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The Energy of Locomotion

August 10th, 2011

Whether you walk, bike, drive, or fly in a jumbo jet, you use energy every day to get to where you’re going. Transportation needs are one of the chief ways that people consume energy, and as sources of energy grow more scarce, changes must be made to the way we use it. New technologies draw on alternative sources for fuel, and people around the world are actively conserving by carpooling, using public transportation, or relying on pedal power. Meanwhile, scientists and engineers work diligently on developing new technologies that use fuel more efficiently. Engines like the IRIS and Pulse Detonation engine and new high-efficiency bicycles are making it easier than ever to get the most out of our existing fuel, a strategy we cannot afford to overlook as we move into the future.

1. Advances in Pedal Power

Modern engineers work tirelessly to improve upon a centuries-old design, the bicycle, setting new land speed and distance records every year. The key is slimming down the weight, streamlining the face and profile, and ratcheting up efficiency through a little bit of clever mechanical wizardry. Companies like Georgi Georgiev’s Varna and Sam Whittington’s Naked Bicycles compete with each other to perfect the design. In 2009, Sam Whittington broke the land speed record by topping 133 km/hr on a bike of his own make, a feat that would have seemed unbelievable when the bicycle was first conceived in the early 19th century.

2. The Stirling Engine

Another piece of 19th-century tech is being updated for modern use: the Stirling Engine. This alternative to traditional motors is powered by gas, which expands and contracts as it is heated and cooled, using applied chemistry and physics to turn a mechanical engine. Originally devised as an alternative to the steam engine, the Stirling Engine hasn’t seen much use since its inception, but it might make a big splash in the future. Improvements in design efficiency have helped the Stirling Engine overcome some of the barriers that prevented it from going mainstream, and one day this “external combustion engine” might even replace the internal combustion engine in automobiles. Hybrid Stirling/Electric vehicles have already been developed by Ford and NASA, increasing the highway mileage of a prototype vehicle from 40 mpg to 58 mpg, an increase of 31%. Similar technology could be implemented in automobiles and even aircraft to greatly boost fuel efficiency.

3. The IRIS Engine

Utilizing a more modern design, the Internally Radiating Impulse Structure, or IRIS engine, is a new take on the internal combustion engine. Rather than putting the rapid expansion of an ignited fuel to work driving a piston, the IRIS engine uses that power to expand the entire structure, leveraging out much greater efficiency. In traditional internal combustion engines, upward of 70% of the energy released by the burning fuel is uselessly wasted as heat. The IRIS converts more of that power to motion, only losing 25%, making it nearly three times as efficient. The IRIS won first prize n NASA’s 2008 “Creating the Future” design competition, and could easily replace all current internal combustion engines without any changes to infrastructure, since it runs on the same fuels as modern motors. [2]

4. Pulse Detonation Engine

Sometimes, when it comes to engine power, bigger is better. The Pulse Detonation Engine gives more bang for your fuel buck by literally creating “more bang.” Unlike most aircraft engines which rely on traditional fuel injectors to prep gas for combustion, the Pulse Detonation Engine uses a detonation wave to rapidly compress and ignite fuel at speeds greater than the speed of sound. Releasing energy from fuel at such a high speed transfers more of that energy into momentum, moving an aircraft or rocket further and faster using the same amount of fuel. Not only is this process more efficient, it also requires fewer moving parts, leaving less room for failure. The only down side? It’s loud. With fuel being burned at speeds up to five times the speed of sound, thousands of times per second, the resulting shock waves are so loud that great care must be taken to protect the craft’s human pilot, if indeed it is piloted by a human. [3]

5. Magnesium Injection Cycle

Straight from the too-good-to-be-true file comes the Magnesium Injection Cycle engine. It utilizes a chemical reaction between powdered magnesium and ordinary water to produce a huge amount of high-energy steam without any CO2 emissions. Instead, the reaction yields hydrogen, which is burned to create even more energy, then finally magnesium oxide and water. The magnesium is separated out from the oxygen to be used again. Even though the engine itself is small, only 5 cm in diameter and 13.5 cm in height, it produces tens of kW of heat energy. The device is best suited for producing electricity, but plans are under way to adapt it for use in ships, and even cars. Check out the video to see the water/magnesium reaction that powers the engine. [4]

6. Compressed Air Engine

Compressed air has been in use for well over a century to transport passengers and cargo in areas where internal combustion engines are less practical, such as mine shafts, but fell out of use when their function was supplanted by the electric motor. Now it may be making a comeback. By nature, a compressed air engine is charged off the power grid, which is a positive thing for emissions, since CO2 output and other factors can be controlled at a single point rather than at millions of output points in the form of exhaust pipes. The engines would be lighter and smaller than modern automobile engines, feature recyclable air tanks that are more environmentally friendly than electric batteries, and be filled in a matter of minutes – far less time than it takes to charge an electric vehicle. If a few technical hurdles can be overcome (such as the intense cooling caused by rapidly compressed air), the compressed air engine could be the truly economical and low-impact engine that the green movement has been waiting for. However, as of April 2010, few prototypes for a workable compressed air vehicle exist. [5]

7. Scramjet

Not everybody gets the opportunity to travel at supersonic speeds, but for those who do, the scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) is the most efficient way to do so. While most jets use an air compressor to inject fuel into the combustion chamber, a scramjet uses the high speed of the aircraft to do this job. The engine effectively uses the wind resistance on the supersonic craft to compress the air without the need for a turbo jet. This makes the crafts easier and cheaper to manufacture, and less likely to fail during flight. However, the nature of the engine requires a minimum speed to be effective – it only functions at mach 4.5. The challenge then becomes bringing the aircraft up to speed before engaging the scramjet. Once put into practice, scramjet flights could drastically cut down flight times, putting any destination in the world within an hour and a half of travel time. Missiles and space-faring vehicles could also benefit from scramjets powering at least part of their journeys. [6]

8. HumanCar

This novel form of transportation requires four humans working in tandem to operate, but can travel at speeds of 30 miles per hour and has absolutely zero emissions. The car’s various gears and overdrives transfer energy from four pumping levers (think the old human-powered rail cars) to the rotating axel, resulting in forward motion. The operators steer the car by leaning their bodies left and right. The prototype is an impressive piece of engineering, but the new model that will soon be released to the public for purchase also sports solar cells, and the pumping action can be used to generate power for an efficient household – simply park the car on the included generator’s power dock and pump away. Three and a half minutes worth of pumping can generate over 1000 watts, enough electricity to power a television set for half an hour. [7]

9. Human-Powered Hydrofoil

One-upping the human-powered car is the human-powered hydrofoil. The Pump-a-Bike is already available for purchase in South Africa, and there are plans to bring it to the rest of the world within the next few years. The plastic and aluminum craft floats when unencumbered and weighs around 30 pounds when folded into its carrying case. The pumping action of the pilot provides both lift and thrust, allowing it to gracefully skim over the surface of the water. This bicycle of the sea probably won’t replace cars in the daily commute any time soon, but they do let their rider reach speeds of 20 miles per hour, and can potentially replace more energy-intensive recreational vehicles and activities such as jet skiing and water skiing. [8]

10. Theo Jansen’s “New Lifeforms”

Perhaps the most bizarre means of conveyance ever devised is Dutch artist/engineer Theo Jansen’s “Lifeforms.” These kinetic sculptures are built from “electric pipe,” and appear startlingly lifelike as they move (either with the help of a human or by wind power). The latest generation of lifeforms can even store wind energy in bottles for later usage in case the wind dies down. These sophisticated machines can also track their place in the environment, steering clear of unstable ground, and safely walking across terrain that most vehicles would struggle to navigate. Jansen has literally reinvented the wheel. These creatures exist mostly as a novelty, but they are a great example of what human ingenuity can accomplish.

This article is from Wellhome, which provides Home Energy Audits or Assessments with the ability to upgrade HVAC, Windows, and Home Insulation, and perform Duct Tightening and Air Sealing to create a comfortable more well balanced home that performs at its best level. Home energy assessments through WellHome allow the homeowner to get a bigger picture of the efficiency of the home and its ability to maintain comfortable temperatures and air flow.