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Originally Posted by LMich (Post 6430969)

You sound absolutely elated, you know, as if you've totally dropped the pretense of being objective, and you're just rolling in completely political, philosophical, and ideological talking points and buzzwords. lol

Ok, I will be bit less theatric.

Estonia is at an earlier point on the automobile consumption curve than such points are in Western European countries, the US, Australia, Canada, and, Japan. Perhaps this curve might be a flattened S curve, with the X axis measuring time, and, the Y axis car population per capita, where the per capita relates to a range of possible maxima, dependent on mean wealth. Maybe, given a constant mean wealth there are declines in total ownership, related to aging demographics or different political regimes.

Regardless, IMO the net impact of lowering or eliminating the cost of using buses or public transportation has to be partly related to volunteering not to use privately used automobiles. This willingness to "park the car" is related to PERCEIVED value as well as operating cost. In nations and CITIES within nations that only now are experiencing the ability for large sectors of their consuming population to afford cars, the PERCIEVED value including concepts such as "status" is far higher than in societies in which the masses have driven privately owned automobiles in significant numbers for generations, who have lived with traffic jams, and witnessed the impacts of this traffic upon their cities.

Until the 'newness' wears off, or until the cost of operating and owning an automobile consumes almost all of the discretionary income of the statistical mean, the 'average' auto driver with the ability to afford to drive will be more hesitant to use public transportation, even if ridership is free.*

The willingness to 'park the car at home" is inversely (to some power) proportional to the total number of automobiles divided by the total population.

*This relates, too, to how much the public transport cost before it became free. If for example, a 20 mile trip cost $5.00 on a bus, and, that became free, then the amount of "hesitancy" of an auto owner might drop, more than for a trip of 1 mile costing $1.00. If one were to plot this "hesitancy factor" as another curve for a range of values for a given point on the automobile consumption curve, one would get a function defining distance traveled, cost of travel per unit distance, and, mean income.

Quote:

Originally Posted by scalziand (Post 6426843)

^I'm just glad someone else on here got the joke. :)

What? Thats what I use for all of my powerpoint presentations!

New Ranking of Best U.S. Cities for Public Transit

http://blog.walkscore.com/2014/01/ne...ublic-transit/

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The older Northeast cities with established subway systems have the highest scores. West Coast cities that have made more recent investments in light rail also score well. Although cities in the south have a low average Transit Score of 38, there are many neighborhoods with high scores such as Downtown Houston or the Brickell Neighborhood in Miami.

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Walkscore App

iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/apar...536017866?mt=8

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...borhoods&hl=en

http://blog.walkscore.com/wp-content...nfographic.jpg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25961096

"EU group mulls 'remote car-stopping device' for police"

A device that would enable police to stop vehicles remotely is being considered by an EU-wide official working group, it has emerged.

The feasibility of such technology is being examined by members of the European Network of Law Enforcement Technology Services (Enlets).

The technology could impact on both road safety and civil liberties.

The BBC understands it would take several years for any such technical proposal to be drafted.

One EU document, from 4 December, sets out the Enlets 2014-20 work programme as including: "Remote Stopping Vehicles".

It says "this project will work on a technological solution that can be a 'build in standard' for all cars that enter the European market". It is not clear what cost implications that would have for car makers.

The work of Enlets is little known and has emerged in part through documents published by the civil liberties campaign group Statewatch.

The December document points out that "cars on the run have proven to be dangerous for citizens" and "criminal offenders (from robbery to a simple theft) will take risks to escape after a crime.

"In most cases the police are unable to chase the criminal due to the lack of efficient means to stop the vehicle safely. This project starts with the knowledge that insufficient technology tools are available to be used as part of a proportionate response."

So far there is no technical specification for the type of device that police forces may eventually use.

Enlets is part of the EU Council's Law Enforcement Working Party - an intergovernmental body helping police to fight serious and organised crime, in part by raising awareness of new technology.

But the BBC understands that the project is at the early stages of looking into feasibility, and that the UK government has no plans at present to install remote stopping devices in private vehicles.

A source familiar with Enlets said it was unlikely that such devices could be in new cars by the end of the decade

I saw this a few days ago but I don't remember it having been posted around here. The Architects Newspaper put together 25 then and now comparions of recent streetscape projects in New York that have given more road space to pedestrians and cyclists. For anyone who likes complete streets and then and now pictures, this is pretty fantastic. Here's the link and a little preview.

Link: Before & After: 25 of New York City's most transformative road diets

Photo credits: New York City Department of Transportation
http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/...hanges_11b.jpg
http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/...hanges_11a.jpg

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Buses Making Transition More And More To Electric
By Union of Concerned Scientists Electric Vehicles, Hybrids, Transportation January 31, 2014

Cities breathe. They take deep breaths in the morning as commuters rush to get to work and exhale in the evening as workers travel away from the city center. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population here in D.C. grows from 584,400 to over 1 million people on a daily basis and the population of Manhattan nearly doubles from 1.5 million to 3.0 million during the work week. This amazing phenomenon is made possible, in part, by city buses, which carry hordes of passengers along concrete arteries toward the heart of the city.

But enough romanticizing urban bus commutes. In reality, buses are slow (the slowest bus lines in New York City average 3.4 miles per hour), and tend to be inefficient. Though fuel economy varies depending on the type of bus and the route, an average bus in D.C gets a paltry 3.76 miles per gallon (mpg), and that’s up from 2.96 mpg in 2005! Considering that D.C. buses cumulatively travel nearly 50 million miles each year, cleaning up bus fleets is a critical way to reduce the burden of air pollution, fuel costs, and our oil use.

Moving beyond conventional diesel buses

Over the past several decades, cities have invested in buses that run on alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas (CNG) and diesel-electric hybrid drivetrains. The initial transition away from conventional diesel buses has been swift. In 2011, more than 35 percent of U.S. public transit buses used alternative fuels or hybrid technology, and that number is set to grow.

In addition to hybrids and CNG buses, city bus fleets around the world are preparing to introduce electric buses that use advanced technology. There are three main types of electric buses; plug-in hybrid electric buses that use rechargeable batteries to run on both electricity and diesel, battery electric buses that do not use any diesel fuel and create no tailpipe emissions, or fuel cell buses powered by hydrogen.

*snip*

This technology—though in it’s infancy—could be a game changer. Volvo claims its plug-in hybrid buses can operate on electricity alone more than two-thirds of the time, and reduce diesel emissions by 70 to 80 percent compared to older buses. And if the relatively small amount of diesel fuel used by these buses is replaced with sustainably-produced biodiesel, the climate emissions could be reduced by as much as 90 percent. Better yet, battery electric and fuel cell buses produce zero tailpipe emissions, and can use renewable resources like solar and wind power to charge their batteries or produce hydrogen to power fuel cells. Moreover, as I’ve previously mentioned, driving on electricity is cheaper compared to driving on oil. The expected operating cost-per-mile of an electric bus in New York is $0.20 to $0.30 cents, compared to $1.30 per mile for an equivalent diesel or natural-gas powered bus. Electric buses are also nearly silent, require less maintenance, and can improve air quality through reducing emissions compared to their all-diesel counterparts.

http://www.earthtechling.com/2014/01...e-to-electric/

• Video Link

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January 21, 2014
New Report Sets a Course for Cleaner Freight Transportation in California
Electrification is a key strategy for reducing air pollution that harms health and contributes to climate change.

SAN FRANCISCO (January 21, 2013) – A report released today outlines solutions for overhauling the state’s freight system to protect public health, meet air quality standards and slow the pace of climate change. Freight transportation in California creates air pollution that harms the health of communities exposed to its dangerous emissions and contributes to global warming.

The new study commissioned by the California Cleaner Freight Coalition, Moving California Forward, Zero and Low-Emissions Freight Pathways, evaluates strategies for modernizing how goods are moved through California. By evaluating alternatives to conventional diesel vehicles, the analysis aims to inform a statewide plan for cleaning up freight transportation.

The key report findings include:

Deploying electric transportation technologies that are currently in development or demonstration for local and short-haul trips would provide the greatest overall reduction in pollutants, and could eliminate tailpipe emissions in communities impacted by freight movement.
Moving goods by train and ship for regional trips could reduce emissions well beyond today’s cleanest diesel trucks.
Transporting containers double-stacked on railcars powered by the cleanest locomotives can reduce particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, and greenhouse gas emissions by more than 75 percent.
Compared to the newest trucks, transporting truck trailers on flatbed railcars through the San Joaquin Valley would significantly reduce emissions in a region that suffers from high levels of pollution.

The Coalition cautions that any shift in freight movement to rail or ship, while providing regional pollution benefits, would need to ensure reduction in emissions, exposure, and health risks to those communities close to rail yards, rail lines, ports and shipping lanes.

“Low income, working class and communities of color disproportionately suffer health problems from air pollution from freight transport, and we have a right to clean air and healthy communities,” said Maricela Mares Alatorre, a resident of Kettleman City in the San Joaquin Valley where residents have suffered from high rates of birth defects and childhood cancer and many pollution sources including from freight transport along Interstate 5 and Highway 41.

“The cost of cleaning up the trucking and freight industry in California is nothing compared to the lost lives, elevated cancer risk, chronic respiratory conditions and other costs Californians have shouldered for years,” said Margaret Gordon, co-director of the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project. “Low-income communities, in particular, are paying with their health to allow the freight industry to do business in California.”

“It is critical that California has a clear plan to clean up our freight industry in 2014,” said Jesse Marquez, executive director of Californians for a Safe Environment. “As our report shows, our air pollution problem is so bad that communities from around the state are uniting to take on the issue. Moving to electrification and zero emission transportation technologies can literally save lives.”

Transforming the freight system is a large undertaking that will not happen overnight, which is why it is crucial that California’s Air Resources Board identify and implement long-term strategies to move our freight system into the 21st century.

http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_rel...port-0389.html

9 Reasons the U.S. Ended Up So Much More Car-Dependent Than Europe

Read More: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/com...t-europe/8226/

Quote:

Between the 1920s and 1960s, policies adapting cities to car travel in the United States served as a role model for much of Western Europe. But by the late 1960s, many European cities started refocusing their policies to curb car use by promoting walking, cycling, and public transportation. For the last two decades, in the face of car-dependence, suburban sprawl, and an increasingly unsustainable transportation system, U.S. planners have been looking to Western Europe.

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Mass motorization. Mass motorization occurred earlier in the United States than in Europe, mainly facilitated by assembly line production that brought down cost. By the mid-1930s there was already one registered automobile for every two U.S. households, while car ownership in Europe was mostly limited to wealthy elites. Moreover, greater personal wealth in the U.S. allowed households to more readily afford cars than comparatively poorer European households, particularly in the years immediately after World War II.

Road standards. As a result of early mass motorization, American cities were first to adapt to the car at a large scale. U.S. planners and engineers developed initial standards for roadways, bridges, tunnels, intersections, traffic signals, freeways, and car parking. Successful innovations quickly spread elsewhere, often in the form of standards. Europeans also experimented with automobile infrastructure—Stockholm opened a large inner city clover-leaf interchange in the 1930s—but European cities adapted to cars much more slowly than U.S. metros did, especially before World War II.

Vehicle taxes. Taxation of car ownership and use has traditionally been higher in Europe and helped curb car travel demand. Today a gallon of gasoline is more than twice as expensive in Europe than in the United States. Moreover, in Europe gas tax revenue typically contributes to the general fund, meaning roadway expenditures compete with other government expenditures. In many U.S. states and at the federal level, large parts of the gas tax revenue are earmarked for roadway construction, assuring a steady flow of non-competitive funds for roads.

Interstate system. In the 1950s, the U.S. federal government offered a 90 percent match to build the Interstate Highway System that soon crisscrossed most U.S. urban areas. Combined with urban renewal and slum clearance programs, interstates destroyed and cut-off entire urban neighborhoods and facilitated suburban sprawl (itself subsidized through mortgage policies). European national governments also provided subsidies for roadways, but typically at a lower level or for shorter periods of time. Moreover, European highways, such as Germany’s high speed Autobahn system, typically link cities rather than penetrate them.

Government subsidies. Over the last 40 years, gas taxes, tolls, and registration fees have covered only about 60 or 70 percent of roadway expenditures across all levels of U.S. government. The remainder has been paid using property, income, and other taxes not related to transportation. These subsidies for driving reduce its cost and increase driving demand in the United States. In European countries, meanwhile, drivers typically pay more in taxes and fees than governments spend on roadways.

Technological focus. Policy responses to problems of U.S. car travel have focused on technological changes rather than altering behavior. For example, responses to air pollution or traffic safety consisted of technological fixes — such as catalytic converters, reformulated cleaner fuels, seat belts, and air bags — that let people keep driving as usual. European countries implemented these technological requirements as well, but also more aggressively reduced speed limits in entire neighborhoods, created car free zones, reduced car parking, and implemented other policies that encourage behavioral shifts.

Public transit. Sustained government support helped European transit systems to weather the rise of the car more successfully. Particularly after World War II, privately owned U.S. transit systems increased fares, cut services, lost ridership, and either went out of business or were saved by public ownership — with help from U.S. governments often coming too late. For instance, many cities saw their trolley systems disappear entirely in the 1950s and '60s, though there has been a streetcar reemergence of late.

Walking and cycling. Only a few U.S. cities, such as Davis, California, have a tradition of implementing pedestrian and bicyclist amenities since the 1970s. By contrast, many European cities, led by Muenster, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen, have implemented entire networks of bike lanes, separated cycle tracks, off-street bicycle paths, and traffic calmed neighborhood streets — allowing easy travel by bicycle between any origin and destination in a city or region. European cities also have a longer history of providing networks of sidewalks, crosswalks, and car free zones in city centers. Additionally, European traffic laws protect pedestrians and cyclists, often putting the responsibility for a crash on the driver, while U.S. traffic laws, police, and court juries often fail to prosecute or punish drivers who kill pedestrians or cyclists.

Zoning laws. There are many differences between land-use planning systems in the United States and Europe. Europeans tend to allow a greater mix of uses in their residential zones, thus keeping trip distances shorter. For example, in Germany, a residential zone can include doctors' offices, cafes, corner stores, or apartment buildings. By contrast, single family residential zones in the United States typically forbid those uses. Zoning in Germany also occurs for smaller land areas—almost at the block level—facilitating shorter trips than in U.S. cities, where zones tend to be much larger. And while most U.S. zoning codes still require a minimum number of parking spots, many European countries operate with maximum numbers to limit parking.

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http://cdn.theatlanticcities.com/img...PM/largest.png

Air Powered Cars Are Here!

Read More: http://www.offgridquest.com/mobility...-cars-are-here

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With a range of over 100 miles, and a cost of about $1.00 per tank of air for the cost of electricity to fill-er-up, the prospects are stellar for this cool car! If you had a windmill powered air compressor, either mechanical or electric generating, you could fill up basically for free.

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• Video Link

Video fly-through of the planned Durham-Orange light rail line that will link Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

• Video Link

https://planning.unc.edu/news/images/neighborrail.jpg

http://www.capitalareafriendsoftrans...l_corridor.jpg

Link

Wow! That looks awesome. I really like how so much of the mid journey runs through wooded areas. I'd imagine it'd almost be like a scenic ride between Durham and CH.

It also has be wondering since operationally this seems more like a metro or interurban train, why they don't opt for more of an emu rolling stock instead of coupled traditional lrv's?

Stadler Flirt 3rd Gen:

http://www.kurierkolejowy.eu/images/...dler_white.jpg
<>

Quote:

Originally Posted by Busy Bee (Post 6439463)

One very apparent reason is the two sections of street running in the median in Durham, and several very sharp curves. Light rail trains usually can make 72 to 82 feet (22 to 25 m) minimum curve radius, Stadler GTWs and FLIRTs usually need over 300 feet (100 m). Of course, since this a brand new train service, they could just widen the curves to make the other trains fit better, but why when there are trains available that can take the sharper curves.

Another aspect that flavors transit agency decisions in America is which government agency is going to regulate the trains. Streetcars, light rail, and metro trains are regulated by the FTA, while larger trains such as DMUs, EMUs, and locomotive push-pull commuter rail trains are regulated by the FRA. The FRA regulations are less flexible, and the FRA have more inspectors on the prowl to please. When it comes to trains, the FRA has the first choice whether to regulate the train or not. Since they haven't passed on any DMUs/EMUs in the past, it's almost a certainly they will not pass them to the FTA in the future.

Interesting car-sharing study

We sold our car within about a year of joining Car2Go.

AlixPartners Study: Every Car Shared Means 32 Lost Sales

Feb. 5, 2014

"According to a report from consulting firm AlixPartners, each and every car in the Zipcar or car2go car-sharing fleets means 32 lost vehicle sales. Based on a survey of 2,000 adults in 10 major cities who use car-sharing services, the report says that Americans would have bought an additional half million new or used cars and light trucks since 2006 if they did not have access to those services. That figure is expected to grow to 1.2 million by the end of the decade.

“I think this will have a bigger impact on the market than [automakers] think,” Mark Wakefield, AlixPartners managing partner, told the Automotive News on Tuesday.

The report expects that the number of drivers using car-sharing services will grow from less than 1 million today to 4 million by 2020..."

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...32-lost-sales/

Not sure if it has anything to do with it, but the two nearest cities with LRT already in place - Charlotte and Norfolk, use these exact same Siemens S70. Also, some of the renderings use photos of Charlotte's LYNX trains with Triangle Transit livery added to them.

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Originally Posted by electricron (Post 6439525)

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International Shipping Turning to LNG
By Joao Peixe | Wed, 05 February 2014 22:18

Fuel for ferries and large cargo ships may increasingly come from liquefied natural gas (LNG), as companies move to both lower fuel costs and comply with new environmental regulations. Oil has traditionally been the fuel of choice for powering container ships, oil tankers, and other large cargo ships. Marine shipping uses heavy fuel oil or bunker fuel, a particularly dirty petroleum product. Shipping is a large contributor to local air pollution in the surrounding areas of large ports.

According to Reuters, due to increasing stringent regulations on sulfur emissions from shipping containers that are set to come online in 2015 in the U.S., Canada, and much of Northern Europe, shipping companies are beginning to switch over their fleets to LNG. Germany is building LNG bunker terminals in Hamburg and Bramerhaven, with construction slated for completion by 2015. Major European ports like Antwerp and Rotterdam are seeing – and encouraging – the increasing use of LNG as a maritime fuel in smaller ships. And perhaps the world’s busiest port, Singapore, is investing in LNG bunkering capacity to serve the growing Asian market.

http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-Ne...ng-to-LNG.html

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REFILE-Global transport sector looks to ride natural gas boom
Wed Feb 5, 2014 11:40am EST

LNG as ship fuel kicks off globally
U.S. road and rail sectors also start using LNG as fuel
LNG fuel demand to rise from 5 bcm in 2012 to 160 bcm by 2030

By Henning Gloystein and Jonathan Saul

LONDON, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Natural gas has started to challenge oil as the dominant transport fuel with companies building gas-powered ships and installing networks of service stations on water and land.

The expectation of cheaper gas and tighter environmental regulation have created demand for a cleaner alternative to the oil-based fuels that have so far dominated the transport world.

Although European and Asian liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices are currently high, trading at almost $20 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) in Asia and around $10 per mmBtu in Europe because of booming demand, analysts expect prices to drop substantially later this decade when new production rises.

Germany, Singapore and the Netherlands are among the countries investing in natural gas transport hubs while companies including Royal Dutch Shell, Gazprom and Total, are also developing LNG fuel infrastructure.

Germany is making its first move into LNG for transport after Bomin Linde LNG signed a deal in January to supply ferry firm AG EMS and it is now building two LNG bunker terminals in Hamburg and Bremerhaven, due to start operations in 2015.

"Supplying their ferries with LNG makes AG EMS a pioneer in Germany and sends a clear signal that this low-emission propulsion system has arrived here," said Ruben Benders, managing director at Bomin Linde LNG.

In the Belgian port of Antwerp, Europe's second largest, the harbour authority says there are "all kinds of initiatives" through which the use of LNG as fuel for shipping is encouraged.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...0L51QV20140205

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Electric-vehicle production worldwide forecast to surge 67% in 2014
By David Undercoffler
February 4, 2014, 11:06 a.m.

Attention electric vehicles: 2014 will be good to you.

That’s the prediction from IHS Automotive, which said Tuesday it expects global production of EVs and plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVs) to rise 67% this year. That compares with just a 3.6% increase in the production of all vehicles globally.

Several key factors account for the expected increase in electric vehicles.

“European emissions standards are tightening in the second half of this year,” Ben Scott, an analyst for IHS Automotive, said in a statement. “At the same time," he added, "European automakers are introducing compelling new EV models.”

Those new additions to the EV landscape include BMW’s i3 electric city car and i8 PHEV sports car, the Audi A3 E-tron PHEV, Mercedes-Benz B-Class EV and Volkswagen E-Up EV (which won’t be sold in the U.S.).

This means more than 403,000 electrified vehicles are expected to be built in 2014, up from 242,000 in 2013. The 2013 figure itself was a 44% rise from a year earlier, IHS reported.

With so many new European models flooding the marketplace, the Europe, Middle East and Africa region is expected to build 40% of all EVs in 2014. Asia will build an additional 30%, while the U.S. will make about 27% of all EVs in the world, IHS said.

Much of that U.S. production is made up by the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, Tesla Model S, and Ford C-Max plug-in hybrid.

As production increases, prices of EVs should continue to fall. The Nissan Leaf is $6,000 cheaper in 2014 than the same car was in 2012, the IHS report said. The price drop was crucial to the Leaf's drastic rise in popularity in the U.S.: sales in 2013 were up 130% over 2012.

http://www.latimes.com/business/auto...,4398852.story

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Electric Vehicle Emissions: 4 Lessons Learned from the Literature
Rachael Nealer, engineer and Kendall Science Fellow
February 6, 2014

Some people claim electric vehicles (EVs) emit more pollution than conventional vehicles, but based on what? Certainly not based on published literature.

I’ve recently been reading a lot about lifecycle impacts of EVs compared to conventional vehicles and find that a resounding majority of the peer-reviewed academic literature suggests that EVs usually emit less than conventional vehicles. Of course, this depends on many assumed factors in each study (like the electricity grid mix and the vehicle’s lifetime), which I’ve outlined below. Suffice to say: EVs are typically a great way to go for reducing vehicle emissions.

1. Vehicle lifetimes matter.

2. Electricity emissions are the majority of the lifecycle emissions associated with an EV.

3. The vehicle’s end-of-life has minimal impacts.

4. Batteries are the main contributor to emissions differences in manufacturing EVs compared to gas vehicles.

http://blog.ucsusa.org/electric-vehi...literature-406

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University launches innovative hydrogen car in India
05 February 2014
Birmingham City University

Birmingham City University is set to showcase the concept and design behind what could prove to be the world’s first affordable hydrogen fuel-cell powered mass transport vehicle.

In a partnership with UK motorsport entrepreneur and manufacturer Spencer Ashley and the DYPDC centre for automotive research in Pune, the University’s pioneering project will be unveiled in India later this week at the Auto Expo Motor Show (http://www.autoexpo-themotorshow.in/index.aspx).

In development since last Summer at Walsall-based manufacturer Spencer Ashley Ltd, the steer for the collaborative project stemmed from the Indian government’s Hydrogen Highway initiative which aims to ensure that at least 1 million hydrogen-fuelled vehicles hit the roads by 2020. The model, along with plans of a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (otherwise known as the ‘Millennium Tuk-Tuk’ hydrogen car), will be showcased at the event and could provide a primary mode of public transport in India in the future.

The joint collaborative project between the University, DYPDC and Spencer Ashley has been set up to produce a four-wheeled replacement for the abundant auto-rickshaw vehicle, affectionately known as the Tuk Tuk utility vehicle.

The powertrain for the new and innovative car which produces zero exhaust emissions, consists of a hydrogen fuel cell, an electric motor and a complex control system. Hydrogen for the vehicle is stored in a cluster of low pressure metal hydride cylinders, providing a safe means of fuelling the system. A thermal compressor retrieves the produced hydrogen by splitting water into its component elements - hydrogen and oxygen – via solar energy. Hydrogen storage cylinders can then be used to power equipment including mobile phones, computers and lighting in remote and developing areas or in a humanitarian disaster situation, as well as powering an electric vehicle.

http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem...CultureCode=en
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0205075825.htm

Quote:

Originally Posted by amor de cosmos (Post 6440129)

http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-Ne...ng-to-LNG.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...0L51QV20140205

LNG is a natural for large ships. The larger the ship the more practical LNG fuel would be. A huge container ship has plenty of room for a refrigerated LNG storage facility as well as the room to store LNG safely.

See http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/e...inerships.html

The unit of measure used is the TEU or twenty-foot equivalent unit, a container unit standard.

A 10,000 TEU container ship at 17 knots uses a bit more than 100 TONS of diesel fuel per day. At 25 knots over 350 TONS per day.

The nations with the largest non-Shale natural gas deposits (easiest to get at cost wise) Russia, and, Iran. The potential for shale produced gas is huge, but, the costs of extraction are far higher.

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Taking Tuk Tuks To The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Level
By Nino Marchetti Electric Vehicles, Hydrogen Fuel Cells, Renewable Energy, Transportation
February 6, 2014

What’s dubbed the world’s first affordable hydrogen fuel cell mass transport vehicle is set to be unveiled in concept form this week at an auto show in India. The design, created as a result of a partnership between a university and others, is seen as a potential replace for a ubiquitous form of Indian rickshaw transportation known as the tuk tuk utility vehicle.

Birmingham City University is the primary driving force behind this, working in collaboration with UK motorsport entrepreneur and manufacturer Spencer Ashley and the DYP-DC Centre for Automotive Research. Specifications of this concept indicate the zero emissions powertrain consists of “a hydrogen fuel cell, an electric motor and a complex control system. Hydrogen for the vehicle is stored in a cluster of low pressure metal hydride cylinders, providing a safe means of fuelling the system.”

A thermal compressor, said those involved with the project, retrieves the produced hydrogen by splitting water into its component elements – hydrogen and oxygen – via solar energy. Hydrogen storage cylinders can then be used to power equipment including mobile phones, computers and lighting in remote and developing areas or in a humanitarian disaster situation, as well as powering an electric vehicle.

http://www.earthtechling.com/2014/02...el-cell-level/

Had a bit of a start when I saw this headline in the paper the other day.

New railroad line to link Boston with Waterbury

Then I saw the date.

Quote:

The following articles appeared in The Waterbury American in January 1864.

Quote:

Originally Posted by scalziand (Post 6442445)

Had a bit of a start when I saw this headline in the paper the other day.

New railroad line to link Boston with Waterbury

Then I saw the date.

ROFL!:worship:

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