HumanCar: A Zero emission, human powered Electric Hybrid

This remarkably simple, carbon free car, the Imagine PS is in part powered with an electric motor, capable of 100 kph (60 mph) on the flat and 50 kph uphil.

"The hand-cranked low mass vehicle (LMV) was developed by engineer Professor Charles Samuel Greenwood, who has been working on human-powered vehicles for over four decades, and has now developed a street legal sedan version carrying four people. If the four people are all cranking, the vehicle can run solely on human power, but it is also an electric plug-in. The chassis can be adapted to different styles and different types of batteries and future technologies without needing to replace the car." read more

This electric hybrid  car has a kind of Flintstones aura about it, and will be available next year for a base price of $15,500, go to their website to place your order.

WaveRoller concept video/animation

A new type of wave power technology has emerged that captures kinetic energy, using a specially designed bottom-mounted moving wing. The captured energy is converted to electricity using traditional technologies.

"The WaveRoller technology exploits surge phenomenon, a strong, ubiquitous and consistent natural phenomenon. The back and forth movement of surge moves the plate. The kinetic energy transferred to this plate is collected by a piston pump and energy generation potential is being captured and converted into electricity." Continue reading.

This type of carbon free wave power technology for electricity production is practically invisible by virtue of its undersea location and is distinctly different from other types of wave energy production in that it has the ability to generate energy on a wider spectrum of wave conditions.

Hydra: A Carbon Free mobile water purification system

is an on-site self fueled, solar-powered hydrogen fuel cell system or more specifically revolutionary next-generation mobile power plant and water purification solution. a single trailer-mounted device that converts undrinkable and or polluted water into over 20,000 gallons or 75,708 litres of pure water a day, stores electricity better than a battery, makes medical-grade oxygen, and runs on the sun.

The inventors Brad Carlson and David Squires, demonstrate in the video how it can be flown in by helicopter, dropped by parachute, or delivered on the back of a pickup truck to almost anywhere in the world

This amazing system is probably the most useable water purification solution for the more than over one billion people in the world today who do not have clean drinking water. It would also prove invaluable for those who experience impromptu natural phenomena like earthquakes and other extreme natural disasters.

Visit their company's website The Essential Element to learn more.

Hot Air Stirling Engine Generator

A Stirling engine is the simplest type of motor possible, but more precisely  its a heat engine that operates by cyclic compression and expansion of air or other gas. The gasses used inside a Stirling engine never leave the engine. There are no exhaust valves that vent high-pressure gasses, as in a gasoline or diesel engine, and there are no explosions taking place. Because of this, Stirling engines are very quiet. Source

In this video Green Power Science demonstrates a Stirling engine being driven by a focused beam of sunlight via a suspended Fresnel lens, producing about 40 watts of energy.

Green Power Science  says: "We are almost ready to introduce a line of Stirling hot air engines that range from toys to 500 watts of power."

I was simultaneously shocked and amazed when I saw this little machine unsteadily stacked atop of a couple of house bricks, producing seemingly unlimited carbon free energy !

Oyster: Harvests Wave Energy; The new Pearl in the drink!

People often say that "life, shoppers and meteorites come in waves" and so to in a week or so waves themselves have  also come in waves ? Well there was the Google Wave trying to out twit the twitters with a labyrinth collaborative email interface of waves upon waves of waves.
Got a certain spring to it, huh?
Currently the world over is experiencing, waves of news about countries preparing to make green house gas targets and declarations at the Copenhagen summit! More importantly though much progress has been underway to birth the largest working hydro-electric wave energy device.

Aquamarine Power Ltd. has launched its wave energy harvesting technology called Oyster, in conjunction with Queens University Belfast  and the Scottish government.

The device harnesses the abundant natural energy found in near-shore waves and converts it into sustainable zero-emission electricity.  It works by a simple mechanical hinged flap connected to the seabed at around 10m depth. Each passing wave moves the flap, driving hydraulic pistons to deliver high pressure water via a pipeline to an onshore electrical turbine.

Oyster now feeds electric energy into the National Grid, powering homes in Orkney and beyond. A farm of 20 Oysters would provide enough energy to power 9,000 three bedroom family homes.

Hey that's neat. My father always said that "life was like a block and tackle with levers", but hey, Oyster only uses one lever in the drink !

Source

Sustainable Electric boating

Retired Queensland academic and marine industry researcher Gary Fooks says;

"Outboard engines are doing far more environmental damage than the oil spill from the container ship Pacific Adventurer... (and) ..weekend boaties using old technology two-stroke engines on their outboards dumped more than 3000 tonnes of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the form of fuel and oil each year into South-East Queensland waterways.." Source

Thus it stands to reason that small boat or yacht owners ought look at swapping out their gasoline outboard motors for carbon free electric power units, specifically in the light of the video here of the  Re-E-Power Electric Outboard. The companies website carries all the information a boatie would need to purchase and install one of their kits.

Although the units may seem somewhat expensive,  the short term benefits of the electric drive provides instant torque and cheaper fuel especially if one utilizes a solar or wind powered generator. Whereas the benefits in the long term are no smelly or fire hazard chemicals to deal with or carry plus helping make the marine ecology are healthier place.

Whilst researching this post, I found this amusing electric powered recreational barbecue party boat.

New Zealand poised to Launch Atea-1 Rocket

due to liftoff,  from Great Mercury Island this november 28, will be the first commercial rocket to use hybrid fuel technology and the first privately built rocket launched from the Southern Hemisphere to enter space with its Atea-1 launch vehicle. Rocket Lab will also be the first practical alternative to conventional rockets at significantly lower cost. The emissions from their unique Gas Turbine engine are non-toxic or carbon free as opposed to the traditional launch platforms.

"The Atea-1 is designed specifically for scientific sub-orbital ‘sounding’ missions. and is almost entirely constructed from lightweight carbon fibre composites. Components such as the rocket nozzle and combustion chamber are all manufactured from Rocket Lab- developed composite materials which are a fraction of the weight of traditional metal components. The rocket generates the equivalent of 3200 horsepower from a rocket engine weighing just 13kg."  Source

The video seen here, is an artistic animation of Rocket Lab's Ātea-1 launch.

Since Great Mercury Island is a privately owned island I guess its only fitting that a privately owned space rocket be launched from it !

Stoked by Suzuki's carbon free mobility effort

There's no doubt that fuel cell powered electric motor vehicles look to offer another positive conduit forward for consumer interurban mobility. The first of Suzuki’s carbon free cars, the SX4 will be released 2010 are electric powered fuel cell vehicles and according to Gizmag;

"Suzuki’s carbon free mobility effort at the Tokyo Motor Show used three existing models to demonstrate the benefits of its growing hydrogen fuel cell expertise: the SX4 fuel cell car, a two-wheeler based on the existing Burgman 125 feet-forward enclosed scooter, and the fuel cell powered Mio Electric Wheelchair. Although Suzuki also showed a plug-in hybrid version of the Swift, another existing car being adapted to a future power train, the company is clearly staking a claim in the Fuel Cell technology arena."

Yes, I'm mostly impressed by Suzuki's fuel cell powered Mio Electric Wheelchair, which..

"employs a direct methanol fuel cell that directly supplies methanol to the cell for reaction along with a large-capacity Li-ion secondary battery. The wheelchair can run 40 km or more with one recharge (4 L) of methanol solution. It allows easier handling because there is no need to recharge from the mains power source."

How cool and convenient is that ?