Biofuels – What’s Currently Being Researched?

There’s no doubt about it: there is only a limited amount of fossil fuel in the world. Even running around in hybrid or purely electric vehicles may only go part of the way towards solving the problem, depending on how the electricity used to power the cars in question is generated. If the electricity is generated by an oil-fuelled generator, electric cars merely move the issue of burning fossil fuels further along the production line.  If the electricity is generated using something sustainable, then that’s less of a problem.

Enter biodiesel and other biofuels.  Biodiesel is almost just like normal diesel except that it can be refined from vegetable and animal fats.  At the moment, these oils are a tad more acidic than regular diesel, so biodiesel, if used pure (B100) has a tendency to wear out the rubber hoses and gaskets inside your vehicle.  Car manufacturers are beginning to respond by making cars with bits that can handle biodiesel, but at the moment, only a few cars can handle pure B100.  The Saab 93 Biopower is one example.  Most require a blend, although this may be starting to change. Car manufacturers aren’t stupid.

The other main biofuel is ethanol, which can be mixed with petrol and used to power that sort of engine. Ethanol is an alcohol produced by fermenting suitably sugary feedstocks.  It’s really popular in Brazil, which has a massive sugarcane industry and all petrol in Brazil has at least 25% ethanol in it. We use a bit over here, too, also using waste from the sugar industry, although we don’t use as much as Brazil does.

However, all is not rosy in the world of biofuels and biodiesel. Yes, a good chunk of waste bits and pieces can be used to produce biodiesel and ethanol. However, leftovers aren’t going to be enough to power the world’s fleet of vehicles.  This means that feedstock will have to be grown somewhere. There’s only a limited amount of land, so feedstocks are going to compete for land and water (and other resources such as fertiliser and labour) with crops grown for human consumption and for animal consumption.  This is where a lot of research is being concentrated: how can we solve this problem?

Sorghum – a potential FFF plant.

One thing that is being researched in this area is finding suitable plants that are multipurpose – the so-called FFF (Food, Fodder and Feedstock) varieties. There’s been some pleasing results with varieties of sorghum, a grain used widely in Africa, where the grain is used for people, the leaves are fed to cattle and the sugary stems are used for ethanol production.  Research is looking into which varieties are the best and whether or not breeders can come up with the perfect variety. Sweetcorn is another potential FFF plant.  Along the same lines, they’re looking into plants that can be grown on not-so-hot land and thus taking up fewer resources – a recent paper published in the specialist journal Biotechnology for Biofuels proposed agave cactus as a possibility.

Another strand of research is looking into finding bacteria that do a great job of fermenting waste material and turning it into ethanol. If they can find some really good strains that can ferment just about any plant material, then this widens the scope for what can be used as feedstock.

The Jatropha bush.

On the biodiesel side of things, as well as hunting for crops that produce decent oil but don’t compete for resources too heavily.  So far, the best crop is the jatropha shrub, which doesn’t mind drought, is poisonous enough to not have many pest problems and produces a really oily nut. The leftovers after the nut has been pressed for oil can be used for other bits and pieces, such as pesticides, medicines (yep) and as an ethanol feedstock.  The issue here is that jatropha wasn’t originally a crop plant, so they’re working on finding good varieties that grow well on marginal land but produce a whacking big crop.

Also on the biodiesel front, they’re looking into algae. Some algae are oilier than you might think and could be used to produce biodiesel.  The good thing about algae is that they can be grown on land that’s useless for farming other things, and they can be grown on wastewater – settlement ponds at the local sewage works are looking very promising so far.  Of course, they’ve got to find the right strains of algae that produce the most oil, improve the extraction and harvesting process, and find a way to do all this commercially.

Algae even looks green.

Raising the Bahr for F1 2014

Over the weekend, the F1 monster machine made its way to the blistering shores of Bahrain. In the past, the Grand Prix at Bahrain has got itself a rather negative reputation, with accusations of both processional and lack luster racing. This in many ways is down to the laborious and ever repetitive circuit design by the grand emperor of tedium Hermann Tilke. An interesting side note, did you know that if you start typing his name into Google, the suggested searches include ‘Hermann Tilke boring’ and ‘Hermann Tilke ruining F1’. What does that tell you? Anyway, the first two races of the new season were hardly anything too spectacular given the level of media hype that has surrounded this new era of Formula One. So when Bahrain came around this weekend, I wasn’t really expecting very much.

And then the race happened, which in turn made this happen…

An accurate reconstruction of my response to the Bahrain GP

What was so good about the race? 

Well firstly, and most importantly, the race at Bahrain was finally A RACE. The 57 lap race was filled with overtaking left, right and center, which truly was a refreshing sight for the sport. It takes a special kind of race to have position changes on every single lap, from the front to the back of the grid. The battles between the Force Indias, Williams and Red Bull were a sight to behold. Considering what has happened in the past, I had actually forgotten that Red Bull knew how to race. The addition of the safety car towards the end of the race was a stroke of genius (it is almost like Bernie Ecclestone had planned this to happen all along); the final 12 laps were crazy. For the first time,  No one was really able to predict how the cars would finish.

• The Mercedes Civil War – When it was Red Bull dominating the standings, the fans became bored and almost annoyed at the predictable nature of the results. Chances are, unless the other teams play the biggest game of catch up in history, that this year Mercedes will do the same thing. However, I am of the belief that after the last few developmental years, Mercedes deserve the success they are receiving this year. But most impressively, the F1 world is loving the revolutionary ‘no team orders’ approach to racing. For many years, F1 has been plagued by politics and team orders, considering that usually the teams have a clear lead driver. But what happens when you have two of arguably the best drivers in the field on the same team? Simple, drop any pretense of rules and let them race and just hope they don’t take each other off. The race between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg was absolutely stunning. The race finished and only a second separated them. The safety car lost Lewis Hamilton his advantage over Nico, and on ever degrading tyres he somehow managed to hold off the advantages of Rosberg to win the race. If this is the case for the rest of the year, I am willing to overlook the fact that Mercedes can pull out a 25 second lead in 12 laps (totally crazy right?)
• Red Bull Does Give You Wings – Well, if you’re Ricciardo anyway. Daniel Riccardo has had truly rotten luck so far in 2014, with a disqualification in Melbourne and a 10 place grid drop at Bahrain. He started the race in 13th and finished in 4th. The man was on fire. My favourite moment came when Vettel was told over the radio, “Daniel is faster than you, please let him past”. Such an utterly beautiful moment; the wonderchild has been told his team mate is faster and he has to move over. It brings back sweet memories of “Fernando is faster than you”, mixed with the ever succulent taste of, “not bad for a number two driver”. Ricciardo is fast becoming one of the new rising stars of Formula One. Move over Vettel, you are the wonderchild no more.

I couldn’t resist

•  Use the Force (India) – For the last few years, Force India have been somewhat of a midfield runner, until now of course. Perez scored an excellent 3rd place in Bahrain, fending off the final charge of Red Bull Ricciardo. My main praise however is centered on Nico Hulkenberg, who charged up from a disappointing 11th place grid slot to an overall 5th position. While watching the coverage, the Hulk stole a great deal of screen time due to his relentless charge past many a foe. This is the kind of determination I love about motor sport. And the overtaking was clean, thank god.
• The Will of the Williams – The overall finishing positions of Massa and Bottas do not truly reflect the plucky effort they put in throughout the race. Massa had one of the greatest starts I have seen in F1, while Bottas continued his ever impressive run this year, pushing on through in the thick of it right until the end. I think the Williams deserved a higher finish than they managed, but full credit to them. The Williams boys are proving that Williams do still have what it takes.

Just to keep the balance, here is what didn’t go too well…

As great as the race was, there were some elements that did not hold that same level of awesomeness. The first of these was the sad result of Jenson Button in the McLaren. In what was his 25oth GP start, Jenson retired a mere 2 laps from the end of the race, having put in a strong performance throughout. McLaren were aware that they did not have the race pace to keep them challenging for the higher positions, but Button defied the odds and was running in the top end for most of the race before his McLaren gave up the fight. Well, at least he won his 100th race.

And then of course, this happened…

The picture you see before has definitely done the rounds in the media. What you are seeing is the moment that Maldonado lost all semblance of sanity and reason and completely wiped out poor old Gutierrez. Many have tried to explain what actually happened there; alas there is only one thing that can be said…

Maldonado happened.

Lotus have had an absolute shocker of a season so far, and this incident has hardly helped matters. The new noses on the cars clearly act as a scoop, so when Maldonado’s car met the side of the Sauber, there was only one outcome. Say what you want about it, but it did make for a great picture.

So after Bahrain, the critics are silenced and F1 is great again, right?

Wrong.

One good race does not save a whole series. The fanboys and fangirls are now using this ONE race to say that the argument is over. Granted, Formula One has managed to make the Bahrain circuit exciting, but until this level of racing becomes consistent then I will not be fully convinced. Furthermore, the Bahrain GP was a race full of overtaking, close racing and tension, and people are acting like this was the greatest spectacle ever. It was pretty amazing, but everything I have just mentioned is the common factor in all motorsport. I am happy that F1 has returned to what it should be (possibly), but it is still relevant to point out that most other forms of motorsport have been doing this consistently for years.

My favourite quote regarding the race comes in the form of a tweet:

“@BTCCCrazy: F1 did a seriously good #BTCC impression at the #BahrainGP – terrific racing!”

Let’s hope this quality of racing remains throughout the rest of the F1 season, and who knows, if they continue to do such a good impression of the British Touring Car Championship, then even I may finally become a convert. All we need now is to end the talk of fuel and tire conservation in the first 10 laps of the race and we are sorted.

F1 has definitely raised the Bahr for the rest of the year.

Formula One 2014: Bring It On!

Keep Driving People!

Follow me on Twitter @lewisglynn69

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Suburban Hy-Ryder: Hyundai ix35.

The SUV market in Australia has exploded in recent years, with small, medium and large variants available. The looks have improved, build quality has skyrocketd and the feature lists have grown. Hyundai has had fingers in the SUV pie for a while now, starting off with the Santa Fe and Tucson, which has morphed into the ix35. I take the series 2 version with the Elite specification out for a week.

Sitting right in the middle of the pack, above the Active and below the Highlander (cue Christopher Lambert jokes…) the ix35 Elite comes with a direct injection 2.4L petrol engine, six speed automatic and centre locking differential. It’s 136 kilowatts at 6000 revs and a handy 240 torques at 4000 rpm, with a smooth, linear delivery to that point. It’s a little buzzy past there but it’s rare that, in a normal driving situation, the six speed auto will take you that far. It’s a quick shifter, slick however the gate design is unneccesary, being a convoluted throwback to the “J gate” days. Performance from the ix35 is adequate, with the zip somewhat muted by the near 1600 kilo kerb weight, requiring a firmer than anticipated press from the right foot to get things happening. Brakes are a touch grabby at the top however move into a well modulated setup, requiring only a modicum of pressure initially before squeezing into a smooth stop.
The drive itself is through an “on demand” all wheel drive setup; a torque sensor splits drive between front and rear as required while the locking diff makes it a 50/50 split. It makes a difference as the tyres fitted to the test car (Kumho Solus 225/60s on sweet looking 17 inch alloys) lack sufficient front end grip under normal circumstances when pushed, going wide and squealing badly in roundabouts and normal sweeping bends. When locked the nose tucks in tighter and forces the rear end to follow a better line. The McPherson strut/multilink suspension does a decent job of ironing out the road but I did find the Elite quite jiggly and a little harsh over some ruts and bumps, with a sharp rebound rather than a subtle absorption, a touch disappointing given the Aussie input to the suspension.

The exterior is an evolution, not a revolution, with only minimal changes being made, possibly most noticeably (for trainspotters) to the front end; the headlight assembly has the main light cover going square and the driving light surrounds have been modified. The interior seems barely touched yet is a comfortable place to be, with a mix of quality look and feel plastics, cloth and leather, a seven inch touchscreen navitainment system dominating the centre dash, (with reverse camera) looking somewhat like, when viewed front on, a helmet from a sci-fi soldier. Music is catered for by radio and Auxiliary/USB inputs (located at the bottom of the centre console) plus there’s a slot for CD and DVD. Sound is solid, with clearly defined midrange but bass is a touch lacking in punch. Switchgear is sensible, basic, uncomplicated and simplistically easy to use plus entry/egress is via wide opening doors. The front seatbelts are adjustable for height, however there’s a slight buzz from the plastic shroud at certain speeds on the freeway. The Elite comes with keyless entry and push button start/stop plus a swag of safety features including curtain airbags and safety windows, which will lower if pressure from a body part such as an arm is sensed on an upward movement. Seating is, as expected, comfortable with some side support, vital when throwing the ix35 into turns. A split fold rear seat, cargo blind and ample cargo space add to the package.

Alongside its sister car, the Kia Sportage, with competition from SsangYong, Holden, Ford, Mitsubishi, VW and Nissan, just to mention a few, the ix35 really is up against it. Given the quality of small to medium SUVs nowadays, with pricing exceptionally competitive, this is really a judgement call for a buyer. With the range starting at $26990 plus ORCs (check www.hyundai.com.au for offers though!) and the Elite 2.4L from $36990 plus ORCs it’s good value. http://credit-n.ru/blog-single-tg.html

Bad Car Paint Jobs

Customised paint jobs.  They can be a fun way of personalising your car and making it look one of a kind.  One of my husband’s friends has given his station wagon a customised home-made paint job, all in camouflage.  He made a pretty good job of it and it’s good to be able to spot that car trawling around town and know at a distance that there goes Trev. OK, the camo job would have been even more appropriate on a big 4×4 – a Jeep, for example. Except then people would think it was the military in town.

Not all customised paint jobs go so well. Some are absolute shockers, and I don’t just mean because the paint job was done at home with a paint brush and leftover roof paint.  The paint may have been applied well and evenly, but what has been painted on the car is tasteless, garish or tacky.  Thankfully, the place I’ve seen these most often has been online rather than in the actual metal – with the probably exception of some of those Wicked Campers campervans that sometimes have some rather adult humour painted all over them – not what you want to be stuck behind with a car full of children who are old enough to read but too young to really have that sort of thing shoved in their face (right, stop the rant there).

So steel yourselves.  Here comes the hall of shame.  You have been warned…

Fake bloodstains to make it look as though you’re a homicidal maniac behind the wheel. Or a tampon on wheels.  I feel sick.

Lovely classic Rolls-Royce. The yellow would have been an insult enough to such a fine piece of engineering but the Gypsy/Indian artwork?

What have they done to this poor Beetle?

If you drive this Mini, don’t expect to impress any woman with even half a brain. It makes me want to yell “Grow up!”

Apparently, this leopard-print Audi R8 is the latest folly of Justin Bieber, replacing the mirror-plated wheels of the past. Audi owners, start weeping now.

Part of me confesses to almost liking what they did to this Honda. Almost.

This is not Smart at all.

This isn’t a Smart idea either, although the BMW  bike beats Hello Kitty hands down.

Mercy on us… time for Goodbye, Kitty.

Another one that gets the reaction “Grow up!” The actual paintwork looks badly done into the bargain.  Where did I put that sick bucket?

What is this woman thinking? It’s got to be a woman in this car… surely?

Stop, stop!  Enough already!  Time for some relief in the form of paint jobs that are different (to say the least) but at least show a touch of imagination and a sense of humour.

As advertising for a zoo goes, this eye catching bus is a winner.

Here’s hoping the dorsal fin helps the aerodynamics.

This might not be to everyone’s taste but would be good for a professional florist.

Garish and over the top, but this road hog Beetle puts a smile on a few people’s faces.

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