fuels

Tequila mooted as eco-friendly biofuel

We've always been told that driving and alcohol don't mix, but there's now a distinct possibility we could all be driving around tanked up on tequila, according to the usually very sober Guardian.

Researchers at the University of Oxford have suggested that agave, the hardy plant from which the bitter liquor is distilled, is an ideal source from which to create the petrol substitute ethanol, as it has a far lower environmental and social impact than conventional ethanol-making crops.

This comes as no surprise to Crave. We've been aware of tequila's benefits for years, but writing a white paper on the subject the morning after an extensive bout of experimentation has usually taken a back seat to figuring out why our brains feel as if they've been used as a fat person's trampoline.

GE, others invest in wastewater bioreactor

General Electric, NRG Energy, and ConocoPhillips, through their joint venture firm, have invested in a new kind of wastewater treatment technology.

They're backing Israel-based Emefcy, developer of the Megawatter System, which uses bacteria to turn a regular wastewater treatment plant into an electricity-producing bioreactor that produces both clean water and electricity.

The electrogenic bioreactor draws on organic matter in the wastewater to supply microbial fuel cells (MFCs). It uses the electrogenic bacteria Shewanella, Geobacter, and Rhodoferax as catalysts to decompose the glutens in the water.

The Megawatter System is not built as a standalone plant, but is actually a … Read more

This Day in Tech: Google may have records of where you've been; inside Lego's headquarters

Too busy to keep up with today's tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET for Wednesday, June 15.

Exclusive: Google's Web mapping can track your phone Google and Skyhook Wireless may have records of the physical location of your computers or mobile devices, CNET has learned. Get the full details

Chrome encrypts Gmail, like it or not Google is a big target for those who want to pry into others' e-mail accounts. The company's browser work is designed to make Gmail harder to hack. More

Pandora, a good service but poor investment … Read more

Study: No savings at 62 mpg

Raising federal fuel economy standards to as high as 56 mpg in the 2025 model year would yield fuel savings to consumers that more than offset higher vehicle prices, a new study found.

But lifting corporate average fuel economy to 62 mpg would result in vehicle price increases that exceed fuel savings over a five-year period, according to the nonprofit Center for Automotive Research.

The report highlights room for compromise on the Obama administration's preliminary proposal to raise CAFE to between 47 mpg and 62 mpg from the 2017 to 2025 model years.

Environmental groups have pushed for 62 … Read more

Ford announces 1.0-liter EcoBoost, its smallest engine ever

Ford's been taking advantage of its EcoBoost forced-induction technology to downsize engines across its line. V-8s give way to turbocharged V-6s. V-6s give way to turbo four-bangers. Continuing the trend, Ford has just announced the smallest engine it's ever built: a 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder engine.

Besides the obvious fuel savings from its lower displacement, Ford's new tiny terror packs in all sorts of economy-boosting technologies. For example, Ford's split cooling system helps the cylinder block to warm faster which helps to save fuel during the least efficient warm-up phase, especially in cold weather. The three-cylinder'… Read more

Panasonic aims for 70% CO2 cut with 'smart' town

Japanese urban planning can be pretty horrible, especially in large cities: A riot of neon signs and electrical poles combined with a lack of greenery have created some truly ugly cityscapes. Panasonic and eight partners hope to change that a bit with a new super-green smart town set to open in 2014.

The Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town (SST) is aimed at reducing CO2 emissions by 70 percent compared with 1990 levels.

The completely networked town will be a 19-hectacre subdivision built on a former Panasonic plant site some 30 miles southwest of Tokyo. It will house about 3,000 people whose lives will revolve around being energy conscious: the 1,000 homes and other buildings will have solar panels to generate electricity and smart appliances, as well as home fuel cells. … Read more

New car labels offer QR codes but no grades

Consumers should have an easier time comparing the fuel economy of cars and light trucks once new consumer labels unveiled today go into effect.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson unveiled the new set of labels this morning at a live press conference hosted on the Web.

Prior to this, car labels hadn't been updated for 30 years.

Each new label differs slightly depending on the car's drive train or fuel source. (Click for a PDF of all labels.) Labels in the set include those for gas, flex-fuel gas-ethanol blends, … Read more

Algae machine to reduce Australian coal plant CO2

Australia-based MBD Energy is installing an algae system from OriginOil at its coal power station in Tarong, Australia, both companies announced today.

The system will capture flue-gas emitted from the coal-fired power station using a bio-based carbon capture storage device containing micro-algae. The micro-algae uses the captured CO2 to reproduce more algae biomass, which can then be used for fuel or plastics.

The Tarong power station in Queensland will be able to process up to 300 gallons of algae culture per minute, but is only a one-hectare site. The small station will serve as the test site for a larger … Read more

Using wind power, Audi aims for carbon-neutral motoring

- Audi plans to use wind power as a source of clean energy for its upcoming electric and natural gas vehicles. The combination of clean power and zero- and low-emissions vehicles is a first step by the manufacturer toward making its entire lineup carbon-neutral.

To make its carbon-neutral goal a reality, the carmaker is financing the construction of four wind turbines off the North Sea that will generate annually up to 53 GWh of electricity. Wind-generated electricity will be fed to the public power grid, and Audi plans to use a portion of the wind power to charge its electric … Read more

Novel Scuderi engine boosts Nissan fuel efficiency

Scuderi Group is one of a handful of companies seeking to break with the traditional design of the internal combustion engine in the name of fuel efficiency.

The company today announced results from a simulation using its namesake engine with a Nissan Sentra sedan that showed a 36 percent reduction in fuel consumption, the equivalent of a 54 percent improvement in miles per gallon. That same level of performance jump can be achieved with other cars, according to president Sal Scuderi.

The efficiency test, done in conjunction with applied research lab Southwest Research Institute, is a step in convincing major … Read more