• Electric MINI Expected In US By Summer 2009

    Posted in Transport on July 23, 2008

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    At a recent presentation, MINI USA VP Jim McDowell clarified that there is no concrete news on the car’s US debut, except that will be in “regular customers hands” by the summer of 2009. Although he could not specify what type of battery that will be in the cars, he did say that MINI would make a further announcement later this year, probably at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Furthermore, it has not yet been finalized whether the cars will be leased or sold, or how many will be built.

  • Rubbish converted to fuel for cars will cause less pollution

    Posted in Alternative Energy on July 22, 2008

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    Ineos a British chemicals company seems to have found the answer to soaring fuel prices; an alternative fuel derived from rubbish. They have patented a method of producing fuel from municipal solid waste, agricultural waste and organic commercial waste. Apparently they can produce about 400 liters (90 gallons) of ethanol from one tone of dry waste. The procedure is thus: they heat the waste to produce gases, which is then fed to bacteria, who in turn produce ethanol that can be purified into a fuel. Ineos plans to sell the environmental product in industrial quantities by the end of 2010. Peter Williams, the chief executive of Ineos Bio, said: “This should mean that, unlike with other biofuels, we won’t have to make the choice between food and fuel.”

    Xeritown – A new Eco-Town announced in Dubai

    Posted in Architecture on July 18, 2008

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    Every six months or so a new city is announced in the city of Dubai, so in keeping with the times this time its another Eco city that is planned in the already popular list of new eco cities springing up. The Xeritown is planned for Dubailand. The 60-acre city is designed in a way that it will accommodate the elements of the desert rather than overcome them. The city follows a north-south axis to take advantage of the cool breeze coming in from the sea. The buildings, rather than artificial and water intense landscaping, provide shading and structure. Flat circles will hang over street walkways and photovoltaics will be placed on the circles to collect solar energy. A major aim of the project will also be to conserve ecological resources such as water, soil, flora, and fauna.

    The Parajet Skycar redefines flying a car

    Posted in Transport on July 17, 2008

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    They say that the Parajet Skycar will be the world’s first carbon neutral flying car. But what piques my interest is that a Skycar Expedition team plans to fly/drive/whatever the vehicle from London to Timbouctou in 2009. Using a combination of flight and driving to combat the Saharan terrain will cover the 3000 miles journey. A cross between a dune buggy and a paraglide, the Parajet Skycar is a unique vehicle. A biodiesel-modified Yamaha R1 1000cc motorcycle engine powers it. The motor runs through a Continuously Variable Transmission either to power the rear wheels or to turn a large rear-facing propeller via a belt drive. In the Fly Mode, it takes off from a field or airstrip in less than 200 meters. In this mode the latest ram-air wing suspends it. Since the vehicle has no pitch control it will not stall or dive. It has a take-off speed of 60 kmph, a top speed of 110 kmph and a range of 300 km. Cruising altitude will be 2000 to 3000 ft with a maximum altitude of 15,000 ft. In the event of engine failure, the pilot simply glides to the nearest field or strip of land. The car carries a passenger and a pilot.

    Honolulu to use sea water to cool buildings

    Posted in Architecture on July 16, 2008

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    The amount of energy it takes to cool buildings citywide is enormous, and such energy is usually obtained by burning up some precious resource. Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning (HSWAC) is set to change that as it is now going to cool down buildings with seawater, rather than using fossil fuel-based air conditioning units. Private investors have put up nearly $11 M, completing the funding effort for the $152 M project, with about half of the final funding coming from investors from Honolulu. The system will pump cool water, about 45° F, from 1,600 feet below the ocean waves. The water will travel through the pump system to an onshore station where it will cool fresh water that circulates in a closed loop through customers’ buildings in downtown Honolulu. Once the cold seawater has done its job, it is pumped back into the ocean at a shallower level, going through a diffuser to ensure proper mixing and dilution to the surrounding sea. Renewable Energy Innovations, LLC, pioneered the system in Sweden and have shown that it works quite well.

    The Eco-Home – At home under a wing shaped roof

    Posted in Architecture on July 16, 2008

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    The Eco-Home from designers at Diseño Earle is aiming to be the first ‘zero carbon’ footprint home in Andalucia, in Southern Spain. The team put two strict objectives in mind: (1) zero carbon footprint, and (2) reduce operating costs to almost a self-sufficiency level. The home huge covering 6995 Sq feet which will be built with 75% less waste than a traditional design and operate 80% more efficiently than a similar sized home. The most striking feature of the design is the wing shaped roof. Not only does the roof bury and embed the solar panels out of sight, but it’s at the right angle to capture and convert the sun’s rays into energy. In addition, the design calls for space between the roof and home so that less direct heat is absorbed by the home and air can pass over it, cooling the structure in the process.

    The most Eco-Friendly and cute letter opener

    Posted in Other Stuff on July 15, 2008


    Well, here is something on the lighter side. Save electricity and be entertained at the same time.
    Source

    Volkswagen developing the One-Litre car

    Posted in Transport on July 14, 2008

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    This car looks straight out of the movie Gattaca or a 1960’s retro machine; in fact it could be the answer to all our gas woes. Volkswagen is the latest company to join the 2010 alternate fuel car manufacturers list, with its One-Litre car. The tank holds just 1.4 gallons of diesel (6.5 litres) with the ability to cover 400miles nonstop; it holds two people one behind the other like a cockpit of a fighter jet. SO driving from London to Edinburgh without refueling and still have 70 miles worth of fuel to spare. At the average price of diesel of $11.95 a gallon, it would cost just $16.94 to fill up the One-Litre. The vehicle is shaped like a teardrop; it has tandem seats like a jet fighter with the passenger sitting behind the driver, a gull-wing door and sheathed wheels. Even its side mirrors have been thrown out, for the sake of aerodynamics in favor of on board cameras and LCDs to look behind. The car is offered in the default black shade, has a magnesium steering wheel to further reduce weight.

    Artificial Photosynthesis moves one step closer to reality

    Posted in Alternative Energy on July 14, 2008

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    Will we ever be able to see our energy being generated from the plants and trees that surround us? Photosynthetic organisms use the energy from light to break down water into oxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogen then reacts with carbon dioxide to help synthesize carbohydrates, the molecules organisms use to store energy. Photosynthesis falls into a class of reactions known as multiple electron systems. Nobody has succeeded in making artificial multiple electron systems that could provide the necessary energy for artificial photosynthesis. Existing systems can donate and receive only one electron at a time. Chemists have long tried in vain to reproduce the process in vain, but a group of researchers at the Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology in Qinhuangdao, China, have found that single-walled carbon nanotubes could act as the chemical heart of a multiple electron system.

    Zero X – The Zero emission totally green bike

    Posted in Transport on July 14, 2008

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    There is no greener transport than the humble bicycle, add a motor to that and make it battery powered and you get Zero X. The American-made Zero X weighs 140 pounds, which weighs in about 100 pounds lighter than a typical 250 cc dirt bike. The Zero X is so small and light that it feels more like a big, electric mountain bike; it can hit 30 mph in just two seconds. Speed of the Zero X may not be as important to some as its silence. A casual trail ride on a pair of these bikes where riders can not only hear the sounds of the wilderness around them, but also carry on a conversation as they ride is completely unimaginable on a conventional motorbike. The bike is designed with aluminum rails that are easily removable, 40-pound, lithium-manganese spinal battery pack as the power source, which is claimed as can recharge in 2 hours for 2 hours of driving or a 40-mile range, depending on conditions. The unit is fully recyclable and can be swapped for another one in a mere 30 seconds. The 58-volt, 2.2 kwh pack is a proprietary design with 168 cylindrical cells, each with its own heat sync for cooling. The pack itself costs around $3000 and is built to last about six years, or 600 full-depth charging cycles.