Showing posts with label Alternative. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alternative. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Alternative Fuels to Move Our Cars Tomorrow

Coming fossil fuel crisis becomes closer from day to day. That makes many people think of alternative fuels, which will be used in future. There are a few main alternative energy sources are used today and supposed to be developed in future. These are solar energy, geothermal energy, wind energy and hydro energy. All these energy sources are used for producing electricity and heat.

Oil is now the most expensive and one of the main fuels, which is used in many spheres of human activity, especially in vehicles. The vast majority of contemporary vehicles, even those with hybrid engines, use fuels produced from oil. Hence major car manufacturers think of engines which may use alternative fuels making internal combustion engine a part of history.

As you may find there is a great number of cars, which work with the help of hybrid engines. Almost every car manufacturer can offer you several models with this type of engine. Hybrid means that the engine uses gas along with electricity. In some vehicles electric engine only helps to move a vehicle, thus consuming less fuel. Other engines can be used as gas and electric separately. For instance, a car with this kind of engine can run about 80-100 miles using electric traction. Hybrid cars become more and more popular due to their fuel economy, but in the same time the cost of such cars is higher that of the same models with a usual ICE. Certainly, the price will be lower in future and even today the number of such cars increases with every next year.

However the hardest work concerns engineers, who develop electric and other cars on alternative fuels. Contemporary vehicles with electric engine are not comfortable for an average person today. They cannot run many miles and should be recharged for 12 or even 24 hours. Moreover, such cars require the same number of power stations as we have for gas stations. So, such a situation does not allow us to travel for long distance using an electric car. But as we can see electric cars have a great future ahead.

Certainly, the main factor for researching alternative fuels and developing new car concepts is not environmental protection, but fossil fuel crisis. If people could use fossil fuels forever, they would not think of any alternatives at all. But we cannot disagree that alternative energy will help to save our planet from ecological disaster. That is why, such a decision is reasonable from both points of view economic and ecological.

Thanate Tan is a contributing member to Everything-Fine Website Promotion Service.


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Friday, July 8, 2011

Green Cars: Are Biofuels a Viable Alternative to Fossil Fuels?

Most of want to do our part to help correct and lessen the damage we've collectively done to our environment. Driving an eco-friendly vehicle is a step many of us seem prepared to take, and we are all looking for ways to save on gas, so this is usually a win/win situation.

From subsidized ethanol to new biofuels to electric and various hybrid cars, there is a growing number of alternative fuel car options available. More and more companies are investing in research and development of alternative fuels and other means of running vehicles, and biofuels is a vastly growing industry. Of course, biofuels can be used for many other things as well, from aviation to household energy, so there is certainly money in the future for successful developers.

So the question for both the short- and long-term seems to be, is biofuel as an energy source for vehicles a viable alternative to traditional fossil fuels? As we have seen with ethanol, sometimes what seems like a great idea does not always pan out in reality. With ethanol, the immense energy and monetary resources required to bring the fuel to market vastly outweigh the benefits, not to mention that food is being diverted from humans to cars. It makes no sense. Will the various biofuel options offer a better solution?

Green cars are all the rage, which helps the environment and also encourages further investment by car manufacturers and green technology companies. here much debate as to whether any sort of crops used for biofuels intended for vehicles are a viable renewable energy source. That they are renewable is not in question, but at what cost? Crop cultivation of such plants as corn, palm and soy used for biofuels has had devastating environmental impact in many formerly treed or rich-soiled areas of the world. Environmental groups such as 'Friends of the Earth' claim that bioethanol, biodiesel and other crop-based biofuels are not worth the overall cost when measured in terms of financial and environmental impact.

According to the Ecologist, 'Industry research says biofuels, not electric cars or biogas likely to make up majority of renewable transport targets but admits some will need to be imported' to meet North American demands. It would seem that newer biofuels being developed such as repurposed household and industrial waste, methane capture and use, non-food alternative crops, and digested organic waste (biodiesel bacteria converting organic waste into biofuel) and many more will pave the way for our future energy use in green cars.

Shauna writes about using Green Car Biofuel technology as a means of helping us heal our planet. This is just one tiny step we can all take. Others include consuming less animal products - see BreathingProsperity.com for a balanced debate about the merits and Benefits of Vegetarianism as well as more information and links to various viewpoints.


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Will Alternative Powered Vehicles Kill the Oil Change Industry? - No, Not for a Long While

Despite what you think, industries don't change very quickly - it's usually a very slow process. Even when industries die, it's usually more like a slow-motion train wreck, and then they still don't die completely. Over the years, I've analyzed many industries which I've been involved with, and I've noticed changes, along with all the sound and fury of impending chaos, and incited fear. The reality is; mostly it's all just talk, and industries are generally pretty entrenched, and they don't go away overnight.

That's not to say it doesn't happen, it can, but generally it takes a long time, and there is an evolutionary process as entrepreneurs figure out another way to make money, or a way to modify their services and products to deal with the changes. Now then, the other day I was thinking about this, and I read a very interesting article in the oil change industry.

There was an interesting article last month in NOLN - National Oil and Lube News on page 74 titled; "Report: Electric Vehicles to Have No Immediate Impact on Lube Industry," by Garrett Mackinnon, June 2011. The article comments on all of the new all electric cars coming out such as the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Sedan, and Chevy Volt; and the article asks a good question; if all the cars go to electric, then will it affect the oil change industry?

Interestingly enough back in 2001 I had a similar discussion with the editor of that magazine in Lubbock Texas where they are/were located, and I had indicated that I expected some day that the oil change industry would have a challenge with hybrids and all-electric vehicles or fuel-cell vehicles sometime in the future. Now then, that was 10 years ago, and here we are today asking the question again.

Judging by the fact that only 2 million hybrids have been sold in the United States over the last 10 years, and that the average number of cars sold per year is between 12 million and 17 million, the number of hybrids is a drop in the oil bucket, literally. The same goes for all-electric vehicles, and there are even fewer of those. In fact, there probably will not even be 10 to 25,000 of them on the road by January 2012.

Considering that there are easily 200 million licensed vehicles in this great nation, it's rather ridiculous to think that something like this would shut down the oil change industry anytime soon.

In fact at the rate it is going now, it may never happen, and even if oil prices shot up to $8-$10 a gallon, it would take decades to build the number of cars needed to displace the oil change industry. Likewise, the oil change industry would have time to evolve and adapt, and provide perhaps other types of lubricants because these new vehicles would still have moving parts. Even fuel cells have filters, membranes, and other things that are replaceable parts, and someone needs to help with the routine maintenance.

Further, electric batteries don't last forever either, and they need to be monitored, and replaced, perhaps that is yet another add-on service for oil change companies? Personally I wouldn't be too surprised if this is a total non-issue in the industry, and that the industry has nothing to worry about with regards to all-electric, or hybrid vehicles. But the government waste oil disposal laws might a concern in the future, if the cost for removal and disposal increases due to regulations.

Indeed, I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes writing 23,900 articles by July 4, 2011 is going to be difficult because all the letters on his keyboard are now worn off now...


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Friday, July 1, 2011

Alternative Fuel Source Conversions For Cars

In these days of rising fuel costs, and environmental concerns associated with the emissions traditional vehicles produce, many of us are looking for alternative fuel source conversions for cars. Whilst there are already several choices for new vehicles, that are both cheaper to run and low emission too, buying a brand new vehicle is not a viable option for most of us due to the cost. The good news is there are many things we can all do to our current vehicle to make it greener, and also make it less demanding on our pocket when it comes to filling it with fuel. Below are four of the most common options.

1. Bio Fuel:

Bio alternatives to fossil fuel are by far the easiest way to go. They are made from renewable sources, and there are options available for both petrol and diesel cars.

A petrol car can run on ethanol or an ethanol and petrol mix. A conversion for it to run on pure ethanol will require modification to the engine's compression ratio and other adjustments, although a modern gasoline engine can run on a blend containing 20% ethanol without change.

A diesel car can use bio-diesel, this is a form of fuel produced using vegetable based oils. A pure bio-diesel burning engine produces 80% less emissions, and a modern diesel engine can use it without modification. Older engines will need to be converted, as the natural rubber seals in them will be degraded over time.

Both ethanol blend gasoline and bio-diesel are currently available from many gas stations, so you could make the switch today.

2. Compressed Gas:

Most petrol engines can run on compressed gas, the gas used is called LPG or liquid petroleum gas. It is produced as a byproduct of crude oil distillation, however it can also be produced synthetically.

To use this type of gas your vehicle will need to be converted. Usually the fuel tank will be replaced with a cylinder to hold the fuel, and a gas regulator will be fitted to the engine. The car will still have its traditional fuel tank, and will still start using normal fuel, this is because it takes time for the gas to feed in, which can cause starting problems especially when the engine is cold. If you are a keen DIY mechanic you can get a kit and do this conversion yourself.

3. Hydrogen:

There are kits available that you can fit to your car which produce hydrogen from water. They do this through a process called electrolysis. This gadget is then fed into the fuel flow, and the theory is that this hydrogen gas is burned by the engine and increases your fuel economy. The effectiveness of these systems are doubtful, and you are better off following another route.

4. Pure Electric:

The last option is to convert your current car to electric. Home kits and plans are available to help you to do this. Basically the engine of your car is replaced by an electric motor, and the fuel tank is replaced by a bank of rechargeable batteries. If you feel that the task is too much for you to complete on your own, then you can get this done professionally.

The accelerator pedal becomes a switch, and as an electric motor produces full torque from the start, no gear box is needed. As well as this there is no cooling system or oil lubrication required. Due to this fact, an added advantage of an electric vehicle is the reduced maintenance costs, in addition to lower fuel costs.

As you can see there are several choices open to you when considering alternative fuel source conversions for cars. The one you choose will depend on your available funds, as well as the way you use your vehicle. Whatever method you choose should pay for itself in cost savings on fuel over time, and you will have the satisfaction that you are doing your bit for a cleaner and greener planet.

Home Electric Car Conversion:

Did you know that most cars or trucks can be converted into an electric vehicle (EV)? Find the most comprehensive, and easy to follow, electric car conversion plans, by visiting our how to build an electric car site at www.how-to-build-an-electric-car.blogspot.com/.


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Alternative Fuel - Run Your Car on Water

For many years some of the smartest minds in the world have worked tirelessly over the subject of trying to figure out a way to cut gas dependency and reduce the harmful carbon emissions that it produces, many suggested using a conversion kit on a vehicle in which to enable the car to run on water. As would be expected, many people thought it was an outrageous and unachievable task.

So is it true that you can run your car on water? The answer is simply, yes, you can in fact run your car on water.

The process requires an installation of a hydrogen generator which is used to electrolyze water that is stored in a tank located under the car's hood. The water is converted into HHO which is captured and transferred into the engines intake where it mixes with the fuel. This mixture burns more efficiently which improves gas mileage and reduces harmful emissions.

More and more drivers are actually beginning to look this method and alternative to gasoline because of the outrageous prices. What most of these people do not know is that they running their car on water is an actuality and many people are actually doing it now in order to avoid high gas prices and at the same to greatly increase their mileage.

So the question is would you like to run your car on water and save TONS of money on gas? I know, it seems like an obvious question but many people are skeptical and won't give this post a second glance, but for those of you who actually would like to take advantage of converting your car to run on water, you will not be sorry!

Well these guys came up with an ingenious way to convert their cars from gas guzzling machines to clean water powered efficient vehicles! There process was such a breakthrough it caught the attention of several news stations and as imagined, their method spread like wildfire!

You may be wondering what exactly are the benefits of running your car on water?

Slash Fuel Costs- You will save up to 40% GUARANTEED!Increase Fuel Economy - Increase MPG by 30%-105%No Special Fuel Sources- Run your car on tap water!Increase Vehicle Performance- No more engine build up!Incredibly Easy to Install- Easy to follow step by step guide!

BONUS!

Tax Refund - Run your car on water and you will qualify for a Environmental/Green technology tax refund!

So if rising gas prices are sucking your wallet dry or if you have a concern to preserve the environment, the Water Conversion Kit is PERFECT for you!

Find more information on the conversion kit at AltFuel.info


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