WORLD ENERGY TECHNOLOGY TRENDS
October
7th, 2005
Fifty Ways to Cut Automotive Fuel Costs
Doubling Your Gas Mileage
A Nine Part Series
Part 1 of 9
There have been several articles in World Energy Technology
Trends that report on new innovations that improve fuel mileage. Among these include biochips that energize gasoline molecules,
silane tires that reduce friction with the rode, navigation software that helps one find the shortest and less congested traffic
routes, flywheels that store and expel energy very efficiently, and of course fuel additives such as ethanol. The biochips
reportedly will help save 15 percent on gasoline consumption, the silane tires another 5 percent, the navigation software
is anybody’s guess and the fuel additives anywhere from 5 up to far out new claims of 30 percent.
Now, another technology has just emerged, automatic start-stopping
of the gas engine. These automatic alternator-starters automatically turn off the engine when you come to a stop and turn
it back on when you release the break or press the accelerator. The device offers up to 15 percent savings for those
drivers that spend a good deal of their time in congested traffic, such as New York taxi drivers. The Start & Stop technology
is real enough for Citroen to incorporate the technology into its C3, which offers an impressive 48 miles per gallon.
Finally, more in the development stage, is turning engine
heat, also known as waste heat, into useable energy. There are several companies that have been developing the technology,
as discussed later in this focus report.
50 Ways to Leave Your SUV's Gas Bill Without
Leaving It
With the above in mind our focus reports seeks 50 ways
to reduce your weekly gasoline bill and design new automobiles and scooters for greater fuel efficiency. Although, this report
names quite a few, were still not done, so you can expect more as we file follow-on reports.
Europeans Take a Different Tact to the $7.00
a Gallon Gasoline Problem
In Europe, with gas prices in the order of $7.00 a gallon,
Europeans aren’t waiting around for gas prices to come down. They need relief soon. For now they are buying sunflower
and grape seed oil right from the grocery market shelf and pouring it straight into their “diesel” gas tanks using
a standard 50-50 mix.
Radio reports indicate that it works, but one has to
wonder what are the effects on long-term engine performance and maintenance– although there are companies that
offer retrofit systems for just such a purpose. Pushed to their gasoline limit, Europeans besides demanding windfall taxes
on oil companies, are also pushing for the legalization of off-the-grocery shelf sunflower and grape seed gasoline additives.
There are of course other lower tech things one can do.
Such as reducing the weight in your car by pulling out all the seats. However that method might not sit well with family members,
who are used to a more comfortable Sunday drive. Makers of automotive components have better ways, through the use of new
nanomaterials, plastics and other advanced light weight materials.
Are the Stoplights Timed Perfectly
– New Technology Offers More to Come
If you haven't complained to your city about the stop
light timing perhaps it's time to. Reports indicate that cities, specifically green cities - a primary market of the green
industry, are able to save their towns 20 percent on gas consumption through the retiming of stoplights. Besides fuel economy,
other benefits include cleaner air and less driver exposure time to the noxious air that surrounds intersections and crowded
city streets. As well, it saves on the need for drivers to purchase certain types of new fuel economy technology.
Improved stoplight timing algorithms, which monitor
real time automobile traffic flow throughout the entire city and the city's main feeders and exits, are expected to reduce
fuel consumption even more as car navigation technology advances.
Adding All the Fuel Savings Up - Doubles
MPG
The table below summarizes the estimated percentage savings,
as suggested by the companies, one can anticipate from each of the fuel energy savings technologies discussed in this report.
The table estimates both minimum and maximum savings. The minimum savings, in general assumes, worst case driving conditions,
such as heavy traffic and bad driving habits.
Table 1
Estimated Fuel Savings from Different
Add-On Fuel-Economy Technologies
(Gasoline Consumption
Reduction Normalized to One Gallon)
| Technology |
Minimum |
Maximum |
Average |
| |
|
|
|
|
BioChip |
0.95 |
0.85 |
0.9 |
|
Silane Tires |
0.97 |
0.95 |
0.96 |
|
Fuel Additives |
0.95 |
0.85 |
0.90 |
|
Software |
0.95 |
0.85 |
0.90 |
|
Tire Inflation |
0.97 |
0.94 |
0.955 |
|
Nitrogen Tires |
0.97 |
0.94 |
0.925 |
|
Starter / Stopper |
0.95 |
0.85 |
0.90 |
|
Total Savings (%) |
0.74 |
0.44 |
0.59 |
|
Mpg Increase |
1.58 |
1.28 |
1.43 |
The table indicates that if one gallon of gas obtained
30 miles, it would now only take 0.44 gallons of gas to go 30 miles at best (if all the new technologies were used) for over
a two fold increase in miles per gallon. Typically though one would see for a 30 mpg car, a need for 0.59 gallons to drive
30 miles or about 51 mpg, for almost a two fold increase in gas mileage. Ironically enough, the Citroen C3, which includes
the start/stop technology has a gas mileage rating of 48 mpg.
Can You Take the Table Seriously?
The table estimates are based on approximations offered
up by the companies. They are not meant to be scientifically precise. That's not to say that these companies haven't undertaken
exacting studies, some have gone to great lengths to specify the savings for precise operating conditions.
For the table, liberties were taken for the assumptions.
For the purpose of this table, a 5 percent improvement in fuel economy, as stated by the companies, was considered
to mean a 5 percent reduction in fuel consumption for a given distance. So if it took one gallon of gas to go 30 miles, the
new 5 percent improved fuel technology would result in only 0.95 gallons to go 30 miles.
The table also needs clarification in regards to tire
inflation. The simple act of keeping your tires inflated will improve gas mileage significantly. The table assumes that nitrogen
inflated tires, that are not at proper air pressure, will perform better than air inflated tires that are also not at proper
air pressure.
There are a lot of variables in fuel consumption, which
does make it difficult to precisely determine exact fuel savings. This has led to criticism of even government agencies. EPA
tests are taken under specific conditions that are considered out of date. Critics complain this results in much higher fuel
mileage ratings than one would actually obtain in real life. The EPA has responded with a new line of tests that will rate
fuel economy under more modern day conditions. In the 1960s and 1970s cars did not spend so much time idling on clogged roads.
So What’s in the Future for Fuel Economy? Ultralight
Weight Vehicles, Exhaust-to-Energy Schemes and Plug-In Ultra Hybrids
The future of fuel economy actually looks quite bright,
when one reads fuel economy news. There are several companies working on ways to convert engine exhaust fumes to energy, nanomaterieals
promise to reduces the weight of the autos to a fraction of today's steel tanks and there are plug-in hybrids. These
cars, expected to be out in the near future, have the potential to reduce fuel costs to about 2 cents a mile.
Now that the basics have been uncovered, its time to
find out which companies are in these new fuel markets. So drive on to the links below to read more
about each of the different fuel economy markets.
Also see our energy navigation page, which lists a number
of other pages that include other valuable information on fuel economy.
