FuelCell Energy hits 3 billion kWh mark from its DFC plants since 2003

14 December 2014

FuelCell Energy, Inc., a provider of direct fuel cell power
plants, has generated a cumulative three billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity from its Direct FuelCell (DFC) power plants since the first commercial installation in 2003. FuelCell Energy has customers in nine countries in North America, Asia and Europe; three billion kWh of electricity is adequate to power approximately
271,000 US homes for one year, or about 679,000 German
homes or 837,000 South Korean homes.

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The installed base of operating fuel cell power plants has
doubled in two years as our broad range of global customers recognize
the advantages of multi-megawatt fuel cell parks, including a 15
megawatt fuel cell park operating in North America and a 59 megawatt
fuel cell park operating in South Korea, the world’s largest.

Utilizing an electro-chemical process, power is generated
in a manner that is virtually absent of criteria pollutants including NO_x, SO_x, and PM.

Compared to the average US fossil-fuel power plant, 3 billion kWh of fuel cell power
generation avoids the emission of approximately 25,600 tons of these
criteria pollutants as well as approximately 1.9 million tons of carbon
dioxide—equivalent to the carbon
sequestered by about 1.4 million acres of U.S. forest. This land area
is larger than the State of Rhode Island and almost as large as the
State of Delaware.

The stationary fuel cell power plants manufactured by FuelCell Energy
are fuel flexible, capable of operating on natural gas, on-site
renewable biogas, or directed biogas. These megawatt-class power plants
are scalable for multi-megawatt applications with large power users or
electric grid support. The power plants provide continuous power that
is not dependent on the weather or time of day.

Toyota converting biogas to power for Georgetown plant

14 December 2014

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, with help from Waste Services of the Bluegrass, is converting methane from a local landfill into renewable electricity to power Toyota’s Georgetown assembly plant.

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Landfill gas is comprised of both methane and carbon dioxide, in addition to varying amounts of other contaminants. With the increasing number of landfills in the United States, the effect of landfill gas on the environment can be detrimental.

Scheduled for completion in early 2015, the project will not only provide enough power to produce 10,000 vehicles each year, but it will also lead to improved air-quality, reducing local air pollution as much as 90%.

Ford introduces SYNC 3, next generation of its communications and entertainment system

13 December 2014

Ford introduced SYNC 3, its reworked communications and entertainment system that is faster, more intuitive and easier to use with an improved user interface and enhanced response to driver commands than its predecessor. The next-generation system builds on the capability of SYNC technology already in more than 10 million SYNC-equipped vehicles on the road globally. SYNC 3 begins arriving on new vehicles next year.

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Ford took a customer-centric approach in developing SYNC 3, drawing on 22,000 customer comments and suggestions, plus insights gleaned from research clinics, market surveys and tech industry benchmarking.

Mark Boyadjis, senior analyst, automotive technology at IHS, observed that while it carries with it some new features over its often-criticized predecessor (SYNC with MyFord Touch), SYNC 3 is not going to become a new benchmark for flashy wow-factors.

This might not win over an Audi owner, but then again, Ford is most interested in taking share from Toyota, Honda, and Chevrolet. Those buyers are less impressed with glitzy name-brand chipsets and find more value in something they can understand the minute they take the keys from dealer.

… It is clear that this time around, Ford has put in the time and listened to enough customers to properly design, test, debug, and finalize this infotainment platform before it hits the market. According to a couple product managers, Ford is aiming to have a 60% penetration for SYNC 3 among new car sales in North America by the time the rollout plan is complete. This plan is ambitious, but possible because Ford did not reinvent the wheel with SYNC 3.

Ford jettisoned the previous “four corners” design. Now, core functions such as audio, climate, phone, and navigation are represented by functional icons along the bottom of the screen, disappearing on certain screens, such as map view or rear camera view. Ford also added an apps tab and a settings tab to round out the six large, high-contrast icons in the bar at the bottom of the screen.

Although SYNC 3 is optimized for hands-free use, an all-new capacitive touch screen delivers an experience similar to a smartphone or tablet. Quicker response to touch as well as voice commands and smartphone-like gestures including pinch-to-zoom and swipe are central to SYNC 3, along with crisp, modern graphics. For example, phone contacts are searchable via a simple swipe of the finger to scroll through the alphabet.

A bright background and large buttons with high-contrast fonts for daytime use help reduce screen washout in the sun. At night, the display automatically switches to a dark background to help reduce eye fatigue and minimize reflections on the windows.

We considered all the modern smartphones and mobile operating systems and created something familiar but unique. Simplicity has value. Reducing the number of things on-screen also makes control easier and is designed to limit the number of times a driver has to glance at the screen.

The home screen features three zone choices: Navigation, Audio and Phone. Tile-like icons dominate the screen, with a quick access function tray along the bottom making for a more straight-forward user experience.

With “One Box Search,” SYNC 3 users can look up points of interest or enter addresses in much the same way they use an Internet search engine. Click to enlarge.

The next-generation system minimizes the number of steps needed to carry out a voice command. With SYNC 3, simply saying “play ” prompts the system to play the desired song, artist, playlist or album; there is no need to identify the desired category. To switch back to a radio station, the user just says the name of the SiriusXM station or terrestrial radio station number.

Voice search results are enhanced by a better understanding of how consumers refer to businesses and points of interest. Drivers don’t have to know an exact name. They can search for “Detroit Airport” rather than using the official name “Detroit Metropolitan Airport.” With addresses, they can say, “Eleven Twenty-Five Main Street” instead of “One One Two Five Main Street.”

When connected to an Apple iPhone, SYNC 3 offers seamless integration of Siri Eyes-Free control. Drivers can seek Siri’s help by holding down SYNC’s “Push to Talk” steering wheel button—much as they would hold down the button on an iPhone to initiate a Siri session.

Ford was first to bring voice control to in-vehicle apps with AppLink, and the experience is further improved with SYNC 3. AppLink allows customers to connect their smartphone to their vehicle and control their compatible apps using voice commands or buttons on the vehicle display screen. AppLink now automatically discovers smartphone apps including Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, NPR One, SiriusXM Radio and iHeartRadio Auto, and displays their unique graphics and branding. Music and news apps are automatically displayed along with other media sources, just like AM/FM or SiriusXM.

AppLink now automatically discovers smartphone apps including Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, and displays their unique graphics and branding. Click to enlarge.

SYNC 3 also features the new ability to update the software via Wi-Fi. Once a vehicle is set up with credentials for a home Wi-Fi network accessible in a customer’s driveway or garage, for example, it can automatically download updates.

SYNC 3, like earlier generations of the technology, provides subscription-free emergency service 911 Assist.

The customer’s Bluetooth-connected phone is used to dial 911 in the event of a significant accident, alerting first-responders with the vehicle’s location. With SYNC 3, the car relays additional information, including if airbags were deployed, the type of crash (front, side, rear or rollover) and the number of safety belts detected in use, in order to help emergency call takers dispatch the appropriate resources to the scene.

Renault partners show research prototypes: 2-cyl. 2-stroke diesel, 48V mild-hybrid diesel, delivery EV

13 December 2014

POWERFUL two-cylinder, two-stroke diesel. Click to enlarge.

At its recent Innovations@Renault event, the France-based automaker presented three research prototypes developed in tandem with its partners as cooperative projects: a mild-hybrid diesel produced as part of the HYDIVU (Hybrid Diesel for LCVs); a two-cylinder, two-stroke diesel from the POWERFUL (POWERtrain for FUture Light-duty vehicles) project (earlier post); and an electric light commercial van developed as part of the du VELUD (Electric Vehicle for Sustainable Urban Logistics) project.

HYDIVU is a 48V mild-hybrid diesel solution to bring down consumption and emissions in LCVs. The objective of this project is to reduce the consumption of LCVs for business customers who travel long distances. Developed on the base of the Renault Master, this prototype is fitted with a powertrain that integrates an electric motor (mild hybridization), Twin-turbo technology and a downspeeding design. The combination of these three technologies results in a in a fuel consumption saving of up to 10% when used over long distances.

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48V mild-hybrid diesel LCV Click to enlarge.

This powertrain is derived from the Energy dCi 165 Twin Turbo engine, to which the engineers have applied the following enhancements:

• A 48-Volt (10-12kW) starter motor/alternator-type electric motor mounted on the gearbox: this delivers additional torque, thereby reducing the load on the internal combustion engine. With an advantageous position in the powertrain as close as possible to the wheel, it is able to benefit from greater mechanical efficiency, allowing it to recover more energy during periods of deceleration and braking. This recuperated energy is stored inside the 48V battery and can be-used in the form of additional torque, which in turn reduces to a similar degree the load on the internal combustion engine.

• Downspeeding: this reduces the running speed of the internal combustion engine by lengthening the gear ratios. This reduction in engine revs results in less friction which is directly beneficial to consumption.

• An improvement in the engine’s thermo-mechanical efficiency has been achieved through the use of a Twin-Turbo concept with variable geometry adapted to downspeeding. The objective is to strike a balance between sufficient torque available from the very lowest revs (from 1,000rpm) and consistent driveability across the entire operating range.

  Further, the engine features a reduction in friction thanks to downspeeding and the use of innovative technologies such as steel pistons.

• Fuel-injection pressure was increased to 2,500 bar (compared with 2,000 bar) for a reduction in polluting emissions while at the same time ensuring the necessary power output.

Partners on this project are LMS, IFPEN, Valeo, and Continental.

POWERFUL two-stroke diesel. The project led by Renault, in collaboration with the Czech Technical University in Prague, IFP Energies Nouvelles, Delphi, Le Moteur Moderne (LMM) and Universitat Politècnica de València developed an advanced two-cylinder, two-stroke compression ignition (CI) engine integrating LTHC (low temperature homogeneous combustion) as part of the European project POWERFUL (POWERtrain for FUture Light-duty vehicles).

The 2-stroke, two-cylinder 730 cm³ engine uses a valve scavenging architecture, with the combustor head defined to optimize the scavenging. Injection pressure is up to 2,000 bar, delivered by the latest common rail generation combined with a high performance HP pump designed to limit the weigh to contribute to the CO₂2 reduction. A new generation of fast solenoid injector was proposed with improved multiple injection control and limited leakage.

The efficiency of two-stroke engines is close to 50%, while four-stroke automotive diesels struggle to achieve 35%, Renault said. The efficiency gains of the two-stroke cycle offer other benefits: compactness and a reduction in weight, given that it involves halving the engine size and number of cylinders (here a twin-cylinder). The engine is 40 kg lighter and more compact, thereby making it ideally suited to small vehicle platforms.

The two-stroke, two-cylinder engine produces the same sound as a four-stroke, four-cylinder unit, Renault said.

Twizy Delivery Concept is a research prototype that forms part of the du VELUD (Electric Vehicle for Sustainable Urban Logistics) project. The VELUD initiative aims to run a pilot delivery scheme in Paris with an electric LCV in order to reduce the impact of urban deliveries on air quality. Based on the Renault Twizy, this prototype explores an alternative for deliveries in built up areas.

The main foci of this project are:

• Experimenting in the sphere of new uses for ‘final kilometres’ logistics.

• Testing the adaptive potential of modular cargo zones in accordance with the goods on-board.

• Defining an intelligent management of the fleet to achieve optimum activity and an efficient delivery
  service.

This project is intended to help establish the blueprint for a future system of urban logistics, incorporating the criteria of the towns and cities with the changing demands of transport linked to the development of e-commerce.

The prototype consists of a small electric-powered vehicle to which is attached a trailer, which is capable of holding up to 15 adjustable containers depending upon the load in a total space of one cubic meter.

Partners include Industrial Systems Engineering School (EIGSI, La Rochelle), AIRPARIF, La Petite Reine Groupe Stars Service, and the City of Paris.

DOT and Battelle release findings and lessons learned from V2X Transit Safety Retrofit Package project

13 December 2014

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) and Battelle have released the latest findings and lessons learned from the Transit Safety Retrofit Package (TRP). The TRP project aimed to design and develop safety applications for transit buses that can communicate using vehicle-to-vehicle as well as vehicle-to-infrastructure connected vehicle technologies for enhanced transit bus and pedestrian safety.

The project was part of the USDOT’s Safety Pilot Model Deployment, a large-scale field demonstration of the potential benefits of 5.9 GHz dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) wireless technology that is supporting related decisions by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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During the project, the USDOT and Battelle deployed three basic collision avoidance applications (Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Emergency Electronic Brake Lights (EEBL), and Curve Speed Warning (CSW)) on three University of Michigan transit buses. In addition, and two new applications addressed high-priority concerns identified by transit agencies: Pedestrian in Signalized Crosswalk Warning (PCW) and Vehicle Turning Right in Front of Bus Warning (VTRW).

• FCW: This V2V application warns a bus driver when there is a risk of a rear-end collision with an equipped vehicle in the same lane in front of the bus. FCW is intended to help drivers in avoiding or mitigating rear-end vehicle collisions in the forward path of travel.

• EEBL: This V2V application warns a bus driver when there is a hard-braking event ahead of the bus from an equipped vehicle in the lane ahead of the bus or in an adjacent lane. The vehicle initiating the hard-braking may be several vehicles in front of the bus. EEBL is particularly useful when the bus driver’s line of sight is obstructed by other vehicles or bad weather conditions (e.g., fog, heavy rain).

• CSW: This V2I application warns bus drivers when they are approaching or entering a curve at too high of a speed to negotiate it safely. CSW relies on roadside equipment and therefore is only available at designated locations.

• PCW: This V2I application warns a bus driver if pedestrians are in the intended path of the bus when making a right or left turn. This application incorporates two methods of detecting pedestrians—activation of the crosswalk button by a pedestrian and a microwave motion sensor that detects the presence of pedestrians in the crosswalk. The application provides two levels of alerts to the driver—an informational/cautionary indicator if the crosswalk button is activated and an imminent warning if a pedestrian is actually detected in the crosswalk.

• VTRW: This V2V application warns a bus driver of the presence of vehicles attempting to go around the bus to make a right turn as the bus departs from a bus stop. The application includes two levels of alerts to the driver—an informational/cautionary indicator if an equipped vehicle has moved from behind to beside the bus and an imminent warning if the equipped vehicle shows intent to turn in front of the bus.

In addition to the safety applications, elements involved in TSP project included:

• Transit Vehicle On-Board Equipment (OBE) – The DENSO miniWSU Wireless Safety Unit (WSU) included a DSRC radio that received and transmitted Basic Safety Messages (BSMs) via 5.9 GHz DSRC. The miniWSU interoperated with other Model Deployment vehicles and Roadside Equipment (RSE) according to Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11p and 1609.2 standards and the SAE International J2735 message standard.

• Crosswalk Motion Sensors – The MS SEDCO SmartWalk XP was used to detect pedestrians in intersection crosswalks in support of the PCW safety application. These units were mounted to existing poles at a recommended height of 10–12 feet, and employed microprocessor-analyzed Doppler microwave detection technology.

• Data Acquisition System (DAS) – The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) DAS was used to record data for the purpose of TRP evaluation, including data from the vehicle CAN bus, four video cameras, a range/position sensor, and the basic safety applications.

Illustration of the TRP system. Click to enlarge.

The system was used typically 12 hours per day for an eight-month deployment period.

The major conclusions and lessons learned from this project are:

• The TRP on-bus software was effective at providing alerts to transit drivers.

• The transit drivers expressed acceptance of the TRP concept.

• There was a high rate of false alerts for the PCW application due primarily to a combination of GPS limitations and pedestrian detector limitations.

• There was a high rate of false alerts for the VTRW application due to GPS limitations.

• Wide Area Augmentation (WAAS)-enabled GPS accuracy is insufficient for the PCW and VTRW applications. Typical lane width is 3.35 meters, thus accuracy within 1.675 meters is required, which cannot reliably be achieved with WAAS-enabled GPS. A more precise technology, such as Differential GPS, should be employed on future systems to achieve expected performance levels.

• The Doppler microwave-based crosswalk detectors are insufficient for the PCW application. A more discerning technology, such as high-speed imaging, should be employed on future systems to achieve expected performance levels.

• DSRC radio technology performed well—there were no TRP problems traced to DSRC radio communications.

• The short-term system refinements yielded expected performance improvements.