Subscribe to Gizmag's RSS feed
Follow Gizmag on Twitter
Biofuel
Trashing existing fuel sources could cut global emissions by 80%
By Darren Quick
01:03 September 30, 2009 PDT
If there’s one thing there seems to be an endless supply of, it's garbage. The idea of turning the trash that currently ends up in landfill into a fuel to combat the growing energy crisis and tackle carbon emissions isn’t new. Companies like Waste2tricity in the UK are already looking to convert waste from business and industry into clean electricity. Now scientists in Singapore and Switzerland have added credence to the idea, saying that replacing gasoline with biofuel derived from processed waste biomass could cut global emissions by 80%. Read More
Biodiesel goes to the birds
By Darren Quick
23:47 July 23, 2009 PDT
Scientists in Nevada have found a new and environmentally friendly source of biodiesel – “chicken feather meal”, a delightful material that consists of chicken feathers, blood, and innards made from the 11 billion pounds of poultry industry waste that accumulates annually in the US alone. Read More
Plastic and fuel that grows on trees
By Darren Quick
18:19 May 20, 2009 PDT
Biofuels continue to steal the spotlight when it comes to the search for a renewable, environmentally friendly replacement for crude oil. While that’s understandable when considering the transport industry, but crude oil is also used in the production of conventional plastics and chemical products such as fertilizers and solvents. Now chemists have learned how to convert plant biomass directly into a chemical building block that can not only be used to produce fuel, but also plastics, polyester and industrial chemicals cheaply and efficiently. Read More
Biofuel versus bioelectricity, and the winner is…
By Darren Quick
06:35 May 20, 2009 PDT
Running vehicles on biofuels such as ethanol reduces CO2 emissions and offers a way to lessen the world's reliance on oil. While this sounds great from an environmental perspective, the energy required to produce the biofuel and the land clearing for crops that can result means biofuels aren’t necessarily the environmentally friendly solution they initially appear to be. Recognizing this, researchers have analyzed the best way to maximize the “miles per acre” from biomass and discovered that the far more efficient option is to convert the biomass to electricity, rather than ethanol. Another tick for the electric car. Read More
Ground-breaking research finds way to convert CO2 into clean-burning biofuel
22:23 April 19, 2009 PDT
Scientists at the Singapore-based Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) have made an unprecedented breakthrough in transforming carbon dioxide, a common greenhouse gas, into methanol, a widely used form of industrial feedstock and clean-burning biofuel. Using "organocatalysts", researchers activated carbon dioxide in a mild and non-toxic process to produce the more useful chemical compound. Read More
Researchers claim 'First economical process' for making biodiesel fuel from algae
By Darren Quick
01:13 April 8, 2009 PDT
While there are plenty of alternative fuel prospects floating around, a key factor in the widespread adoption of such fuels is whether or not they are economical. That is why a team of New York based researchers are so excited by their development of what they have termed ‘the first economical, eco-friendly process to convert algae oil into biodiesel fuel’ – a discovery they predict could one day lead to U.S. independence from petroleum as a fuel. Read More
The Extreme Bentley – fastest, most powerful ever
By Mike Hanlon
13:45 January 28, 2009 PST
It has been interesting to see the continued rise of the time-honoured Bentley automotive brand and its immense desirability to the young and nouveau rich. The attractiveness levels are about to rise another magnitude with the imminent unveiling of the Extreme Bentley, the perfect badge of success for extreme athletes and other non-conventional financial achievers. Only a promotional film and single darkened image have been released so far, along with the news the vehicle will feature Bentley’s new flexfuel powertrain, announced at the NAIAS a week or two back. Oh, and the news it will be the fastest, most powerful production Bentley ever. That means … Read More
Air New Zealand completes biofuel test flight
19:58 January 1, 2009 PST
Air New Zealand has successfully undertaken the world's first commercial aviation test flight using the second-generation biofuel jatropha. A series of key performance tests were conducted at various altitudes during the two hour flight over New Zealand's North Island in which a 50:50 jatropha and Jet A1 fuel blend was used to power one of four Rolls-Royce RB211 engines on the Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400. Read More
Biofuel-powered jet completes transcontinental flight
21:53 November 12, 2008 PST
Following on from its breakthrough flight in October last year, Green Flight International has set another green-aviation record, this time flying a jet across the U.S. using environmentally-friendly Biofuel. Piloted by President and CEO Douglas Rodante and Chief Pilot Carol Sugars, BioJet 1 completed the flight from Reno, Nevada to Leesburg, Florida in just over 11 hours at altitudes ranging from 13,000 to 17,000 feet. While 1,776 miles where flown on 100% Biofuel, a 50/50 mix of Biofuel and standard jet fuel was used for the remainder of the 2,486 journey in order to compare performance data and also demonstrate the ability to blend these fuel types. Read More
Air New Zealand moves closer to biofuel flight
By Kyle Sherer
16:15 November 2, 2008 PST
Air New Zealand, Boeing, Rolls-Royce and UOP aim to power one of four engines on a Boeing 747-400 on Jatropha-based fuel. The first test flight using the environmentally sustainable oil is scheduled to take place in Auckland in December after fuel testing is completed. Read More
Bioethanol from Olive Stones
By Emily Clark
19:10 October 30, 2008 PDT
Have you every wondered what happens to all of the stones removed from the olives that end up on our shelves and in delis? The answer could now be that they are turned into bioethanol and used as an alternative to petrol or diesel. Read More
Saab reinvents the convertible with the 9-X AIR CONCEPT
By Mike Hanlon
06:19 September 18, 2008 PDT
Just over a quarter century ago, Saab showed the first four-seater convertible to the world, creating a new class of luxury automobile. Now it’s set to do it all over again with the 9-X Air concept car and a visually-distinctive newly-designed Canopy Top designed to aerodynamically cocoon the passenger cell. The design incorporates prominent raked rear pillars that curve upwards to mount a flat folding roof – essentially a development of the Targo roof principle – with a separate rear screen located between them. Instead of having a manually detachable roof section, the Saab Canopy top is fully powered in operation and folds away in the storage trunk. With the top down motorists can enjoy open-top motoring free from buffeting, and with the top up the 9-X Air assumes the appearance of a true coupe. Saab has filed a patent on the convertible roof design and hence the 9-X Air provides a glimpse of what a future convertible from Saab could look like. Read More
Sheraton’s Wild Horse Pass Resort launches GeoGreen sustainability program
By Jude Garvey
17:09 September 8, 2008 PDT
The Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa has launched a new initiative called GeoGreen which is designed to ensure environmental and cultural sustainability whilst maintaining the heritage and well-being of the Gila River Indian Community. Guests will find a restaurant menu featuring local ingredients sourced from Gila River farms, grounds filled with native plants watered by a timed drip system, local businesses being engaged in the process of keeping the resort green and will have the opportunity to be exposed to the culture of the Pima and Maricopa people. Read More
Lotus to develop Omnivore Research Engine for bio fuels
By Mike Hanlon
20:41 August 18, 2008 PDT
World-renowned Lotus Engineering has entered into a collaboration with Queen’s University Belfast and Jaguar Cars to develop an engine which maximizes fuel efficiency when running on renewable fuels. The OMNIVORE concept will employ novel engine architecture to achieve a high thermal efficiency when fuelled on any alcohols or gasoline. ideally suited to flex-fuel operation, the design features an innovative variable compression ratio system and uses a two-stroke operating cycle with direct fuel injection. Read More
The Parajet Skycar: Britain's zero-carbon flying dune buggy aims for Timbouctou
By Loz Blain
01:56 July 14, 2008 PDT
July 14, 2008 The race is well and truly on to develop a functional flying car, and innovators around the world are finding several different ways to accommodate the needs of a road-registerable flying vehicle. The Moller Skycar and Cell Craft G440 use complicated quad-turbine tilting jet engines to achieve VTOL and flight capability. The Terrafugia Transition and Skyblazer roadable aircraft have decided to go for a folding-wing convertible aeroplane design, and Larry Neal's Super Sky Cycle is a simple and cheap modification that turns a standard, safe gyroplane into a road-going trike. And now there's the Parajet Skycar, a Yamaha R1-engined, biodiesel-powered all-terrain dune buggy that's capable of extremely safe flight as a powered paraglider. The Skycar Expedition team plan to take the eye-catching vehicle from London to Timbouctou in 2009, using a combination of flight and driving to battle the tough Saharan terrain. There's a commuter model in the pipeline - and you won't need a pilot's license to fly it. Read More
London's famous coal power station about to get new, green lease on life
By Loz Blain
22:51 June 24, 2008 PDT
June 25, 2008 A controversial development proposal now under consideration aims to turn London's iconic but defunct Battersea Power Station into a carbon-neutral biofuel power plant. The proposal also includes a 300 meter-tall residential tower featuring solar powered climate control and a glass 'eco-dome' that would allow residents to grow tropical roof gardens even in London's distinctly non-tropical weather. But is it a revolutionary plan to revitalize an old collapsing fossil fuel plant with a new green lease of life, or simply a grandstanding attempt by a property developer to build an ultramodern skyscaper in old London town? Read More
Mazda's plans for a greener future
By Kyle Sherer
18:03 June 24, 2008 PDT
June 25, 2008 Mazda has committed to cutting the fuel consumption of its vehicles by an average of 30% by 2015. The company is exploring a combination of fuel-cutting initiatives, including the development of lighter-weight technologies aimed at reducing vehicle weight by 100 kilograms from 2011, carbon neutral bioplastics, an Idle Stop system and an advanced version of the emissions-reducing Three Layer Wet Paint System fist introduced in 2005. Integral to the plan is the renewal of its entire powertrain lineup by 2015, with tests of its hydrogen hybrid system continuing ahead of plans for release in Japan in the coming fiscal year, as well as plans for a new gasoline rotary engine and new diesel engines. Read More
Quantifying the benefits of biofuels
By Jude Garvey
22:13 June 16, 2008 PDT
A team of researchers from the University of Washington researched the impact on soil fertility and effects on food supply when fuels based on crops such as corn and soybeans are mixed with fossil fuels. They discovered that the large amounts of energy required to grow corn and then convert it to produce ethanol had a net energy gain that was modest and that corn-based ethanol was the worst offender amongst the alternative energy fuels. Read More
OrignOil closer to large scale algae oil production
By Emily Clark
01:13 June 3, 2008 PDT
Los Angeles-based OriginOil has developed breakthrough technology that it believes will enable the transformation of algae oil into a true competitor for petroleum. The company has filed a patent to protect its invention of a scalable system that is critical to achieving high volume algae production required to replace petroleum. Read More
Airbus and Honeywell team up on alternative fuel
By Emily Clark
20:35 May 19, 2008 PDT
Virgin Atlantic and Boeing launched the world's first commercial airline flight on biofuel earlier this year, then Continental Airlines joined the push towards alternative fuels and now Airbus has announced that it will partner with Honeywell, IAE and JetBlue in order to develop a sustainable second-generation biofuel for use in commercial aircraft. Read More
Continental Airlines to conduct biofuel test flight
By Emily Clark
17:32 March 17, 2008 PDT
Continental Airlines, in conjunction with Boeing and GE Aviation, has announced plans to conduct a biofuel demonstration flight in the first half of 2009. Continental will be the first major U.S. carrier to undertake such a flight in an effort to identify sustainable fuel solutions for the aviation industry. Read More
New research promises boost to biofuel production
By Emily Clark
22:43 March 11, 2008 PDT
A new process developed by two professors at the University of Maryland could mean the ability to convert large volumes of all kinds of plant products, from leftover brewer's mash to paper trash, into ethanol and other biofuel alternatives to gasoline. When fully operational, the process could potentially lead to the production of 75 billion gallons of carbon-neutral ethanol each year. Read More
Virgin flight into bold biofuel territory
By Emily Clark
20:30 February 26, 2008 PST
Dubbed a “scam” and a “stunt” by environmental groups and sections of the media, the fact remains that Virgin Atlantic has become the world's first airline to fly one of its commercial planes on biofuel. A mix of standard jet fuel, coconut and babassu oils powered the Boeing 747 jumbo jet from London Heathrow to Amsterdam. Read More
Cellulose ethanol commercial demo plant for Montana
By Emily Clark
22:56 February 21, 2008 PST
Construction has begun on an integrated cellulose and starch ethanol commercial demonstration facility in Montana, USA. The plant is being built by AE Biofuels, an energy company focused on developing next-generation ethanol and biodiesel production from both non-food and traditional materials. Read More
Airbus completes world first GTL powered flight
By Kyle Sherer
16:44 February 4, 2008 PST
February 5, 2008 The Airbus A380 has become the first commercial aircraft to complete a flight using liquid fuel processed from gas. GTL involves converting natural gas, which emits the least carbon of all the fossil fuels, to a liquid fuel oil, which can be used as a fuel substitute, or mixed with regular fuel. The three-hour flight from the UK to France was the first stage of a test flight program to evaluate the environmental impact of alternative fuels in the airline market. Read More
John M
- November 25, 2009 @ 17:19 UTC
