Last time I reported on the topic of using termite guts to make next generation cellulosic ethanol cheaper and easier, it was 2008. Back then a team of researchers from the University of Florida had just started on the path to analyzing the more than 7,000 genes associated with the production of special enzymes within the termite guts that can break down woody fibers so that the termites can digest them and use them for energy.
This process that goes on in the bellies of hundreds of millions, perhaps trillions, of termites all around the world, day-in and day-out—a process that many homeowners fear in the depths of their hearts—is exactly what the next generation ethanol crowd needs to make fuel from woody waste such as thinned forest debris and agricultural residues.
In a paper published in the journal Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the researchers are now providing an update of sorts. The researchers have reportedly found that a group of enzymes found in termite salivary glands may just do the trick.
As most Gas 2.0 readers know, cellulosic ethanol is widely seen as a much better solution to some of our energy needs than the currently abundant corn ethanol. Made from plant waste, woody debris and other such non-edible organic material, cellulosic ethanol addresses the food vs. fuel conundrum. In addition, it has a much more positive effect on the environment than corn ethanol by reducing more carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
Cellulosic ethanol is not without its hitches though. All that cellulosic material needs to be broken down before it can be fermented into ethanol. Most of the methods typically employed to break it down involve high temperatures and nasty chemicals—think of it as a stomach on steroids. What the University of Florida researchers have now discovered is that there’s a suite of enzymes found in termite salivary glands that can do the same thing, but do it at room temperatures and without nearly as many chemicals—making the process cheaper, safer and less environmentally damaging.
“Once we figure out the best way to integrate this sort of enzyme into the process, it could drop the cost of producing cellulosic ethanol significantly,” said University of Florida entomologist Mike Scharf, who led the research and was highlighted in my post two years ago. “We still have a long way to go before we’re finished. But, in the meanwhile, we can start putting what we have discovered to good use.”
Morgan Motor Company celebrated its 100th anniversary last year. Though the world is much different from when the company was first founded in 1909, Morgan still hand assembles every car it builds. It makes just a few hundred vehicles a year, but they are of the highest quality and are some of the most sought after cars ever built.
Despite the exclusive nature of the Morgan automobile though, the company must be admired for its ability to look forward. Hybrids, hydrogen-power, and electric cars are the future, and Morgan doesnt plan on being left behind. They have announced that they will be building a diesel-electric hybrid car with a 1,000 mile range.
It really surprises me that so few companies are considering diesel-electric hybrid vehicles. By themselves, diesel engines tend to get much better gas mileage than their petrol-powered counterparts. Plus, they make more torque, and I love torque. Add a hybrid-electric drivetrain, and youre talking about a car that could easily achieve 50 mpg or better. With a 20 gallon fuel tank, one could fesibily see the LIFEcar 2 getting 1,000 miles to a tank of gas.
Still, most of us will never be able to afford a Morgan, never mind a diesel-electric hybrid Morgan. Still, in all likelihood this car will make it into production, unlike many concept vehicles. Morgan doesnt have anything else to do with their time, so why not build a game-changing hybrid?
Canadian engineering firm Motive has announced that its new Kestrel will feature lightweight composite body panels made primarily of hemp.
So, forget bio-fuels for now this post is all about Motives innovative use of bio-composites to deliver strong, lightweight, recyclable cars and put the Canadian auto industry at the leading edge of sustainable automotive technology.
Check out Motives official press release, information video, and my two cents, after the jump.
Motives Kestrel will make its official debut at Septembers V Conference and Trade Show in Vancouver, where Motive hopes the 4-passenger minicar will make a big impact. One aspect of the car, however, has already gotten the attention of the mainstream automotive press: the cars hemp-based composite body. Granted, the bio-composite material is derived from an industrial hemp fiber weave grown in Vegreville, Alberta (legally) under license from Health Canada and contains less than 0.3% THC, but that wont stop everyone writing about this car (myself included) from giggling a bit at the thought of a few thousand acres of hemp grown under the care of humorless government agents possibly guarded by bears.
In all seriousness, however, the bio-composite seems to be a suitable alternative to the (more) conventional E-glass, Kevlar, and carbon fiber composites being used by other EV makers. The hemp composite offers the same levels of impact resistance as fiberglass, but is lighter, cheaper, and requires fewer petrochemicals to manufacture important qualities for EVs.
Calgarys CTV News covered the hemp-based composite (and gave us a sneak peak at the Kestrel) earlier this week
the enthusiastic confidence of everyone interviewed might mean that Motives new Kestrel is set to reach production rather sooner than later.
Fred Flintstone could only dream of such a car. The HumanCar Imagine PS, a four-seater vehicle that uses hand cranks, can take on hills at 30 miles per hour, exceed 60 mph on flat terrain and is expected to hit the market next year.
HumanCar is the self-funded brainchild of Charles Samuel Greenwood, an engineer who has been working on developing the perfect human-powered vehicle since the late 1960s. Now, it looks like his car is actually getting somewhere. According to Autoblog Green, the lightweight Imagine PS is street legal and, if four people are cranking inside, can run on human power alone. “PS” stands for “power station,” naturally. Based in Eugene, Ore., HumanCar Inc. is preparing to start producing the car.
The vehicle has electric plug-in capabilities, so it can still run if only one person is operating the hand-crank in a rowing-like motion (see the video showing the action, below). When four people are all rowing, it can run on human power alone. This thing is truly a “human-electric” hybrid. The chassis is adaptable, and can work with different kinds of batteries and technology in the future without requiring an entirely new vehicle.
Getting it going looks a little bit like those wind-up toys: a few front-to-back pulls on the two-hand crank and it’s ready to take off. Despite the physical requirement, the company says online that a senior citizen in decent shape could handle it and paraplegics have made suggestions on adaptability. The sleek vehicle could use a larger windshield, although there is apparently an all-weather shell available. Airbags are on the list to be included in future models. In the meantime, I’d probably wear a helmet while driving it.
Others have been hard at work on human powered cars, too. The American Society ASME runs an annual international Human Powered Vehicle Challenge, where students build aerodynamic vehicles. Next month teams will compete in Venezuela. Based on speed-endurance events that took place this year, the vehicles’ top speeds are closing in on 20 miles per hour.
Higher speeds make the Imagine PS impressive. I can hardly get any miles per hour going uphill on a bike. Zooming uphill using my own energy looks so much more enjoyable. The car will cost $15,500 when it goes on sale next year, according to the HumanCar site. Potential owners can put down a refundable $50 placeholder for when the vehicles become available. So far, the company says it has 100 pre-orders and that production will begin when they reach 800.
I like that getting somewhere in a car could require more physical activity, as well as encourage teamwork and carpooling. Maybe these kinds of vehicles are the answer to both our energy and our health problems. At the very least, the car seems like more fun than those circular contraptions that tourists pedal through Times Square.
In addition, seeing that range anxiety remains an issue with pure-electric vehicles, I think major automakers should consider adding a backup human power mechanism. Then if the juice runs out far from a plug, the vehicle could be cranked back into action. Kind of like the early days of the automobile.
The video below, which probably wasn’t intended to be as funny as I found it, shows Greenwood operating a test version of his vehicle on the road. Now that’s what I call a muscle car:
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During the summer months, close your blinds and/or curtains during the day and open them at night.... Rate this tipDuring the summer months, close your blinds and/or curtains during the day and open them at night. In the winter, do the opposite.
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