Researchers in Finland and Sweden have published a new study that suggests that soot particulates (or particulate matter, PM) from renewable diesel fuels (from hydrogenated vegetable oils, HVO) have similar oxidation properties and surface structures to those generated by fossil-based diesel. This implies that renewable, vegetable-oil based diesels (such as biodiesel from soybeans) will benefit [...]
Archive for June, 2010
Study Suggests That Oxidative ATs for Fossil Diesel Should Also Work Well with Renewables
June 30th, 2010 
Aaron Turpen 
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Capstone Gets CARB-Certified for Microturbine Range Extender
June 30th, 2010 Aaron Turpen Capstone Turbine Corp has received California Air Resources Board (CARB) certification on the C30 (30kW) microturbine as a range-extender for hybrid electric buses and similar medium-duty transit vehicles. This certification is part of Capstone’s move towards offering a full hybridization system to give extended range to plug-in-ready transit vehicles such as urban buses. Test emissions [...]
Efficiency Spotlight: Walmart’s Move to Double Efficiency in 2010
June 29th, 2010 Aaron Turpen Walmart started a trucking transportation efficiency plan for their fleet in 2005. The goal is to double efficiency by the end of this year. How has the company worked towards this goal and what are their chances of actually doing it? In 2005, Walmart’s average big truck average miles per gallon was 5.9. That was [...]
New High-Power Battery Tech May Mean Electric Big Trucks
June 25th, 2010 Aaron Turpen Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have found a way to make carbon nanotubes that could result in a hybrid battery-capacitor, resulting in a battery storage device that could store large amounts of energy quickly and output a large amount of power as well. This combines the best of both worlds for batteries [...]
