Air Resources Board of California announces $1 million grant for demo of hybrid set up for school buses

By Paul | October 27, 2011

Hybrid Schoolbus

The Air Resources Board of California is looking for applications for a grant that will award $1 million for the demonstration of hybrid technologies for school buses. The board requires an applicant match of at least 50% of the projected cost of implementation. Ten percent of the match should be available in cash.

The solicitation seeks demonstration and administration of advanced hybrid systems that can be applied to school buses. The ARB believes that the exposure of the school districts to the new technology will help them decide which direction to take for their school buses in the future.

School buses that will be part of the demonstration should be equipped with an advanced hybrid powertrain. The hybrid setup was defined to have a dual source of power to propel the school bus.

The main source of the propulsion can be the battery pack, engine, or other sources which will have the bus move . The secondary source of power can be a battery or any other power storage device which will not depend on the primary energy source directly. The secondary power sourced from the power grid, regenerative braking, or other sources must supply stored energy which will contribute to the propulsion of the school bus.

The school buses which will be funded by the grant for purposes of demonstration should provide transportation for school children in California and should pass safety inspections according to the regulations of the state.

The application for the grant is due n December 14, 2011. This is open to public agencies based in California such as local government entities, state agencies, or other state or local public agency with capabilities of implementing a demo program and with a good background on operation of school buses.

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US DOE to award up to $7m to independent cost studies for fuel cell and hydrogen storage system’s R&D

By Mike D. | August 22, 2011

In the span of five years, a total of $7 million will be awarded by the US Department of Energy for autonomous cost studies that will support fuel cells and hydrogen storage system’ research and development.

These fuel cells and hydrogen storage systems will be used mainly for transportation purposes. The autonomous projects will focus largely on applications, manufacturing volumes, and system sizes not only for transportation purposes but also for handling equipments and backup power mechanisms. These projects will help the US Department of Energy in terms of fuel efficiency.

The autonomous cost analyses will go through the National Laboratories’ system models, literature and patent research, development presentations, and peer review. Here’s a rundown of the four autonomous projects that have been selected for an award:

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, whose home base is located in Berkeley, CA, has been awarded with $1.9 million. They are to develop cost models for high and low temperature immobile fuel cell systems at 250 kilowatts.

Direct Technologies, Inc., whose home base is located in Arlington, VA, has been awarded with almost $3 million for their two projects. The first project will focus on transportation fuel cell systems while the second one will focus on hydrogen storage systems.

Battelle Memorial Institute, whose home base is located at Columbus OH, has been awarded with $2 million for them to produce cost assessments for immobile fuel cell applications that includes backup power units, a combination of power and heat systems, primary power, and forklifts.

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Cars2go Electric Car Sharing Program Launched in San Diego

By Mike D. | July 29, 2011

Cars2go is a car company that offers a personal twist to public transportation. If you hate commuting back and forth to work every day but can’t afford a brand new car, Cars2go is your solution. The idea was first introduced in 2009 in Austin, Texas. The initial idea of Car2go is about car sharing but the service is more personal that you may thing and definitely more flexible. Cars2go gives you the experience of driving (and even owning) your own car without the big expense.

Cars2go is an auxiliary of the Daimler North America Corporation. During a recently held press conference, Cars2go made an announcement that San Diego, California will be the first city in North America to experience the full benefits of their program, which is the use of pure-electric vehicles through a car “sharing” program.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders has expressed his excitement about the Cars2go program. He added that this move supports their goal to make the city America’s capital for EVs. The Cars2go program in San Diego will kick off with 300 Smart ForTwo EVs and will commence before 2011 ends.

According to the President and COO of Cars2go, Nicholas Cole, the San Diego launch is monumental as it signifies the start of a new era in car-sharing in the North America region. The company’s goal is to aid in meeting the transportation needs of the city as well as giving them the option of using emission-free vehicles to conserve fuel and save the environment.

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INEOS Bio gets $10.8 million funding for Waste-to-Ethanol UK Plant

By Mike D. | June 22, 2010

INEOS Bio, considered as the 3rd biggest chemicals firm in the word, will be getting a grant of around $10.8 million to form part of the $76.7 million cost of construction of a commercial plant in Europe that will make use of their BioEnergy Process Technology that will convert waste to ethanol.

The funding comes after a feasibility study conducted by the Department of Energy and Climate Change or UK DECC which granted release of funds worth $6.6 million. Other investments will come from Regional Development Agency One North East amounting to $4.1 million.

The plant will be built in Tees Valley in the United Kingdom where the INEOS Seal Sands is. The factory is expected to come up with 30 million liters of carbon-neutral fuel and produce electricity that will be for expert amounting to 3 MW from about 100,000 tons of commercial and household biodegradable wastes. This amount of fuel production can cover for the electricity demand of about 6,000 households and 250,000 vehicles running on E10 fuel.

The advanced factory is scheduled to for completion by 2012 pending certain final agreements. The project will also create 350 construction jobs and 40 permanent positions when the factory is operational. There are also plans to integrate a biorefinery plant and high technology waste treatment come 2015.

The technology used by INEOS combines biochemical and thermochemical processes to complete the process of biofuel production using industrial and household waste materials.

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Which Vans are least polluting?

By Paul | June 12, 2010

Renault TraficA lot of people who are in the market for a van may wonder which van is the least polluting? This is not an easy question to answer because vans are by and large the worst polluters on the road. A lot of effort has gone into creating fuel efficient vehicles in recent years but somehow very little of that effort has gone into vans. The result is that there are few if any environmentally friendly vans available, and companies like The Van Warehouse are trying to change that.

The sad fact is that vans are some of the worst polluters on the road and the manufacturers have made very little effort to change this situation. The primary reason that vans are bad for the environment is that there are currently no hybrids available. It is well established that hybrid technology is the best way that we currently have to improve fuel mileage. Better fuel mileage means less pollution. Unfortunately the manufacturers haven’t seen fit to put hybrid technology into the worst polluters, the vans.

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Silicon Nanotubules ups 10x Lithium Ion battery capacity, Graphene may help produce cheaper battery packs for EVs

By Paul | January 31, 2010

The Graphene Carbon LatticeScientists from the Stanford University and Hanyang University in South Korea discovered that using silicon nanotubules in place of the graphite electrodes used by current lithium ion batteries can help increase their capacity as much as ten times.

The researchers are collaborating with LG Chem in developing a silicon anode that can absorb more lithium during charging which in effect will increase its storage capacity. The batteries using these nanotubules are expected to hit the market in three years time.

The knowledge about silicon anodes having this property has been known for quite a while but they are improving on the technology to avoid faulty developments before which led to cracks on the lithium ion batteries when charged. The new design provides better spacing for the ions to interact resulting to less mechanical strain.

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ZENN Motors asks for government grant to build Electric Car Facility in the United States

By Paul | September 27, 2009

Canadian firm ZENN motors seeks grant from the DOE to construct a facility that will paved the way for the production of electric cars powered by EEStor’s barium-based batteries. ZENN has a 10% stake with EEStor, Inc.

The batteries have yet to be demonstrated to the public but EEStor promises that it will present the laboratory certification and produce a unit so the public can see this month. The information about the research has been tightly sealed with insiders for almost a decade now.

The barium-based Zenn Motors AmericaEESUs are said to have better power density and energy than the lithium ion batteries we know today. They are also cheaper to make and has lifetime functionality as claimed.

On the other side of the story, the proposal of ZENN Motors was coursed to the U.S. DOE through Zenn America, a subsidiary of the Canadian company. A multi-million dollar funding is being sought for to support research efforts and construction of a development facility for small electric cars.

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Ford, Tesla, Nissan receive $8 Billion loan from DOE for Production of Fuel Efficient Cars

By Paul | July 1, 2009

After eight months of careful evaluation, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the first recipients of the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program which was enacted last year. Nissan, Ford, and Tesla will be getting an $8 billion loan to develop technologies and vehicles which will be fuel efficient and eco-friendly.

Ford will get a bigger chunk of $5.9 billion from the fund. Nissan will be able to use $1.6 billion while Tesla has a share of $465 million.

DOE spent about 8 months sitting on the funds while deliberating which companies will make good use of the money approved for release by the Bush administration.

The car manufacturers who got the loan will be able to go full efforts on their hybrid and EV programs. Despite Ford and Nissan getting the bigger chunk, experts say that Tesla benefits most of the program. Tesla will be able to construct a new plant to help in the assembly of their Sedan Model S which is projected to be a big seller.

capitol hill

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Combo of Gasoline PFI and Ford E85 Direct Injection Boost System More Cost Effective than Modern Diesel

By Paul | May 28, 2009

A study conducted by Ford reveals that the use of their E85 boosting system for direct injection in combination with a gasoline PFI or port fuel injection is more efficient in its use of fuel and can be more cost effective than using a modern diesel.

The idea dates back to 2005 from MIT experts who suggested the use of E85 boosting to take advantage of the properties of ethanol and other alcohols with similar composition. Ethanol has excellent evaporative cooling effects when it interplays in the fuel air mixture when it enters the cylinder.

The concept will require a vehicle to have two fuel tanks and of course acceptance of the owner for a dual fueling concept.

The E85 concept resulting to suppressed knock can allow ecoboostcompression ratios to be increased and may permit higher boost for turbo or super charged engines. The technology will ultimately lead to downsizing of engines without sacrificing the performance of the vehicle.

The team from MIT developed an ethanol boosting system to commercialize their idea in 2006. They are now collaborating with the research and development team of Ford.

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Energy Generating Shock Absorbers Developed by MIT

By Paul | April 7, 2009

Gen ShockA team of talented MIT undergraduates came up with a hydraulic power-generating shock absorber that can reduce the vehicle’s fuel consumption by about 10%. Vehicle owners might one day thanks road imperfections with this new device.

The invention was spearheaded by MIT senior Shakeel Avadhany. Aside from the power regeneration features, these shock absorbers are also reported to perform better than conventional shocks.

The prototype for this invention is powered by a hydraulic system that pushes fuel up a turbine connected to a generator. This system is electronically controlled, making the ride smoother while generating enough power to recharge the mechanism’s batteries.

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