RE: Lotus Getting Its Teeth Into OMNIVORE Project
Tuesday 12th August 2008
Lotus is teaming up with Jaguar to develop an engine that will provide maximum efficiency while running on bio-fuels. The project is also in collaboration with Queen’s University Belfast and is part of Lotus’ commitment to leading the automotive industry on green issues.
Lotus Gets Its Teeth Into OMNIVORE Project
Lotus and Jaguar are teaming up to build an efficient bio-fuel engine
The concept – bizarrely named OMNIVORE – is sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department of the Environment Northern Ireland through the Renewable Materials LINK Programme. Lotus engineering is currently looking at a design study to build a single cylinder research engine for completion in January 2009 and Jaguar Cars will be a consultative partner throughout the process.
This engine design is expected to significantly increase fuel efficiency for sustainable bio-alcohol fuels. The architecture features an innovative variable compression ratio system and uses a two-stroke operating cycle with direct fuel injection.
Mike Kimberley, Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus Plc said: 'The automotive industry is now focusing on its environmental obligations to reduce CO2emissions and improve efficiencies and we are seeing the high technology capabilities of Lotus Engineering being in strong demand. Not only does our brand value of ‘performance through light weight’ fit perfectly with the necessary direction of the industry to produce lighter, more efficient vehicles, we are also working on all aspects of future fuels, investigating alternative powertrains to accommodate alcohol fuels as they enter the market.
He added: 'Alcohols possess superior combustion characteristics to gasoline which allow greater optimisation. Taking full advantage of the benefits of sustainable bio alcohols will ensure a greater percentage of vehicle miles will be travelled using renewable fuels.'
Discussion
Sounds like a good, forward thinking project and it's great that such a small, niche manufacturer like Lotus is investing time and money on it. Big manufacturers take note!
However, weren't the government saying only a few weeks ago that biofuels aren't as sustainable as was first thought as they take land away from food production? Maybe the biofuels bubble is about to burst? (I'm only guessing here, please correct me if I'm wrong)
However, weren't the government saying only a few weeks ago that biofuels aren't as sustainable as was first thought as they take land away from food production? Maybe the biofuels bubble is about to burst? (I'm only guessing here, please correct me if I'm wrong)
Edited by Sonic Nonsense on Tuesday 12th August 11:59
Sonic Nonsense said:
Sounds like a good, forward thinking project and it's great that such a small, niche manufacturer like Lotus is investing time and money on it. Big manufacturers take note!
However, weren't the government saying only a few weeks ago that biofuels aren't as sustainable as was first thought as they take land away from food production? Maybe the biofuels bubble is about to burst? (I'm only guessing here, please correct me if I'm wrong)
Depends where you get your biofuels from. It may never form the full solution but research is also ongoing in using algae, which won't give the same problems as crop-based biofuel.However, weren't the government saying only a few weeks ago that biofuels aren't as sustainable as was first thought as they take land away from food production? Maybe the biofuels bubble is about to burst? (I'm only guessing here, please correct me if I'm wrong)
Edited by Sonic Nonsense on Tuesday 12th August 11:59
Edited by kevin ritson on Tuesday 12th August 12:14
This is the way forward as far as i'm concerned, forget Hybrids or Hydrogen cars, all too far off and too expensive and complicated.
Ofcourse we'll never be able to grow enough Biofuel in this country, so we'll probably end up importing it from some unstable country half way round the world, but that's nothing new...
Ofcourse we'll never be able to grow enough Biofuel in this country, so we'll probably end up importing it from some unstable country half way round the world, but that's nothing new...
cowellsj said:
This is the way forward as far as i'm concerned, forget Hybrids or Hydrogen cars, all too far off and too expensive and complicated.
Ofcourse we'll never be able to grow enough Biofuel in this country, so we'll probably end up importing it from some unstable country half way round the world, but that's nothing new...
Which is why this is a stupid idea. The use of food-products for fuels is one of the reasons why the price of food has gone up, and in some nations the reason why they can no longer afford to eat.Ofcourse we'll never be able to grow enough Biofuel in this country, so we'll probably end up importing it from some unstable country half way round the world, but that's nothing new...
I'm all for making the most of our dwindling resources, but starving half the world to put fuel in our cars is hardly the smartest of ideas.
cowellsj said:
This is the way forward as far as i'm concerned, forget Hybrids or Hydrogen cars, all too far off and too expensive and complicated.
Ofcourse we'll never be able to grow enough Biofuel in this country, so we'll probably end up importing it from some unstable country half way round the world, but that's nothing new...
There in lies the problem. Ofcourse we'll never be able to grow enough Biofuel in this country, so we'll probably end up importing it from some unstable country half way round the world, but that's nothing new...
We are seeing increases in food prices due to supply dropping in the food chain as more and more arable farmers are producing crops for bio-fuels which is having a major impact globally on the food chain.
We in the western world can not continue damaging our natural habitat for the sake of liquid fuel.
I agree that Hydrogen and other gas style fuels is also a non-starter due to the massive investment in the infrastructure needed which no government is prepared to spend.
The answer is for the likes of Lotus and other pioneering companies to focus all our energies (no pun intended) into making electric the future through harvesting a huge natural and free supply of energy from the sun/wind/water.
If this was successful, countries would be able to break free of the ties with unstable countries that sit on the limited supply of crude oil that is left on this planet, and I would like to think everyone would benefit from the advantages this would bring.
look at the AC Cobra - stunning example of how electric is the future power for cars, the infrastructure is already in place, now we just need to improve the ability to harness the natural power from the sun...
The trouble is, big business do not like this route due to the source being free! No one owns the energy coming from the sun, water or air. They currently have it easy, sitting on a supply of fuel that we have to choose to purchase from them.
This really would be power to the people in more ways than one. I guess for that reason no company is prepared to invest in a future that has no future for oil/energy companies...
Edited by motormania on Tuesday 12th August 13:58
Remember, if it can be sold, it can be taxed. Having a car plugged into a solar panel on the garage roof, refilling with energy "free" (except for the capital repayment) is win for an average UK motorist, win for starving people in a place where maize grows really well but a big loss to a government committed to hip replacements, old peoples homes, schools, by-passes etc etc.
mark3man said:
Remember, if it can be sold, it can be taxed. Having a car plugged into a solar panel on the garage roof, refilling with energy "free" (except for the capital repayment) is win for an average UK motorist, win for starving people in a place where maize grows really well but a big loss to a government committed to hip replacements, old peoples homes, schools, by-passes etc etc.
I'm afraid anyone who believes you could get sufficient energy from a solar panel to power a car needs a check-up from the neck up.wedgie said:
mark3man said:
Remember, if it can be sold, it can be taxed. Having a car plugged into a solar panel on the garage roof, refilling with energy "free" (except for the capital repayment) is win for an average UK motorist, win for starving people in a place where maize grows really well but a big loss to a government committed to hip replacements, old peoples homes, schools, by-passes etc etc.
I'm afraid anyone who believes you could get sufficient energy from a solar panel to power a car needs a check-up from the neck up.Can't acknowledge if that is true as I'm no solar panel expert, but with news from the US recently that a team have managed to change the way current solar panels capture the suns energy to produce a panel that produces 10x the amount of electricity compared to the best of breed on the market today, then it is clear for all to see that electric power from the sun has to be the way forward.
The main problem I see with this is, as stated, the loss of land. This leads to countries removing swathes of forest to plant bio fuels. I believe Brazil is a huge user of bio-fuel? Perhaps it's not suprising that many species of primate and birds are dying out there due to loss of habitat. It makes me deeply sad. However, an alternative to petrol must come from somewhere as it seems we're running out, or are simply being priced out. Also, didn't Sheffield university come up with an effective and simple hydrogen engine recently?
I am afraid all of this comes back to the hub of the problem, there are too many humans on the planet NOW, let alone in 2050 when there will be another 3.6 billion of us.
We are trying to supply an ever growing population with a diminishing set of resources, Viable living space, Land which can be used to grow food/fuel, water, fuel (to work the land) etc.
Already we are destroying the habitat and survival of other species, to make usable space for even more humans.
I dont believe there is an answer to the question of the never before seen, collossal growth of the human population (the REAL hockey stick graph)
Over population may be the thing which eventually destroys us.
But That as they say is life, it has happened to countless other species in the Earths history, there are no guarantees, that it wont happen to us.
We are trying to supply an ever growing population with a diminishing set of resources, Viable living space, Land which can be used to grow food/fuel, water, fuel (to work the land) etc.
Already we are destroying the habitat and survival of other species, to make usable space for even more humans.
I dont believe there is an answer to the question of the never before seen, collossal growth of the human population (the REAL hockey stick graph)
Over population may be the thing which eventually destroys us.
But That as they say is life, it has happened to countless other species in the Earths history, there are no guarantees, that it wont happen to us.
I'm sorry, but the Free Energy suppression band wagon is cobblers. The reason why electric vehicles hasn't taken off is because battery technology isn't there yet, and because electricity mostly comes from fossil fuels, thus rendering it pointless in terms of 'green' value.
All the talk about Solar energy being bad for business, why? Are Solar panels free as well? How much 'carbon' is produced by manufacturing a solar panel? If renewable energy like Solar or Wind was 'free', then surely 'big business' would be using it to sell to us wouldn't they?
A typical long range electric vehicle's battery contains around 25kWh Energy on a full charge, which can give anything up to 200 miles, but typically closer to 100. The Sun's energy at ground is around 1kWh/m2. Even if you had a 100% efficient solar panel and charging system, it'd still take 2 days worth of sunlight to charge a battery from a vehicle's roof panel.
The energy you're talking about simply isn't there unless you apply it to huge areas of land, which is why Crops are viable. So whats more sensible, building thousands of hectares of solar panels, or plant thousands of hectares of crops.
Battery technology has taken a few leaps forward in recent years, hence the appearance of the Tesla, but its still only viable on a financial basis, and there simply isn't enough Lithium on the planet for everyone to have a Lithium Ion battery powered car, thus bringing us back to the same problem as oil.
Bio-fuels do have their problems, but using plant waste thats inedible, along with other developing processes, alternative fuels are the immediate way forward.
Overall there's no magic solution, the only currently viable way we can physically produce enough energy to suit our needs, based on the physical limitations of the planet without using oil or biofuels is to use less energy, or to source it from nuclear power.
All the talk about Solar energy being bad for business, why? Are Solar panels free as well? How much 'carbon' is produced by manufacturing a solar panel? If renewable energy like Solar or Wind was 'free', then surely 'big business' would be using it to sell to us wouldn't they?
A typical long range electric vehicle's battery contains around 25kWh Energy on a full charge, which can give anything up to 200 miles, but typically closer to 100. The Sun's energy at ground is around 1kWh/m2. Even if you had a 100% efficient solar panel and charging system, it'd still take 2 days worth of sunlight to charge a battery from a vehicle's roof panel.
The energy you're talking about simply isn't there unless you apply it to huge areas of land, which is why Crops are viable. So whats more sensible, building thousands of hectares of solar panels, or plant thousands of hectares of crops.
Battery technology has taken a few leaps forward in recent years, hence the appearance of the Tesla, but its still only viable on a financial basis, and there simply isn't enough Lithium on the planet for everyone to have a Lithium Ion battery powered car, thus bringing us back to the same problem as oil.
Bio-fuels do have their problems, but using plant waste thats inedible, along with other developing processes, alternative fuels are the immediate way forward.
Overall there's no magic solution, the only currently viable way we can physically produce enough energy to suit our needs, based on the physical limitations of the planet without using oil or biofuels is to use less energy, or to source it from nuclear power.
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