Posted by: George Brunemann
on Jul 29, 2009
Transitioning the fleet from predominately one of being 'liquid fuel' based to one of all electric is a technological, political, and economic challenge.
It is no secret – we are a petroleum hungry country. In 2007, automobiles in the United States consumed 9.3 million barrels of gasoline per day. At $3.00 per gallon, that is over one billion dollars per day. Furthermore, the related pollution has created smog, contaminated our air, and contributed to global warming. There are over 250 million registered cars on the road in the United States; and on average, over 16 million additional automobiles are sold each year. The strain on the environment and economy is a difficult situation at best and one that only continues to get worse.
Current automobiles are very inefficient, wasting over 75% of the potential energy for every gallon of gasoline burned. That means only one quart of every gallon of gas is effectively converted to the power required to propel the vehicle. The rest is discharged as heat from the radiator and exhaust – wasted energy, wasted fuel, lost natural resources.
There is strong support for alternative fuels from many sectors. However, while reducing dependency on imported oil, additional fuel options will not reduce overall fuel consumption and may even increase CO2 emissions. Alternative sources for generation of electricity are also being pursued but will take over a decade to achieve significant production. There is a long transition ahead for the automotive industry and associated support updates to achieve an electric powered vehicle; a transition that is estimated will require from 7 to 15 years to even start to gain traction because of significant technological barriers and infrastructure requirements. In the meantime, the need for more efficient conventional vehicles continues to grow as this will be the base for transportation for at least the next generation.
Posted by: George Brunemann
on Jul 28, 2009
Our goal is to provide a practical, experienced, holistic perspective on the current events and developments in the quest for affordable, clean transportation.
Background
Our viewpoint on green vehicles is founded on over 15 years of engineering design and development experience. We are intimately familiar with the complexity and tradeoffs involved in lowering emissions and improving fuel economy having delivered some of the current improvements ourselves. Most of our effort has been in the area of the vehicle powertrain, including low emission diesel combustion, high performance automated transmissions, and high mpg hybrid systems. Hence, our perspective is based on the scars and hair loss associated with bringing green technology to actual product.
Approach
Our analysis methodology focuses on understanding the fundamental physics of the total system, especially the relationships and interactions between the major subsystems. The design process we follow looks at these relationships in order to provide a solution that manages the entire system to get optimum performance. This practical, holistic approach to Green Vehicle Innovation means that we tend to emphasize achievable solutions and time frames.
The discussions here will similarly focus on looking at the broad implications of proposals, probability of success of developments and data centric analysis of current events. Our goal is to be objective and balanced in what we present.
Future Innovation: Revolution within the Evolution
The current discussion of "Green" tends to focus on extreme claims from both those emphasizing the threat of "Climate Change" and those trying to debunk the threat. The same extremism is a part of the technology discussion with many announcing the salvation of "Renewable Energy" and those pointing out the severe roadblocks to totally cutting off use of oil for our energy needs.
Our position is that while the overall process will be very evolutionary, with the opportunity for revolutionary improvements along the way. For example, the all electric vehicle is a far simpler and potentially cleaner approach to transportation, but the current 25% efficiency of conventional vehicles presents a huge opportunity for improvement with far smaller infrastructure impact.
Invitation
We hope you will find our postings interesting and thought provoking. Comments are welcome but are reviewed before posted to avoid unplesantness.
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