Kev's missing the big picture

[Powdered Toast Man]

Just saw this on ninemsn and thought it might be worth a read for you guys.

Mods feel free to move or delete this thread as you see fit.

http://money.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=582004

Kevin Rudd's public relations exercise in throwing $35 million of taxpayers' money at Toyota to install an imported petrol-electric engine drivetrain into a locally-assembled Camry could have been far better spent on helping develop Australian-designed low-emission vehicles.

Two technologies stand out, but no doubt there are more. Successive federal and state governments have ignored these technologies and allowed themselves and the nation to become hostage to the global car makers and, worst, big oil.

Since the car makers belatedly realised that big oil had betrayed them and, through General Motors' president Rick Wagoner late last year, declared that all options were on the table to explore alternatives to the internal combustion engine, governments have an opportunity to assist development of fuel-efficient technologies without meeting resistance any more from the motor industry.

Hybrid technology delivers fuel savings of 20 percent or more, but only in slow moving, congested city driving where the electric motor comes into its own. On the open road where petrol motors operate at their most efficient fuel savings by hybrids are minimal.

The additional energy required to manufacture hybrids is roughly the equivalent of five years road use, cancelling out any fuel savings. They consume large amounts of copper and other exotic materials which are likely to experience supply shortages and/or price increases if production of hybrids increases substantially. The extra cost of building two drivetrains can never be recouped by the buyer over the normal life of a car, say five years or 100,000km.

If governments are going to play the game of 'picking winners', as Kevin Rudd is clearly indicating he is prepared to do, then it might have been worth his while waiting for the outcome of Steve Bracks' review of the automotive industry due next month. Bracks has the potential to be the catalyst for promoting some genuine long-term solutions to Australia's — and the world's — fossil fuel problem.

While Bracks can be expected to look for ways to preserve the vehicle manufacturing/assembling sector in Australia, his inquiry can only offer hope to the domestic industry if he considers longer term sustainable technologies that the foreign-owned car makers can develop in this country.

One submission he has received, from Melbourne engineer Joseph Scalzo, offers the prospect of the 'holy grail' of motor engineering — the variable capacity engine. General Motors, Chrysler and Honda have all developed 'cylinder deactivation' technology that allows two or four cylinders in a V6 to stop firing to save fuel, but the pistons not getting the fuel vapour continue to move up and down and are a drag on performance.

Scalzo has developed a system far superior to this, using a 3.6 litre V6 Commodore engine that actually disconnects two or four pistons from the crankshaft and stops them moving. The fuel savings are equivalent to a hybrid. In two-piston mode the engine is reduced to 1.15 litres and can maintain a speed of 110km/h. At low speeds on two pistons Scalzo estimates fuel savings of 30 percent — as good if not better than a hybrid. Scalzo's technology, like the hybrid, is an interim because they both use the internal combustion engine.

His engine can be dropped into any Holden (and presumably can be adapted for Falcon, although it works better on a V6 as opposed to Ford's straight six).

This is the sort of technology that can be easily adapted to Australian production lines, and would presumably be a keenly sought export. Holden's Australian-made V6 is used throughout the General Motors' empire from Cadillacs to Alfa Romeos.

The second technology that Rudd should have put money from his $500 million 'green car fund' comes from his own state, Queensland. The UltraCommuter has been developed by the University of Queensland's Sustainable Energy Research Group (SERG) several years ago but still lacks funding for development. It is a genuine long-term solution to the fossil fuel dependency in which we find ourselves.

It is a two-seat, aluminium chassis with recyclable thermoplastic body weighing 550kg, or about half the weight of a small petrol-powered car.

Using a solar panel to provide most of its battery charge it is powered by two electric motors inside its rear wheels; no gearbox, no drive shaft and differential and no friction brakes on the rear axle. It can get to 100km/h in eight seconds and has a top speed of 150km/h, well above the national speed limit.

It can be equipped with a natural gas range extender to increase its range to 500km.

The UltraCommuter's 'equivalent' fuel consumption is 0.44 litres per 100km, or 1.6 litres/100km when the range extender is used. This compares with the typical hybrid of 5.l litres/100km and 11-12 litres/100km for a family car.

According to the SERG website, the UltraCommuter is an ideal commuter car, or a 'second' family car, given that the average car occupancy is 1.3 people and total average cargo weight is less than 100kg.

The UltraCommuter and Scalzo's piston deactivating engine are genuine technology breakthroughs that have the potential to greatly reduce petrol consumption and oil dependency by Australians.

Hopefully the Bracks review will make recommendations on technologies like these. The piston-deactivated engine is particularly adaptable to the industry as it stands. All they need is the seed money to bring them to commercial viability and Rudd has plenty of that to throw around.

[asusdragon]

that piston deactivions sounds very good, holden as said could already put in on there cars, and Ford would be able to do it to its new V6 engine. and would show a great fuel saving on both of the big cars hopefully appelling to more of the market agian

[msman]

he is, but he's a politician. just doing his job i'm afraid, most folk think hybrid is green and hence better for the environment.

i tried to convince a couple of my mates that the manufacturing of hybrids equals a larger release of emissions due to the extra time involved and materials used but most thought i was on drugs, these are car loving engineers as well.

[Tobey]

Maybe they should be putting some money into keeping the price of LPG down, it costs as much as a hybrid to run (atm), costs less to build suitable engines, has about half the amount of emissions of petrol, and until a few years ago was burnt off as a waste product.

[DoreSlamR]

Originally Posted by asusdragon

that piston deactivions sounds very good, holden as said could already put in on there cars, and Ford would be able to do it to its new V6 engine. and would show a great fuel saving on both of the big cars hopefully appelling to more of the market agian

As discussed elsewhere on the forums, DOD (Displacement On Demand) isn't all it's cut out to be. Not too sure on the exact figures, but basically the active cylinders have to work twice as hard to offset the difference made from the cylinders that have shut down.

[asusdragon]

ah ok but from what i got there the deactive piston didnt more they disconnected from the crack, so the other pistons wouldnt need to work as hard to move there, well that what i got anyway. i can see your point on current version, where the piston still moves just doesnt do anything.

though hopefully that will reconnect pretty easily (say while driving) if you needed to get the accerate reasonably quickly