmanned?
If you can pack several people into one taxi or minibus, you would save space, but I am not sure people int he 1st world would be happy about being in a service taxi without a driver.
Mass transit is really the only way to go for older or dense cities. Bikes are fine, as are scooters and motorbikes (for the brave) (weather permitting).
Local vtol transport is a no starter in terms of noise, space for landing etc. and fuel consumption. Nice for plutocrats, but not the masses. (Washed or unwashed).
Just take a bus, tube or train.
MIT study finds Uber & Lyft increase congestion, decrease transit ridership and don’t affect vehicle ownership (updated w/ Uber response)
Researchers at MIT report that the entrance of transportation network companies (TNCs)—specifically Uber and Lyft, which together have a 98% share of the market—in cities led to increased road congestion in terms of both intensity (by 0.9%) and duration (by 4.5%); an 8.9% decline in transit ride...
I would have thought e-scooters are OK as they are with LiIon batteries.
The "portable 100w" system looks rather large to stick in a scooter.
Military applications, perhaps.
I wonder how long the paste keeps ?
Backup power supply?
IMO to run a car on a motorway (at moderate speeds) you need ~15 kW.
+ campers can just use propane and not worry about the CO2 as the amounts are minuscule (in the grand scheme of things) (As long as you are not in the same campsite as Greta).
I am sure there are military applications as they are not so cost conscious.
Looks like a solution looking for a problem to me.
Fraunhofer suggests e-scooters as application for its magnesium hydride paste hydrogen storage technology
Researchers at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Dresden have developed an ultra-high-capacity hydrogen storage substance for PEM fuel cell applications based on solid magnesium hydride. Fraunhofer’s POWERPASTE releases hydrogen on contact...
I wonder do they plan to make a plug in version with a small (6-12 kWh) battery that can be charged from the mains, or from a solar panel in the roof.
(You might be able to get 3 kWh from a roof panel (600 watts x 5 hours) in sunny places like the Southern US and Japan.
Maybe the larger battery would add weight and mess up the dynamics of the car.
Nissan Note e-POWER orders more than double the monthly target
Orders for the all-new Nissan Note e-POWER have surpassed 20,000—more than double the compact car’s monthly sales target—since it was released in Japan in late December. (Earlier post.) Equipped with Nissan’s e-POWER electrified powertrain, the fully refreshed Note went on sale on 23 December w...
@jer, home charging is half of it and is fine for commuting where the distance is within the battery capacity of your car. But if you want to go a long way (say >250 miles), (or 125 miles there and back) you'll want a reliable supercharger network.
And it probably has to be > 100kW charging as when driving at motorway speeds, you'll use 15 kW, so you want a decent charge / drive ratio.
50 kW is marginal, IMO.
Study: EVs cannot succeed without developing parallel supercharging networks
Electric vehicles cannot succeed without developing a nationwide network of fast-charging networks in parallel with the cars. Current EV business models are doomed unless manufacturers that have bet their futures on them, such as General Motors and VW, invest in or coordinate on a robust superc...
I agree.
Governments need to step in here and establish and enforce charging standards so that you only need one socket on your car (ideally). That is, large entities like the US, EU etc; not Belgium or Monaco and the UK.
And then, as the report says, someone needs to spend. It could be the government or it could be individual car companies, but a consortium of car companies (and maybe shopping malls and local government) might be better.
In particular, as interest rates are so low, now would be great time to go all in.
Study: EVs cannot succeed without developing parallel supercharging networks
Electric vehicles cannot succeed without developing a nationwide network of fast-charging networks in parallel with the cars. Current EV business models are doomed unless manufacturers that have bet their futures on them, such as General Motors and VW, invest in or coordinate on a robust superc...
@SJC
I wonder are we better putting second life packs under the control of the grid, or garages (or individual houses etc.)
My guess they would be better selling them to the grid operator who can use them for whatever use they seem fit.
You would hope that a liquid market for second life batteries would develop, followed by a market for 3rd "life" batteries for recycling.
Volkswagen Group Components begins battery recycling pilot
Volkswagen Group Components opened the Group’s first plant for recycling electric car batteries in Salzgitter. The aim is the industrialized recovery of valuable raw materials such as lithium, nickel, manganese and cobalt in a closed loop together with aluminum, copper and plastics, achieving a...
I imagine this could be of use if you lived on an island or estuary or Fijord.
Or just wanted to show off.
Else,
What you want is to be able to fly from the burbs into a big city and land near your place of work, but fir that you'll need a runway, or a landing space near public transport.
Terrafugia obtains FAA Special Light-Sport Airworthiness Certificate for roadable aircraft; “flying car”
Terrafugia, Inc. has achieved a significant milestone by obtaining an FAA Special Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) airworthiness certificate for its Transition roadable aircraft. As a unique integration of a two-seat aircraft and an automobile, the Transition is designed to meet safety standards...
On a more serious note, pity there isn't more Cobalt in them - loads of manganese though.
DeepGreen Metals revises undersea polymetallic nodules resources upwards
DeepGreen Metals, which is exploring for deep-ocean polymetallic nodules as a lower impact and more cost-effective alternative to land-based mining (earlier post), announced an upward revision to the nodule resource reported within the NORI-D exploration contract area held by its subsidiary, Na...
Are we sure they are not looking for sunk Russian or Chinese submarines ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glomar_Explorer
DeepGreen Metals revises undersea polymetallic nodules resources upwards
DeepGreen Metals, which is exploring for deep-ocean polymetallic nodules as a lower impact and more cost-effective alternative to land-based mining (earlier post), announced an upward revision to the nodule resource reported within the NORI-D exploration contract area held by its subsidiary, Na...
More...
Subscribe to mahonj’s Recent Activity