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Bi-fuel evolutions of the LEVC TX taxi and VN5 van; range extender engines run on LPG/biopropane and CNG/biomethane

Green Car Congress

HP Taxis, Prins Alternative Fuel Systems and SBL-Automotive revealed [link] of the plug-in hybrid range-extended electric LEVC TX taxi and VN5 van allowing the range extender engine to run on LPG and CNG and their renewable counterparts of biopropane and biomethane. 50 liter LPG / biopropane tank in the trunk of the TX.

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NREL and Ecopetrol in $2.3M CRADA agreement to optimize conversion of waste biomass to ethanol

Green Car Congress

The US Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is working with Ecopetrol, the largest oil company in Colombia, to process the residue from sugar cane and palm oil harvesting into fuel ethanol for blending with gasoline. NREL has a pilot plant at its Golden, Colo.,

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CoolPlanet BioFuels claims conversion yield of 4K gallons gasoline per acre biomass

Green Car Congress

CoolPlanet BioFuels, a start-up developing technology to convert low-grade biomass into high-grade fuels including gasoline, and carbon that can be sequestered ( earlier post ), claims it has achieved a conversion yield of 4,000 gallons gasoline/acre biomass in pilot testing using giant miscanthus, an advanced bioenergy crop.

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Simulation study suggests ORC waste heat recovery system could deliver potential 7% improvement in fuel consumption in a PHEV on highway

Green Car Congress

Starting from a energy-based powertrain simulation model validated on experimental data from the PHEV, the researchers conducted a first- and second-law analysis to identify the potential for engine waste heat recovery, considering a variety of driving cycles and assuming the vehicle operating in charge-sustaining (HEV) mode.

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HeatReCar project demonstrates technical feasibility of thermoelectric generator for waste heat recovery; economic case more difficult

Green Car Congress

A recently completed European project coordinated by Centro Ricerche Fiat (CRF) demonstrated the technical feasibility of a Bi 2 Te 3 -based thermoelectric generator (TEG) for waste heat recovery for application to a diesel light-duty truck (LDT). Spark plasma sintering uses an electric current to heat the sample and to activate sintering.

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BMW provides an update on waste heat recovery projects; Turbosteamer and the Thermoelectric Generator

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The company says that some of the most promising projects are the Turbosteamer ( earlier post ); the Thermoelectric generator (TEG) ( earlier post ); engine encapsulation; and a waste heat exchanger for oil heating. Research project Turbosteamer: comparison of the heat exchanger generation 1 (top) and generation 2 (bottom). Click to enlarge.

Waste 376
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UC Riverside researchers receive two grants to advance steam hydrogasification reaction for waste-to-fuels

Green Car Congress

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside’s Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CERT) at the Bourns College of Engineering have received two grants to further explore a steam hydrogasification process they developed to convert waste into fuels. process, making a slow carbon conversion reaction ten times faster.

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