Energetics

Energy Sources

By: Jarred Zipperer, ENGL 1101

Energy is becoming a growing concern in today's world. There are various ways to produce energy for commercial and home use, such as burning coal and other fossil fuels. Some other ways to produce energy include, but are not limited to, hydroelectricity, solar power, and wind power. There is also growing concern in the automotive area about the stability of petroleum products, and automotive companies are starting to develop vehicles other than ones that use primarily fossil fuels. I hope that after analyzing the data presented here, that the reader will realize there are more sources of energy other than fossil fuels, and will be able to make informed decisions.

Solar power

Next, solar power is another technology that is used to create energy from sunlight. There have been advances in recent years with solar panels, such as the discovery that nanoparticles in an organic dye can convert sunlight into electricity, according to researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany (Hunt 3). The electricity-generating film is placed between two glass panes, and because of the small size of the nanoparticles, the resulting solar modules are semitransparent (Hunt 3). In addition, some states are making efforts to encourage solar power in private and commercial use. Duke Energy Carolinas is proposing a $100 million plan to install electricity generating solar panels at up to 850 North Carolina sites including homes, schools, stores and factories (Posey 24).

Hydroelectric Power

Water has been used as a source of power since the Roman Empire. Water covers almost 70% of the surface of the globe and is the Earth’s most abundant resource(hydro electricity). Hydroelectric power, using the potential energy of rivers, now supplies 20% of the world’s electricity (Bakis 259). Hydroelectric power is generated at dams or other places where water descends from a height, or coasts with a large tidal swing. The hydro power is the leading source of renewable energy, providing more than 92% of all electricity generated by renewable sources (Bakis 259).

Electric Cars

Due to make her debut at the New York Auto Show in April, the Inizio EVS is a full-bodied plug-in electric supercar, a full foot wider and a few inches longer than a Corvette, featuring a closed ratio, 5-speed manual transmission that can launch her in whiplashing fashion from zero-to-60 in a scant 4.5 seconds.
Her sire is North Carolina-based EV Innovations (formerly Hybrid Technologies), the maker of the a broad range of green vehicles and products, including the LiV Wise hatchback, the LiV Surge PT Cruiser electric conversion, and the Hybrid Living Home, among other designs.

Specs:

Type: 100% all-electric

Class: 2-seat high performance sportscar

Manufacturer: EV Innovations

Top Speed: 160 mph (257 km/h)Zero-to-60: 4.5 seconds

Vehicle range: 160 miles (257 km/h)

Fuel(s): Electricity

Battery system: Lithium-ion

Time to full battery recharge: Not available

Tailpipe emissions: No

The design: The Inizio EVS has been designed with the curvaceous seduction of a Cinemax star—confident, sexy, revealing, but never smutty. Her bold, voluptuous lines give the woozy impression you're ogling her through heat waves boiling off the pavement. She might not quite have the specs of the TeslaRoadster, but when set against the Inizio, the Tesla almost looks … dated.

The India initiative: In May of last year EV Innovations opened up a subsidiary in India to "create greater in-house capabilities for R&D and to tap the vast knowledge pool of engineers in India." The epicenter of the automotive industry—or at least that of the affordable, efficient green car industry—will likely be in India. Getting a foothold there now is a wise move for a company with a product line as varied as theirs.

What we don’t

The battery range: 160 miles on a single charge is good, but set against the Tesla, the industry benchmark, and its 220 mile range, there is room here for improvement.

The Alan Thicke factor: I could have gone either way on this one. Alan Thicke has some involvement with EV Innovations, and I'm among the few Thicke of the Night fans worldwide (who else would express his condolences to David Carradine over the passing of his father … five years before the man died?), but I find those tacky Vegas spots problematic.

CARS IN AIR

There are certain terms used so often to describe automotive designs that they become cliche. Right up there on the list with "Darth Vader, your car has arrived" and "This could be the next Batmobile" is shark imagery, with every other car being equated to the deep-sea hunters. This is a shame, because once in a while a car comes along that really does look like a shark, leaving us poor automotive scribes at a loss for words.

Take this fine piece of work for example. The brainchild of Turkish design protege Kazim Doku, the Audi Shark is a conceptual futuristic four-ringed hovercraft that won Audi's most recent design competition. The styling borrows elements from the R8, TT and S5, and looks thoroughly Audi right down to the LED lighting. A front-hinged canopy and air foils replacing the wheels are straight out of sci-fi, though. It's a compelling vision of the future in which we'd love to take a ride, and it isn't Doku's first prize-winning design, either. His Ustuminki concept made the final cut in Peugeot's 2007 design competition, while his door-less KA-Design concept won first prize in his native Turkey's Ototrend competition. The

Audi contest awards Doku with a 70% scholarship to the prestigious Domus Academy, but he tragically had to turn it down as he couldn't put up the remaining 30. If you're interested in helping Kazim out with a little tuition cash, we're sure he'd be glad to hear from you through his website, but in either case, you'll want to check out the images in the gallery below and the video after the jump. Thanks for the tip, Will!

There are quite a few three-wheelers these days: Aptera, Myers Motors and ZAP! Motors. And while those companies seem to be blocked from government funding, it isn’t stopping designers like 22-year-old Alex Hodge from New Zealand from churning out kickass mods like the Hawk.

The Hawk concept is part fighter jet, part sports car, and looks like it’s balls-out fun! The concept is built around the 999cc Honda RC51 V-twin engine has 10,000 rpm, 120 hp and a top speed of 144 mph.It has a fiberglass body with a pod-style cab, comes trimmed in lightweight plastics and leather. And it all rides on 19-inch alloyed wheels equipped with twin rear and front disc brakes. Oh, and did you look at the pictures…it’s freakin hot!But here’s the half empty, you Batman-a-bes won’t be seeing this concept anytime soon. Sorry. Have to save the mantyhose for another day.The Audi Calamaro Concept was developed by a designer Tibor for a design competition, organized by Porsche Hungary. This futuristic flying concept car looks like a cross between a speed boat and a plane.According to the designer, the shape is inspired by "the bone of the cuttlefish". We can’t see any propellers, tires or thrusters. We can only assume it will be powered by a new type of power source that hasn’t been developed yet. It is a very interesting concept, but in addition to the unknown futuristic engine it makes us ask how will it park or turn? Perhaps like the cars in Back To the Future sequel.

Future Cars

Did you know that electric cars are not a thing of the future, but rather have been around for centuries (specifically one and a half, dating back to 1834, yes 1834)
You have entered the wonderful realm of the future of cars, where the possibilities are endless and anything is possible. From air-powered cars to battery operated cars, cars have come a long way since their invention in the late 1700's. Inventors then dreamed of a "horseless carriage", a vehicle that could travel under its own power. The cars in 1700 were but mere steam-propelled road vehicles, and were extremely unreliable - they made noise, destroyed roads and even exploded in your face.
Since then cars have made much progress and we now travel in air-conditioned sedans fitted with gadgets and gizmos like car radios, cigarette lighters and such. Cars today are not just a mode of transport, but also a luxury item, one to be ridden in comfort, one in which one can take a nap in.
Cars in the near future? We can only dream of them now, but this site will give you an insight as to what it might be

Let's face it, most of the newest car innovations fit a family about as well as a studio apartment! While Ford never says so, the innovations designed into the Reflex concept make it look like they were designed with family in mind. A hip sporty family, that wants to go green, but a family.There are the reverse butterfly doors which make it easy to get in and out of front or back, and mean a parent is no long bumping into the door installing a car seat, or buckling baby in. And speaking of car seats, it comes with one; built right into the rear seat. When is the last time your car came with one of those?Then there is the rear seat itself - you know how some vans split their row seats 60-40 for easy removal? Well Ford did something similar in the Reflex, for a different reason. The rear seat is divided into one seat, and a small 'love seat' that can easily and comfortably fit two full size adults . . . or, you can push a button, and the love seat is divided in two small seats, perfect for children.Safety is also a major consideration, and in addition to the standard safety features - and not so standard ones, like side curtain airbags - Ford has added some innovation here too. The inflatable seat belts that reduce injury to second row passengers, is nice. The BeltMinder™, that lets you know if someone in the rear seats isn't buckled up, is even better.Ford doesn't stop innovation there either. The solar roofs fans, that power themselves to keep the car cool when it's sitting in a summer parking lot, are a very sweet extra. The solar head and tail lights, that absorb sunlight during the day to use when you turn the lights on - and charge the battery - are a very nice touch as well, and boost the fuel economy nicely.Not that the Reflex needs help boosting the fuel economy. The diesel electric hybrid gets up to 65 mph, while giving all the benefits of all wheel drive. Of course, some things - like how it handles - will need to wait until Ford starts offering test drives.All in all, there is only one minor issue I can see with the concept. Did they have to use white for the interior? I really hope that mesh cleans easily, because speaking for every parent I know, white and kids just do not mix well!
The Camaro concept made its first appearance at the 2006 North American International Auto Show, with styling that wowed the crowd and the styling will not change all that much when the car goes into production. The fifth generation Camaro will be based very closely on the concept, which is powered by a 400 horsepower aliminum small block LS2 V8, has a T56 six speed manual transmission and what GM says is a sophisticated chassis with four wheel independent suspension.The engine is fitted with Active Fuel Management cylinder deactivation technology to save fuel, enough says GM for the concept to get 30mpg or better.While the concept does have four seats, the ones in the rear are for very short people only, as there’s not much room in there."Millions of people of all ages fell in love with the Camaro for all of the right reasons," said Ed Welburn, GM vice president, global design. "Camaros were beautiful to look at and offered performance that could rival expensive European GTs. Yet they were practical enough to drive every day and priced within the reach of many new car buyers."And then, after the Camaro coupe came the convertible at the North American International Auto Show in 2007. The production convertible will follow the coupe, with an on-sale date in late 2009. This time the concept came in orange pearl paint, with gunmetal gray racing strips.Tom Peters, General Motors' director of exterior design for rear-wheel-drive and performance vehicles, says they wanted to make the car stand out more: "We opted to go with bright metal accents, as opposed to satin finish, for things like the exhaust tips and fuel filler, and even the rear lights have a polished look. The wheels are different, too. We wanted to do an update of the redline tires from the 1960s, but instead of the red line going around the tire, it's actually on the wheels."The changes to the concept are obviously around the rear end of the car. Even though the car is a concept it has been engineered to take a folding roof in the trunk. The windshield will be taller on the production version as well. The roof itself is not fitted, and there’s the possibility that a hard top folding roof may be on the production car.And by the way, it seems that the story of Bob Lutz walking in on the team developing the Camaro concept when it was close to its completion and simply saying ‘no’ and then walking out again was slightly incorrect. It was actually General Motors' Chairman and CEO, Rick Wagoner who ordered a redesign at the last minute. Apparently the design was far too closely styled after classic Camaros.