Green Energy News | November 23, 1997

November 23, 1997 – Vol.2 No.34

ENERGIES... week of November 23, 1997

BANKING ON LPB’S. Hydro-Quebec, 3M and the Argonne National Laboratory are convinced that lithium polymer batteries are the way to go for electric vehicles. The technology promises EV range to reach 150-200 miles - at an affordable cost. LPB’s utilize a polymer electrolyte with lithium as the negative electrode. They will be the first solid-state batteries available for EV’s.

Hydro-Quebec and 3M have made investments toward pilot production capabilities for use in further LPB development. Hydro-Quebec of Montreal has been working on lithium polymer battery technology for 16 years. 3M of St. Paul, Minnesota adds their expertise in thin film materials used in LPB’s. Check out LPB’s at the 14th International Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS-14) in Orlando, Florida running December 12-17.

CLEANING UP SMALL ENGINES. Reg Technologies of Vancouver, British Columbia has been developing a new fuel system for small four-cycle engines to help reduce their high levels of emissions. Those motors are everywhere - lawn mowers, leaf blowers, snowmobiles, jet skis - to name a few, but their use may be limited soon in areas with strict pollution standards.

Reg’s Air Vapor Flow System (AVFS) may save the day for small engine manufacturers and equipment builders. AVFS delivers gasoline vapor in an even flow to the engine. Designed to be retrofitted to existing engines, new tests of the device by the manufacturer show significant reductions in hydrocarbons (up to 74%) and carbon monoxide (up to 44%). Fuel consumption was also reduced from an average of 15% to a best-of-test 30%.

Increased proportions of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas, not a pollutant) and nitrogen oxides were attributed to a more complete combustion.

Editor’s note: It is possible to have a net total decrease in the volume of CO2 with better fuel efficiency, despite proportionate CO2 increases with devices such as the AVFS.

HEATED MARKET FOR ADVANCED MATERIALS. According to consultants Frost and Sullivan, the market for lighter, efficient and recyclable materials for use in automobiles is becoming more intense. While more aluminum, magnesium, plastics and lightweight steels are finding their way into and under the hood of new cars, these materials now have to compete for attention in the marketplace and with manufacturers.

Plastics compete with aluminum for lightweight engine parts. Aluminum competes with steel for bodies. All advanced materials compete for their recyclability, durability, repairability, ease of manufacturing and their contribution to fuel efficiency.

Despite all of this, Frost and Sullivan sees continued and increasing market opportunities for the advanced automotive materials business and has compiled a study on this. Check out their Website at http://www.frost.com