Transportation Technology

Now the prestigious and successful business units are competing to become green in their operations. FedEx Express which is a subsidiary of FedEx Corporation expressed its commitment to purchase 51 extra gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles from Azure Dynamics Corporation. Scott Harrison, CEO of Azure Dynamics says, "We applaud FedEx for its continuous effort to conserve resources and minimize its environmental impact and we are delighted that FedEx has again chosen to use Azure’s Balance Hybrid Electric gasoline drive train." 1 Comment

Two things are certain for the future: electric cars will become more popular and solar power will continue to grow as a viable source of energy. Because of this, the world is looking to industry leaders not only in the energy business, but to other major corporations that can have a major impact on the world’s power usage. Dell has stepped up to the plate and hopefully the Dell solar trees parking lot is a sign of greater things to come. The Dell solar parking lot by Envision Solar is a very innovative way that Dell has implemented solar powered lights and it is something that is immediately making an impact. The solar trees serve not only the purpose of gathering the suns energy as a viable energy source, but even provides shade over about 50 parking spaces as well! The lot was made viewable from the highway so Dell can let everyone know that solar power is the way to go. 1 Comment

It seemed like it would only be a matter of time before Toyota would jump into the market of using renewable energy to charge a car and they have done so in a big way. The solar charging station by Toyota will be put on display at the Tokyo Motor Show 2009. While there are other charging stations on the market for electric cars, the fact that this one is solar powered has the industry abuzz in anticipation. The solar charging station by Toyota almost looks like something that you would have seen in one of the old sci-fi movies, but this is the real deal. It works by collecting the suns energy through solar panels and then stores the energy in a battery that is later used to charge and power the vehicle. This is just another great innovation that is pushing our world to a 'greener' lifestyle and will use renewable energy in yet another every day application. 5 Comments

When people thought about telephones in underdeveloped countries it was like they would have to invest a huge sum in infrastructure in the form of poles, wires and equipments. No one imagined about cell phones at that time. They transcend most of the infrastructures. In this hour of impending depletion of fossil fuels we have to think differently. The steps may seem small today but they might leave a huge impact in future. Today we can’t be a bystander and watch the energy scene passively. 12 Comments

CSIRO is an Australian research organization. CSIRO is working in collaboration with Victorian energy distributor SP AusNet. They both are aiming to evaluate the impact and benefits of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on the electricity network. They are also trying to figure out how this low emission transport option could be incorporated into our homes and cities in the future. They are opting out for a three-month trial of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). The staff of the energy distributor SP AusNet will use a modified PHEV for their daily commute and other leisurely journeys. 1 Comment

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) wants to reduce its carbon footprints. That’s why they announced their quest to find a biofuel by 2010 for its commercial flights. Paul Steele was in New Delhi, India. He said to the reporters that IATA is serious about biofuels for commercial flights and it would be certified "by the end of next year". Paul Steele is the head of the environmental initiatives of IATA. As we are all familiar that certification is broadly regarded as a primary technical step that could do away with some of the investment uncertainties plugging the use of high quality biofuels in aviation. IATA chief executive Giovanni Bisignani reaffirms what Paul Steele was saying. Giovanni Bisignani claims, "For the first time, air transport has the possibility of an alternative to traditional jet fuel." 11 Comments

Surveillance and communication are the lifeline of the armed forces. These days they are utilizing small UAVs for naval missions. If the armed forces are using electric UAVs, they have the additional advantage. Electric UAVs can’t be detected from the ground. The Ion Tiger has just demonstrated the likelihood of a long endurance missions with an electric UAV. Naval forces can get a larger cruise range. Naval forces can reduce the number of daily launches and landings too. This increases the capability and yet naval crew can save on the time and effort fronts. 2 Comments

This can be achieved by using piezoelectric materials under busy roads. The property is aptly known as piezoelectricity and it's the ability to produce electric power in response to applied mechanical stress, and in this case this stress is the movement of vehicles on the roads. The concept was originally developed by Innowattech and now the company is laying down a sort of test road in Israel. Is it a solution to the global energy and environment crisis? It could very well be. 39 Comments

FPL Group and Duke Energy are the renowned companies known for their commitment to clean and green energy. It is often said, charity begins at home. They are trying to lead by example. They will collaborate with each other and invest $600 million to transition all their company passenger cars and trucks to plug-in hybrid or all-electric vehicles. This process will be set into motion by the next year and more than 10,000 vehicles will have the capability of re-energizing from the power grid. 3 Comments

Hybrid cars are often known as "cars of the era." The main feature of the hybrid car is that when we start the car engine, electrical energy is used. This way it helps in keeping a tab on the tail pipe emissions. The use of automobiles is increasing in every part of the globe and so is the threat of toxic pollutants and global warming, thanks to their exhaust ingredients. But if we are using a hybrid car the decrease in the tail pipe emission will do a great service to the environment and society. 14 Comments

When scientists unveiled the mystery of boiling of fluids in the form of tiny "microchannels" they cracked various formulas and models to keep the high-power electronic gadgets cool. These high power electronics generally are electric and hybrid cars, aircrafts, computers and other devices. Suresh Garimella – the R. Eugene and Susie E. Goodson Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University – tells us that if we heat a liquid in cooling systems then we can analyze how much heat can be removed, compared to simply heating a liquid to below its boiling point. 2 Comments

First algae fuel-powered vehicle in the world was officially launched in San Francisco. The car, called Algaeus is a modified Toyota Prius, which derives power from green crude, from Sapphire Energy. The car runs on an astonishing 150 miles per gallon of green fuel. But they are aspiring to cross the US on approximately 25 gallons of fuel. 7 Comments

When we look closely at human history we can easily conclude that locomotion is one of the most primordial needs. But our current lifestyle does not allow us with much of the movements. We need to move more often. But it is also true that we live in fitness conscious times. Going to a gymnasium and working out has become a health statement. But till now many of us have not delved deep into what happens in a gymnasium and how can we utilize events happening in gym for better purposes. If we look carefully every member of a gym in a particular time slot is performing some controlled and repetitive motion be it lifting weight or running on a treadmill or doing crunches. What can we do with all these motions? 19 Comments

Manufacturers who are concerned not only about profit but about future too are developing such products that are clean and green and run on alternative fuels. Though currently clean and green products are costly, efforts are on to make them easy on pocket too. Solon SE is a Berlin-based solar company that has produced a zero emission solar ship. Berlin’s mayor Klaus Wowereit was present at a ceremony to launch the "SOLON." It is Berlin’s first passenger ship deriving its power from solar energy. 4 Comments

BAA is trying to upgrade its airport terminal Heathrow East by investing to an amount of £1 billion and naming it as Terminal 2. This new terminal would be designed by Foster + Partners and developed by Ferrovial Agroman and Laing O’Rourke’s joint partnership company HETCo. This terminal will house around twenty million passengers every year that chose Star Alliance airlines. No Comments

Imagine a parking lot that keeps your car cool and charges it while you do whatever you need to do after parking your car. That’s what the new solar forest designed by designer Neville Mars aims to achieve. Electric-powered automobiles are a great way of reducing pollution levels but the main hurdle in the way of them becoming mainstream vehicles is long duration of time they need to recharge. Even to cover small distance you need to recharge your vehicle for hours. One solution is to speed up the recharging process, and another is recharging the cars while they stand unused, like in a parking lot. 9 Comments

We are familiar with the better qualities of electric vehicles. They use alternative energy and leave less carbon footprints on the climate. But they are still not mass produced. They have many drawbacks and one has to find a remedy for such disadvantages. One of the hurdles in making them vehicles of masses is that they can’t be charged easily. They need lots of time to be charged fully. MIT students are trying to produce an alternative to fossil fuel driven cars. They are trying to build up a car that is clean and green but provides good competition to recent automobiles. They claim that their electric cars can be charged fully within ten minutes. Normally an EV vehicle takes overnight to get fully charged. Radu Gogoana is an undergraduate on the Electric Vehicle Team. He claims "Right ... 10 Comments

The progress is being steadily made in the field of alternative energy. Though we have not hit the bull’s eye yet but still the search is on. Scientists and researchers all over the world are spending sleepless nights on their projects to find an all-pervasive alternative to fossil fuels. How can we utilize the alternative energy technology for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) When we think about the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) we think of saving human resource, undoubtedly the most precious resource of any nation. But UAVs have some drawbacks too. They can’t fly to the far and distant places because after traveling certain distance an aircraft needs refueling. And here we face the disadvantage of UAVs. They can’t refuel. But if they utilize solar energy they can travel more and work more effectively in enemy’s territory. The Air Force is thinking of using Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in future. Then they can fly for a longer duration of time without refueling. 4 Comments

We all are waiting for a miracle to happen that can effortlessly replace the fossil fuel and we don’t even feel the change over and go on with our lives as usual. These kinds of transitions have happened as is the case with iron and wood. Many things made of iron and wood got quietly replaced by plastic and the transition was quiet smooth. When the Iron Age got converted to plastic age, we never realized. But the same thing doesn’t seem to be happening with fossil fuel. So the current strategy followed by environment conscious people is, replace fossil fuels in bits and pieces or rather take baby steps till something big and wonderful happens. We are hearing about ecological homes, electric cars, solar energy powered bus stops etc. Now we are hearing about the green jet yacht meeting the eco-friendly green standard. The Green Jet yacht is designed by Erik Sifrer. This Green Jet yacht is 187 foot long and is powered by both wind and hydrogen. The fat cats can flout their eco friendly possession without the guilt of the haves. 4 Comments

The seeds of a humble weed could lower a jet fuel's cradle-to-grave carbon emissions by 84 percent. Camelina sativa is an oilseed crop and it might be used as fuel in aircrafts in the near future. A study conducted at Michigan Technological University claimed that Camelina has shown to be one of the more promising alternatives to petroleum jet fuel. They studied the whole process i.e. from planting to airplane’s tailpipe. David Shonnard, Robbins Chair Professor of Chemical Engineering, studied the carbon dioxide emissions of jet fuel made from Camelina oil. He elaborates, "Camelina jet fuel exhibits one of the largest greenhouse gas emission reductions of any agricultural feedstock-derived biofuel I've ever seen. This is the result of the unique attributes of the crop – its low fertilizer requirements, high oil yield, and the availability of its co-products, such as meal and biomass, for other uses." 20 Comments