Cleaner Diesel Sensing a Lucrative Market
(ContentDesk) September 21, 2005 -- The IMITEC project developed an emission control system for light duty diesel vehicles. Diesel powered vehicles are increasingly becoming a major part of the European market and already occupy more than 50 per cent of the car fleet in several European countries such as France. During its research IMITEC scored a remarkable number of firsts. "I think when we started the project it was considered highly ambitious, but we have met out targets and we now have several technologies that will be commercialised," says Dr Athanasios G. Konstandopoulos, project coordinator and director of the Aerosol and Particle Technology Laboratory at CERTH/CPERI in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Diesel is the most efficient combustion engine currently available, says Konstandopoulos, but it comes with emissions of particulates, a soot made mainly of carbon, and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) as by-products. IMITEC's major innovation was to create the first particulate sensors for next generation diesel exhaust emission control systems.Emission control invariably consists of a particulate filter, and the particulate sensor developed by IMITEC is vital for the so called ?closed-loop' control of this filter. As the filter is clogged by the collected particulate it needs to be cleaned by oxidation of the accumulated soot and this requires the raising of the exhaust temperature as diesel engines are so efficient the regular exhaust temperature is too low to oxidise soot. This process is termed ?regeneration'.The IMITEC sensor platform enables the activation of ?regeneration' in an adaptive and efficient fashion leading to fuel savings and increased reliability of the emission control system. Sometimes filters need to regenerate after 500km, or 1000km, but to know exactly when, you need a sensor.
"But the only way to know when to begin the regeneration process is to know the history of the filter, the driving profile of the vehicle," says Konstandopoulos. "It's a key part of the whole system."But IMITEC built more than sensors; they built an entire Emissions Control System for diesel engines, initially for light duty and passenger cars but the technology could be adapted for trucks. Particulate sensing and filter regeneration strategy, however, were the key parts of the project. IMITEC developed two types of sensors during its research. Hardware sensors measure directly the values of particulates, temperature and pressure in the exhaust.
Virtual sensors, on the other hand, are software that measure other sensors in the car and then apply an algorithm to discover a given measurement.An example is the virtual sensor that computes the amount of soot load in a Diesel Particulate Filter from signals of filter pressure drop, exhaust flow and exhaust temperature. The output of these virtual sensors are used by the Engine Control Unit to adaptively and efficiently manage the emission control system. All of IMITEC's achievements go a long way to fulfilling the need for emission controls of the future.It also attracted the intense interest of the automotive industry. The research centre of Fiat, one of Europe's leading carmakers joined the project, as did UK-based Johnson Matthey, the world's number one supplier of automotive catalysts, and Bosch Germany, the world's leading supplier of exhaust sensors, fuel injection systems, and engine control units. The consortium also included Austria-based AVL, the largest independent automotive engineering company in the world and the CDL-ACT laboratory of the University of Leoben."We've been approached by many carmakers, and there are a lot of opportunities for spin-offs products, too," says Konstandopoulos.
For example, the team may develop a highly portable unit for use in garages, to aid repairs and system monitoring.Konstandopoulos believes the diesel emission control market could reach ?10bn to ?15bn a year by 2010. "Projections indicate that 50 per cent of European cars will be diesel by 2010, or 10m to 15m annually. If we estimate the cost of the entire emission control system at ?1,000, which may be a reasonable estimate today, then you have a very important economic impact," he says.The team developed a demonstrator of their Emissions Control System, fitted into a Fiat Ducato. "We have a demonstrator, in a real car, that will meet the anticipated Euro V emission standards expected to be finalised by the end of 2005," says Konstandopoulos. "This is another major result."It's just one more ambition achieved by a very ambitious project.Please mention IST Results as the source of this story and, if publishing online, please hyperlink to: http://istresults.cordis.lu/Contact: Tara Morris, +32-2-2861985, tmorris at gopa-cartermill.com.
Internet Survey Finds Strong Interest in French "Air Car"
As oil prices spike and then plunge between $40-50 a barrel, and gasoline prices in the United States continue to hover near the $2 a gallon mark, consumers are taking a serious look at alternatives that range from buying gasoline-electric hybrid cars at a production-straining pace to relocating closer to urban centers.
One of those options that may someday soon become available in North America is the MDI "Air Car", a six passenger, multi-use commuter vehicle being developed in France that runs entirely on compressed air (www.theaircar.com). Designed for use as a family car, mini-delivery van and taxi, the Air Car has an estimated range of 200-300 km (124-186 miles) on a charge of compressed air. It has a top speed of 110k/hr (68 mph) and takes approximately 4 hours for the compressed air tank to be recharged. Offering range and performance comparable to the current generation of battery electric cars powered...
Cars > Internet Survey Finds Strong Interest in French "Air Car"
Getting a Killer News Hook
Getting a news hook.When you are going to write a press release probably the most important thing you can do is create a killer news hook.
A press release without a news hook is just blatant advertising, plain and simple.
There is nothing that turns off journalists more than a press release that's just advertising, and when you turn them off, they're often off for good.So, with this in mind, creating a news hook for your press release and media plan in general is probably the most important thing that you can do.
But, how do you do it?A news hook can be defined as the property in your press release that really makes a person read it and say, "I'm glad that I read this.
This is really news."
A news hook does not directly try to sell something, but to put some real news in front of the reader and encourage them to learn more about you.If you are a major company, almost anything you do could be considered news.
Take Google, for example.
Cars > Getting a Killer News Hook
Used Car Charity Donations
Car donation for charities has become very common these days. Most people prefer to donate their old, used, car for charity instead of going through the hassles of selling it. Since the proceeds of the donation would be used for a worthy cause, this is generally a noble way of getting rid of an old car.
Making a car donation has become very easy with most charity houses making the process easier. There are online application forms, hassle-free processing and even easier procedures from the IRS for such Noncash Charitable Contributions. Car donations are accepted by many charity houses.
These organizations sell the cars and use the proceeds for some charitable causes. Some organizations simply sell the cars and then distribute the proceeds among other charity organizations.
Donating your used car can also help you to get some deductions on your taxes. You can claim the car's fair market value if the car is worth less than $500 or it is in good working...
Cars > Used Car Charity Donations
Financing a New or Used Car
If you decide to finance your new or used car, be aware that the financing obtained by the dealer, even if the dealer contacts lenders on your behalf, may not be the best deal you can get. Contact lenders directly. Compare the financing they offer you with the financing the dealer offers you. Because offers vary, shop around for the best deal, comparing the annual percentage rate (APR) and the length of the loan. When negotiating to finance a car, be wary of focusing only on the monthly payment.
The total amount you will pay depends on the price of the car you negotiate, the APR, and the length of the loan. Sometimes, dealers offer very low financing rates for specific cars or models, but may not be willing to negotiate on the price of these cars. To qualify for the special rates, you may be required to make a large down payment. With these conditions, you may find that it's sometimes more affordable to pay higher financing charges on a car that is lower in price or to buy a car...
Financing a New or Used Car
Cars > Financing a New or Used Car
Obenauf Auction Service, Inc. Opens Its 2006 Auction Season
Ingleside, IL (ContentDesk) February 27, 2006 -- Obenauf Auction Service, Inc. opens it's 2006 auction season with a Vehicle & Equipment Consignment Auction on March 18th - 9:00 am at the Lake County Fairgrounds, Rt. 45 & 120, Grayslake, Illinois.Registration and inspection is on Friday, March 17 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and on auction day from 8:00 am.
Keys for the vehicles will be available on Friday, March 17 ONLY.Surplus items to be sold at this auction come from the City of Evanston, the College of Lake County, Lake Villa Township, the Grayslake, Gurnee, Hawthorn Woods, Round Lake Beach & Wauconda Police Departments as well as other consignors.The auction features Police Cars, Police seized vehicles, SUVs, Vans, Collector cars, Bus, Dump trucks, Pickup trucks, Trailers, Skid-steers, Fork-trucks, Tractors, Tools, Lawn mowers, Landscape equipment, Generators, Welders, Air compressors,
Engines, Bikes and many other misc. items including a 1990 Evinrude 4hp outboard...
Cars > Obenauf Auction Service, Inc. Opens Its 2006 Auction Season
More Customers Opting For Alternative Fuel Cars
The prices of gas and fuel have already gone down but it seems like the market has already learned much during that experience. You see, according to dealers and retailers as well as manufacturers of vehicles in the auto market, more and more American customers are purchasing cars and vehicles that run on alternative fuel. The list of alternative fuel vehicles include those hybrid vehicles as well as those that could run on diesel and ethanol.
According to Fred Webber, the current president and chief executive of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, "Our priority is to get the word out that alternative fuel autos are on sale now, and these vehicles are the quickest way to reduce gasoline use. No one wants to see high gas prices and concerns about energy security, but the good news about today's energy situation is that more Americans are purchasing one of the many fuel efficient automobiles on sale today." The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is actually...
Cars > More Customers Opting For Alternative Fuel Cars
Creating Wall Murals for Children
Wall murals are a playful, lively way to decorate a child's room. You can pay a professional painter to create the mural, or you can do it yourself?maybe with your children. Creating a fun wall mural for a child is not very difficult. It's an easy and fun project for a beginning crafter.
If you want to start simply, you can buy a wall murals kit for children.
Many home improvement stores or Internet sites sell hundreds children's cartoon paint guides. You could paint a tree with colorful birds in a nursery corner or zoo animals throughout the room. Even if you decide not to use a purchased stencil, you can use them for inspiration. Also look for scenes in your or your child's favorite storybook or cute imagines on greeting cards.
For a more elaborate project, you can paint a mural over the entire room.
You could, for example, have a blue-sky scene with birds and clouds on the ceiling, trees stretching the walls, with animals, insects, and...
Creating Wall Murals for Children
Cars > Creating Wall Murals for Children