TU Delft Researchers Demonstrate Bioabatement of Toxic Fermentation Inhibitors in Biomass Hydrolysates Using Engineered Bacterium; Potential to Enhance Cost-Effectiveness of Cellulosic Fuels and Chemicals
11 March 2010
Researchers from TU Delft have demonstrated the ability of a newly-engineered bacterium to support the in situ breakdown of toxic fermentation inhibitors in lignocellulosic hydrolysates produced when sugars are released from biomass for subsequent fermentation.
Fermentable sugars can be released from lignocellulosic biomass by a range of pretreatment and hydrolysis
procedures. A major drawback, however, is the formation of toxic by-products that inhibit fermentation such as organic acids, phenolic compounds, and furan derivatives. Among these inhibitors, 5-(hydroxymethyl) furfural (HMF) and furfural are specifically notorious, according to the researchers.
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FEV to Exhibit New 7H-AMT Electrically Assisted Transmission at SAE World Congress; Functionality for Hybrid or All-Electric Driving
11 March 2010
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| Cutaway of the 7H-AMT. Click to enlarge. |
FEV, Inc. will show its internally developed 7-speed hybrid automated manual transmission (7H-AMT) at the upcoming 2010 SAE World Congress, 13-15 April 2010 in Detroit. The 7H-AMT is designed specifically for transverse installation, paving the way for wider use of more fuel efficient transmissions in smaller vehicles.
The 7-speed hybrid transmission is equipped with an electric motor designed to eliminate torque interruption, a major disadvantage of automated manual transmissions (AMT) usually found in smaller vehicles where shift comfort does not play a key role. Torque interruption can be eliminated due to the transmission’s configuration which provides two independent torque paths, one for the combustion engine (CE) and one for the electric motor (EM). During CE gear shifts, the EM fills the torque gap that would usually occur in a conventional AMT.
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NYSERDA Commits $8M to Develop and Commercialize 19 New York Battery and Energy-Storage Technology Projects
11 March 2010
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will award $8 million to help develop or commercialize 19 advanced energy storage projects. The awards are being made to companies and universities across New York that are involved in advanced research and development of energy storage applications that could benefit transportation, utility Smart Grid applications, renewable energy technologies, and other industries.
Francis J. Murray, Jr., NYSERDA president and CEO made the announcement at a meeting of the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology (NY-BEST), a consortium created by Governor David Paterson to support New York’s energy storage industry. The 19 projects, which include two lithium-air efforts, will leverage $7.3 million in cost-sharing by recipients for a total of $15.3 million in funding.
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Valeo To Put 2/3 of its Advanced Research Investment Toward Solutions for Reducing CO2 Emissions; Lower CO2 Technologies to Represent More Than 1/3 of Sales by 2020
10 March 2010
During an investor day organized in Paris, Valeo presented its new strategic plan focused on CO2 emissions reduction as well as medium-term financial objectives that include higher organic growth; being a major player in the consolidation of the sector; re-organization around four business groups; and a return on capital employed (ROCE) objective of around 30% in 2013, to be among the best in the industry.
As part of the new plan, Valeo will devote two-thirds of its advanced research investment to developing technology solutions for downsized internal combustion engines and for hybrid and electric vehicles. Another key focus point is reduced component weight and energy consumption. Valeo expects to double its sales for technologies linked to CO2 emissions reduction to €1 billion (US$1.4 billion) by 2013 (10% of total sales) and then to boost that to more than €5 billion (US$6.8 billion) in 2020 (more than one-third of total sales).
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UNECE Adopts Type Approval for Electric and Hybrid Vehicles’ Electric Safety Requirements; Applies in 41 Countries
10 March 2010
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| Generic format of the approval mark pursuant to Regulation No. 100. “1” is replaced by the distinguishing number of the country which has granted/extended/refused/withdrawn
approval. The first two digits of the approval number (01) indicate that the approval was
granted in accordance with the requirements of Regulation No. 100 as amended by 01 series of
amendments. Click to enlarge. |
The World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations has adopted a new version of UNECE Regulation No. 100 which introduces type approval requirements for all types of electric and hybrid vehicles’ electric safety requirements. The new version of the regulation offers car manufacturers the legal instrument to put into the market passenger and commercial vehicles with greener standards, reducing the costs and delays associated with multiple approvals in various countries.
Type approval refers to the administrative procedure by which the competent authorities in one Contracting Party declare, after carrying out the required verifications and tests, that a vehicle submitted by the manufacturer conforms to the requirements of the given Regulation. Once this approval has been obtained, the vehicle will benefit from the mutual recognition of this approval in all Contracting Parties applying UNECE Regulation No. 100—currently 41 countries.
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Kuwait Researchers Forecast Global Conventional Crude Oil Production Will Peak in 2014; New Multicyclic Hubbert Model
10 March 2010
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| World crude oil production model. Credit: ACS, Nashawi et al. Click to enlarge. |
Scientists from Kuwait University and Kuwait Oil Company are forecasting that world conventional crude oil production will peak in 2014—almost a decade earlier than some other predictions. Their study is in published the ACS journal Energy & Fuels.
Ibrahim Nashawi and colleagues point out that rapid growth in global oil consumption has sparked a growing interest in predicting “peak oil”—the point at which oil production reaches a maximum and then declines. Scientists have developed several models to forecast this point, and some put the date at 2020 or later. The Hubbert forecast model—one of the most famous—accurately predicted that oil production would peak in the United States in 1970. The model has since gained in popularity and has been used to forecast oil production worldwide. However, recent studies show that the model is insufficient to account for more complex oil production cycles of some countries. Those cycles can be heavily influenced by technology changes, politics, and other factors, the scientists say.
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Ecomotors Says Its OPOC Engine Could Deliver About 45% Greater Fuel Efficiency in a Class 8 Truck And With Tier 2 Bin 5 Emissions
10 March 2010
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| The EM100 base module showcased at the ARPA-E summit. Click to enlarge. |
EcoMotors International, a Khosla-funded startup working to commercialize an opoc (opposed-piston, opposed-cylinder) engine family (earlier post), showcased its EM100 (100mm cylinder bore) base module implementation at the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit in Washington DC last week.
With a two-module application configured at the appropriate power level (to deliver a combined 480 hp), the opoc unit could deliver about 45% better fuel efficiency compared to a conventional heavy-duty diesel engine in a Class 8 truck, the company suggests, while delivering emissions at the US Tier 2 Bin 5 level (the 50-state level in the US for diesel light duty vehicles).
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Building Better Batteries: NanoeXa Uses Quantum Simulation Software to Deliver Advanced Lithium-Ion Battery Materials
10 March 2010
NanoeXa, a designer and manufacturer of advanced Lithium-ion battery materials for a range of applications, is using its Quantum Simulation Software (QSS)—based on a quantum-simulated database of materials including structures and properties, and a simulation engine—rapidly to identify and then to deliver improved lithium-ion battery materials.
NanoeXa has licensed key materials technologies from Argonne National Lab (earlier post), and develops enhanced and more affordable battery materials using the QSS system. The company can reference design large-capacity battery cells in Japan, and produce commercial volume materials from its facility in Taiwan. The Quantum Simulation-based Battery Materials Database and Design Engine(NxQSBM) is also commercialized and available to selected customers and strategic development partners.
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KAIST Introduces “Online Electric Vehicle” With Inductive Charging for Amusement Park
10 March 2010
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| KAIST’s operational OLEV. Click to enlarge. |
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has developed and deployed a prototype implementation of its online electric vehicle (OLEV) technology that picks up electricity from power cables buried underground through a non-contact magnetic charging method. The OLEV demonstrator developed by KAIST replaces a trackless combustion-engine train running inside Seoul Grand Park.
KAIST called the non-contact charging of vehicles while running, idling, or parking an important and practical technology necessary for the development of commercialized electric vehicles.
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Draft of EPA Greenhouse Gas Inventory Shows Overall GHG Emissions Down By 2.9% in 2008; Transportation Emissions Down 5.7% in Largest Annual Change Recorded Since 1990
9 March 2010
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| CO2 emissions from the US transport sector, 1990-2008. Data: EPA. Click to enlarge. |
The draft report of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s annual Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2008 shows that in 2008, overall greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions decreased by 2.9% (206.1 Tg CO2 Eq). This report attributes the downward trend primarily to the decrease in demand for transportation fuels associated with the record high costs of these fuels that occurred in 2008.
CO2 emissions from the transportation sector dropped 5.7% to 1,785.3 Tg CO2 in 2008 from 1,893.8 Tg CO2 the year before—the largest annual change in either absolute or percentage terms recorded between 1990 and 2008.
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Ford Rolls Out New Powertrain Lineup for Europe
9 March 2010
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| The 1.6L EcoBoost gasoline engine. Click to enlarge. |
Ford is infusing its European product range with new generations of more efficient gasoline and diesel engines, led by the introduction of two 4-cylinder Ford EcoBoost gasoline units. Developed by Ford engineers based in Europe, the 4-cylinder EcoBoost engines combine high-pressure direct injection, advanced turbocharging and twin variable valve timing to maximize combustion efficiency. The 4-cylinder Ford EcoBoost engines are available as either a 1.6-liter engine with outputs of 150 PS (148 hp, 110 kW) and 180 PS (178 hp, 132 kW), or a 2.0-liter engine for applications of 200 PS (197 hp, 147 kW) and above. (Earlier post.)
The 1.6-liter Ford EcoBoost will be launched in the all-new C-MAX and Grand C-MAX models in late 2010, followed by the next-generation Focus in early 2011. A 2.0-liter engine with 203 PS (200 hp, 149 kW) is being launched in the latest 2010 S-MAX, Galaxy and Mondeo models, which are now in production at Ford’s Genk plant in Belgium. Ford EcoBoost engines are a central element in the company’s global powertrain strategy, with annual sales expected to exceed 1.3 million units by 2013.
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