SCADA, Telematics & GPS Technologies

The nation’s first commercial hydrokinetic turbine, which harnesses the power from moving water without the construction of a dam, has splashed into the waters of the Mississippi River near Hastings, Minnesota.

The 35-kilowatt turbine is positioned downstream from an existing hydroelectric-plant dam and — together with another turbine to be installed soon — will increase the capacity of the plant by more than 5 percent. The numbers aren’t big, but the rig’s installation could be the start of an important trend in green energy.

And that could mean more of these “wind turbines for the water” will be generating clean energy soon. (more…)

One of the great perpetrators of the United States’ wastefulness is urban sprawl, which leads to SOV (single occupancy vehicle) disorder. Many Americans drive to work, and we usually don’t carpool. Beyond driving to work, we use our cars for other things – soccer practice, forgotten items at the grocery store, and trips across our giant country. It doesn’t need to be that way. If we could break ourselves of this habit of hyper-convenience, we could have better bike lanes, rail, and bus systems. Or we could share our cars. Zipcar is an innovative car sharing service that prides itself upon its convenience and accessibility. We recently caught up with Zipcar spokesperson Lesley Neadel to ask a few questions about the company’s green cred.

source: Inhabitant

Who says water and electricity don’t mix? The world’s first solar-electric-diesel hybrid yacht will have you impressing the greenies at the Yacht Club and sailing the seas in style.

The Island Pilot DSe Hybrid catches rays with a 6.8 kW solar array that’ll get you to Margaritaville and back at 6 knots with zero emissions. But if the sun ain’t shining in Cocomo, you can crank up the Steyer Motors parallel hybrid system that mates a 75-horsepower diesel engine and a pair of 36-horsepower electric motors powered by a 20-kilowatt-hour battery pack.

The 40-footer was a hit at the recent Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, where it was one of several green vessels and gadgets that ranged from the Epower Marine Calypso Classic electric fishing boat to the 100 percent recyclable propellers made by Piranha Propeller.

But it was the $600,000 DSe that really wowed the crowd.

The DSe can run for as long as two hours on battery power. Kick on the diesels and she’ll cruise at 13 knots while charging the battery pack through a pair of 25-kW generators. Run the diesel engine and electric motor in tandem and she’ll hit 15 knots. (more…)

Italian scooter-maker Piaggio has unveiled a plug-in hybrid three-wheeler it says will get up to 141 mpg and could be on the road as early as next year.

The gas-electric version of Piaggio’s funky but fun MP3 scooter uses a parallel hybrid system much like that in the Toyota Prius but advances the technology by adding an electrical cord. Although Toyota, General Motors and several other automakers are developing cars that can be charged from a wall socket, Piaggio’s timeline, if met, would make it the first in the world to mass-produce a plug-in hybrid. (more…)

In this season of specters and spooks, what could be scarier than a steel-winged robotic spy plane shaped like a bat? The aptly named COM-BATis a six-inch surveillance device that is powered by solar, wind, and vibrations. The concept was conceived by the US military as a means to gather real-time data for soldiers, and the Army has awarded the University of Michigan College of Engineering a five year $10-million dollar grant to develop it. (more…)

So you’re a trucker stinging from high fuel prices. You don’t want to back off the hammer and double-nickel in the granny lane to save gas, nor do you want to turn off the AC in the sleeper cab on those hot Texas nights. Well, we’ve got good news for you, Rubber Duck: Peterbilt has demonstrated a big-rig fuel cell that provides the juice to provide your creature comforts when you’re parked, cutting out overnight idling and saving the motion lotion for the Big Slab.

The Pete uses a solid oxide fuel-cell auxiliary power unit (or SOFC APU, an acronym only the Army could love) from Delphi that provides 800 watts of electricity through oxidation rather than combustion. During a test in July, the truckmaker and Delphi found the fuel-cell unit could easily power the “hotel loads” — AC, radio, TV, lights and, of course, the CB) in a Peterbilt 386 (pictured) for ten hours without firing up the engine. In other words, it’s enough to keep you and your dog Fred cool and entertained while you rest up.

The fuel-cell power unit requires a starting temperature of around 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit, but that’s no problem thanks to the truck’s engine. After a typical day’s haul the diesel will effortlessly bring the SOFC APU up to temp and keep all your gadgets — check out the Pete’s sleeper cab below — running on through the night. The idea was discovered by the late Delphi scientist Dr. Jerry Reed and outlined in his Department of Energy brief, “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot.”

For truckers who find themselves beyond the range of “shore power” (somewhere to plug in their traditional APU), the fuel-cell variant is an attractive alternative to idling. Peterbilt’s ComfortClass system uses charged batteries to run climate control systems and promises to reduce annual fuel consumption by eight percent, but it won’t let you listen to The Truckin’ Bozo on XM (though we’re not sure that’s such a bad thing).

Peterbilt promises the fuel cell will run off of nearly anything from natural gas to military logistics fuel, which will come as welcome relief to long-haul truckers sweltering under the growing number of idling restrictions imposed on the brave truckers of Baghdad who don’t need any more reasons to sweat. According to Delphi, the SOFC APU was installed in the Peterbilt 386 because of its already fuel-efficient performance. “It merges conventional Peterbilt styling with leading aerodynamic design and has been recognized as fuel efficient and environmentally friendly by the EPA’s SmartWay program,” according to Delphi. We tried to get a quote from C.W. McCall, but were informed that he’s not a real person.

Photos by Peterbilt.

source: Wired