[Biofuel] ACEEE | The International Energy Efficiency Scorecard
http://aceee.org/portal/national-policy/international-scorecard [Key data is in the info-graphic which leads the on-line article.] Report at: http://aceee.org/node/3078?id=5204 (requires free registration to download). Germany is ranked as the most energy efficient nation of 16 industrialized countries in the list. Japan is 6th, Canada 9th, Australia 10th, and U.S. 13th. -- Darryl McMahon Project Manager, Common Assessment and Referral for Enhanced Support Services (CARESS) ___ Sustainablelorgbiofuel mailing list Sustainablelorgbiofuel@lists.sustainablelists.org http://lists.eruditium.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel
[Biofuel] Biodiesel question
Hi all Sorry I'm not around more (but I still read a lot at the list). I received this email: ... last night I found some discouraging information that suggests that modern diesel cars (from 2007 forward) will have problems with running B100 and furthermore that running B100 is discouraged by the major car manufacturers. I had hoped to run B100 in a 2015 Volkswagen Golf or Jetta, but now I'm concerned that I'll only be able to run B5 or B20 at best. Am I understanding this correctly? The answer, as I'm sure we all know, is that B100 can be used in ANY diesel, as long as it's top-quality biodiesel, which is easy to make as long as you follow the method correctly, and that car manufacturer discouragement or warrantees mean nothing unless the fault can be directly related to the fuel. What I don't know is this: Is there anything different about 2015 VWs? All best Keith ___ Sustainablelorgbiofuel mailing list Sustainablelorgbiofuel@lists.sustainablelists.org http://lists.eruditium.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel
[Biofuel] nanoFLOWCELL-Powered Quant e-Limo Approved For German Road Trials
http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1093341_nanoflowcell-powered-quant-e-limo-approved-for-german-road-trials#src=10065 [images and links in on-line article] [Well, so much for my prejudice that flow batteries are best suited for stationary applications. With a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 2.8 seconds, this electric limo isn't likely to be sitting still for long.] So many companies claim to have developed the future of road car propulsion that those making genuine strides run the risk of being ignored. Luckily, German firm Quant is avoiding such a fate, as its innovative 'flow-cell'-powered vehicle has just been approved for real-world testing by the German TÜV safety body. The Quant e-Sportlimousine was first revealed at the Geneva Motor Show back in March, powered by what the company called 'nanoFLOWCELL' technology. In essence, flow-cells combine characteristics of a traditional battery, and fuel cells. Electrolyte fluid is circulated around two cells mounted side-by-side. Between these cells is a membrane that allows electrons to pass through. The electrical current generated from this flow of electrons can be used to power a vehicle—and that's exactly how the e-Sportlimousine works. Quant says the car has a torque output of four times 2,900 newton-meters (2,138 lb-ft), and the car's acceleration figures certainly suggest there's plenty of power. 62 mph is swept away in 2.8 seconds, and the car will press on to over 217 mph. The company claims several advantages of its flow-cell technology, but among them is energy density. A flow-cell of equivalent weight to a lithium-ion battery has five times greater performance. With a 120 kilowatt-hour flow-cell, Quant claims a range of 372 miles or more. That seems par for the course when compared to the EPA-rated 265 miles of an 85 kWh Tesla Model S, but one assumes the e-Sportlimousine is a great deal lighter thanks to those flow cells, which are presumably smaller than the Tesla's batteries. Back in Geneva, the firm also suggested that its flow cells contain no harmful substances—in other words, the issue of the electric car battery's origins is also side-stepped. Quant doesn't just want to transform road-going vehicles though—it says the flow cell could have further application in domestic energy supplies, maritime, rail and aviation technology too. ___ Sustainablelorgbiofuel mailing list Sustainablelorgbiofuel@lists.sustainablelists.org http://lists.eruditium.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel
[Biofuel] Belle Fourche Pipeline: Corrosion caused leak that spilled 25, 000 gallons of oil in Wyoming
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/c1cafe083f3e416eb76dacce07628726/WY--Oil-Spill Belle Fourche Pipeline: Corrosion caused leak that spilled 25,000 gallons of oil in Wyoming By MEAD GRUVER Associated Press July 18, 2014 - 4:44 pm EDT CHEYENNE, Wyoming — The owner of a pipeline that sprung a leak and spilled 25,000 gallons of crude oil that flowed more than two miles down a gulley in the Powder River Basin said Friday that internal corrosion was to blame. It's pretty well been resolved, and we continue to monitor it. The cleanup and repairs went very well, said Bob Dundas, environmental coordinator for Casper-based Belle Fourche Pipeline. He declined to comment on the age of the 6-inch pipeline or whether the company is investigating any corrosion elsewhere in its system. Belle Fourche Pipeline is a subsidiary of the True Companies. The spill happened May 19 about 45 miles southeast of Buffalo and 35 miles southwest of Gillette. The oil crossed mostly federal Bureau of Land Management property, but it also crossed state-owned land in a region that has seen a significant increase in oil drilling over the past few years. A temporary dam stopped the oil just short of flowing onto private land. The oil remained a couple miles away from reaching the Powder River. Belle Fourche Pipeline workers burned the oil to clean it up. The Bureau of Land Management has been investigating the spill but as of Friday had not released findings. BLM Buffalo Field Office Manager Duane Spencer didn't return a message seeking an update on the investigation. Nobody was working in the area of the buried pipeline at the time of the leak. The oil didn't pose a threat to groundwater in the remote area, agency officials said. ___ Sustainablelorgbiofuel mailing list Sustainablelorgbiofuel@lists.sustainablelists.org http://lists.eruditium.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel
[Biofuel] Cleanup of a Hudson spill itself couild harm species - Environment - NorthJersey.com
http://www.northjersey.com/news/environment/even-the-cleanup-of-a-hudson-spill-could-hurt-species-group-sues-as-toxic-traffic-rises-1.1053696 Cleanup of a Hudson spill itself couild harm species July 18, 2014Last updated: Friday, July 18, 2014, 1:21 AM By JAMES M. O'NEILL STAFF WRITER The Record In the event of an oil spill on the Hudson River, the methods used to clean up the mess could pose as much harm to 17 endangered species that live there as the spill itself — something that federal agencies have failed to consider, an environmental group argued in a complaint filed Thursday. The suit, by the Center for Biological Diversity, was prompted by the dramatic increase in shipments of crude oil by barge and rail along the Hudson from Albany to refineries in New Jersey, and the increased possibility for an oil spill to occur, said Mollie Matteson, a senior scientist with the center. The suit claims that the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard should have conducted a formal consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service about the endangered species that could be affected by an oil spill on the river. The lawsuit identifies 17 federally protected endangered species — including the Atlantic sturgeon, roseate tern, piping plover and sea turtles — that are threatened by the increased risk of oil spills as well as cleanup measures. Sometimes the spill response can be harmful, as we saw with the use of oil dispersement chemicals after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, Matteson said. Certain cleanup methods may actually do more harm than good. In the past year and a half, barge shipments of crude oil down the Hudson have tripled to as much as 25 million gallons a week. At the same time, trains carrying millions of gallons of the highly combustible crude now travel from Albany down along the Hudson and through heavily populated communities of Bergen County on their way to refineries, often in tankers that don't comply with modern standards. North Dakota The crude comes from North Dakota's Bakken region, where a large reserve was discovered six years ago. The oil gets shipped by rail to Albany, N.Y., then continues down through the Hudson Valley, either by rail or river barge. Coast Guard spokesman Charles Rowe said the Coast Guard does not comment on pending litigation. But he said the Coast Guard reviews its 900-page Area Contingency Plan for the Hudson region every three years to account for changes in traffic patterns and use, and the agency is conducting that review this year. During that process, the Coast Guard relies on Fish and Wildlife and the Marine Fisheries Service for the most current information on endangered species and their location, Rowe said. He said that when choosing a cleanup method for an oil spill, one of the many factors the Coast Guard takes into consideration is the impact of the cleanup on endangered species. An EPA spokeswoman said the agency is reviewing the environmental group's complaint, which was filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. ___ Sustainablelorgbiofuel mailing list Sustainablelorgbiofuel@lists.sustainablelists.org http://lists.eruditium.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel
