GM to have fuel cell in produce by 2015

General Motors Co. is testing a new hydrogen fuel cell system that is expected to be ready for production in 2015.

The system is half the size of the one used in the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell test vehicle. Additionally, it is 220 pounds lighter and uses about one-third less platinum, GM said.

“The smaller size allows you to package it in any number of vehicles, from a sedan to a crossover,” even compacts, said GM spokesman Alan Adler in an interview.

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100316/OEM05/100319914/1186#ixzz0iYugE2Nn

Sunfire update

The Sunfire was totaled. So much for that experiment. Now I am trying with the 2002. Currently it looks like I average about 17mpg. Not good, hopefully will get better though as I tweak it more and more and try to lay off the gas pedal.

GM still working on fuel cells

From http://wardsauto.com/ar/gm_fuel_cell_090924/

With all the trouble GM has had in the last year its good to know that they are looking to the future still. Their second generation fuel cell technology was unvailed yesterday to lawmakers in Washington. Why there? They are trying to get more funds to further their research.

And this isn't a bad thing in my opinion. If the US government really wants to get off fossil fuels and away from foreign sources of energy then this is the way to do it. GM claims this technology will be ready for the market by 2015. While the article doesn't say exactly how many miles the new vehicles get on a tank of fuel the common standard is 300 and that is basically what the last one got. So by making the new equipment cheaper and smaller it cuts the weight of the vehicle and the cost while giving the same performance.

Hydrogen as a fuel is still anywhere from $4 to $8 a gallon when compared with gas so it isn't cheap. But a recent news article says that in order to cut carbon emissions in the US that the government and other countries should stop subsidizing fossil fuels. If they did that gas prices would easily go back to the 2008 levels or above here in the US making hydrogen a good option. Now we just need a fueling infrastructure to support it.

More mileage testing

My gas mileage experiment continues. I had to fill up this morning and amazing the Sunfire took more than it ever has, 13.1 gallons. Total miles was 332.2 for 25 miles per gallon this time. That was pretty much all city style driving. I did take I-35 for a short trip from 152 to the hospital exit just to see what RPM I would run at 65 and 70 mph. The RPM were over 2500 to 3000. Yet drop to 55 and RPM is only about 1800. Obviously this car was meant to run at 55 even though it is a 2000 model. I have come to the conclusion that car makers are screwing us on the gearing of their vehicles. I should be able to cruise along at 70 mph with the RPM at 1500. I know there are vehicles out there now with 7 speed automatics and what not, but they are usually mated to a gas guzzling V-8. Plus they don't do much for saving gas. It used to be that in a 4 speed, the 4th gear was an overdrive gear, usually about .87 ratio. Now, in this Mercedes 7 speed, gears 6 and 7 are over drive. One at .82 and the other at .73. I don't think that is good enough. To me I think they are holding back. Give us a .5 ratio final gear for cruising and it doesn't have to be a 8 or 9 speed gear box that they are talking about putting out now. I know, they put more accelerating gears in there so you don't use so much RPM when you floor it, the thing is you don't have too.

So how about this for a solution. A hybrid transmission. No not that type of hybrid with mechanical and electric motors, no I mean a conventional one mated with a CVT. CVTs are a great idea, I had the idea years before they actually came on market (although they were certainly already being developed). I usually have great ideas for something only to see it on the market a year later. Anyway, this transmission would have 3 or 4 accelerating gears so that high torque motors could use it too (currently a high torque motor will tear apart a CVT). The final "gear" would be a CVG (continuously variable gear) allowing for a range of cruising speeds at a certain RPM. I think this would be more beneficial than a 10 speed transmission.

*NOTE: I don't have a patent on this and don't plan getting one, there might already be one, but I haven't checked. I don't believe patents should be approved without a working prototype being created. An idea patent would be ok, but in a very limited time frame, say a year for them to build the prototype. I really dislike people that sit on patents waiting for someone else to build something and then suing the person that actually worked to bring the product to life.

Battery Tech

http://www.egmcartech.com/2009/08/25/gm-owned-battery-start-up-developing-lithium-ions-with-double-the-energy-density/


Li-ion batteries already pack a lot of power into a small package when compared to regular alkaline batteries. They are smaller and lighter than the Ni-Ca and Ni-MH batteries (think old laptop and cell phone batteries). But they are a fairly young battery and practically still in their first generation. That is one reason they are so expensive and the reason the Chevy Volt will cost so much. The next generation Volt will cost less because cost of components will come down including the battery.

Now according to this article they will also be able to probably double the mileage that they can get out of a car with the same size battery. Or reduce the size of the battery pack in the vehicle and get the same mileage. Actually, because the weight would be reduced they would still get better mileage if they halved the size of the battery.

The main question is how long before we see this technology on the road. Since it is a GM owned company and the US government owns most of GM right now there are really 2 ways of thinking. Knowing how government organizations are run, it takes forever to get anything approved. MAGLEV anyone? On the other hand, GM does have some say in what it can do and has said the Volt will be a continually developed vehicle, if the batteries are ready we could see the new battery packs in the first generation Volt in its mid life face lift probably around 2014 or 2015.

New engine design

Source: http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.ASpx?AR=242332

Ilmor Engineering has developed an innovative 130bhp, 700cc, three-cylinder, five-stroke petrol engine that develops the fuel economy of a diesel engine without any of the emissions shortcomings.

The engineering firm, which has a long history working in motorsport and which was previously part-owned by Mercedes when it prepared its F1 engines, has developed the radical road car engine to showcase its engineering ability.

This is one engine that has promise. The company says that this is just the beginning and that they will improve on the concept cutting the weight of the engine and increasing HP possibly to 150. For a 3 cylinder that is great.

I still find it interesting that all these new technologies for the internal combustion engine are popping up all over the place, yet for the last 100 years the engine had pretty much remained the same. It was only recently (little over 10 years ago) that Porsche managed to get 100bhp per cylinder, now a lot of people have that.

Mileage results

With this latest tank of gas I was able to pull off 329 miles. This is in the Sunfire of course, the BMW would never be able to do that (I don't think). All of it was city driving conditions. I made sure I was easy on the throttle all the time, barely touching it most of the time. The sad thing is that I could still out accelerate a lot of people. I'm not sure on the exact mpg since I only put 6.5 gallons back in it since gas prices are high right now and they should drop a little more by the weekend. But I think it was around 26mpg. That doesn't sound great but this is on a 10 year old car and with a coil pack that is going bad (has been for years).

With this small tank of gas I am going to start using the neutral coasting down the hills. This drops the RPMs to about 700 rather than 1500 with it in drive. I've tried the shutting off of the car at stop lights before and that is taking it a little to far. I also don't agree with the people that run the stop signs to keep from having to stop. I'm thinking the coasting should get me at least another .5 to 1 mile per gallon.

New Duramax diesel for GM

This one comes from Wardsauto.com

Although the program is “on the shelf,” General Motors Co. Vice Chairman Tom Stephens says the auto maker’s Duramax 4.5L V-8 turbodiesel is ready when needed.

“The program is essentially complete and could be implemented whenever we choose to do that,” GM’s vice chairman-product development tells Ward’s in a phone interview.

The Duramax diesel was expected in GM’s ’10 light-duty fullsize pickup trucks, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, and possibly future cross/utility and SUVs.

But the auto maker’s misfortunes, culminating in a June 1 bankruptcy filing, caused it to cancel the mill’s spring introduction. Another hurdle is declining gas prices, making fuel-saving diesels less alluring for many consumers.

Developed over nearly four years and due to be built at GM’s Tonawanda, NY, plant, the engine’s design defies conventional diesel technology with reverse flow of air and exhaust gases entering and exiting the cylinder heads.

Exhaust gases exit toward the center of the engine directly into the turbocharger, which is located in the “V” between the heads. Placing the forced induction system between the cylinder banks is a cutting-edge design that saves weight and space and improves performance and emissions.

Very interesting that it runs reverse what any normal engine does. Maybe they should try some gasoline turbo charged V-6s like that along with the laser ignition and all the other new tech coming along.

Lasers instead of sparks

This is a couple of weeks old, but still relevant. From Telegraph.co.uk

Scientists at Liverpool University and engineers at car giants Ford have developed a new ignition system which uses focused beams of laser light to ignite the fuel.

The researchers claim the technology is more reliable and efficient than current spark plug technology and will enable cars to start more easily in cold and damp conditions.

In the new system the spark plug is replaced by a laser powered by the car battery which is sent along thin optical fibres into the engine's cylinders where lenses focus the beam into an intense pinprick of light.

When fuel is injected into the engine, the laser is fired, producing enough heat to ignite the fuel and power the engine.

The researchers claim that the laser, which will need to fire more than 50 times per second to produce 3000 RPM, will require less power than traditional spark plugs.

Some of the laser can be reflected back from inside the cylinder to provide information for the car on the type of fuel being used and the level of ignition, allowing the car to adjust the quantities of air and fuel automatically to optimise the performance.

There is no telling when we could see this in production but it does have promise. With the advantages of using a laser and be able to do multiple beams and precise targeting for a combustion camber it could definitely improve power and economy in the standard gas engine.

Super Lotus

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/236575/lotuss_reborn_esprit_gets_v10_power.html



Report from AutoExpress.co.uk

A legendary Lotus is returning – it’s the new Esprit! The dust has only just settled on the stunning Evora, but already the Norfolk firm is setting its sights even higher. And our exclusive pictures show how the reborn supercar will take shape.

The entry-level Esprit will be equipped with a tuned version of the Evora’s 3.5-litre V6, producing around 300bhp, while a mid-range model gets the 414bhp 5.0-litre V8 from the Lexus IS F. But taking the new Lotus into the big league will be the earth-shattering 550bhp 4.8-litre V10 from the upcoming LF-A supercar.

Mated to a six-speed semi-automatic paddleshift transmission, this unit should provide the Esprit with performance to match some of the fastest cars on the planet.

A 0-60mph sprint time of less than four seconds is expected, and judging by pre-production testing of the LF-A (see Issue 1,066), the car is likely to hit a top speed in excess of 200mph.

Nice looking car and a promise to be fast. Probably expensive too. While I'm sure I would never be able to have one I can't wait to see one in person someday.

Nissan Introduces Dual Injectors

http://www.egmcartech.com/2009/07/14/nissan-introduces-new-dual-injector-system-for-increased-fuel-efficiency/

Nissan announced today that they have developed a dual-injector system to increase fuel-efficiency on its small-displacement gasoline engines.

“The new fuel delivery system, the first of its kind in the world, uses an injector for each port rather than one per cylinder - speeding up fuel vaporization, reducing the amount of unburned fuel and reducing hydrocarbon emissions, Nissan said in a statement.

Amazing the advances automotive engineers have been able to come up with in the last couple of years since they have been really pushed finally to stop building the same old junk they had for so long. You have to wonder what the internal combustion engine has coming for us next.

Open source car?

http://wardsauto.com/ar/riversimple_urban_london_0907010/

Former British racecar driver Hugo Spowers unveils the 2-seat fuel cell-powered Riversimple Urban Car in London, which will see 10 prototypes built by the end of 2010 and 50 more by the end of 2011.

Beginning in 2013, the vehicle will be available for a jaw-dropping 20-year lease at a cost of £200 ($315) per month, which includes fuel, Spowers says.

The major investor in the Riversimple car is Sebastian Piech, great-grandson of Porsche AG founder Ferdinand Porsche and nephew of Volkswagen AG supervisory board chairman Ferdinand Piech.

Nine years in development, the Riversimple car weighs a mere 772 lbs. (350 kg), and developers claim it achieves a fuel economy of 300 mpg (0.78 L/100 km), emitting just 30 g/km of carbon dioxide.

“We believe we are closer to market with a commercially viable fuel-cell car than anyone else,” Spowers says.

The FCV's simple design, which eschews gearbox, drive shaft and heavy power-assist braking and steering, enables it to run on the minuscule 6 kW fuel-cell stack. In comparison, larger FCVs from major auto makers typically have at least 100 kW fuel cells.

Spowers forecasts production of 5,000-10,000 units of the FCV annually. He also promises the company will provide free, “open-source plans” on the Internet for downloading in order for entrepreneurs to develop their own variations of the vehicle.

Other manufacturers also will be able to source parts locally, with the only stipulation being any improvements must be shared, so the entire network of builders can benefit.

Unfortunately the top speed is only 50 mph, but since it is open source I'm sure others will quickly get that up to highway speeds. This may be the vehicle to change the future of motoring, we'll just have to wait and see.

Lightning Car Company

http://www.egmcartech.com/2009/07/03/lightning-car-company-plans-three-additional-electric-models/

The creators of the Lightning GT electric-sports cars are planning three additional models, reports AuotCar. The Lightning GT is scheduled to go into production early next year with a starting price-tag of around £120,000 ($196,014 USD).

The 700 horsepower Lightning GT EV is capable of traveling 250 miles with only 10 minutes of charging. 0 to 60 mph comes in just 4 seconds with a top speed of 130 mph.

That's quite an advanced system it has if it can charge for 10 minutes and then drive 250 miles. And a 700hp electric motor, that is impressive. Can't wait for more specs on it and when it will actually be available. Unfortunately it sounds like they are a high end automaker only and normal people will not be able to get one of these.

NHTSA considering amber turn signal mandate

While many cars sold in North America feature red turn signal indicators built into their rear light clusters, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that the amber signals installed in some cars can be more than 5 percent more effective at preventing wrecks than their red counterparts, which the agency says blend too much with brake lights.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/nhtsa-considering-amber-turn-signal-mandate.html

I bet if people actually used their turn signals it would be even more effective in preventing the wrecks. Every little bit helps though.

New prototype engine

http://wardsauto.com/home/scuderi_engine_fired_090701/

Key to the powerplant is the split-cycle design, which separates the intake and combustion processes into separate cylinders. Air compressed in the first cylinder (at a 100:1 ratio) is transferred via a crossover passage to the combustion cylinder, where fuel is indirectly injected by twin injectors.

It takes just one crankshaft revolution to complete a single combustion cycle, rather than the two revolutions required by conventional engines. Scuderi says it is possible to get 140 hp from a 1L displacement, using its design.

This sounds like a very promising new engine although it doesn't say what kind of mileage it gets. It could be like a rotory engine that is 1.3L but gets the mileage of a 3.6L. Hopefully that is not the case since it does cut the emission levels. And 140HP from a 1L engine, WOW! Now if they could just get it to run off hydrogen.

Autos

So another of my interests is automotive news. I check out about 15 different auto news web sites each day to keep up on what is happening in the automotive world. One of the things that I like most about the information that I read on those sites is the new technology that they are putting in cars, whether it be hybrid technology or Hydrogen ICE or fuel cells. I actually wrote 2 different papers on both hybrid technology and the Hydrogen economy in college. The one on hybrids was about series electric hybrid technology, basically the type of system in the Chevy Volt. A series electric hybrid still has a gas engine, but it is only used as a generator for the batteries and the electric motor. Locomotives have been running this type of system for years and in another year the public will finally have a chance to use it.

But it isn't just the Chevy Volt anymore that will be using this technology. independent automakers are springing up to fill the high mileage car void since most of the large automakers are still to afraid of big oil to really come out with anything ground breaking. Not to mention hybrids are still niche vehicles and they can charge more for them. Yes, I know, the new Insight is cheap, both in price and quality, have you read Jeremy Clarkson's review on it?

As for hydrogen, gasoline prices have to get back to over $4 a gallon for hydrogen to be even close to competitive. And the oil companies realized after last years gas price hikes that they did the world economy wasn't ready for it. They are the ones that crashed the whole system. If it wasn't for them, the fragile housing market and the bad banking practices would have gone on like normal.