Dark Skies

[glenc]

Astronomers like to travel out of the cities to places with dark skies and fuel is getting expensive. The attached file lists some of our most economical cars. Some of them are too small for a decent sized telescope and the hybrids can't tow anything but the 1.6L and 1.9L diesels can carry a fair bit and tow too. Unfortunately diesel is about 10% dearer than ULP but diesels make up for it with 30% better economy.
Reference: http://www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au/GVGPublicUI/AdvancedSearchWebForm.aspx?CurrentT ask=38afd721-8c7b-4a97-8304-0a87fcc08dda

[MrB]

I haven't made the trip to a dark sky for years.
Last time was to image comets C/2002 T7 and C/2001 Q4 sometime in 2004.
At that time I had a bit of concern about the reliability of the old bomb, especially with no phone coverage out there, but now it's the fuel prices as you say.
Might head out bush again when there's another interesting comet, if I make a 3-night weekend of it instead of an overnighter, would be more attractive price-wise.

[glenc]

PETROL could hit $8 a litre within a decade as oil production begins to dwindle and demand continues to soar, a CSIRO study to be released today says.
The study, Fuel For Thought, warns this would add up to $220 a week to the cost of running a medium-sized passenger vehicle by 2018, resulting in severe social and economic consequences...
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/peak-oil-petrol-to-reach-8-a-litre/2008/07/10/1215658037458.html
http://www.csiro.au/resources/FuelForThoughtReport.html

[glenc]

This could be used to charge up an electric car using solar power.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7501476.stm

and this can store power for use at night or be used as a fuel for cars. You just stop at a garage, empty the old vanadium liquid for recharging by the fuel station, and refill with already charged vanadium liquid.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/04/the_vanadium_ba.php

and this can be used to produce biodiesel from algae and store CO2 and make fodder.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/05/queensland-gove.html

[Trido]

I hate how that it takes a situation that we are in now for people to finally act on the matter of alternative fuels. Hell it is still not at the top of the priority list, but it is getting there very slowly.

[glenc]

"You kill three birds with one stone. The algae serves at once to filter out CO2 at industrial sites, to produce energy [fuel] and for agriculture," he said. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/16/2305435.htm

[glenc]

Micro-algae are single celled microscopic organisms which, like plants, use photosynthesis to convert the sun’s energy into chemical energy.
Microalgae can be grown in large vats (bioreactors) that provide the algae with all the needs to maximise growth and oil production.
Micro-algae are much more efficient converters of solar energy than any known terrestrial plant, because they grow in suspension where they have unlimited access to water and more efficient access to CO2 and dissolved nutrients.
The total oil content in algae can be up to 60 to 70% of their dry weight.
Micro-algae are capable of producing more than 30 times the amount of oil (per year per unit area of land) when compared to terrestrial oil seed crops.
Biodiesel is a natural and renewable fuel alternative for diesel engines.
Biodiesel contains no petroleum, is non toxic and biodegradable.
http://www.sardi.sa.gov.au/pages/organisation/media_products/media_releases/2006/biofueljuly_20_2006___micro.htm:sec tID=1179&tempID=1

There is more info at:
http://www.biofuelsaustralasia.com.au/article.jsp?article_id=1320&article_title=Tripping+the+Light+FA NTASTIC

[space oddity]

The algae are still not as efficient as photovoltaic. Surely farmland too marginal for crops could be converted to solar energy harvesting . It is estimated that an area the size of the Northern Territory covered in solar collectors could provide the world with all its enegy needs . We better get in first before the Africans cotton on to use the Sahara for the same purpose:P. Mass production of collectors would bring the cost per kilowatt hour below current polluting coal and just think of those juicy carbon credits and slightly clearer skies:).

[glenc]

I think both PV and algae have a place. PV can be used to charge electric cars (see post #4) and biodiesel can fuel ships, trains, cars and trucks. The current hybrid cars can't tow anything and diesels are great for towing.

[Outbackmanyep]

I want a car with a fuel system like Dr Emmet Brown in "Back To The Future II"!

[Kevnool]

I,ll just keep pumping the petrol in till the day its pumped out....as they say have car will travel...cheers Kev.

[glenc]

"By 2004 he had helped the area cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 77 per cent. His methods were innovative, perhaps, but not new. Some of the technologies he used had been around for more than 100 years. This week he was in Sydney to talk about how he did it..."
http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/saying-goodbye-to-the-grid/2008/07/22/1216492455066.html?page=fullpage#co ntentSwap1

[glenc]

Currently most research into efficient algal-oil production is being done in the private sector, but if predictions from small scale production experiments bear out then using algae to produce biodiesel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiesel), bioethanol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioethanol) and biobutanol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biobutanol) may be the only viable method by which to produce enough automotive fuel to displace current world gasoline usage.[21] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algaculture#cite_note-BiodieselFromAlgae-20)
Microalgae have much faster growth-rates than terrestrial crops. The oil yield per unit area of algae is estimated to be 5,000 to 20,000 gallons per acre, per year (4.6 to 18.4 l/m2 per year); this is 7 to 30 times greater than the next best crop, Chinese tallow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_tallow) (699 gallons).[22] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algaculture#cite_note-Biodiesel-21)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algaculture#Biofuels_production (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algaculture#cite_note-Biodiesel-21)

[glenc]

An area 250km by 250km planted with Chinese Tallow trees could supply the USA with all the diesel fuel it needs.
That is 1.6% of the area now under cultivation by all crops in the USA.
These trees are a weed in northern NSW because they grow too well.
[PDF]F F F D T (http://www.esrla.com/pdf/tallow.pdf)

[glenc]

"THE Australian car industry needs serious investment in alternate fuel technology and hybrid cars, experts have warned, after the US carmaker Ford posted record losses yesterday."
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/challenge-for-industry-in-fords-loss/2008/07/25/1216492732899.html

I think public transport and plug-in electric bikes and cars are the way to go in the city. The later can be charged at home and at parking stations.

For longer trips (cars, buses, trucks, trains, ships) biodiesel from algae, Chinese tallow, palm tree oil etc is a solution.

Algae can be grown near power stations to use up half the CO2 emissions, and at sewerage works. Chinese tallow is a weed in coastal USA and around here but the seeds can be made infertile. Palm oil can be grown in northern Australia provided it does not replace food crops or forests.

[MrB]

For a couple of years now I've been toying with the idea of converting one of those 50cc scooters that teens get around on to electric.
Would still like to do it. Would be perfect for those quick trips down to the corner store etc.

A few years ago there was an article in Earth and Garden magazine by a guy in Margret River WA that has converted an old Suzuki MightyBoy car to electric, was a simple relatively cheap conversion and even got licensed without too many drama's. From memory fuel(electricity) cost him about 2c per kilometer traveled, and could be even less if he used a brushless DC motor, or even free(solar/wind).

There was also an article in the same issue about a guy that converted his fussy lawnmower to electric, it started everytime without fuss, was almost silent, and never once stalled, even in 1 foot high grass. Hehe.

[glenc]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/02/2322139.htm
A much cheaper fuel cell could be on its way thanks a new cathode built by Australian researchers.
A team at the Australian Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science at Monash University in Melbourne have reported their findings in the current issue of research journal 'Science'.
Fuel cells convert hydrogen and oxygen to electricity and water and are thus a key area of research for powering greener cars.
The traditional fuel cell has a cathode which contains expensive platinum nanoparticles, says materials engineer Professor Maria Forsythe, who contributed to the development of the new cathode.
Ms Forsythe says the amount of platinum required for a passenger car is worth around $3,500 to $4,000, and this makes up the major cost of a fuel cell.
A further problem is the nanoparticles can lose their effectiveness either by clumping together or by becoming "poisoned" by carbon monoxide.
Ms Forsythe and team developed a new cathode from a conducting polymer called poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) or PEDOT.
Conducting polymers are special plastics that conduct electricity.
She says cathode materials for a green car could be made more easily at cost of only several hundred dollars, while producing the same amount of current per unit area as the platinum cathode.
Ms Forsythe says the new cathode is also much more stable than the platinum one and immune from being affected by carbon monoxide.
The researchers are also confident the cathode could be used in zinc air batteries, which are under development for storing energy in cars.
Funding for the new cathode came from the Australian Research Council.

[glenc]

http://www.bev.com.au/
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/02/14/1202760494735.html
The Trentham man's new Hyundai Getz has been converted to electric power. He uses an extension cord to plug the car into a power point, charges it overnight and drives away. Using power from solar panels above his office, it costs only 97 cents to drive 100 kilometres. "What this shows is that there's no reason that here and now, today, we can't run our homes and our cars on solar," Mr Gray said...

[glenc]

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=55646&s_cid=xpromo:1&pg=2&vf=0&IsPgd=0

The [FIAT] Topolino, tipped to built in collaboration with Indian firm Tata, is also said to use a two cylinder engine, with a capacity of 900cc. Diesel and full electric power will be options, although electric power won’t be available at launch, which is slated for the middle of 2010...

According to reports, the [BMW] Isetta will use a twin-clutch semi-automatic gearbox that, combined with light weight and efficient aerodynamics, will lead to 42 km per litre fuel efficiency [that’s 120 mpg in the old money or 2.4 L/100km] and carbon dioxide outputs of less than 100 grams per kilometre...

The VW Up
http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=55640&GalleryType=2&ImageID=1

[glenc]

Do you want an economical car for your next dark sky trip?
The attached Excel zip file lists Australia's 200 most economical cars.
The most economical car, a Fiat 500, uses 4.2L/100km. The Prius uses 4.4L/100km.
The most economical 2.0L engine, a Peugeot, uses 5.4L/100km.

Refr
http://www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au/GVGPublicUI/QuickCompareWebForm.aspx?CurrentTas k=6421e7b9-f4eb-41cf-8172-614a4f6b5336

[glenc]

I think plug in electric cars are good for short trips. They can be solar powered.

"As Australia looks to cap carbon emissions with targets for renewable energy and the introduction of carbon credits, WorleyParsons (http://au.search.yahoo.com/search?p=WorleyParsons&fr=sfy_cl_au&ei=UTF-8&rd=r2) said it aimed to deliver 40 percent of Australia's renewable energy needs with 34 solar (http://au.search.yahoo.com/search?p=solar&fr=sfy_cl_au&ei=UTF-8&rd=r2) power plants by 2020...
The first plants would cost around A$1 billion each, and the company is assuming it would cost around 15 cents a kilowatt hour to produce power. Meurs said as newer technology became available, the plant (http://au.search.yahoo.com/search?p=plant&fr=sfy_cl_au&ei=UTF-8&rd=r2) cost was likely to fall.
Carbon credits would have to be priced at well over A$10 a tonne to make the solar (http://au.search.yahoo.com/search?p=solar&fr=sfy_cl_au&ei=UTF-8&rd=r2) power plants commercially viable and at A$50 a tonne would make solar (http://au.search.yahoo.com/search?p=solar&fr=sfy_cl_au&ei=UTF-8&rd=r2) power look relatively cheap. By comparison in Europe, where carbon trading is active, credits have been trading at around 26 euros ($38.74) a tonne for December 2008 delivery."
http://au.biz.yahoo.com/080812/19/1voq5.html
also
http://www.smh.com.au/news/energy-smart/cue-the-sun-polluters-back-a-solar-system/2008/08/12/1218306901743.html

[glenc]

This thread is about efficient forms of transport. Here is another example.
"Was it a boat? Was it a plane? A bit of both in fact. The Ekranoplan was one of the more obscure products of the fight for technological supremacy in the Cold War. Nigel Paterson, who joined Top Gear presenter James May for a test "flight", recounts its secret history.
In September 1966 an American spy satellite flew over a Soviet naval base on the Caspian Sea and took a series of photographs. This being the height of the Cold War, the results created quite a stir among the American intelligence community, because they showed an object, more than 100m long with inexplicably stubby, square wings, quite unlike anything they had seen before.
Their first guess was that this was a conventional aeroplane, possibly a seaplane, but one that was incomplete and much bigger than any aircraft the US had..."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7638659.stm
also http://www.vincelewis.net/ekranoplan.html

[glenc]

Continuing the theme of efficient energy sources, in this case at Fremantle WA.
"The CETO process consists of hundreds of underwater buoys, each attached to a pump. Movement of the buoys sends pressurised water to shore for use in generators or desalination plants. Tim Sawyer estimates 35% of Australia's energy needs is practically and economically extractable now."
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/scienceshow/stories/2008/2378304.htm
http://www.carnegiecorp.com.au/index.php?url=/ceto/what-is-ceto

[glenc]

Staff and students at the University of South Australia have designed and built —Trev. Its features include:
two comfortable seats, since more than 90% of urban trips have only one or two people in the car;
enough luggage space for at least two overnight bags;
300 kg mass—because using a 2.5 tonne vehicle for commuting is ridiculous;
energy-efficient tyres, brakes and suspension;
a clean, quiet and efficient electric drive system;
compliance with road safety and worthiness regulations;
good performance, with a top speed of 120 km/h; and
150 km of city driving before the car must be recharged.
The cost of recharging Trev is 1.1 cents per kilometrehttp://www.unisa.edu.au/solarcar/trev/Q&A.asp

[CoombellKid]

That would be perfect for someone like me.

regards,CS

[glenc]

It is not big enough for a 16".

[CoombellKid]

I dont think it would be big enough for the 20x80's and parra mount either lol
But it would make trips into town a lot cheaper thats for sure!

regards,CS

[Gargoyle_Steve]

My brother has recently bought a 1985 Suzuki Alto (?) which aparently has a 548 cc 3 cylinder engine, and is basically a 2 seat hatchback. We're exploring to see if his 10" dob wil fit ok, the rear cargo area ia surprisingly large and unencumbered.

Will let you know how fuel economy goes, although I wouldn't mind looking at converting it to some kind of electric propulsion if wants to get rid of it!

[glenc]

This can power a few electric cars.
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=652670
"The plant will generate enough electricity to power 3,500 homes in central California...
The plant has a space age look, with 300m rows of mirrors designed to concentrate the sun's power on tubes carrying steam...
The company, now headquartered in Palo Alto near San Francisco, plans a larger solar-thermal plant at California's Carrizo Plain to power 120,000 homes..."

[glenc]

Here is a new way to make biodiesel.
"A reddish microbe found on the inside of a tree at a secret location in the rainforests of northern Patagonia could unlock the biofuel of the future, say scientists.
Its potential is so startling that the discoverers have coined the term "myco-diesel" - a derivation of the word for fungus - to describe the bouquet of hydrocarbons that it breathes.
"This is the only organism that has ever been shown to produce such an important combination of fuel substances," said Gary Strobel, a professor of biology at Montana State University.
"The fungus can even make these diesel compounds from cellulose, which would make it a better source of biofuel that anything we use at the moment."
The study appears in a peer-reviewed British journal, Microbiology..."
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=660338

[glenc]

This is on the ABC TV new inventors tonight at 8 pm.
http://www.biofuelpartnership.com/biocube.html

The BioCube is a compact self-contained machine, the size of a 10ft ISO shipping container, that expels oil from raw oil feedstock, then processes the oil by a continuous Lurgi transesterification reaction and filtration to produce international standard biodiesel.
Biodiesel produced by the BioCube meets European EN14214 standard if the feedstock quality permits.
Based on a 10-hour production day, the machine is designed to operate for a minimum of five years in hostile tropical environments with no major intervention, whilst being operated by unskilled labour specifically trained to operate the machine. It will produce 1,500 - 2,000 litres of biodiesel per day from an estimated six tons of Jatropha feedstock.

[glenc]

"Google.org is confronting the climate crisis on two fronts:
We're working on developing utility scale renewable energy cheaper than coal (RE<C) and
accelerating the commercialization of plug-in vehicles through the RechargeIT (http://www.google.org/recharge/) initiative. Our over-arching vision is that one day a large portion of the world's vehicles will plug into an electric grid fueled by renewable energy."
http://www.google.org/rec.html

[glenc]

http://www.google.org/recharge/experiment/
"The RechargeIT driving experiment consisted of three types of trips;
City trips driven exclusively on surface streets,
Combined City/Highway trips that were a mix of surface streets and highways, and
Highway trips that were almost exclusively on highways.
All trips from each trip type were grouped together to allow us to measure fuel efficiency specific to each type of trip. The graph above shows the overall MPG for the complete set of trips in the experiment, and the the graphs below show the MPG numbers for each specific trip type."
Note 30mpg US = 36 mpg UK = 7.8 L/100km

[glenc]

I would like to see a plug-in biodiesel hybrid.
The electricity can be produced from renewable energy: wave, solar, wind, geothermal etc
The biodiesel can be produced from Algae, Chinese tallow etc.
Its production should not compete with food crops or destroy forests.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_biofuel_crop_yields

[glenc]

The area of Chinese tallow trees needed to supply Australia with its 2006 diesel needs is 18,300 square km which is 0.24% of our land area.
"Registered motor vehicles in Australia consumed 28,898 million litres of fuel in the 12 months ended 31 October 2006.
Of the total fuel consumed by motor vehicles in this period, 65.8% was petrol and 29.8% was diesel."
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/9208.0Main+Features112%20months%20e nded%2031%20October%202006?OpenDocu ment
The area of Australia is 7.74 million sq km and Chinese tallow produces 4700 L of fuel per ha.

[glenc]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partnership_for_a_New_Generation_of _Vehicles
"The Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles was a cooperative research program between the U.S. government and major auto corporations, aimed at establishing U.S. leadership in the development of extremely fuel-efficient (up to 80 mpg) vehicles while retaining the features that make them marketable and affordable. The partnership, formed in 1993, involved 8 federal agencies [1], the national laboratories, universities, and the United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR), which comprises DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation. On track to achieving its objectives, the program was cancelled in 2001 at the request of the automakers, with some of its aspects shifted to the much more distant FreedomCAR program."

http://www.allpar.com/model/intrepid-esx3.html
Intrepid ESX-3
The ESX3 costs only about $7,500 more than a comparable gasoline-powered car, down from a $15,000 premium with the ESX2, and $60,000 with the ESX. The ESX3's mild hybrid electric (or "mybrid") powertrain combines a clean diesel engine, electric motor, and lithium-ion battery to achieve 72 miles per gallon (3.3 liters/100 km). That is two miles per gallon better than the fuel efficiency of its predecessor, the ESX2 in 1998, and close to PNGV's goal of up to 80 mpg (2.9 liters/100 km).

[glenc]

"One of the key investments is in a unique solar powered battery re-charging centre. Built by the Austrian company Cellstrom, the centre is a shed-sized box with 24 solar panels on it that houses a revolutionary liquid-based [Australian] battery.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7669522.stm

"Cellstrom develops, produce and supply energy storage systems based on [UNSW] vanadium redox flow batteries integrated with photovoltaic and/ or other renewable energy sources as complete solutions.
http://www.cellstrom.at/index.php?id=17&L=1

[glenc]

A plug-in car with a biodiesel generator sounds good.
http://www.webwombat.com.au/motoring/news_reports/volvo-recharge-concept.htm
http://p.webwombat.com.au/motoring/images/volvo-recharge-concept-5-big.jpg
http://www.caradvice.com.au/5374/volvo-recharge-concept/

[glenc]

You can't carry a telescope to a dark site on this but it's ok if you have a scope permanently set up in a dark place.
http://globalmotors.net/piaggio-unveils-141-mpg-167-l100-km-plug-in-hybrid-scooter/
It has better braking and handling than a 2 wheeler and you don't have to put your feet down at the lights.
http://www.scootersales.com.au/News-2252-scooter-of-the-year.aspx
141 mpg US = 168 mpg UK

[glenc]

2009 Mitsubishi i MiEV First Steer
http://www.caradvice.com.au/26642/2009-mitsubishi-i-miev-first-steer/
Mitsubishi says that compared to a similar sized petrol car, the running costs per kilometre are around 33 per cent lower.
If charged during off-peak or night time hours the operating costs will be even less.

Mitsubishi i MiEV
Technical Specifications Overall Length x Width x Height: 3395 x 1475 x 1600mm
Curb Weight: 1080kg
Seating Capacity: four
Maximum Speed: 130km/h
Cruising Distance with a single charge (10-15 mode): 160km
Motor Type: Permanent magnet synchronous
Maximum Output: 47kW
Maximum Torque: 180Nm
Drive System: Rear-wheel-drive
Battery Type: Lithium-ion
Total Voltage: 330 Volts
Total Energy: 16kWh

[glenc]

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16919-innovation-100mpg-car-contest-under-starters-orders.html
The main $7.5-million purse for designs with four wheels, carrying four people requires they travel 200 miles on one load of their chosen fuel – at the target efficiency – and must accelerate from 0 to 60mph in 12 seconds and reach speeds of 100 miles per hour.
The smaller $2.5-million prize for vehicles of any design carrying two or more people requires they go 100 miles on a top-up and reach at least 80 mph. Both categories restrict carbon emissions and require attainable plans to manufacture 10,000 vehicles a year.
http://www.progressiveautoxprize.org/teams

[glenc]

http://www.gizmag.com/zero-s-motorcycles-supermoto-supermotard-electric/11423/
Now the company has announced the Zero S - a street-legal electric supermotard capable of 100 kph and with a 100 km range off a full 4-hour battery charge. At under US$10,000 (A$14,300) - before you get your 10% Federal plug-in vehicle credit.