Hitachi Automotive Systems delivers compact, high-output inverters and DC/DC converters for Mercedes Benz S500 PLUG-IN HYBRID

4 December 2014

Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. has begun to supply Daimler AG with compact, high-output inverters and DC/DC converters for use in Daimler’s first plug-in hybrid—the S500 PLUG-IN HYBRID (earlier post) and S550 PLUG-IN HYBRID Long being marketed in Europe this autumn and Japan this month, respectively.

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Hitachi Automotive Systems developed a third-generation inverter offering about 40% smaller size and higher output than the company’s second generation product, and a high-output DC/DC converter with a maximum efficiency of 94%.

For reducing the size and increasing the power output of an inverter, it is essential to boost the heat dissipation performance of the power module, which integrates numerous high heat emitting power semiconductors. In second-generation products, heat dissipation was improved by developing a directly water cooled power module that did away with the thermal grease that tended to impede heat radiation.

In third generation products, the ability to eliminate heat was further improved by developing a direct double-sided cooling power module that involved switching from the conventional semiconductor one-side cooling structure to a structure for cooling both major semiconductor surfaces.

The newly developed power module achieves a 35% improvement in heat dissipation performance over the second generation module by utilizing a proprietary cooling structure that immerses the module in cold water. It reduces size and increases power output by around 40%.

A DC/DC converter that achieves a maximum efficiency of 94% was realized by installing a proprietary active clamp circuit, in combination with a high heat emitting transformer and a low loss, high heat dissipation choke coil structure.

Toyota Tsusho venture starts full-scale lithium production at Salar de Olaroz, Argentina

4 December 2014

Toyota Tsusho Corporation announced today that Sales de Jujuy S.A., an Argentine lithium development company in which it owns a stake, has officially started lithium production at Salar de Olaroz in Jujuy Province, northwestern Argentina. The company plans to produce 17,500 tons of lithium carbonate annually. (Earlier post.)

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In January 2010, Toyota Tsusho and Australian resources developer Orocobre Limited began conducting a joint feasibility study for the development of lithium resources at Salar de Olaroz. In December 2012, development authorization and mining rights were secured from Jujuy Province, and Toyota Tsusho acquired a 25% stake in Sales de Jujuy. In August 2013, Sales de Jujuy started construction of a lithium carbonate plant to draw brine from Salar de Olaroz and refine the brine into lithium carbonate. This plant has now starts commercial production.

This project marks the first investment by a Japanese company into lithium carbonate development in Argentina.

Toyota Tsusho has acquired 100% sales rights to the lithium carbonate produced at the plant and aims to build a complete lithium supply chain，extending from upstream to downstream processes, in order to meet the expected growth in demand from Japan and other countries around the world. Shipments of lithium carbonate from the plant to Japan are expected to begin in January 2015.

Salar de Olaroz. Click to enlarge.

Rice researchers find amines cross-linked with buckyballs an effective, selective CO2 absorbent

4 December 2014

Rice University scientists have found that amine-rich compounds combined with carbon-60 molecules (buckyballs) are highly effective at selectively capturing CO₂. The Rice lab of chemist Andrew Barron, in a proof-of-concept study, combined buckyballs with amines in a compound (PEI-C₆₀) that absorbs a fifth of its weight in carbon dioxide. It shows potential as an environmentally friendly material for capturing carbon from natural gas wells and industrial plants. The research is the subject of an open-access paper in Nature’s online journal Scientific Reports.

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Polyethyleneimine (PEI) with carbon-60 atoms, aka buckminsterfullerenes, form a spongy brown compound that absorbs a fifth of its weight in carbon dioxide but no measurable amount of methane. That may make it suitable for capturing carbon dioxide at wellheads and from industrial flue gases. Courtesy of the Barron Research Group.

We had two goals. One was to make the compound 100 percent selective between carbon dioxide and methane at any pressure and temperature. The other was to reduce the high temperature needed by other amine solutions to get the carbon dioxide back out again. We’ve been successful on both counts.

Tests from one to 50 atmospheric pressures showed the Rice compound captured a fifth of its weight in carbon dioxide but no measurable amount of methane, Barron said, and the material did not degrade over many absorption/desorption cycles.

Carbon-60 was discovered at Rice by Nobel Prize laureates Richard Smalley, Robert Curl and Harold Kroto in 1985. The ultimate curvature of buckyballs may make them the best possible way to bind amine molecules that capture carbon dioxide but allow desirable methane to pass through.

The Rice lab used buckyballs as crosslinkers between amines, nitrogen-based molecules drawn from polyethyleneimine. The lab produced a brown, spongy material in which hydrophobic (water-avoiding) buckyballs forced the hydrophilic (water-seeking) amines to the outside, where passing carbon dioxide could bind to the exposed nitrogen.

When Barron and his team began combining carbons and amines several years ago, they noticed an interesting progression: Flat graphene absorbed carbon dioxide well, multi-walled nanotubes absorbed it better, and thinner single-walled nanotubes even better. That suggested the curvature was important, Barron said. “C-60, being a sphere, has the highest possible curvature among carbon materials.”

He said the Rice compound compared favorably with other carbon-capture candidates based on metal organic frameworks (MOFs). The Rice material is far more selective, Barron said; “Methane just doesn’t absorb. He also noted the Rice compound absorbed wet carbon dioxide as well as dry, unlike MOFs.

Barron said it’s just as important that the compound releases carbon dioxide efficiently at lower temperatures for reuse. Industrial amine-based scrubbers must be heated to 140 degrees Celsius to release captured carbon dioxide; lowering the temperature would save energy.

Compared to the cost of current amine used, C-60 is pricy. But the energy costs would be lower because you’d need less to remove the carbon dioxide.

He also noted industrial scrubbers lose amines through heating, so they must constantly be replenished.

The researchers are pursuing ways to improve the compound’s capacity and rate of absorption.

Lead author Enrico Andreoli is a former Rice postdoctoral researcher and now a senior lecturer at Swansea University, Wales. Co-authors are former graduate student Eoghan Dillon, undergraduate alumna Laurie Cullum and senior research scientist Lawrence Alemany, all of Rice. Barron is the Charles W. Duncan Jr.-Welch Professor of Chemistry and a professor of materials science and nanoengineering.

The Apache Corp., the Robert A. Welch Foundation and the Welsh Government Ser Cymru Program supported the research.

Resources

• Enrico Andreoli, Eoghan P. Dillon, Laurie Cullum, Lawrence B. Alemany Andrew R. Barron (2014) “Cross-Linking Amine-Rich Compounds into High Performing Selective CO₂ Absorbents” Scientific Reports 4, Article number: 7304 doi: 10.1038/srep07304

Average fuel economy for new cars in US in November unchanged from October

4 December 2014

The average fuel economy (window-sticker value) of new vehicles sold in the US in November was 25.3 mpg (9.3 l/100 km)—unchanged from the value in October, according to the monthly report from Dr. Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).

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The unchanged average fuel economy is likely a net consequence of two opposing trends: less demand for fuel efficient vehicles because of the decreasing price of gasoline, and improved fuel economy of 2015 model year vehicles compared to 2014 model year vehicles, they suggested. Overall, vehicle fuel economy is up 5.2 mpg since October 2007 (the first month of monitoring).

The University of Michigan Eco-Driving Index (EDI)—an index that estimates the average monthly emissions of greenhouse gases generated by an individual US driver—was 0.78 in September, up from 0.76 in August (the lower the value the better). This value indicates that the average new-vehicle driver produced 22% lower emissions in September than in October 2007.

The EDI takes into account both vehicle fuel economy and distance driven (the latter relying on data that are published with a two-month lag).

Boeing conducts world’s first flight with 15% blend of NExBTL renewable diesel as aviation biofuel

4 December 2014

Boeing has completed the world’s first flight using “green diesel,” a renewable, drop-in hydrocarbon biofuel that is widely available and used in ground transportation. The company powered its ecoDemonstrator 787 flight test airplane with a blend of 15% NExBTL renewable diesel from Neste Oil and 85% petroleum jet fuel in the left engine. (Neste Oil can also produce a NExBTL synthetic paraffinic kerosene as a discrete, and already approved, commercial aviation fuel.)

Boeing previously found that renewable diesel is chemically similar to HEFA (hydro-processed esters and fatty acids) aviation biofuel approved in 2011. With a renewable diesel production capacity of 800 million gallons (3 billion liters) in the US, Europe and Asia, the on-road fuel could rapidly supply as much as 1% of global jet fuel demand. With a wholesale cost of about $3 per gallon, inclusive of US government incentives, green diesel approaches price parity with petroleum jet fuel.

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Sustainable renewable diesel can be made via the hydrotreating of vegetable oils, waste cooking oil and waste animal fats.

Green diesel offers a tremendous opportunity to make sustainable aviation biofuel more available and more affordable for our customers. We will provide data from several ecoDemonstrator flights to support efforts to approve this fuel for commercial aviation and help meet our industry’s environmental goals.

Green diesel is among more than 25 new technologies being tested by Boeing’s ecoDemonstrator Program aboard 787 Dreamliner ZA004. The program accelerates the testing, refinement, and use of new technologies and methods that can improve aviation’s environmental performance.

On a lifecycle basis, sustainably produced green diesel reduces carbon emissions by 50 to 90% compared to fossil fuel, according to Neste Oil, which supplied green diesel for the ecoDemonstrator 787.

The flight test was coordinated with the US Federal Aviation Administration, Rolls-Royce and Pratt Whitney; EPIC Aviation blended the fuel.

Boeing’s ecoDemonstrator Program is a multi-year program that conducted its first test flight in 2012 on an American Airlines 737-800. The program continues in 2014 with flights on a 787 Dreamliner and in 2015 on a Boeing 757.

Toshiba targeting practical implementation of conversion of solar energy and CO2 to feedstock and fuel in 2020s

3 December 2014

Mechanism of the technology. Source: Toshiba. Click to enlarge.

Toshiba Corporation has developed a new technology that uses solar energy directly to generate carbon compounds from carbon dioxide and water, and to deliver a viable chemical feedstock or fuel with potential for use in industry. Toshiba introduced the technology at the 2014 International Conference on Artificial Photosynthesis (ICARP2014) on 26 November.

The long-term goal of the research work is to develop a technology compatible with carbon dioxide capture systems installed at facilities such as thermal power stations and factories, utilizing carbon dioxide to provide stockable and trailerable energy. Towards this, Toshiba said it will further improve the conversion efficiency by increasing catalytic activity, with the aim of securing practical implementation in the 2020s.

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Toshiba has developed an artificial photosynthesis technology that converts energy into carbon compounds that are viable as a chemical feedstock or fuel from carbon dioxide at an efficiency of 1.5%, the highest level yet recorded.

Sunlight converts the carbon dioxide and water into carbon monoxide, a source for production of methanol, which can be used as a substitute for gasoline and as a feedstock in the manufacture of diverse products, including adhesives, medicines and PET bottles.

Other artificial photosynthesis technologies use materials that absorb UV light from sunlight to reach the high reaction energy required to convert carbon dioxide into a fuel. However, their low level of light utilization efficiency drags down the energy conversion efficiency, and practical application requires increased efficiency.

Toshiba’s technology uses a gold nanocatalyst via nanoscale structural control technology applied to a multijunction semiconductor that absorbs light in the visible range with high light utilization efficiency.

The company’s research work centered on investigating manufacturing conditions for the nanometer-order gold nanocatalyst, in order to increase the number of active sites that convert carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide, and the development of an efficient electrolyte.

Researchers develop free-standing nanowire mesh for direct solar water-splitting to produce H2; new design for “artificial leaf”

3 December 2014

The mesh with BiVO₄ nanowire photoanode for water oxidation and Rh-SrTiO₃ nanowire photocathode for water reduction produces hydrogen gas without an electron mediator. Credit: ACS, Liu et al. Click to enlarge.

Researchers from UC Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have developed a new technology for direct solar water-splitting—i.e., an “artificial leaf” to produce hydrogen—based on a nanowire mesh that lends itself to large-scale, low-cost production. A paper describing their work is published in the journal ACS Nano.

In the design, semiconductor photocatalysts are synthesized as one-dimensional nanowires, which are assembled into a free-standing, paper-like mesh using a vacuum filtration process from the paper industry. When immersed in water with visible light irradiation (λ ≥ 400 nm), the mesh produces hydrogen gas. Although boosting efficiency remains a challenge, their approach—unlike other artificial leaf systems—is free-standing and doesn’t require any additional wires or other external devices that would add to the environmental footprint.

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To develop an efficient solar water splitting system, it is necessary: (1) to develop semiconductor materials which absorb in the visible region of solar spectrum; (2) to design architectures for effective capture and conversion of sunlight, at the same time, allowing easy transport of protons and gas products; (3) to develop robust ion-conducting membranes, which are impermeable to the gas products; and (4) to integrate each individual component into a complete and functioning system.

In the present study, we developed a new architecture for direct solar water-splitting. In this design, semiconductor photocatalysts were synthesized as one-dimensional nanowires, which were assembled into free-standing, paper-like mesh for solar water-splitting. The large aspect ratio of semiconductor nanowires allows for the formation of intertwined and porous nanowire networks. The porous structure of nanowire mesh networks can benefit photochemical reactions by decoupling directions for light absorption and charge carrier extraction as well as providing a large area of catalytic surfaces. Furthermore, the porous structure can also facilitate proton transport and gas evolution.

As a proof-of-concept, they used BiVO₄ and Rh-SrTiO₃ nanowires for overall water-splitting. The BiVO₄ nanowires act as a photoanode for water oxidation and the Rh-SrTiO₃ nanowires work as a photocathode for water reduction.

Photoelectrochemical overall water splitting over linked Rh-SrTiO₃ and BiVO₄ photoelectrodes without applying any external bias under visible light irradiation. Dashed line: half amount of electrons which had passed through the external circuit of linked photoelectrochemical cell; (■) hydrogen evolution rate and (●) oxygen evolution rate.

Insets show photocurrent versus time of externally short-circuited Rh-SrTiO₃ and BiVO₄ photoelectrodes (left) and schematic of a Rh-SrTiO₃ and BiVO₄ photoelectrolysis cell system for overall solar-driven water splitting (right). Credit: ACS, Liu et al. Click to enlarge.

In their experiments, they first made two photoelectrodes of BiVO₄ and Rh-SrTiO₃, then loaded the co-catalysts (CoO_x for BiVO₄ and 1 wt % Ru for Rh-SrTiO3) on the surface.

The team selected Ru as the co-catalyst instead of Pt because Ru is an effective co-catalyst for hydrogen evolution that does not enhance back-reaction for water formation from evolved H₂ and O₂.

They assembled two types of nanowire mesh films, including mixed Ru/Rh-SrTiO₃ and BiVO₄ nanowire mesh film and bilayer Ru/Rh-SrTiO₃ and BiVO₄ nanowire mesh film. Prior to photoelectrochemical testing, the nanowire mesh films were annealed at 500–800 °C in argon to promote good contact between the nanowires.

Under testing, the resulting cells split water into H₂ and O₂ in a stoichiometric ratio without using any electron mediator.

The total evolved H₂ and O₂ was ∼4.5 μmol, which corresponds to an overall solar-to-fuel conversion efficiency of 0.0017%. Photoactivity depended on the relative amount of Ru/Rh-SrTiO₃ to BiVO4. The highest photoactivity was obtained using mixed nanowire mesh film assembled from equal amounts of Ru/Rh-SrTiO₃ and BiVO₄ nanowires.

The study was supported by the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Basic Energy Sciences and the Singapore-Berkeley Research Initiative for Sustainable Energy (SinBeRISE).

Resources

• Bin Liu, Cheng-Hao Wu, Jianwei Miao, and Peidong Yang (2014) “All Inorganic Semiconductor Nanowire Mesh for Direct Solar Water Splitting”
  ACS Nano 8 (11), 11739-11744 doi: 10.1021/nn5051954

GMZ Energy successfully demonstrates 1 kW thermoelectric generator for Bradley Fighting Vehicle

3 December 2014

GMZ Energy, a market leader in the development of high-temperature thermoelectric generation (TEG) solutions, has successfully demonstrated a 1,000W TEG designed for diesel engine exhaust heat recapture in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. (Earlier post.) This announcement follows GMZ’s June 2014 demonstration of its 200W diesel TEG. The company integrated five of its 200W TEGs into a single 1,000 W diesel engine solution that directly converts exhaust waste heat into electrical energy to increase fuel efficiency and lower costs.

With this demonstration, GMZ has successfully reached the next milestone in the $1.5 million vehicle efficiency program sponsored by the US Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) and administered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

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GMZ’s TEG demonstrated more than 1,000 watts of continuous output power with no degradation in performance over the test period. In order to simulate vehicle performance, the unit was tested by connecting directly to the exhaust of a 15-liter V8 diesel engine inside an engine test cell. At approximately 80 liters (2.8 ft³), GMZ’s TEG is less than one-third of the TARDEC program’s specified size requirement.

The US Military will soon begin testing GMZ’s 1,000 Watt TEG in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Click to enlarge.

With battlefield fuel costs ranging from $40 to $800 per gallon, the US military is especially interested in thermoelectric technologies, which are physically robust, have long service lives, and require no maintenance due to their solid-state design.

GMZ’s patented half-Heusler material is uniquely well suited for military applications. The 1000W TEG features enhanced mechanical integrity and high-temperature stability thanks to GMZ’s patented nanostructuring approach. GMZ’s TEG also enables silent generation, muffles engine noise, and reduces thermal structure.

An automotive TEG is intended to improve fuel economy by power from waste heat to reduce the electric generator load on the engine. GMZ is targeting a fuel economy improvement of 5%. Click to enlarge.

The TARDEC TEG incorporates GMZ’s TG8-1.0 TE modules, which are the first commercially available modules capable of delivering power densities greater than one Watt/cm² while operating at temperatures of up to 600 °C. The company currently sells sample quantities of these modules to large OEMs worldwide. GMZ recently introduced the TG16-1.0, a new thermoelectric module capable of producing twice the power of the TG8-1.0. (Earlier post.) By doubling the power density, GMZ’s new module substantially increases performance while maintaining a minimal footprint.

With the successful demonstration of GMZ’s 1,000W TEG solution, we are excited to move to the next phase of this program and begin testing in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. In addition to saving money and adding silent-power functionality for the US Military, this TEG can increase fuel efficiency for most gasoline and diesel engines. We look forward to implementing our low-cost TEG technology into a broad array of commercial markets, including long-haul trucking, heavy equipment, and light automotive

Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Waltham, MA, GMZ has a broad portfolio of internationally developed patents. The company’s top-tier investors include: Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, BP Alternative Energy, I2BF, Mitsui Global Investment, and Energy Technology Ventures (a joint venture between General Electric, NRG Energy, and ConocoPhillips).

ARB staff posts CA-GREET 2.0 for public comment; to be model for LCFS CIs

3 December 2014

California Air Resources Board staff has posted for public feedback an updated preliminary draft of the California-modified Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation, Version 2.0 model (CA-GREET 2.0). Staff will propose to the Board in February 2015 that a final draft of GREET 2.0 will be the model that must be used to calculate direct fuel pathway carbon intensities (CIs) for the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).

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The LCFS requires the reduction of the carbon intensity of fuels
sold in California by 10% by 2020.

Staff will propose that version 2.0 replace version 1.8b of the model, which was originally designated as the model to be used for estimating direct life cycle emissions from the production, transport and use of transportation fuels by the LCFS upon its approval in 2009. Feedback on this draft of the CA-GREET 2.0 model will be accepted
until 15 December.

Aside from many data-level changes, staff added a new worksheet to the model that allows applicants for new first-generation fuel pathways to quickly calculate the carbon intensities (CIs) of those pathways. First- and second-generation fuels are referred to as “Tier 1,” and “Tier 2” fuels, respectively, in the proposed regulation. The new first-generation fuel calculator, therefore, is called the “Tier 1 Calculator” in the model. The difference between first-generation and innovative/next-generation fuels is easily ascertained from the model: fuels not included in the fuel selection drop-down list in the Tier 1 calculator are in the Tier 2 category.

CA-GREET 2.0 is based on GREET1 2013 from Argonne National
Laboratory. The changes made to GREET1 2013 were made in close
consultation with staff at Argonne. Ongoing consultation with
Argonne, along with the feedback received from stakeholders, will
culminate in the posting of a final draft of the CA-GREET 2.0
model by the end of December.

ANSI EV standards panel releases progress report on standardization activities

3 December 2014

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Electric Vehicles Standards Panel (EVSP) published of a Progress Report on activity within the standardization community to address the gaps and recommendations described in the ANSI EVSP’s Standardization Roadmap for Electric Vehicles – Version 2.0 (May 2013). (Earlier post.)

Available as a free download, the report outlines significant developments including new areas where there is a perceived need for additional standardization work to facilitate the safe, mass deployment of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and charging infrastructure in the United States.

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Developed by representatives from nearly 60 private- and public-sector organizations, the Progress Report provides a snapshot of the current state of work by those developing standards for PEVs (both all-electric and plug-in hybrids) and the charging infrastructure needed to support them.

ANSI suggests that readers have familiarity with the earlier Standardization Roadmap to have a fuller understanding of the roadmap parameters and definitions, the key organizations involved, why issues were deemed important, what standards apply, and the basis for any identified gaps. All roadmap gap statements and recommendations are reiterated or modified as appropriate and a status update is provided in each case. A gap is where there is a significant issue of concern that is not addressed by existing standards, codes, regulations, or conformance programs.

The Progress Report reviewed sixty-one issue areas were reviewed. In 13, no gap was found, but four new gaps were identified.

• A new gap on “Crash Test Lab Safety Guidelines” (4.1.1.7) has been added with the recommendation to complete work on SAE J3040.

• A new gap on “Coordination of Wireless Charging Communication Standards” (4.2.1.1) has been added with the recommendation that organizations developing standards, guidelines or use cases related to wireless charging communications should coordinate their activities.

• A new gap on “Certification Standards for Mobile Inverters” (4.2.1.5) has been added with the recommendation to create SAE J3072 to ensure an EV on-board inverter system can be safely interconnected to the electric power system, and to modify UL 9741 to serve as the standard for an EVSE which is interoperable with an EV inverter system which conforms to SAE J3072.

• A new gap on “Mobile Inverters: Interconnection Agreements” (4.2.1.5) has been added with the recommendation to coordinate an approach with utilities and federal and state government agencies on how an EV with an on-board inverter can be approved to discharge at a specific EVSE location.

Other results include:

A companion document, the ANSI EVSP Roadmap Standards Compendium (a searchable spreadsheet of relevant electric vehicle standards) has also been updated, providing additional information about relevant standards.

The ANSI Electric Vehicles Standards Panel (EVSP) is a cross-sector coordinating body whose objective is to foster coordination and collaboration on standardization matters among public and private sector stakeholders to enable the safe, mass deployment of electric vehicles and associated infrastructure in the United States with international coordination, adaptability, and engagement.