Subscribe to Gizmag's RSS feed
Follow Gizmag on Twitter
Paul Evans
- The World's first flying hotel - The Hotelicopter (57,229 Views)
- Formula One KERS explained (31,442 Views)
- The Mosquito single seater lightweight helicopter (26,310 Views)
- Lithium Ion Battery breakthrough promises 100-fold boost in performance (24,468 Views)
- Two-seater Hummel helicopter concept folds-up for easy storage (22,765 Views)
All Articles by Paul Evans
Four time World Solar Challenge winner unveils new car - the Nuna5
By Paul Evans
19:20 July 14, 2009 PDT
The team that won the World Solar Challenge for the last four years running has unveiled its latest solar racer. Like its predecessor, the Nuna5 from Delft University's Nuon Solar Team is covered with six square meters of solar panels but is 30kg lighter at a super low 160kg excluding driver. Read More
Camless combustion engine may improve ICE efficiency
By Paul Evans
19:44 July 12, 2009 PDT
A petrol powered Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) is approx 25-30% energy efficient at the flywheel and around 15% energy efficient at the wheels. There are many losses within the engine itself including friction and waste heat from the combustion process, but Sweden's Cargine Engineering thinks that eliminating the parasitic losses of the camshaft by building a camless engine may help improve energy efficiency. Using pneumatically driven actuators to shoot the valve open the camless engine concept can provide fully variable valve lift and fully variable lift duration without a camshaft in sight. Read More
The Mosquito single seater lightweight helicopter
By Paul Evans
17:33 May 12, 2009 PDT
The "Muecke" (mosquito) is a single seater lightweight sport helicopter concept that combines low weight and corresponding low flying costs in an easily transportable design which would make this flying machine the ultimate in personal aviation. The mini chopper is intended to be powered by a shaft driven turbine and features counter rotating blades. This means it does not require a tail rotor, instead utilizing movable paddles at the tip of the rotor blades which act like a kind of thrust vectoring of the turbine exhaust to help make course corrections in forward flight as well as in hover. Read More
Robotic helicopter teaches itself how to fly aerobatics
By Paul Evans
23:47 May 7, 2009 PDT
Autonomous helicopters offer a highly maneuverable and versatile platform in scenarios like disaster relief operations, but programming these machines to perform complex aerobatics is a formidable challenge - unless of course they teach themselves. This example developed by Stanford computer scientists does just that, learning to fly by watching other RC helicopters in the air. Not only does this artificial intelligence system produce a spectacular flying exhibition, it's seen as an important demonstration of robotic learning through observation. Read More
UK team Develops plug-in hybrid retrofit kit for ICE vehicle
By Paul Evans
20:39 May 7, 2009 PDT
Automotive engineering facilities in the UK have joined forces to design a system which allows conventional delivery vans to be cheaply converted to run in a zero-emissions, all-electric mode for urban use. The ADDZEV (affordable add-on zero emissions vehicle) system was developed using a standard Vauxhall Combo van, retaining the existing conventional front-wheel-drive (FWD) system and an adding an electric drive in parallel for the rear wheels. The vehicle can operate with just front wheel drive powered by the internal combustion engine or can turn off the petrol engine and run with rear wheel drive under electric power only. Read More
214 mph in 2.5 sec: water-powered record stands the test of time
By Paul Evans
01:27 May 7, 2009 PDT
In 1974 Evel Knievel launched himself across the Snake River Canyon in Idaho aboard the rocket powered Sky-Cycle in what was to be the biggest stunt and biggest flop of his daredevil career. The Skycycle X-1 and X-2 were more rocket than they were motorcycle and both were powered by overheated water rockets. This incredibly powerful means of propulsion also saw the team at Swissrocketman achieve a blistering 214.7 mph in 2.5 seconds back in 1992 - a water-rocket record that has remained unbeaten ever since. Read More
Raser low-temperature binary geothermal plant goes online
By Paul Evans
21:19 May 5, 2009 PDT
Raser Technologies has begun delivering 10 megawatts (MW) of clean, renewable electricity to Anaheim, California, from its first low-temperature, binary geothermal plant, the Hatch Geothermal Power Plant in Beaver County, Utah. Traditionally, the lead time on a geothermal plant is three to five years, but the USD$33-million Raser plant has been powered up just five months after ground-breaking. To help meet such rapid construction schedules, the plant uses off-the-shelf modular components, taken from the air conditioning industry, which are essentially running in reverse. Read More
Close-up look at the Proton Satria Neo S2000 rally car
By Paul Evans
18:08 May 4, 2009 PDT
With the World Rally Championship (WRC) switching over to S2000-based cars next year, we thought it may be a good time to have a closer look at what has proved to be the fastest S2000 rally car so far, the Mellors Elliott Motorsport (MEM) build Proton Satria Neo Super 2000. In the hands of Irish driver Niall McShea, the Proton caused quite a stir on the first WRC event earlier this year, Rally Ireland, when it stormed into a podium position on day one, ahead of a full field of WRC machinery. Read More
The Springtail Exoskeleton Flying Vehicle ideal for the quick getaway
By Paul Evans
14:47 May 3, 2009 PDT
Last week we reported on the two-seater Hummel helicopter concept and mentioned that it looked very similar to the SoloTrek XFV (Exo-skeletal Flying Vehicle) backpack helicopter flown in the movie Agent Cody Banks. We haven't had a close look at this Exoskeleton Flying Vehicle but, although the design was first tested in 2003, it's still a unique form of transport that we hope to see more of in the future. Read More
The UK's first four-seat, all-electric production car goes on sale
By Paul Evans
14:24 May 3, 2009 PDT
The first all-electric family car went on sale in the United Kingdom over the weekend. Electric Car Corporation Plc has launched a lithium ion battery-powered, all-electric version of the Citroen C1, called the C1 ev'ie. Unlike the previous largest selling electric vehicle in Britain – the Indian-built Reva G-Wiz, which was legally classed as a quadricycle – the C1 ev’ie is a proper car, albeit a mini car. Read More
The 100+ miles-per-gallon, plug-in hybrid Hummer
By Paul Evans
16:49 May 2, 2009 PDT
Raser Technologies has debuted a Hummer H3, converted into a plug-in series hybrid, to coincide with the company's listing on the New York Stock Exchange. With the aerodynamics of a house – it has a drag coefficient of .43 (Cd .43) – and a curb weight of 4700 lb (2132 kg) in standard trim, the H3 hardly makes an ideal vehicle to base a hybrid conversion on. Raser chose the Hummer because trucks and SUVs have been among the best-selling vehicles in the US and stood to benefit most from increased fuel economy and reduced emissions. The recent economic slump and fuel price volatility have led to the Hummer brand being put up for sale (with no takers), while SUV sales have stalled with many SUV plants now closed. Read More
World's largest Solar Power Tower Plant now on-line
By Paul Evans
18:33 May 1, 2009 PDT
Made up of more than 1200 mirrored heliostats surrounding a huge 54 story high tower, the world's largest solar power tower plant is now on-line near Seville in Spain. Developed by Spanish engineering company Abengoa, the PS20 plant generates 20 megawatts of electricity, enough to supply 10,000 homes. Concentrating solar thermal technology has been used in desert areas in Spain and the southwest U.S. for decades and is seeing a resurgence as utilities seek to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Read More
Two-seater Hummel helicopter concept folds-up for easy storage
By Paul Evans
22:36 April 30, 2009 PDT
Looking something like a cross between the SoloTrek XFV backpack helicopter flown in the movie Agent Cody Banks and the Boeing V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor, the Hummel is a two passenger lightweight helicopter concept that features a fully enclosed cabin and tandem ducted rotors which offer the same stability as a conventional helicopter with a tail rotor. The extra twist - when you're done flying it folds into a box shape for easy storage and transportation. Read More
Lockheed Martin to develop geostationary Solar Powered Airship
By Paul Evans
22:12 April 30, 2009 PDT
The idea of replacing very expensive space based satellites and Aircraft mounted Airborne Warning And Control Systems (AWACS) with stationary platforms inside Earth's atmosphere has been floated for decades. Despite the fact that lighter-than-air vehicles or airships that could fulfill this role have been flying for over 300 years, the idea is only now getting off the ground. Lockheed Martin has been chosen by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for a US$400 million contract to to design, build, test and fly a 1:3 scale model of an airship surveillance and telecommunications platform called the High Altitude Airship (HAA). The full scale HAA would measure 240 ft long by 70 ft in diameter, run entirely on solar power and be able to stay aloft for up to 10 years. Read More
Autonomous Rotorcraft Sniper System packs .338-caliber rifle controlled by Xbox 360 pad
By Paul Evans
00:43 April 29, 2009 PDT
Late last year reports surfaced of a modified radio controlled helicopter equipped with a .45 caliber hand gun, including a video of the RC copter doing target practice with live ammunition (see below). It seems the US Army have been thinking along the same lines, except this version carries a .338 caliber sniper rifle. Read More
Carl Edwards drives 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid 1445.7 miles on a single tank
By Paul Evans
18:54 April 28, 2009 PDT
A team of Ford hybrid engineers, a fuel efficiency expert and a NASCAR star have driven a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid 1445.7 miles (2313.12 km) on a single 17.5 US gallon (66.24 Liter) tank of gasoline using Eco-Driving techniques. That's an average of 81.5 mpg (2.88 l/100 km), not bad from a totally standard production car. The 1,000-Mile Challenge started at 8:15 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, from Mount Vernon, Va., and the car finally ran out of gas and battery power on April 28th at 5:37 am in Washington, D.C. NASCAR star Carl Edwards was behind the wheel at the 1000 mile mark and world-record breaking hypermiler Wayne Gerdes was also part of the team. Read More
Big polluters: one massive container ship equals 50 million cars
By Paul Evans
19:06 April 23, 2009 PDT
The Guardian has reported on new research showing that in one year, a single large container ship can emit cancer and asthma-causing pollutants equivalent to that of 50 million cars. The low grade bunker fuel used by the worlds 90,000 cargo ships contains up to 2,000 times the amount of sulfur compared to diesel fuel used in automobiles. The recent boom in the global trade of manufactured goods has also resulted in a new breed of super sized container ship which consume fuel not by the gallons, but by tons per hour, and shipping now accounts for 90% of global trade by volume. Read More
Researchers developing portable E-Bomb
By Paul Evans
23:24 April 22, 2009 PDT
High-power microwave (HPM) bombs that use an enormous electromagnetic radio pulse to disable computers, electronics, vehicles, guided missiles and communications while leaving people and structures unharmed have been under investigation in research labs for a number of years. Until recently these weapons have been impractically large at over 3.5 meters long, but researchers at Texas Tech University have now built a self powered device with U.S. Army funding that measures 15 cm in diameter and only 1.5 meters long, making it small enough to be considered portable. Read More
Chrysler chooses A123 batteries for Electric Vehicles
By Paul Evans
22:04 April 19, 2009 PDT
Chrysler this week announced it will use batteries from A123 Systems in its range of Electric Vehicles, the first of which should be a Tesla Roadster competitor - the Dodge Circuit. A123 and Chrysler have been working together over the last three years to develop a modular battery system based on prismatic cells using the same lithium iron nano-phosphate chemistry that has already gained a huge reputation following the world records set by Killacycle. Read More
PG&E signs up for 200 MW of baseload space solar power
By Paul Evans
03:51 April 19, 2009 PDT
US utility PG&E has this week announced it is seeking regulatory approval for a power supply deal that could see it buying power generated by solar satellites within seven years. If the proposal gets approval from regulators in its home state of California it will agree to a power purchase deal that from 2016 would see PG&E buy 200MW of renewable power over a 15-year period from space solar technology startup Solaren Corp. Read More
2025 Sunbeam Tiger electric car concept
By Paul Evans
16:52 April 16, 2009 PDT
The Sunbeam Tiger was a supercharged V12 four-liter racing car, driven by Sir Henry Segrave at 145 mph (233 km/h) and was the smallest-engined car ever to hold the world land speed record. The Sunbeam Tiger electric sports car concept has been designed to "virtually" commemorate the 100th anniversary (1925-2025) of the Tiger's land speed record win. The Tiger concept car is powered by a Siemens 3 phase AC motor powering the rear wheels with a 26 kilowatt/hour lithium-titanate battery pack and has a curb weight of 600kg (1323lb). Read More
World's largest aircraft from 1930: Giant Russian K-7 flying fortress
By Paul Evans
16:34 April 14, 2009 PDT
The Soviet aircraft industry really like building big. We recently reported on the Hotelicopter, a converted Soviet Mil V-12 Heavy Lift Helicopter, which proved to be an April Fools prank. The Russians can still claim the title of world's largest aircraft, though, with the Antonov AN-225 heavy lift transport, which has a larger wingspan than the Airbus A380. Both of these modern day wonders have still not eclipsed the Hughes H-4 Hercules or “Spruce Goose” for size and we have just unearthed pictures of something the Russians were working on in the 1930s that may have dwarfed even the Spruce Goose. Read More
World's top 5 fastest street legal electric cars
By Paul Evans
02:40 April 10, 2009 PDT
Cars like the million dollar Porsche Carrera GT and Ferrari Enzo are rightly considered supercars with their lightweight carbon fiber construction and 650 hp (477 kw) thoroughbred mid mounted engines making them capable of 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds. The amazing thing is that electric vehicles like the 250 hp (183 kw) Tesla Roadster, which produce 100% instant torque from zero rpm, can accelerate to 60 mph in the exact same time, and at costs as low as $0.02 per mile. Paul Evans takes a look at the leading lights of this new breed of speed demon - the top 5 fastest Electric Vehicles in the world. Read More
GM and Segway Join forces to reinvent urban transportation
By Paul Evans
19:28 April 7, 2009 PDT
Straight out of left field, General Motors and personal mobility pioneer Segway have revealed a two-wheel, two-seater prototype vehicle they’ve code named Project P.U.M.A (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility). The self-balancing electric “car” is designed to transport two adults in a seated position at speeds of up to 35 mph and can travel up to 25 and 35 miles (40 - 56 km) powered by large format lithium-ion batteries on as little as $0.60 worth of electricity. The control system is based on the original Segway with dynamic balancing and drive-by-wire for acceleration, steering, and braking. It also features vehicle-to-vehicle communications, digital smart energy management and a dockable user interface that allows off-board connectivity. Read More
Formula One Double Deck Diffuser explained
By Paul Evans
06:59 April 7, 2009 PDT
Only two rounds into the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship and the largest number of rule changes in the history of the sport have well and truly reshuffled the deck. We took a close look at the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) before the opening round got underway in Melbourne, Australia, but it turns out the biggest news in Formula One at the start of the season is the rear diffusers being used by the Brawn, Toyota and Williams teams. The diffusers in question were cleared by the FIA as long ago as January but the matter will again be considered by the FIA's International Court of Appeal on April 14. Paul Evans investigates. Read More
Terotech
- November 21, 2009 @ 19:38 UTC
