Breakthrough In Efficiency for Ethanol-fueled Engines

Sunday, February 8th, 2009 at 9:31 pm

Ricardo Technology Achieves Breakthrough Efficiency for Ethanol-fueled Engines

System surpasses gasoline efficiency, reaches near-diesel levels; reduces operational costs compared to current fuels

VAN BUREN TWP., Mich., Feb. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Ricardo, Inc., a leading independent engineering firm specializing in total vehicle fuel economy and efficiency, today revealed the development of technology that optimizes ethanol-fueled engines to a level of performance that exceeds gasoline engine efficiency and approaches levels previously reached only by diesel engines.

The technology, called Ethanol Boosted Direct Injection or EBDI, takes full advantage of ethanol's best properties - higher octane and higher heat of vaporization - to create a truly renewable fuel scenario that is independent of the cost of oil.

"Developing renewable energy applications that can lead to energy independence is a top priority at Ricardo," said Ricardo President Dean Harlow. "We've moved past theoretical discussion and are busy applying renewable energy technology to the real world. The EBDI engine project is a great example because it turns the gasoline-ethanol equation upside down. It has the performance of a diesel, at the cost of a gas engine, and runs on ethanol, gasoline, or a blend of both."

EBDI solves many of the challenges faced by flex-fuel engines because it is optimized for both alternative fuels and gasoline. Current flex-fuel engines pay a fuel economy penalty of about 30 percent compared to gasoline when operated on ethanol blends such as E85. The EBDI engine substantially improves ethanol's efficiency, and performs at a level comparable to a diesel engine.

"In real-world terms, these efficiencies mean that EBDI can reduce the actual cost of transportation when compared to fossil fuels, and it does it with a renewable resource - ethanol," said Rod Beazley, director of Ricardo's Gasoline Product Group. "The combination of technologies we're applying to the EBDI engine make the most of ethanol's advantages over other fuels, which include a higher octane rating and a higher heat of vaporization. Without getting too technical, this means we can use a high level of turbocharging to achieve the high cylinder pressures that ethanol enables. Add in some other advanced technologies such as direct injection, variable valve timing, optimized ignition and advanced exhaust gas recirculation, and we're squeezing out more power than is possible with gasoline."

The prototype EBDI is a 3.2-liter V6 engine that ultimately could serve as a replacement for a large gasoline or turbo-diesel engine in a large SUV. The first firing of the engine & initial development is currently taking place and will be installed into a dual-wheel pick-up truck demonstration vehicle later this year.

Beazley emphasized that the technology is very scalable. Applications could reach far beyond the automotive and light-truck industry. "Imagine agricultural equipment that, in effect, burns what it harvests - corn, sugar cane or some other renewable substance. It could mean tremendous cost savings across many industries."

This project represents a technical collaboration with Behr, Bosch, Delphi, Federal-Mogul, GW Castings and Honeywell, to further the advancement and commercialization of the EBDI project.

Biodiesel Algae Could Be the Next Big Fuel Source

Sunday, October 12th, 2008 at 8:25 pm

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Biodiesel Algae Could Be the Next Big Fuel Source

Biodiesel is made from a number of different source oils. Animal fats and waste vegetable oils from restaurants may be the most common image that comes to mind. There is no doubt that this portion of the overall biodiesel production market is growing rapidly. A lot of biodiesel is coming out of homemade biodiesel kits refined by home brewers, but the very individual nature of the production makes it impossible to count.

But it is safe to say that whatever that amount is, it is still dwarfed by production from plant sources destined for processing in commercial plants that provide the fuel primarily for large fleet and government users. Brazil leads the world in biodiesel production from sugar cane, while in the US most biodiesel production is from soybeans and corn.

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Honda Civic GX Natural Gas Vehicle

Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008 at 7:15 pm

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Have you been reading "The Picket Plan"? If your even slightly interested in "going green" than its worth a look. The overall plan is to build towards renewable engery to break our dependence on forign oil and build a bridge towards that goal. Here is a little bit of info fron their site PickensPlan.com

A cheap new replacement for foreign oil.

The Honda Civic GX Natural Gas Vehicle is the cleanest internal-combustion vehicle in the world according to the EPA.

Natural gas and bio-fuels are the only domestic energy sources used for transportation.

Cleaner
Natural gas is the cleanest transportation fuel available today.

According to the California Energy Commission, critical greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas are 23% lower than diesel and 30% lower than gasoline.

Natural gas vehicles (NGV) are already available and combine top performance with low emissions. The natural gas Honda Civic GX is rated as the cleanest production vehicle in the world.

According to NGVAmerica, there are more than 7 million NGVs in use worldwide, but only 150,000 of those are in the United States.

The EPA estimates that vehicles on the road account for 60% of carbon monoxide pollution and around one-third of hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxide emissions in the United States. As federal and state emissions laws become more stringent, many requirements will be unattainable with conventionally fueled vehicles.

Since natural gas is significantly cleaner than petroleum, NGVs are increasing in popularity. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach recently announced that 16,800 old diesel trucks will be replaced, and half of the new vehicles will run on alternatives such as natural gas.

Cheaper
Natural gas is significantly less expensive than gasoline or diesel. In places like Utah and Oklahoma, prices are less than $1 a gallon. To see fueling stations and costs in your area, check out cngprices.com.

Domestic
Natural gas is our country's second largest energy resource and a vital component of our energy supply. 98% of the natural gas used in the United States is from North America. But 70% of our oil is purchased from foreign nations.

Natural gas is one of the cleanest, safest and most useful forms of energy — residentially, commercially and industrially. The natural gas industry has existed in the United States for over 100 years and continues to grow.

Domestic natural gas reserves are twice that of petroleum. And new discoveries of natural gas and ongoing development of renewable biogas are continually adding to existing reserves.

While it is a cheap, effective and versatile fuel, less than 1% of natural gas is currently used for transportation.

The History Of Electric Cars

Friday, August 29th, 2008 at 1:03 am

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The History Of Electric Cars

During the early days of the development of the automobile, there were many competing types as inventors tried to come up with, among other things, the best fuel source, including steam, biofuel, petroleum and electricity.

In the 1830s and 1840s, several electric cells (batteries) were invented for use in electric cars and, as storage improved, giving them longer lasting performance, electric cars became very popular. Unlike most other cars of the day, electric cars gave off no noise, vibrations, or smells, plus started with having to hand crank them. Initially, electric cars outsold gas-powered cars 10-1.

Unfortunately, while electric cars were fine for getting around town, as roads were built and travel between communities became possible, their lack of range became a then-insurmountable problem. Plus other car improvements, such as Henry Ford's mass-produced cars, the invention of the electric starter, and cheap gas prices, made the electric car obsolete.

Starting in the 1960s, though, more and more people began to see the need for alternative fuel vehicles as a way to reduce pollution as well as our dependence on foreign oil. While electric cars still suffered from a lack of range, they became alternatives in certain environments. For example, the US Postal Service used a fleet of them as delivery vehicles, while the use of golf carts as transportation in many senior communities started burgeoning.

It wasn't until the last 15-20 years, though, that electric car technology has really taken off, both as purely electric cars and as hybrids. In part this is due to government regulation requiring more stringent air emissions...some states have even issued Zero Emission Vehicle mandates...and partly due to advancements in the technology itself, including the electric cells themselves, such as nickel metal hydride and lithium-ion battery packs. Improved batteries allow for longer storage as well as quicker recharging time. And, like the earliest version, electric cars have fewer moving parts to break down.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles will be seen more and more on the road today. While hybrids also have an internal combustion engine, they operate as an electric car during charging and using their electric power and, depending on how they're used, may not ever actually use their gas engine. Just plug them in and recharge your electric car's battery!

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Do Hydrogen Cars Work

Friday, August 29th, 2008 at 12:56 am

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Do Hydrogen Cars Work, & If So, Will They Save Me Money on Gas?

The race to find an alternative source of fuel may well center around standards of energy and physics that power a device familiar to most: the simple battery. A battery is an electrochemical energy conversion device that converts chemicals stored inside into electricity. In fact, the battery operates on the same principle that makes hydrogen cars work.

It is still not an easy concept for today's automotive layman to understand in a world just now on the brink of unleashing what may well be the largest transportation sea change in world history. With world oil supplies dwindling in political chaos, it is no wonder why scientists are touting hydrogen, one of the most plentiful and cleanest burning elements on earth, as the perfect fuel, and the hydrogen car as the solution to our dependence on oil. Hydrogen cars work, and more and more are understanding this revolutionary fact.

In a hydrogen powered car, proton exchange membrane fuel cells - like batteries, electrochemical energy conversion devices - transform chemical energy freed by an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen to electrical energy. Think: water (two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen - H2O) to electricity, an incredible substitute for gas and the gas-guzzling, polluting motors that swarm the world's highways. This is the basic principle that makes hydrogen cars work.

Of course, the fuel cell improves upon the battery that lights our flashlights and powers our automobile ignitions. While a battery eventually dies or needs to be recharged, the fuel cell is kept alive by the constant flow of hydrogen and oxygen. This fuel cell conversion -- transforming hydrogen into electricity through fuel cells -- powers the motors that run the hydrogen fuel cars.

The exact specifics of how hydrogen cars work is not so simple. Consider the four main components of the fuel cell: the anode or the negative electrode (pillar) of the cell, the cathode or positive pillar, the solid electrolyte, a thin-membrane hydrogen ion proton conductor made of polymer (a small porous metal that blocks negative ions and clears positive ions for direct current participation) and the catalyst, a platinum converter that increases the rate of the chemical reaction -- each part significant in the process of the fuel cell power generation that makes hydrogen cars work.

The process begins in the fuel cell when hydrogen is taken in from the atmosphere by the cathode and fueled into the anode pillar. With the help of the catalyst, the anode splits the hydrogen cells, separating electrons which are passed through the electrolyte process into a separate external circuit to form electric current -- moving the motor. Meanwhile, the hydrogen cells return to combine with oxygen into the only byproduct of the reaction: water. For greater power generation, fuel cells are combined together into a "stack."

The technology is tried and true. Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink? Not true. Hydrogen and oxygen can provide more than enough fuel for the world's transportation industry to consume.

Hydrogen cars work, and one of the biggest benefits is the amount of money you will save on fuel. By using a hybrid of water and gas, you can see your miles per gallon double. Click here to see how you can make your car a hydrogen car. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Starkey