ENERGIES... week of September 16, 2001
HAIL THE TAXI. Except in major cities, the U.S. has largely ignored
the taxicab as part of its transportation system. Yet with some
improvements to the vehicles themselves, more sophisticated, reliable
and customer friendly service, taxis could become an energy-efficient
substitute for the individually owned automobile.
By next spring, at least in parts of the U.K., customers waiting on
a street corner will be able to hail the nearest available taxicab from
their cell phone. This major improvement to taxi service has been
announced by Manganese Bronze, the maker of the famed London Taxi. The
technology identifies the location of the customer's cell phone and
connects it to nearest cab for hire. Customers will pay a fee for the
service. If proven successful, which seems likely, this technology could
readily be exported around the world.
In general, fleet operators seem more interested in energy-saving,
cost-cutting technologies than individual vehicle buyers. Better service
could draw new customers to taxis. Better fuel efficiency would increase
taxi operator's bottom line. Visit Manganese Bronze at
http://www.manganese.com/ , London Taxi at
http://www.london-taxis.co.uk/ .
INVESTMENT GOES ON. Companies that plan to be in business decades
from now will look beyond possible military conflict and certain
economic distress resulting from of the events of September 11. Ballard
Power Systems has announced its largest single order ever for fuel
cells. For $22 million, Ford Motor Company will purchase an unspecified
number of Ballard's Mark 900 series fuel cell power modules along with
related engineering and support services.
Ford is bent on offering fuel cell vehicles commercially by 2004,
but hasn't been specific as to what kind of vehicles will be offered,
how many will be built, and who their customers will be. Stay tuned.
Visit Ballard at http://www.ballard.com/ .
REMOTE POWER. Electricity in remote parts of the world can be
extraordinarily expensive. For the 50 residents of Lime Village, Alaska
power costs have averaged 85 cents per kilowatt hour - until now. A new
hybrid solar/diesel power project for the town 200 miles from Anchorage
is bringing that cost down.
The Alaskan Energy Authority (AEA), BP, McGrath Power and Light
along with the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development and
Energy have installed the system that includes 106 solar panels from BP
Solar and a smaller diesel generator than previously used. The hybrid
system is expected to cut diesel use by 30 percent. Each solar panel
should displace about 10 gallons of diesel fuel per year. Diesel has to
be flown into the community and has been costing up to $4 per gallon.
The project is for demonstration purposes and if successful could be
duplicated in other remote Alaskan villages, and elsewhere. Visit AEA at
http://www.aidea.org/aeapress.htm
GREENER COAL? Seemingly endless supplies of coal will be a
temptation as a source of cheap energy for some time to come. It's a
good idea to keep informed about technologies now being developed to
make coal use more palatable.
Standard Alcohol is in the process of commercializing its Envirocoal
(tm) product as a fuel for power plants. Envirocoal is a version of the
company's alcohol-based Envirolene(tm) but has finely ground coal
suspended in the liquid fuel. The fuel is easily transported by
pipeline.
Dakota Gasification has applied for $5 million in aid from the state
of North Dakota for research funding to study the commercial viability
of using bacteria to convert lignite coal into ethanol. Apparently the
process has been under study for years at the Energy and Environmental
Research Center at the University of North Dakota.
Ethanol derived from this process would not be considered a
renewable energy source since the feed stock is not. Combustion of the
ethanol fuel, however, would be preferable to burning lignite coal
directly. Visit Standard Alcohol at http://www.standardalcohol.com/ and
Dakota Gasification at http://www.dakotagas.com/ .
MOTORS FOR THE FUTURE. Siemens Research Center has announced the
successful start up of the first electric motor in Europe to incorporate
high-temperature superconducting windings.
Electric resistance in wires, which make up windings, virtually
disappears when using superconducting materials for those wires.
Previously those materials had to operate at minus 273 Celsius to create
the superconducting effect. Siemens' new technology operates at minus
190 degrees Celsius - relatively warm.
The motor, which can also operate as a generator, reaches a
continuous output of 400 kilowatts in both motor and generator modes -
more than twice that of a similarly sized conventional motor. The device
can also operate at very high rotational speeds and could be connected
directly to a gas turbine without the use of a reduction gear box.
Turbines can operate at speeds up to 100,000 revolutions per minute.
Aside from power generation applications, as a propulsion motor it could
be used in ships where weight, fuel and space saving are necessary.
Visit Siemens Innovation news at http://www.siemens.com/innovationnews .
WORLD WIND WATCH. World Wide Wind, a Danish renewable energy
company, is seeking funding for an offshore wind project valued at $98
million. The project, to be built in the Baltic Sea north of Gdansk,
should have the first turbines in operation by 2003 or perhaps 2004.
World Wide Wind apparently is having difficulty finding engineering
partners for the project, which may lead to its delay. Visit World Wide
Wind at http://www.worldwidewind.com .
Send ENERGIES to a friend or colleague. Visit Green Energy News on
the Web at http://www.nrglink.com/ . For free ENERGIES subscription
contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Copyright Green Energy News Inc. 9/22/01
vol.6 no.25
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