Came across this article on the “GreenCarReports.com” Website. I thought it was rather interesting coming so soon after my last Blog Entry on bamboo bicycles. Maybe bamboo could stand some investigation?

Source: http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1043593_biodiesel-bamboo-cabs-philippines-town-turns-taxis-green

Biodiesel Bamboo Cabs: Philippines Town Turns Taxis Green

By John Voelcker Senior Editor March 19th, 2010

March 19th, 2010 It’s not a particularly new story, these days, but hey, it’s also Friday. So we thought we’d revisit one of the more unusual attempts at green cars we’ve seen. This morning, a friend sent us an e-mail with photos of two taxis commissioned by the Philippine town of Tabontabon, in the province of Leyte, whose bodies are made of indigenous bamboo. More than that, they burn biodiesel fuel made from locally available nut oils. The ECO taxis built by Tabontabon Organic Transport Industry [TOTI] come in two sizes: ECO1 seats 20, whereas ECO2 carries eight passengers. Each is said to run for eight hours on a gallon of biodiesel, which in this case is derived from coconut oil. The bamboo-taxi story first surfaced last summer; it’s one of numerous attempts around the world to turn taxis more green. In the States, for instance, many fleets are now using Ford Escape Hybrid taxis, including some that have now been retired after 300,000-plus miles. Tabontabon mayor Rustico Balderian is the inspiration behind the unusual vehicles, which are fully 90 percent bamboo. They provide employment opportunities for local youth, and safer transport for families who otherwise ride four or five together on a single motorcycle. ECO1 is covered in the woven Filipino mat called banig, making it almost as colorful as the Jeepneys in use elsewhere in the Philippines. As the TOTI Eco site expains, though, Jeepneys didn’t work as public transit in Tabontabon. Drivers often waited for a full load of people before starting. In a town of 10,000, that often didn’t happen. Instead, passengers hopped on their motorcycles, known as habal habals. The hope is that locally made vehicles may be less costly, providing cheaper and safer transport for residents. A third vehicle, ECO3, is now under construction, this one with a frame made of bamboo too. [TOTI Eco Via Inhabitat via Fast Company via Autoblog; hat tip: Rick Feibusch]

TOTI bamboo ECO taxis in Tabontabon, Philippines

Enlarge Photo

It’s not a particularly new story, these days, but hey, it’s also Friday. So we thought we’d revisit one of the more unusual attempts at green cars we’ve seen.

This morning, a friend sent us an e-mail with photos of two taxis commissioned by the Philippine town of Tabontabon, in the province of Leyte, whose bodies are made of indigenous bamboo. More than that, they burn biodiesel fuel made from locally available nut oils.

TOTI bamboo ECO1 20-passenger taxi in Tabontabon, PhilippinesGallery

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The ECO taxis built by Tabontabon Organic Transport Industry [TOTI] come in two sizes: ECO1 seats 20, whereas ECO2 carries eight passengers. Each is said to run for eight hours on a gallon of biodiesel, which in this case is derived from coconut oil.

The bamboo-taxi story first surfaced last summer; it’s one of numerous attempts around the world to turn taxis more green. In the States, for instance, many fleets are now using Ford Escape Hybrid taxis, including some that have now been retired after 300,000-plus miles.

Tabontabon mayor Rustico Balderian is the inspiration behind the unusual vehicles, which are fully 90 percent bamboo. They provide employment opportunities for local youth, and safer transport for families who otherwise ride four or five together on a single motorcycle.

ECO1 is covered in the woven Filipino mat called banig, making it almost as colorful as the Jeepneys in use elsewhere in the Philippines.

As the TOTI Eco site expains, though, Jeepneys didn’t work as public transit in Tabontabon. Drivers often waited for a full load of people before starting. In a town of 10,000, that often didn’t happen. Instead, passengers hopped on their motorcycles, known as habal habals.

The hope is that locally made vehicles may be less costly, providing cheaper and safer transport for residents. A third vehicle, ECO3, is now under construction, this one with a frame made of bamboo too.

[TOTI Eco Via Inhabitat via Fast Company via Autoblog; hat tip: Rick Feibusch]

Source: http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1043593_biodiesel-bamboo-cabs-philippines-town-turns-taxis-green

This article came across on the “Gas2.0″ blog on October 16. Students at the University of Kansas have produced an interesting hybrid vehicle. They took an old VW Super Beetle and converted it to electric power by replacing the conventional gasoline engine with an electric motor and batteries. (Wow, you’re thinking that’s not really original, is it?) But they went a step further and installed a diesel engine/generator in the front compartment of the VW to charge the batteries. But the students didn’t stop there, either. They designed the system in such a way that an ethanol, fuel cell, or gas turbine engine/generator could be substituted for the diesel setup with minimal alterations. Impressive, don’t you think?

To see this article, go to http://gas2.org/2009/10/16/kansas-students-run-retro-vw-beetle-on-batteries-and-biodiesel/

To view the students report on the project, go to http://groups.ku.edu/~ecohawks/IMECE2009-10247.pdf
(JMU AFV Lab students should take notice of this file and consider it when they report on their own projects.)

Kansas Students Run Retro VW Beetle on Batteries and Biodiesel

Written by Andrew Williams

A group of University of Kansas students have rigged up a 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle to run on a mix of biodiesel and battery power.

The team, calling themselves the Ecohawks, claim the quirky hybrid is capable of getting 50 MPG from a series of 10 lead-acid batteries and a biodiesel generator.

Performance-wise, although quite cool looking in a retro kind of way, the car isn’t exactly what you’d call a speedster, topping out as it does at a leisurely 30 mph.

That doesn’t seem to bother team-leader Prof. Chris Depcik though, who told reporters, “We have driven it around and reached approximately 30 mph, but this was more of a proof-of-concept drive without pushing the boundaries. We are currently getting the vehicle into road-ready shape to be driven safely in order to determine these values.” (More pics after the jump).

• » See also: Update: Breakthrough Biodiesel Process Now Running At Commercial Scale
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Depcik says that given the mass availability of Beetle parts, (VW built 21.5 million of them before ceasing production in 2003), the choice of car was a no-brainer and estimates that it will be ready to pass a Kansas state inspection “with flying colors” by May 2010.

I ran across this item on the Autobloggreen.com website today. The picture doesn’t really correspond to the title’s promise, as the four seat, wheelchair accessible version would be the one most likely to use Handicapped Parking. However, it uses diesel power in a Plug In Hybrid Electric Vehicle. Diesel makes more sense in a PHEV, to my way of thinking. When you consider all the single speed stationary pumps and generators out there that are diesel powered and have already proven their efficiency and durability, it is evident that diesel would be a logical choice for recharging batteries in a PHEV. After all, there are thousands of diesel powered semitrailer refrigeration units like ThermoKing or TransiCold out there plugging merrily along for years in applications and environments that make a PHEV look like a garden party. And all of the modern diesel emissions controls like regenerative particulate filters and high pressure common rail fuel injection systems make the “stinking, smoking old diesel” a thing of the past. Diesel seems like the ideal ICE solution for a PHEV. Go to http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/02/01/whats-green-three-wheeled-and-can-park-by-the-blue-signs/ to see the original post and comments. Also, go to http://www.biotrike.com/ for the home page of the Bio-Trike.

What’s green, three-wheeled and can park by the blue signs?

by Sebastian Blanco on Feb 1st 2009 at 9:24AM

Using fewer resources to get around isn’t limited to any particular group of people. Heck, there are more 43 percent electric wheelchairs in the U.S. than electric vehicles (this statistic brought to you by the Department of Made Up statistics, but I hope my point is clear). If you often travel in a wheelchair but like the idea of an aerodynamic, biofuelled ride for your longer trips, check out the BioTrike-B3XH. Sure, all of the standard add-on equipment that helps the differently-abled (is that the right term these days?) drive an SUV would work just as well on the Volt or the Focus EV, but the BioTrike (the four-seat version, anyway) has been designed from the ground up to be accessible to people who use a wheelchair or are in other ways physically handicapped.

The BioTrike is a tadpole-style three-wheeled plug-in hybrid vehicle that burns diesel (or biodiesel, natch) in a Caterpillar-sourced engine. The builders claim that the range with a full tank and a full charge is somewhere between 700 and 900 miles. They don’t give a lot of details on the powertrain, but do say that the BioTrike has a 50-mile electric-only range. Prices start at $23,999 for the two-seat version and rise to $35,999 for the four-seat, wheelchair-ready version. Options extra.

Source:  http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/02/01/whats-green-three-wheeled-and-can-park-by-the-blue-signs/

I found this article on the web this morning. This looks like an interesting idea. The University of Colorado has fitted a biodiesel refinery into a small trailer and takes it around to schools, fairs, exhibits and produces biodiesel on site from local resources, like spent cooking oil. Could this be a future AFV Lab project? Go to http://www.coloradodaily.com/news/2008/oct/27/students-brewing-biodiesel-fuel-at-cu/ to read the details.

Students brewing biodiesel fuel at CU

By Lance Vaillancourt
Monday, October 27, 2008
Creating cleaner, more sustainable, and more cost-effective fuel from someone’s garbage may sound like a pipe dream, but according to two University of Colorado students involved with the CU Biodiesel program, not only is it possible, it’s easy.

“I’ve taught everyone from post-graduate students to second-graders how to brew their own biodiesel,” said CU senior Mike West, director of education for CU Biodiesel. “That’s the whole point of the project — to show people how easy it is to brew biodiesel.”

The project West is referring to is a self-contained biodiesel trailer called ESTER, short for “fatty acid methylester,” or scientific name for biodiesel. By using the vegetable-oil waste donated from such restaurants as Spud Brothers on 10th Street and CU cafeterias as the primary ingredient, or “feed stock,” ESTER is equipped with a processor that converts it into a finished product that is 80 percent biodiesel and 20 percent glycerine.

According to CU junior Josh Jaffe, director of outreach for CU Biodiesel, both byproducts of the conversion go right back to the benefit of CU causes. The biodiesel is used by the Buff buses to transport students and the glycerine is donated to the CU Recycling Center to be used as a fertilizing agent for composting.

“This is going to be CU’s in-house, or in-parking lot, biodiesel production facility,” Jaffe said of ESTER, which began construction three years ago through a $46,000 grant from the CU Environmental Center.

With a fully-functioning conversion system projected to brew as much as 500 gallons of biodiesel every month, West and Jaffe said that the trailer only needs a few additional adjustments in order to meet safety codes and should be operational within weeks.

The trailer’s mobility will help fulfill its secondary function as an educational tool that can be taken to off-campus locations for on-the-spot workshops, presentations and demonstrations.

“Diesel engines were originally designed to run on peanut oil,” said Jaffe. “It was only when petro was introduced as cheaper that people stopped using peanut oil — so in a way, this is what we should have been using the whole time. It’s not really pioneering, it’s more like backtracking.”

According to West, the bulk of the cost of producing biodiesel comes from obtaining the feed stock. This stands ins sharp contrast to the vast sums of money expended in the exploration for and extraction of petroleum. Biodiesel is not only a cleaner and more sustainable source of energy, West asserts, it is also more cost-efficient….

Source: http://www.coloradodaily.com/news/2008/oct/27/students-brewing-biodiesel-fuel-at-cu/

I came across this item on the About.com Hybrid Cars & Alt Fuel blog this morning.  It includes a table that lists the energy equivalents of most popular transportation energy sources. It may be of use in evaluating the MPGe (Miles Per Gallon Equivalent) of alternative fuels and thus facilitating an “apples to apples” comparison of alternative fuels.  Go to http://alternativefuels.about.com/od/resources/a/gge.htm?nl=1 to read the details.

Energy Equivalency Calculation

Using fuel energy equivalents provides the user with a comparison tool for gauging various fuels against a known constant that has relative meaning. A common method of measurement is the Gasoline Gallon Equivalent. The chart at the bottom of this page arrives at the equivalent measurement by comparing the BTU content per unit of each fuel type and then calculating the ratio.

What’s a BTU?

As a basis for determining energy content of a fuel, it is helpful to understand exactly what a BTU (British Thermal Unit) is. Its scientific definition goes something like this: British Thermal Unit - The amount of heat (energy) required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit.

Think of it this way: it’s basically a standard. Just as PSI (pounds per square inch) is a standard for measuring pressure, so too is a BTU a standard for measuring energy content.
See GGE conversion chart below

Source: http://alternativefuels.about.com/od/resources/a/gge.htm?nl=1

This article was on the RenewableEnergyWorld blog this morning. It makes some interesting points. For instance, it proposes the idea that, in the world of Sustainability, bigger is not necessarily better and that there is something to be said for local, smaller sustainable energy development projects. This brings to my mind several local entities that could benefit from such decentralization. The first to come to mind is the ongoing biodiesel project Ian Heatwole is spearheading. I don’t know what his business model is, but, in accordance with this article I can see it as possibly involving local farmers “trading” their soybeans for diesel fuel to run their equipment. This would result in substantial cost savings and reduction in energy consumption from transporting diesel fuel, be it petroleum diesel or biodiesel, over great distances from huge refineries.  Another local entity that could implement the ideas in this article is the Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative (SVEC), a local consumer owned supplier of electricity.  “Chartered on June 26, 1936, the Cooperative today serves over 38,000 residential, agricultural, commercial and industrial accounts in the Virginia counties of Augusta, Rockingham and Shenandoah, and Hardy County, West Virginia.” according to its website. Perhaps the SVEC could prevail upon its farm members to install windmills on their farms or solar panels on poultry houses in return for favorable electricity rates. Food for thought, don’t you think? I’m sure there are other instances that may benefit from this decentralized concept of energy production and use. Go to http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/reinsider/story?id=53804 to read the full article.

Rural Power: The Key to Sustainability

The next twenty years could see up to US $1 trillion of investment in renewable energy in rural areas. Wind and solar power will be harnessed; and non-food crops will provide the fuel for a new generation of biofuels. But will rural areas reap the benefits of this massive investment or will communities merely observe the remaking of rural economies?

Source: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/reinsider/story?id=53804

From the land “down under” comes this item about algae producing not just fuel, but a product it calls “Green Crude Oil” which can be used like petroleum crude oil with all its diversity of products. I’ve seen a number of these dramatic press releases that were just attempts to get financing; let’s wait and see if the “steak” is as good as the “sizzle.” Comments?

Green crude oil world first, says company

8:22AM Tuesday Sep 16, 2008

A New Zealand company says it has has produced the first samples of green crude oil at a commercially competitive price.

The biodiesel, made from wild algae grown on human sewage, was a world first, Marlborough-based company Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation said.

Aquaflow launched a $5 million capital raising for further research and development of its wild algae-based fuel in January last year.

The company refined the processes it had developed to create a next-generation fuel it calls “green crude”, The Marlborough Express reported.

Company director Barrie Leay said green crude was a manufactured form of crude oil different from earlier generations of biodiesel.

Additional food crops or agricultural land were not needed and the end product was not just a fuel but could be used in products in the same way as crude oil can.

“This is an exciting development because we can separate fuels such as diesel and aviation fuels, as well as a range of high-value chemicals, from green-crude,” Mr Leay said.

The company said it hoped to make it commercially viable.

Aquaflow sources its wild algae from Marlborough’s oxidation ponds and its work was attracting interest from around the world.

Green-crude production also delivered clean water for irrigation or industrial re-use, and this was generating huge interest in the United States, the company said.

The 5 per cent algae-based component - extracted from the algae’s natural oils - produced 90 per cent less emissions than regular diesel.

Source material for the biodiesel was readily available throughout New Zealand. By removing the main contaminant to use as a fuel feedstock, Aquaflow also helped clean up water discharge, fellow director Nick Gerritson said.

- NZPA

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10532401