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Researchers Identify New Pathway for Methane Production in the Oceans
Researchers from the University of Hawai?i at Mânoa and MIT have identified a new pathway for methane production in the oceans, suggesting that aerobic decomposition of methylphosphonate, an organic, phosphorus-containing compound, may be responsible for the supersaturation of methane in ocean...
Reported US Sales of Hybrids Down 27% in June; Share of New Vehicle Sales Down to 2.1%
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| Reported hybrid sales by monthly volume. Click to enlarge. |
Reported US sales of hybrids took a 27% dive in June 2008 to 24,917 units from 34,300 units in June 2007 as Toyota continued to struggle with limited availability of the Prius. The Prius sold 11,765 units in June 2008, down 34% from June...
Simple New Energy Converter Could Address Cost Issues for Wave Power
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| Simulation of an Anaconda device in the sea. Click to enlarge. |
Engineers at the University of Southampton (UK) are embarking on a program of large-scale laboratory experiments and mathematical studies to try to advance the development of a simple wave energy converter concept that promises...
China Creates Group to Coordinate Development of Advanced High-Speed Rail
Xinhua. China has set up an interagency coordination group to enhance its ability to develop an advanced high-speed rail system.
The group will coordinate planning, research and development, industrial manufacturing and equipment upgrades, with a special focus on clearing technological obstacles to...
EMP To Supply Electrified Cooling Systems for Buses to New Flyer; Fuel Economy Improvement Up to 10%
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| The mini-Hybrid cooling system. Click to enlarge. |
Engineered Machined Products Inc. (EMP) will supply its electrified cooling systems to bus maker New Flyer Industries Inc. for use on municipal transit buses. The modular, fully customizable kit replaces the conventional cooling system on...
Chrysler Exploring Ties with Great Wall Motor
Chrysler LLC and China’s Great Wall Motor Co signed a memorandum of understanding to explore long-term business ties in various areas including distribution, components and technology.
Chrysler currently sells 12 models in China, up from only two offered in 2004, according to Phil Murtaugh,...
Study: Stronger Short-Term Goals Are Needed in Climate Change Policy Because of the Likely Pace of Policy Change
Long-term climate change policy in the US and abroad is likely to change very slowly, according to a study published by an MIT researcher in Decision Analysis, a journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). With that conclusion, author Dr. Mort Webster...
Japan New-Auto Sales Drop To 25-Year Low In 1H2008
Nikkei. New-car sales in Japan dropped 2% in the first six months of 2008 to 2.78 million units, down for a third straight year and dropping to the lowest level since 1983.
Registered-vehicle sales, which covers autos with engines over 660cc—i.e., not mini-vehicles—declined 0.9% to 1.77...
Smith Electric Vehicles to Retrench, Revise Planned Expansion to US
Based on supply chain and cost issues, the UK-based Tanfield Group is retrenching its Smith Electric Vehicles (SEV) business. In a trading update published 1 July, in advance of its interim results, the Tanfield Group said that its Directors have made ?two key strategic decisions? based on several...
Rotrex Develops Electrically-Driven Fully Variable Supercharger
Rotrex has developed an electrically-driven fully variable supercharger for automotive and transportation markets. In addition to its first application on a fuel cell hybrid, the product is also targeted for mild- and full-hybrid systems.
Due to the design of the Rotrex traction drive which can...
Joint Genome Institute to Tackle 44 Sequencing Projects in 2009, Focused on Bioenergy and Environmental Applications
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| Botryococcus braunii, subject of one of the sequencing projects, is a microalga that produces long-chain hydrocarbons. Source: NIES |
The US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) will initiate 44 new DNA sequencing projects in 2009, with continued focus on the JGI?s mission...
Study Finds Fuel Economy of Gasoline-Electric Hybrid Buses Lower Than That of Conventional Diesel
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| The gasoline hybrids exhibited an average 4.3% lower fuel economy over the 24-month evaluation period than the conventional diesel buses. Click to enlarge. |
A two-year evaluation (July 2005 through June 2007) of gasoline-electric series hybrid buses in operation with Long Beach Transit (Long...
BC Carbon Tax Pushes Gas Prices Up to Record
Times Colonist. With British Columbia, Canada?s new carbon tax now in effect, gasoline prices in the province have climbed to a record high. The tax imposes a C$0.024/liter (US$0.09/gallon) carbon levy on fuel; prices for regular gasoline in the Greater Victoria area settled yesterday at...
Maxwell Heavy-Duty Transport Ultracap Modules for Electric Buses in Milan
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| The HTM125 125V heavy-duty transportation module. |
Vossloh Kiepe GmbH, a producer of heavy vehicle drive systems, has selected Maxwell?s 125-volt BOOSTCAP ultracapacitor modules for braking energy recuperation and torque assist in electric buses it is producing in collaboration with Van Hool NV...
Report: VW To Relaunch One-Liter Car As a Mild Hybrid With Two-Cylinder Diesel Engine
CAR Magazine reports that VW will re-introduce its one-liter car with a two-cylinder engine. VW, which had cancelled the project in 2005, confirmed last fall that it would resurrect the project and have it in limited production by 2010. The name comes from the design point of consuming 1 liter of...
Sasol Expects to Beat Design Capacity at Oryx GTL
Reuters. Sasol expects actual output to exceed the design capacity at the Oryx gas-to-liquids (GTL) joint venture plant in Qatar. The plant is designed to produce 34,000 barrels per day of liquid hydrocarbons (primarily synthetic diesel) from about 330-million cubic feet per day of natural gas from...
Total US LDV Sales Down 18.2% by Volume in June 2008; Down 10.1% For First Six Months
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| Car sales have exceeded those of trucks for four months running. Click to enlarge. |
Light duty vehicle sales in the US dropped 18.2% by volume in June 2008 compared to June 2007, to a total of 1,185,435 units, according to data from Ward?s Auto. On an adjusted day sales rate (DSR) basis, the drop...
ConocoPhillips to Collaborate with C2B2 on Biofuels; Algae Project First
ConocoPhillips signed a $5 million, multi-year sponsored research agreement with the Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels (C2B2) (earlier post), a research center of the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory, to develop new ways to convert biomass into low-carbon transportation fuels. The...
Integrated Fuel Technologies Licenses Argonne-developed Diesel DeNOx Catalyst; 95-100% NOx Reduction
A new, patented catalyst developed by scientists at the US Department of Energy?s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory that can reliably and economically reduce between 95 and 100% of NOx emissions from diesel-fueled engines has been licensed to Integrated Fuel Technologies, Inc. (IFT), a start-up...
Diversified Energy Demonstrates Glycerol Combustion System
Diversified Energy Corporation has successfully demonstrated a glycerol combustion system for which it holds an exclusive worldwide license from the developer, North Carolina State University. The system efficiently burns the glycerol byproduct generated during the manufacture of biodiesel; energy...
Occidental to Develop Major New Permian Basin CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery Project
Occidental Petroleum Corporation and SandRidge Energy will develop a $1.1 billion West Texas hydrocarbon gas processing plant and related pipeline infrastructure that will provide carbon dioxide (CO2) for use in Oxy?s enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects. The new CO2 resources are expected to...
IEA: Despite Some Weakening Demand, Oil Market Will Remain Tight Over the Medium Term
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| Distillates (jet fuel, kerosene, diesel and other gasoil) will remain the main growth drivers of world oil demand, followed by LPG and naphtha (mostly used as petrochemical feedstocks) and gasoline. Click to enlarge. |
Despite a weakening in demand in the OECD due to weaker economic growth...
Toyota Outlines Technology Strategy for Alternative Powertrains: Right Vehicle, Right Place, Right Time
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| Toyota says it is pursuing all of these energy and powertrain pathways. The brick walls in the diagram represent barriers to be overcome. Click to enlarge. |
In a presentation at the recent Toyota Environmental Forum held in June in Japan, Masatami Takimoto, Executive Vice President, outlined the...
Survey: UK Public Concerned But Unconvinced About Climate Change
A new survey by Ipsos MORI in the UK finds that the public is concerned about climate change but ?far from convinced about the science or the Government?s green agenda.? A majority are concerned?30% ?very concerned? and 47% ?fairly concerned??while 14% are ?not very concerned? and 9% are ?not at...
Syntec Biofuel Ups Yield of Cellulosic Alcohols to 110 Gallons/Ton of Biomass
Syntec Biofuel Inc. has, over the past 30 days, consistently achieved more than 110 gallons of alcohols (ethanol, methanol, n-butanol and n-propanol) per ton (US) of biomass. In February, the company reported a yield of 105 gallons per ton of biomass. (Earlier post.) The company?s target, announced...
US Corn Harvest Could Be Second Highest Since 1944 Despite Floods and Cool Spring
Despite the ravaging floods in the Midwest and cool temperatures in March and April, the US corn planted acreage of 87.3 million acres is the second highest since 1946, behind last year?s total of 93.6 million acres, according to the 30 June acreage report issued by the US Department of...
ASTM Approves New Biodiesel Blend Specifications, Including B20
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| The new B6-B20 biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester) blends will have a blue label at the pump to distinguish the fuel from others. B100 will have its own blue label. Click to enlarge. |
The ASTM International D02 Main Committee approved a trio of ASTM specifications for biodiesel blends after more...
Azure Dynamics Signs First Dealer for E450 Hybrid
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| The hybrid E450 Cutaway and Strip Chassis drive system. Click to enlarge. |
Azure Dynamics Corporation has signed up its first dealer, Palmetto Truck Center, for the Balance Hybrid Electric E450 commercial vehicle. Azure Dynamics entered an agreement with Ford Motor Company in 2006 enabling Azure...
Chrysler Reduces Production Due to Dropping Minivan and Truck Sales
In response to larger economic conditions and dropping sales, Chrysler LLC announced that it will indefinitely idle the St. Louis South Assembly Plant effective 31 October 2008 due to volume declines in the total minivan vehicle segment.
The South Assembly Plant produces the Dodge Grand Caravan and...
W2 Energy Forms Biodiesel Subsidiary
W2 Energy Inc., the developer of a GAT (Gliding Arc Tornado) plasma reactor for gasification for power and fuels generation (earlier post), has formed a subsidiary to build and operate biodiesel plants throughout North America. The new plants will use magnetic pulse cavitation technology to produce...