Now in Fossil Power
Cleaner and Greener Idling
The author examines the environmental impact of truck drivers running their diesel engines overnight to heat/cool the sleeper cabs and generate electricity for onboard appliances, as well as to avoid cold starts and to keep their fuel from turning to slush. The article suggests that there are alternative approaches which are more environmentally-friendly and cost-effective.
Read more
Knowledgebase
A decade ago, the idea that worldwide oil production might reach its peak level and start to decline was one for the fringes. Today, the so-called peak oil theory is a firmly mainstream, if not majority, opinion. Indeed, the interesting question seems to be not if petroleum production will peak at all, but whether it peaks this decade or sometime after, and at what level. Anything less than a revolution in oil production in the next 20 years will leave the world short of fuel.
Read More
Knowledgebase
Engineers and scientists at universities, national laboratories, and corporate R&D centers are pursuing research to increase design and performance efficiencies in the internal combustion (IC) engine across the full range of vehicles including passenger cars, light-duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, and heavy transport vehicles. The R&D activity is directed at both the spark-ignited and diesel IC engines, and much of it is focused on emissions control.
Read More