alternative fuels

Alternative fuels may drain dwindling water supplies

harminka — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:27:12 -0500

As the search for new fuels intensifies, researchers in Texas report that switching to certain alternative fuels to power cars, trucks, and SUVs may require the use of much more water than conventional petroleum-based gasoline and diesel.

Alternative fossil fuels have economic potential

harminka — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:12:12 -0500

Alternative sources of fossil fuels such as oil sands and coal-to-liquids have significant economic promise, but the environmental consequences must also be considered, according to a RAND Corporation study issued today.

Mandate for biofuels production requires science-based policy

harminka — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:18:31 -0500

In his State of the Union Address on January 23, 2007, President Bush stated that, in order to substantially lower foreign oil imports, "We must increase the supply of alternative fuels, by setting a mandatory fuels standard to require 35 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuels in 2017."

First Fuel Cell-Powered Plane Presented in Germany

Armen Hareyan — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:27:31 -0500

Last night, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) demonstrated the world’s first manned airplane that can fly exclusively with the use of a fuel cell. The fuel cell, which is based on polymer electrolyte membranes (PEM), generates power for the motor glider’s electric engine.

A green solution to biofuel production

harminka — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:33:46 -0500

With the current drive towards production of alternative fuels from plant material, enzymes which can break down this material into useable compounds are required in industrial quantities and at a low cost. One group of scientists from Texas A&M University have come up with a solution: using plants to make the enzymes.

Trash today, ethanol tomorrow

harminka — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:52:16 -0500

University of Maryland research that started with bacteria from the Chesapeake Bay has led to a process that may be able to convert large volumes of all kinds of plant products, from leftover brewer's mash to paper trash, into ethanol and other biofuel alternatives to gasoline.

Oak Ridge leads DOE INCITE effort in 2008

harminka — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 02:04:20 -0600

Scientific studies on climate change, energy and alternative fuels are among the 30 projects awarded more than 145 million processing hours on supercomputers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory through the Department of Energy's Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment (INCITE) program.

New pricing For Thailand's First and Only E20 Vehicle-Ford Focus

harminka — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:09:15 -0600

Ford Thailand supports Government policies to promote the use of alternative fuels All Ford Focus petrol models are E20 capable and already available in Ford showrooms nationwide

Alternative fuels may boost pollution, study says

Dinka — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 11:13:23 -0600

Some alternative vehicle fuels such as liquid coal can cause more harmful greenhouse gas emissions than polluters such as petrol or diesel, scientists warned in a US study.

DOE Awards Ford Two Grants for Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Research

harminka — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 07:11:23 -0500

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has selected Ford Motor Company to conduct research that will focus on improving flexible-fuel engines capable of running on E85 and clean combustion diesel engines.

Net energy is useless, dangerous metric

harminka — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:43:59 -0500

As oil becomes scarce, the world needs new transportation fuels. As new fuel options develop we need means of assessing which are most effective at replacing petroleum. So far many scientists have used a measure called ‘net energy’.

US States Seek to Take Lead in Pollution Controls, Alternative Fuels

Dinka — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 11:11:02 -0500

The governor of the southern U.S. state of Florida has signed some of the nation's toughest laws aimed at reducing greenhouse gases. In Miami, VOA's Brian Wagner reports that environmentalists are urging Florida and other states to craft their own environmental policies because they say federal officials have been slow to act.