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'Toyota’s FPEG features a hollow step-shaped piston, combustion chamber and gas spring chamber. Click to enlarge. A team at Toyota Central R&D Labs Inc. is developing a prototype 10 kW Free Piston Engine Linear Generator (FPEG) featuring a thin and compact build, high efficiency and high fuel flexibility. Toyota envisions that a pair of such units (20 kW) would enable B/C-segment electric drive vehicles to cruise at 120 km/h (75 mph).
'Sarah Sikich, Heal the Bay’s Science and Policy Director, Coastal Resources at the podium, California State Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi and State Senator Ted Lieu behind her – Photo by Jose Bacallao (lifted from Facebook).
'The successful first public flight of the electric E-Fan experimental aircraft took place during the E-Aircraft Day in Bordeaux. Click to enlarge. The Airbus Group’s electric E-Fan experimental aircraft made its first public test flight at E-Aircraft Day in Bordeaux, France. The electric E-Fan training aircraft is an innovative technology experimental demonstrator based on an all-composite construction.
'Audi TT offroad concept. Click to enlarge. Audi is presenting an Audi TT offroad concept at the Beijing International Automobile Exhibition. Like many of the brand''s new production models, the Audi TT offroad concept is also based on the versatile modular transverse matrix (MQB). The TT concept features a plug-in hybrid drive with two electric motors and a system output of 300 kW (408 hp) and 650 N·m (479 lb?
'Accumulated number of xEVs in leading global markets. Annual growth rate over the past three years is more than 100%. Click to enlarge. At the beginning of 2014, there were more than 400,000 electric cars—battery-electric, plug-in hybrid, and range-extended electric vehicles—on the road worldwide, according to an analysis by Zentrums für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) in Germany.
'Honda’s engine technology roadmap and the key role of HLSI, as presented at the 2013 Aachen Colloquium by Toshihiro Mibe, Managing Officer, Honda R&D Co., Ltd. Automobile R&D Center. Click to enlarge. Honda is developing a Homogeneous Lean Charge Spark Ignition (HLSI) combustion engine as one of the key elements in its technology roadmap for a higher thermal efficiency gasoline engine.
'FEV North America, Inc. a leading developer of advanced powertrain and vehicle system technologies, will showcase a turbo-diesel outboard marine engine developed in cooperation with Neander Motors AG at the upcoming SAE World Congress 8-10 April at COBO Center in Detroit. Neander, based in Kiel, Germany, is a developer of high performance diesel engines and air compressors for a range of projected applications.
'FEV North America, Inc. a leading developer of advanced powertrain and vehicle system technologies, will showcase a turbo-diesel outboard marine engine developed in cooperation with Neander Motors AG at the upcoming SAE World Congress 8-10 April at COBO Center in Detroit. Neander, based in Kiel, Germany, is a developer of high performance diesel engines and air compressors for a range of projected applications.
'Your friendly neighborhood Greenius has been waiting for awhile now to see which of the candidates for Henry Waxman’s 33rd District seat was going to step up environmentally. Today that person turned out to be Wendy Greuel. My good friend, Dency Nelson, tells me Ted Lieu was already that guy and that Ted’s strong record speaks for itself.
'Komatsu America Corp. introduced its new HB215LC-2 hybrid hydraulic excavator. This third-generation model is based on iterations of Komatsu hybrid experience; Komatsu was the first in the industry to introduce a hybrid excavator in 2008. ( Earlier post.) Since then, the company has sold more than 2,500 hybrid excavators worldwide. The HB215LC-2 saves an average of 20% fuel with an equivalent reduction in CO 2 emissions as compared to the standard excavator model.
'Daimler AG and Evonik Industries AG are restructuring their joint venture activities in the field of electric mobility. Daimler will acquire all of the shares held by Evonik in Li-Tec Battery GmbH (50.1%) and in Deutsche ACCUmotive GmbH & Co. KG (10%). This will make Daimler the sole owner of the two companies. The parties have agreed not to divulge the details of the agreement.
'Specific BSFC improvements from the D-EGR engine relative to baseline engine. Overall, the engine offered a 13.1% improvement in city fuel economy (24.5 to 27.7 mpg) and a 9.2% improvement on the highway (43.6 to 47.6 mpg). Chadwell et al., 2014-01-1190. Click to enlarge. Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) announced preliminary test results of its Dedicated-Exhaust Gas Recirculation (D-EGR) demonstration vehicle ( earlier post ) at the SAE 2014 World Congress in Detroit.
'A study by a pair of researchers at Northwestern University found that when fuel prices drove residents of São Paulo, Brazil, to switch from ethanol to gasoline in their flexible-fuel vehicles, local ozone levels dropped 20%. At the same time, nitric oxide and carbon monoxide concentrations tended to go up. The four-year study by chemist Franz M. Geiger and Alberto Salvo, formerly with Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and now an associate professor of economics at the National Univer
'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 single base fuel—allowing optimal use of fuel components based on engine requirements.
'A team from the US Naval Academy and the US Navy have tested a Direct Sugar to Hydrocarbon (DSH) biosynthetic fuel in multiple diesel engines. Their results, reported in a paper presented at the SAE World Congress in Detroit, show that DSH meets all three of their proposed combustion acceptance metrics. Further, they determined that a 50/50 blend of DSH and F76 (the Navy standard distillate primary fuel for propulsion and power generation) is fit for use in compression ignition engines and an a
'Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have quantified the fuel economy effects of some common driver practices and vehicle accessories or alterations—including underinflated tires, open windows, and rooftop and hitch-mounted cargo. They presented their results in a paper at SAE 2014 World Congress in Detroit. They first subjected a compact passenger sedan and a sport utility vehicle to SAE J2263 coastdown procedures.
'The infrared photo shows a temperature increase of only 9.8 degrees at the junction between the pantograph and the overhead charging rail of the Opbrid B?sbaar at 625 A. Click to enlarge. During recent tests of Hybricon Bus Systems’ new Arctic Whisper (HAW) urban bus in Umeå, Sweden ( earlier post ), the Opbrid B?sbaar achieved ultrafast charging at 625 amps for 6 minutes.
'Navigant Research forecasts that the United States will remain the largest national market for light-duty plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) during the next 10 years, with LD PEV sales exceeding 514,000 in 2023. Currently, North America is the strongest market for light duty PEVs with nearly 100,000 sold in 2013, according to the market research firm.
'Researchers from MIT and Harvard University have developed a material that can absorb the sun’s heat and store that energy in chemical form, ready to be released again on demand. A paper describing the new process is published in the journal Nature Chemistry. While the material could produce electricity, it would be inefficient at doing so, but for applications where heat is the desired output—e.g., for heating buildings, cooking, or powering heat-based industrial processes—this cou
'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 octane fuel, but with other projected vehicle and powertrain technology improvements), according to a new analysis by a team at MIT.
'Researchers at Delphi Powertrain, in collaboration with colleagues at Hyundai Motor, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Wisconsin Engine Research Consultants (WERC), have developed a first-generation multi-cylinder Gasoline Direct Injection Compression Ignition (GDCI) engine, based on several years of extensive simulations and single-cylinder engine tests. ( Earlier post , earlier post.).
'ABB announced that its Terra 23/53 range of fast chargers has successfully passed the new European certification process for DC fast chargers at Applus+ IDIADA , the independent certification house in Spain. The ABB multi-standard chargers are compliant with CHAdeMO 1.0, the CE standard and new industry guidelines for multi-standard fast chargers. Multi-standard fast charger.
'Researchers at Stanford University have developed a nanocrystalline copper material that produces multi-carbon oxygenates (ethanol, acetate and n-propanol) with up to 57% Faraday efficiency at modest potentials (–0.25?volts to –0.5?volts versus the reversible hydrogen electrode) in CO-saturated alkaline water. The material’s selectivity for oxygenates, with ethanol as the major product, demonstrates the feasibility of a two-step conversion of CO 2 to liquid fuel that could be powered by renewab
'FuelCell Energy, Inc. has received a contract for two 2.8 megawatt DFC3000 fuel cell power plants from United Illuminating (UI), part of UIL Holdings Corporation. One direct fuel cell system will be located in Bridgeport, Connecticut as part of a distributed renewable power generation project that also includes a solar array. The second installation will be located within the UI service territory at a site to be named in the next 30 days.
'Researchers at the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Materials Science and Technology Division have demonstrated novel NRL technologies developed for the recovery of CO 2 and hydrogen from seawater and their subsequent conversion to liquid fuels. Flying a radio-controlled replica of the historic WWII P-51 Mustang red-tail aircraft (of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen), NRL researchers Dr.
'The MY14 B-Class Electric Drive. Click to enlarge. The Mercedes-Benz MY14 B-Class Electric Drive ( earlier post )—the first electric offering for the brand in the United States—is priced at $41,450, excluding $925 destination and delivery. Customers may be eligible for federal tax credits (which run up to $7,500) or state/local tax credits.
'Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is launching the Advanced Engine Fluids (AEF) consortium to better understand fuel and lubricant chemistry and its effects on engine combustion. The AEF consortium will research the impact of fuels and lubricants on engine combustion and the requirements needed for optimizing future engine technologies. These automotive pistons show ring land damage caused by low-speed pre-ignition (LSPI).
'The Volkswagen Group is launching a major electro-mobility campaign in China—the the biggest initiative for e-mobility in China’s automotive history, said Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen AG, on the eve of the Auto China motor show in Beijing. The initiative gets underway with the launch this year of the Volkswagen brand’s battery-electric e-up!
'The Explorer is a SWASH (Small Waterplane Area Single Hull) vessel with a torpedo-shaped float located centrally underneath the hull. The boat’s propulsion system is also located in this tube. Copyright: Abeking & Rasmussen AG. Click to enlarge. A diesel hybrid-electric pilot boat is under test on the Elbe River in Germany. The vessel, named Explorer , is a SWASH (Small Waterplane Area Single Hull) vessel with a torpedo-shaped float located centrally underneath the hull.
'Automakers, hydrogen fuel suppliers, the Mayor of London’s Office and energy consultancies launched the £31-million (US$51-million) European HyFive project at City Hall in London. Five different manufacturers will deploy a total of 110 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles at several European locations (Bolzano, Copenhagen, Innsbruck, London, Munich, Stuttgart) and develop new clusters of hydrogen refueling stations.
'The US Department of Energy (DOE) issued a draft loan guarantee solicitation for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects located in the US that avoid, reduce, or sequester greenhouse gases. The Renewable Energy and Efficient Energy Projects Loan Guarantee solicitation is intended to support technologies that will have a catalytic effect on commercial deployment of future projects, are replicable, and are market ready.
'Tesla Motors has launched a new business leasing program for the Model S. The Tesla business lease is available through Tesla Finance, a new subsidiary set up especially to offer this new product to business customers. As an example, according to the configurator on Tesla’s site, the monthly lease payment for an 85 kWh model (cash price $79,900) would run $1,199; factoring in gasoline savings (-$261 per month) and the business tax benefit (-$395 per month) brings that to a net $543 per month.
'New 1.3L Atkinson cycle engine can reach a thermal efficiency of 38%. Click to enlarge. Toyota Motor Corporation has developed a new series of fuel-efficient gasoline engines that achieve improved thermal efficiency. The new engines leverage combustion and loss-reduction technologies Toyota has refined in its dedicated hybrid engines (such as use of the Atkinson cycle) as well as in its conventional engines, and will deliver fuel efficiency improvements of at least 10% over current vehicles (ba
'Hydro-Québec and Sony Corporation will establish a joint venture to research and develop a large-scale energy storage system for power grids. Sony and Hydro-Québec plan to establish the new company in June, 2014. Forecasts indicate that demand for large-scale energy storage systems will increase in the future, to meet high-level demand for electric power during peak times; stabilize fluctuations in electricity generated by renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power that are gaining t
'Researchers from Hyundai Motor have found that the use of a new sulfone-based electrolyte greatly improved the capacity and reversible capacity retention of a Li-sulfur battery compared to the performance of ether-based electrolytes. In a paper presented at the SAE 2104 World Congress in Detroit, they reported that use of the sulfone-based electrolyte increased capacity by 52.1% to 715 mAh/g and capacity retention by 63.1% to 72.6%.
'Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Germany report the development of two ultrafast solid Li electrolytes which are germanium-free—i.e., based exclusively on abundant elements. Both compounds—Li 10 SnP 2 S 12 and Li 11 Si 2 PS 12 feature extremely high Li ion diffusivities, with the Si-based material even surpassing the present record holder, the electrolyte Li 10 GeP 2 S 12 (LGPS) which was first reported by Toyota researchers and their academic pa
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