Dual Fuel Engines, What new technology is being looked at and being tried.

[Henry W]

I stumbled upon this.

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2009/06/sneak-peek-ford-bobcat-dual-fuel-engine.html

My guess is there is a push for manufactures to come up with much more effecient engines soon because of the new laws passed earlier this year that all cars and trucks must meet much higher effecency in the near future.

Henry

[billswan]

Well here we go with the food versus fuel fight if that design was to go into production.

I read through the story quickly so I might have missed something. As a farmer I say 2 thumbs up to Ford and I hope the concept works.

Billswan

[wiebe]

Is 500 hp good for getting milk and bread at the store .
A diesel make,s more sense to me in a 150 ford .

[Henry W]

I agree, The way I look at it is, the EPA wants to kill diesels period.

So what alternatives do the manufactures have? 100% electric? The way it stands I would rather have a vehical that runs on moonshine than 100% electric. The technology is just not there for my lifestyle. What will I have to do, pull over and find a charging station every day to get enough of a charge in an electric car to make it home?  

If manufactures can get 500 Hp out of a 5-liter engine this would mean they can get more efficency and hp in smaller engines.
If they can increase efficency on an engine that uses part moonshine I am all for it.
Let the automotive invest billons of dollars to do research and development for fuel efficent engines and than the rest of the power equipment engine manufactures will have something to work on.

Henry

[BruceM]

This big alcohol-gas engine looks like a white elephant born of subsidies and politics. 

The only viable solution on the horizon for a renewable fuel I've seen is algae oil, and diesels designed to run on minimally processed algae oil, even in cold weather, somehow.

I wish there was a huge annual global prize for new battery technology/development.  We need it desperately to make wind, solar steam generators and PV more viable, not to mention transportation. 

[vdubnut62]

Just wait, the EPA has a bunch of new regs that are on hold until after the election. It'll just about kill coal, and do a near shutdown on 'fracking for natural gas..  I'm afraid the poop's gonna hit the wind mill then on electricity. Watch the rates skyrocket.
I'm with Bruce. I've been wishing for a new version of  something that compares with the old VW Rabbit pickup for  a while.
Ron.

[rl71459]

I also agree with Bruce, I think "Algae Oil" has promise... But, I do not fully understand the finite details of the process.
It complements "Diesel Engine" technology, And as I see it, diesel is still the best overall "Engine" to date.

I also think electrical storage (Battery, Capacitor, Flywheel) must be more aggressively pursued. Better storage methods
will help make many generation methods more practical.

My 2 Bits
Rob