mobilitytiger's Articles
Using Technology to Improve Fuel Efficiency in Vehicles
Today, electric cars and hybrid cars, which use a combination of electricity and gasoline, are becoming more common and are offered by most major automobile manufacturers. With Chevy, Toyota, Nissan, and Ford all offering more energy efficient vehicles, there are more options available today than ever before for someone looking to improve fuel efficiency.
Despite these changes, though, some researchers think it will be some time before the goals put forth by President Obama during his campaign, where he stated he wanted to have one million plug in cars on the road by 2015, are met.
In fact, if the market maintains its heading, it is thought that by 2015, only about 1.5% of all vehicles will powered using electricity. To reinforce these predictions, Chevy, the American Auto-Manufacturer who has been floundering as of late and narrowly avoided bankruptcy during 2009, is only expected to produce 10,000 Volts in 2011 and 60,000 the following year.
Even though the goals put forth by President Obama might not be attainable, this does not mean that we should not try to meet these goals or even that setting high expectations is necessarily a bad thing, as moving away from fossil fuels is important for the environment.
Technologies Used to Increase Fuel Efficiency
The push to develop more energy efficient cars is using some very interesting technology, which isn’t always in the form of a more efficient battery. Some of them actually might be a little surprising you.
- The Dashboard of Tomorrow, Today: Many of the popular Hybrid and electricity cars, like the Toyota Prius and Nissan Maxima Hybrid, include a real time digital display that shows the driver how they are using their power. This allows the driver to see how the way they drive affects their energy usage in real-time, as well as how changing their driving habits can improve efficiency. Reports have found that this helps to raise awareness about energy consumption and has been shown to improve energy efficiency by as much as ten percent.
- The Move Away from the Hybrid: Ford, Toyota, and Honda have all offered Hybrid Vehicles for some time, which use a combination of electric motors and gasoline motors. However, a number of manufacturers are experimenting with creating a 100% electric car that is both economical, but still very powerful. To this end, Telsa, who are named for the amazing inventor Nikola Telsa, is an up-and-coming manufacturer of some very fast all electric sports car. In the coming years, more of these types of cars are expected to be released.
- Tires and Energy Efficiency: President Obama caught a lot of flack during the election when he suggested that changing tire pressure would have a dramatic impact on the energy efficiency of vehicles, but he was in fact correct. More and more, auto-parts manufacturers are latching onto the essential role of tires in energy efficiency, most notably with the low rolling-resistant tires, which can improve fuel efficiency by almost 5%. This might not sound like a lot, but even if only half of our cars switched to these more efficient tires, we could save over a billion gallons of fuel each year. Some vehicles, like the Ford F-150 now come with more energy efficient tires.
- Loosing Weight is Not Just About Fitting into that Bathing Suit: Reducing the weight of vehicles is one of the most effective ways to improve fuel efficiency, with most manufacturers realizing the heavy steel cars are simply not efficient. To this end, most manufacturers are looking towards lighter-weight materials such as carbon Fiber and plastics, although Carbon Fiber is quite expensive.
About the Author
Tiger is a writer involved who often focuses on health issues, but also enjoys technology. Currently, he is a writer for Combibo Communications, which is a new revenue sharing website, where writers from all over the world can share their knowledge and experience. While in its Beta, enrollment at Combio is not open to the public, but you can submit a brief application in the contact us section, including a link to some of your published work, so you can take advantage of this excellent platform.
Understanding and Evaluating Energy Saving Technology
With the recent climate change talks in Copenhagen, it is safe to say that even though all countries aren’t actually making an effort to change their actions, most at least understand it is extremely important for the environment for us to change our ways and focus on reducing pollution.
Rather than waiting for our politicians to step up and mandate the changes needed to help save our environment, I feel that it is our duty to help make this world a better place, after all it is the only one we have.
One of the most effective ways of doing this is to help cut down on our energy costs, both in our vehicles and at home. However, when considering some of the technologies available today, it is very important to weigh not just the energy savings, but also the cost of manufacturing these devices.
Heating and Cooling
In the home, there are usually few appliances that are as inefficient as our heating and air systems. However, if you live in an area that gets very hot or cold, simply doing without isn’t safe, nor is it comfortable. Fortunately, there are a number of more energy efficient heating and air systems available, which can cut back on our energy use, without having to sacrifice our comfort.
One of the most exciting technologies available to help reduce energy costs is the Geothermal Heating and cooling unit. Geothermal heating and cooling uses very long tubes that extend into the Earth and actually pull heat from the ground. In the summer, the same process can be reversed, sending the heat from the house, into the ground.
Using a geothermal system, it is possible to heat a 1500 square foot house for less than a dollar a day. Of course, they are quite expensive to install and depending on the location, can require that a very deep hole is drilled. To help off set this cost, many power companies will offer incentives for installing a geothermal heating and cooling system, with some options also available from the government. While the initial cost is very high, the savings over a 10 year period could easily offset this initial investment.
Another option for those wishing to cut heating and cooling costs is the Cold-Weather Air Source Heat Pump, which uses an additional compressor that is used when the temperature drops below 30 degrees. The second compressor is necessary because a traditional heat pump does not work well when the temperature drops below freezing, so auxiliary heat must be used. Auxiliary heat, or emergency heat, is very expensive to operate, as it uses a great deal of energy.
Using a Cold-Weather Air Source Heat Pump ends up using less power than a standard heat pump would when it gets very cold. Further, when the temperature is above freezing, only one compressor is used, so the energy usage is similar to that of a traditional heating system.
Generating Your Own Power
For years, people have been putting solar panels on their home to help reduce their dependency on fossil fuels and the power company. While this can save you a great deal of money and it is even sometimes possible to sell your excess power back to the power company, the initial investment has always been quite steep.
Recently, however, the cost of solar panels has begun to drop, as new manufacturing technologies have been introduced. This, coupled with rising energy costs across the country, has made installing solar panels a much more attractive idea.
Several companies have recently developed very thin solar panels that are relatively inexpensive to manufacture, but because they rely on some semi-rare minerals, so it remains to see whether this can be used on a very large scale.
Going Green in Your Automobile
Another popular move has been to use a more energy efficient vehicle, with a number of hybrids, which are cars that use a mixture of gasoline and stored electricity, and battery powered vehicles available.
Currently, GM, Nissan, Honda, Ford, and Toyota all offer some sort of battery powered vehicle, but when considering these cars, it is important to take into account the environmental impact that manufacturing them has.
For example, the Toyota Prius uses a very expensive battery, which uses nickel that is mined in Canada, using a mining technique that is bad for the environment. Then, the nickel must be shipped across the world, converted into batteries, and subsequently shipped back over to the US. So, with all of the environmental costs associated with the manufacture of the Prius, it tends to off set the benefits of driving it.
It All Starts with You
What a lot of people don’t always realize, myself included, is that the things we do everyday can have a major impact on the environment and the future. Even if you don’t have the money to invest in something like a geothermal heating system, you can still help the environment by changing your actions.
For example, making an effort to shut off the water when you wash your teeth and shave can save a tremendous amount of water. Also, consider setting the heat to around fifty-five and putting on an extra sweater or perhaps wearing some thermal clothing, rather than cranking up the heat.
If everyone made what are essentially very small changes to their lifestyle, it would no longer be a small change and could have a tremendous impact on the World.
About the Author
Tiger is a writer who understands the importance of protecting the environment. In addition to writing about the environment, he also writes about a number of other topics, including lift chairs. Lift Chairs are devices that in design are similar to a recliner, but contain a powerful lifting system, which helps to make it easier to stand. They are especially popular among the elderly and lift chairs Medicare are available, for those who live in the United States and are currently enrolled in Medicare.
Cash for Clunkers Program Gets Second Life
Late last Thursday, an announcement that the $1 Billion budget of the Cash for Clunkers program had been expended sent shock waves through the auto industry. However, Congress quickly acted to help keep the incentive program running.
In a bill voted on last night by the Senate, an additional $2 Billion has been allocated to the Cash for Clunkers Program. Today, this bill is expected to be signed into law by President Obama.
The Cash for Clunkers Program provides an incentive for Americans to trade in their older vehicle for a new more fuel efficient model. Those that upgrade to a vehicle that has a 4mpg increase in fuel efficiency will receive $3,500, while a 10mpg increase receives $4,500.
Originally $1 Billion was allocated for the Cash for Clunkers Program and tens of thousands of car dealers all over the country quickly signed up for the program. By last week, it was estimated that around 250,000 new cars had been purchased as part of the Cash for Clunkers program, expending the $1 Billion budget.
With its renewed budget, the Cash for Clunkers Program has been revived and will continue to offer an incentive for new car purchases.
Cash for Clunkers: Short Term vs Long Term Effects
The short term effect of the Cash for Clunkers program is that it increases the number of new car sales at a time when the auto industry is on very shaky ground.
The program also offers a benefit to those purchasing a new car, who can receive a big discount on their new vehicle purchase, while also helping scrap yards who recycle the traded in vehicles.
However, this incentive program could also have some very significant long term effects on our overall fuel consumption. Since each new car purchased must be more fuel efficient and the trade in “destroyed,” each new vehicle is replacing a vehicle that has a lower mpg. This means the number of vehicles on the road stays the same, but their fuel efficiency is effectively increased.
As a result, each car purchased as part of the Cash for Clunkers program represents at least a 4mpg increase in fuel efficiency, with some representing 10mpg increases. Over time, this translates to a very significant decrease in fuel consumption.
Only 4mpg, Whats the Big Deal?
A 4mpg increase might not sound like a lot, but it is actually fairly significant increase, especially for those who are driving cars that get low gas mileage.
To help illustrate this point, consider the following example:
Lets say we have two vehicles, one that gets 20mpg and one that gets 50mpg. If each of these vehicles were driven 15,000 miles, the vehicle that gets 20mpg will use 750 gallons of gasoline, while the other vehicle uses 300 gallons.
Now, lets assume that both of these vehicles have a 4mpg increase.
At 24mpg, 625 gallons of gas would be used, which represents 125 fewer gallons of gas and a 15% decrease in fuel consumption.
At 54mpg, 278 gallons of gas would be used, which represents 28 fewer gallons of gas used and a 7% decrease in fuel consumption.
While the lower millage vehicle uses more gas, a 4mpg increase accounts for almost 5 times less gas used in the 24mpg vehicle. This means that replacing the cars and trucks that get only 15mpg or 20mpg will have a huge impact impact on fuel use, much more so than replacing cars that get higher mpg.
Since most people don’t drive a Prius that gets 50mpg, each car purchased as part of the Cash for Clunkers program will have a significant impact on gasoline consumption, even if it only has the minimum 4mpg increase instead of the full 10mpg.
About the Author
Tiger is a writer who writes about a number of health and financial topics. The Cash for Clunkers program is not the only incentive program currently offered by the government. As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, $237 Billion has been set aside for individual tax relief. This includes Obamas First Time Homebuyers tax credit, which provides up to $8,000 towards the purchase of a home.
Finding Alternative Ways to Produce Bio-Diesel
When most people think of the junk that ends up in a landfill, it is not uncommon to think of things like old televisions or worn out sofas. However, many do not realize that Fruit and Vegetable Waste actually accounts for a large percentage of what is in our landfills.
Fruit and Vegetable waste is commonly disposed of in landfills, because this is the easiest way of dealing with it. Finding a way to recycle and reuse this type of waste is imperative to cleaning up the environment and can actually have a number of important uses. One of the most exciting uses for fruit and vegetable waste is in the creation of bio-diesel.
Advantages of Bio-Diesel
Bio-Diesel offers several very important advantages over traditional petroleum-based diesel.
One of the most exciting aspects of using bio-diesel as an alternative energy source is that it is made from renewable resources that can be grown anywhere. This means that countries will be able to grow their own diesel and will no longer be forced to rely on oil producing countries.
In addition to helping to reduce dependence on foreign oil, bio-diesel has also been shown to offer lower emissions of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons than petroleum based products. It is also non-toxic and biodegradable, unlike petroleum based diesels.
Problems with Manufacturing Bio-Diesel
While Bio-Diesel has a great number of advantages, it has come under criticism by some because manufacturing bio-diesel could potentially divert food products, like corn, from the Worlds food supply.
Even though the validity of this argument is highly debated, it does present an interesting problem: If farmers were able to make much more money growing plants used to create bio-diesel the amount of food produced could be dramatically affected.
Overcoming the Controversies of Bio-Diesel Production
In large part, the problem of food supply versus bio-diesel manufacturing could be overcome by reusing fruit and vegetable oil. these byproducts would otherwise end up in a landfill, but can be used to produce low cost bio-diesel.
One of the most low cost means of creating bio-diesel is by using used cooking oil and in fact there are several companies in the United States that do just this. Currently, however, the collection of these types of materials is rather inadequate and mostly limited to the restaurant industry.
In order to help reduce the cost of bio-diesel and increase its production, everyone must get involved. This means collecting lard, tallow, used vegetable oils, and other potential sources of bio-diesel not only from restaurants, but also from individuals.
Aside from used cooking oils and other cooking materials, there are a number of other potential sources that could be used to make bio-diesel.
For example, when edible oils are created, such as olive oil or cooking oil, soapstock is created as a byproduct. The soapstock is often simply discarded by manufacturers, but because it contains large amounts of fatty acids, it can be used as a low cost source of bio-diesel.
Soapstock is created by industries using soybeans, hazelnuts, olives, coconuts, sunflowers, and many other types of fruits and vegetables. There are many industries all over the world that end up with soapstock as a byproduct of production.
Creating a Greener Tomorrow
Using Bio-Diesel could not only help reduce green house gases, lower fuel costs, and reduce dependency on foreign oil, but it could also help us make better use of our landfills.
Every year, millions of tons of fruit and vegetable waste ends up in our landfills, which could have otherwise been used to create bio-diesel. This not only helps create low cost bio-diesel, but also allows us to avoid taking food off of peoples plates in an effort to manufacture bio-diesel.
About the Author
Tiger is an established writer that runs and maintains several sites that deal with medical issues. At liftchairguide.net, Tiger writes about topics that relate to senior health, including arthritis, Alzheimer’s, Medicare, and lift chairs. Lift Chairs are a type of standing aid that look like recliners, but help the senior to stand without assistance.
If you have any questions about this post, please do not hesitate to ask.
Discovering a Friendly Way to Deal with Industrial Plant Waste
Most people don’t think twice about disposing of fruit and vegetable waste. In fact, having a compost pile in your yard can be a great way to get rid of many types of organic material, with the added benefit of having a ready supply of soil for your garden.
However, on a much larger scale fruit and vegetable waste is not so easily disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.
The Size of the Problem
To give you an idea of how much fruit and vegetable waste is created everyday, at Mercabarna, which is the main distribution point for fruits, vegetables, and meats in Barcelona Spain, almost 100 tons of Fruit and Vegetable Waste is created everyday.
In India, over 15,500 Tons of Fruit and Vegetable Waste is created everyday and most of this waste is simply dumped in a landfill.
Where Plant Waste Usually Ends Up
One of the reasons that fruit and vegetable waste usually ends up in a landfill is that most other disposal methods require that the waste is treated first. So, loading the waste into a landfill is the easiest and quickest method of getting rid of it. It is also not uncommon for the waste to be incinerated, which releases dangerous chemicals into the atmosphere.
Unfortunately as is often the case, the easiest way is not the most environmentally way.
In fact, even though plants are organic, there are many types of fruit and vegetable waste, such as those produced from olive mills, which do not break down naturally.
Since the industries that produce and process fruits and vegetables are so often guilty of inefficient processing methods, which create a good deal of pollution, it is imperative to find ways to dispose of fruit and vegetable waste in a way that does not hurt the environment.
Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
One of the most important ways of controlling the amount of fruit and vegetable waste that ends up in the landfill is to find uses for as many of the byproducts created during production as possible.
All too often, once the actual product is created, whether it is fruit juice, olive oil, or nuts, all of the byproducts are simply discarded. There are, however, quite literally thousands of ways that these byproducts could actually be used.
For example, in Mediterranean areas, the almond represents one of the biggest cash crops. This is in large part because almond trees can be grown easily in areas where other crops would not flourish. When the almonds are harvested, the shells are usually burned.
However, instead of simply incinerating the almond shells, it is possible to grind them up and use them as a soil-less growing medium.
In fact, tomatoes have been shown to be very responsive to this type growing medium, which is less expensive than rock wool and since it could be produced locally, would reduce transportation emissions. There would also be a commercial market for this product and it could be used in places where the soil is of poor quality.
It is also possible to reuse plant waste to create flavorings, natural insecticides, colorings, cooking ingredients, and even dietary supplements. These types of substances are called phytochemicals and can be made from the pomace of many types of fruits and vegetables. Pomace, which is the part of the fruit or vegetable that is left over after it has been squeezed for juice, is often discarded.
For instance, olive pomace, which is not very biodegradable, can be used to prevent the spread of nematodes on tomatoes.
Citrus pomace is another great example and has been shown to be an effective ant-fungicide, crop insect repellent, and baking product.
There are a number of other ways that pomace from most types of fruits and vegetables, such as apples, carrots, mangoes, and grapes, can be used in baked goods, as a stabilizer, or as a source of protein and fiber in diet foods.
Discovering a Green Way to Use Plant Waste
While today, many industries simply dispose of the byproducts created during the production cycle, this is neither good for the environment, nor is it a sustainable behavior if we are to preserve the Earth for the future generations.
Instead, finding ways to recycle and reuse these kinds of waste products is essential and is also often quite profitable.
About the Author
Tiger is the chief editor and contributor at mobilitytiger.com, which is a site that offers information on a number of health and medical topics. The diabetes resource center at Tiger’s site offers regularly updated information and news events that relate to diabetes mellitus, which is an endocrine disease that is found in millions of people every year.
