Saturday, July 12, 2008

Car Fuel And Fuel Cells

Fuel tanks corrode and debris accumulates inside over the years, this can clog the fuel filter much faster than on newer cars. Fuel cells are up to 80% efficient. They will get two or three times more energy out of hydrogen, than will a modified car engine.Fuel System Icing Inhibitors (Anti-icing additives) reduce the freezing point of water precipitated from jet fuels due to cooling at high altitudes and prevent the formation of ice crystals which restrict the flow of fuel to the engine. This type of additive does not affect the freezing point of the fuel itself. Fuel cells are a promising means of producing energy in the future. Some fuel cells, such as this one, do not consume fossil fuels and therefore are considered environmentally friendly. Fuel cell recharge time is short. Recharging a fuel cell only requires squirting in more fuel or putting in a new fuel cartridge.Fuel pressure - manifold pressure will give you the pressure differential used to calculate injector flow for a given injector. This will through off any car, but will render this project COMPLETELY useless on forced induction car. Fuel includes gas, coal, oil, nuclear, wood, and other materials. As one kilogram of these materials produces a different amount of energy, more useful comparisons can be drawn by comparing power. Fuel Cell 2008 is the fifth annual conference designed for organizations interested in learning more about and applying fuel cell technology. The conference provides an interactive forum for OEMs, designers, engineers and integrators to discuss the latest advancements in the industry.Fuel Safes on-going commitment to quality and service is number one. Our on-going research and development is constantly discovering new and improved ways to make our products stronger, lighter and safer. Fuel costs were up 20% for Southwest in the first quarter whereas American said its fuel costs were up nearly 50%, which wiped out profit for the nation's largest airline. On average, Southwest paid about $1.98 for a gallon while American, which hedged about 27% of its fuel use, paid $2.74 a gallon.Fuel pumps can get hot before they die. Porsche recommends using Chevron fuel injector cleaner with Techron as a preventative maintenance on the fuel system; this will help keep the fuel injection components from clogging up, and keep them lubricated. Fuel had already laid down the instrumental tracks for their fourth album and soon started auditioning singers so the band could move forward. The single shot up to the Top 10 download list on iTunes and stayed there for a number of days. Fuels such as turpentine, alcohol, aniline, and ammonia use nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and liquid oxygen as oxidizers. More power can be obtained by oxidizing hydrazine, diborane, or hydrogen with oxygen, ozone, or fluorine.Fuel cells do get hot though, so the water comes out of the fuel cells as water vapor, or steam. Fuel use of Class 8 trucks, at 18 billion gallons per year, far exceeds that of commercial trucks in any other weight class. Class 6 and Class 2b use the next largest amount of fuel, but both are well under 4 billion gallons per year. Fuel have also enlisted ex-Godsmack drummer Tommy Stewart, who had previously filled in for a handful of live shows after former drummer Kevin Miller left. Their first album was out around the same time as the first Godsmack record.Fuel cells operate silently, so they reduce noise pollution as well as air pollution and the waste heat from a fuel cell can be used to provide hot water or space heating for a home or office.

Author: Alisha Dhamani

Monday, July 7, 2008

Why Has There not Been Larger Push to Use Natural Gas Vehicles?

In the U.S. there are about 1500 natural gas stations nationwide, which are mostly in the West and are used by the federal and state government fleets, which are required by law to use certain amounts of alternative fuels. By contrast, Germany alone has nearly 800 natural gas stations. Even tiny Macedonia at the south-east of Europe has more than 200 natural gas stations.In European Union, there are roughly 1.000.000 natural-gas-powered vehicles - about 10 percent of the world's total and at least six times the number in the United States. Almost 40 percent are in Italy.Almost every automaker in Europe offer at least one natural gas model. Almost every big automaker in Europe offer at least one natural gas model.Volkswagen unveiled a natural gas Passat this year at the Geneva Motor Show, earlier this month Mercedes-Benz has launched a CNG version of its subcompact B-Class. Since 2001, Opel, GM’s European brand, has sold more than 42,000 natural-gas-powered models in Europe. Opel is currently selling two CNG cars in Germany, the Meriva and the Opel Combi.In the United States, use of natural-gas-powered vehicles is limited mostly to commercial and municipal fleets.Honda Civic GX, which start at $24.590 and gets 28 mpg combined, is the only natural-gas-powered car offered by a major automaker. Honda sold 459 natural-gas-powered Civics in those states last year in California and New York, the states with most fueling stations.The Environmental Protection Agency estimates this car has an annual fuel cost of $884 vs. $1,754 for a conventional Civic Sedan starting at $15,010. Additionally, the federal government already offers a $4,000 credit for CNG vehicles.Natural gas is one of the cleanest burning alternative fuels available and offers a number of advantages over gasoline. Air exhaust emissions from natural gas vehicles are much lower than those from gasoline-powered vehicles. In addition, smog-producing gases, such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, are reduced by more than 90% and 60%, respectively and carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is reduced by 30%-40%.Natural gas can either be stored onboard a vehicle as compressed natural gas (CNG) at 3,000 or 3,600 psi or as liquefied natural gas (LNG) at typically 20-150 psi.As gasoline prices averages near $4 a gallon nationwide and diesel is already above that level with $4.8 a gallon, the equivalent of a gallon of natural gas averages about $1.65.With soaring oil and gas prices, ultimately, America needs to move entire fleet alternative energy sources.It’s obvious that natural gas is clear choice.

Author: Baki Krivevski

Alternative Fuel Vehicles And Biodiesel

If it's a diesel, it's an alt fuel vehicle by default. Biodiesel blends can be used in any diesel engine; however, it's important to use the blends in accordance with the manufacturers specs. With more and more clean diesels coming on line, keep your eyes peeled for those ULSD pumps too. With fueling stations in all 50 states, it's getting easier and easier for diesels to go cleaner and greener.Biodiesel is a non-toxic and biodegradable fuel that is made from vegetable oils, waste cooking oil, animal fats or tall oil (a by-product from pulp and paper processing). Biodiesel is produced from these feedstocks through a process called transesterification, by reacting the oil with an alcohol (usually methanol, although ethanol can also be used) and a catalyst (such as sodium hydroxide). The resulting chemical reaction produces glycerine and an ester called biodiesel. The majority of biodiesel is produced by this method.Compared with conventional diesel, biodiesel combusts better with a higher cetane rating and produces fewer life cycle greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) which contribute to climate change.Biodiesel blends, a mixture of petroleum diesel and biodiesel, can be used in any diesel engine. As biodiesel can be blended with diesel in any concentration, the blend level depends on economics, availability, the desired emissions level, material compatibility and combustion characteristics.An increasing number of Original Equipment Manufacturers are endorsing the use of lower biodiesel blends, e.g, 5% in their engines. Some manufacturers now extend warranty coverage for new diesel powered vehicles to use lower blends of biodiesel, provided the fuel meets applicable standards. Some manufacturers also provide vehicles pre-filled with biodiesel blends.In colder climates, biodiesel tends to lose viscosity, particularly at higher blend levels. To counter this effect, changes to the feedstock source or additives may be needed to address the cold flow properties of this fuel. Research and testing is underway to reduce biodiesel production costs and address cold weather problems.Biodiesel is considerably less flammable than petroleum diesel, which burns at 50 C (120 F). Pure biodiesel (B-100) does not ignite until 150 C (300 F). The flashpoint (the temperature at which it will ignite when exposed to a spark or flame) of a biodiesel blend falls somewhere between these temperatures, depending on the mixture.Because biodiesel is a mild solvent it is important to wipe up spills and dispose of rags safely. Biodiesel may deface some paints if left on painted surfaces for a long time.Hybrids are vehicles of mixed composition basically, an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. Commonly powered by a gasoline engine that generates its own electricity and stores it in an onboard battery, hybrids are a popular choice for awesome fuel economy and squeaky clean emissions.Pure electrics offer zero emissions and plug directly into a standard AC outlet--while their range is limited, there are a selection of good choices available.If it's a flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) it can subsist on a diet of E85, gasoline or any percentage of the two. E85 is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, and burns cleaner than gasoline, contributing fewer greenhouse gas emissions.One of the cleanest burning fuels, natural gas is a common retrofit and fleet alternative fuel.Although there are over 5 million vehicles worldwide powered by natural and compressed gas, in the United States there's currently only one production vehicle available that comes ready to fuel up at any CNG station--but that's not the only way to power up with CNG.Also known as liquefied propane gas (LPG), propane powers over 10 million vehicles worldwide, with 270,000 of them on the roadways of America. Find out if it's the fuel of choice for your set of wheels.There are basically two ways to use hydrogen to power a vehicle burning it in an engine or using it as an energy carrier for a fuel cell. While hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are in various states of development, there are a few that have actually hit the roads.

Author: Alisha Dhamani