ENERGIES... week of September 16, 2001 HAIL THE TAXI. Except in major cities, the U.S. has largely ignored the taxicab as part of its transportation system. Yet with some improvements to the vehicles themselves, more sophisticated, reliable and customer friendly service, taxis could become an energy-efficient substitute for the individually owned automobile. By next spring, at least in parts of the U.K., customers waiting on a street corner will be able to hail the nearest available taxicab from their cell phone. This major improvement to taxi service has been announced by Manganese Bronze, the maker of the famed London Taxi. The technology identifies the location of the customer's cell phone and connects it to nearest cab for hire. Customers will pay a fee for the service. If proven successful, which seems likely, this technology could readily be exported around the world. In general, fleet operators seem more interested in energy-saving, cost-cutting technologies than individual vehicle buyers. Better service could draw new customers to taxis. Better fuel efficiency would increase taxi operator's bottom line. Visit Manganese Bronze at http://www.manganese.com/ , London Taxi at http://www.london-taxis.co.uk/ .
INVESTMENT GOES ON. Companies that plan to be in business decades from now will look beyond possible military conflict and certain economic distress resulting from of the events of September 11. Ballard Power Systems has announced its largest single order ever for fuel cells. For $22 million, Ford Motor Company will purchase an unspecified number of Ballard's Mark 900 series fuel cell power modules along with related engineering and support services. Ford is bent on offering fuel cell vehicles commercially by 2004, but hasn't been specific as to what kind of vehicles will be offered, how many will be built, and who their customers will be. Stay tuned. Visit Ballard at http://www.ballard.com/ . REMOTE POWER. Electricity in remote parts of the world can be extraordinarily expensive. For the 50 residents of Lime Village, Alaska power costs have averaged 85 cents per kilowatt hour - until now. A new hybrid solar/diesel power project for the town 200 miles from Anchorage is bringing that cost down. The Alaskan Energy Authority (AEA), BP, McGrath Power and Light along with the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Energy have installed the system that includes 106 solar panels from BP Solar and a smaller diesel generator than previously used. The hybrid system is expected to cut diesel use by 30 percent. Each solar panel should displace about 10 gallons of diesel fuel per year. Diesel has to be flown into the community and has been costing up to $4 per gallon. The project is for demonstration purposes and if successful could be duplicated in other remote Alaskan villages, and elsewhere. Visit AEA at http://www.aidea.org/aeapress.htm GREENER COAL? Seemingly endless supplies of coal will be a temptation as a source of cheap energy for some time to come. It's a good idea to keep informed about technologies now being developed to make coal use more palatable. Standard Alcohol is in the process of commercializing its Envirocoal (tm) product as a fuel for power plants. Envirocoal is a version of the company's alcohol-based Envirolene(tm) but has finely ground coal suspended in the liquid fuel. The fuel is easily transported by pipeline. Dakota Gasification has applied for $5 million in aid from the state of North Dakota for research funding to study the commercial viability of using bacteria to convert lignite coal into ethanol. Apparently the process has been under study for years at the Energy and Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota. Ethanol derived from this process would not be considered a renewable energy source since the feed stock is not. Combustion of the ethanol fuel, however, would be preferable to burning lignite coal directly. Visit Standard Alcohol at http://www.standardalcohol.com/ and Dakota Gasification at http://www.dakotagas.com/ . MOTORS FOR THE FUTURE. Siemens Research Center has announced the successful start up of the first electric motor in Europe to incorporate high-temperature superconducting windings. Electric resistance in wires, which make up windings, virtually disappears when using superconducting materials for those wires. Previously those materials had to operate at minus 273 Celsius to create the superconducting effect. Siemens' new technology operates at minus 190 degrees Celsius - relatively warm. The motor, which can also operate as a generator, reaches a continuous output of 400 kilowatts in both motor and generator modes - more than twice that of a similarly sized conventional motor. The device can also operate at very high rotational speeds and could be connected directly to a gas turbine without the use of a reduction gear box. Turbines can operate at speeds up to 100,000 revolutions per minute. Aside from power generation applications, as a propulsion motor it could be used in ships where weight, fuel and space saving are necessary. Visit Siemens Innovation news at http://www.siemens.com/innovationnews . WORLD WIND WATCH. World Wide Wind, a Danish renewable energy company, is seeking funding for an offshore wind project valued at $98 million. The project, to be built in the Baltic Sea north of Gdansk, should have the first turbines in operation by 2003 or perhaps 2004. World Wide Wind apparently is having difficulty finding engineering partners for the project, which may lead to its delay. Visit World Wide Wind at http://www.worldwidewind.com . Send ENERGIES to a friend or colleague. Visit Green Energy News on the Web at http://www.nrglink.com/ . For free ENERGIES subscription contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Copyright Green Energy News Inc. 9/22/01 vol.6 no.25 ------------------------ Yahoo! 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