Caught in traffic jams, what do most of us wish for? Simply that we could fly over the gridlock, right? In an exercise that could possibly make that wish come true, an engineer designer team in Britain has come up with a Skycar that flies using technology already existing.
The buggy uses a motorcycle engine modified to run on ethanol. The car has a wing and a big fan attached to its back, besides a parachute for emergency landing.
The Skycar’s abilities will be tested to limit later this month when two explorers set off from London in the propeller-powered dune buggy heading for the Sahara.
While the fan gives the initial thrust for take-off, cables attached to the wing help steer the car once in the air where it cruises at altitudes of 2500 ft. Not costing more than a BMW saloon, this may not be the ideal solution for everyday transport. The jams will merely be lifted from ground level! But this could be ideal for ambulances, or rescue operations.
Using ethanol is an advantage as the emissions are not damaging. At least not as damaging as normal aviation fuel which emits nitrogen oxides that leads to the formation of another greenhouse gas, ozone. Condensation trails, which can develop into cirrus clouds, may also have a warming effect. International experts say aviation will account for 5% of total warming in 2050.
An alternative fuel that is eco friendly is hydrogen, but aircraft able to run on this fuel are still at a conceptual stage. Biofuels like the one our Skycar uses could save the day. Or do they?
While biofuels have been taken up aggressively, are they the best option? It is a solution to the transport fuel and nations pursuing biofuel research are spurred more by energy independence than clean fuel.
Last year, a study had found that emissions from the burning of biofuels derived from rapeseed and maize produce more greenhouse gas emissions than they save. Rapeseed and maize biodiesels were calculated to produce up to 70 per cent and 50 per cent more greenhouse gases respectively than fossil fuels. The concerns were raised over the levels of emissions of nitrous oxide, which is 296 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Scientists found that the use of biofuels released twice as much as nitrous oxide as previously realised.
The research is published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, where it has been placed for open review.
What has been your experience on biofuels? Let us know. We will be taking this up in our next few posts.
The buggy uses a motorcycle engine modified to run on ethanol. The car has a wing and a big fan attached to its back, besides a parachute for emergency landing.
The Skycar’s abilities will be tested to limit later this month when two explorers set off from London in the propeller-powered dune buggy heading for the Sahara.
While the fan gives the initial thrust for take-off, cables attached to the wing help steer the car once in the air where it cruises at altitudes of 2500 ft. Not costing more than a BMW saloon, this may not be the ideal solution for everyday transport. The jams will merely be lifted from ground level! But this could be ideal for ambulances, or rescue operations.
Using ethanol is an advantage as the emissions are not damaging. At least not as damaging as normal aviation fuel which emits nitrogen oxides that leads to the formation of another greenhouse gas, ozone. Condensation trails, which can develop into cirrus clouds, may also have a warming effect. International experts say aviation will account for 5% of total warming in 2050.
An alternative fuel that is eco friendly is hydrogen, but aircraft able to run on this fuel are still at a conceptual stage. Biofuels like the one our Skycar uses could save the day. Or do they?
While biofuels have been taken up aggressively, are they the best option? It is a solution to the transport fuel and nations pursuing biofuel research are spurred more by energy independence than clean fuel.
Last year, a study had found that emissions from the burning of biofuels derived from rapeseed and maize produce more greenhouse gas emissions than they save. Rapeseed and maize biodiesels were calculated to produce up to 70 per cent and 50 per cent more greenhouse gases respectively than fossil fuels. The concerns were raised over the levels of emissions of nitrous oxide, which is 296 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Scientists found that the use of biofuels released twice as much as nitrous oxide as previously realised.
The research is published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, where it has been placed for open review.
What has been your experience on biofuels? Let us know. We will be taking this up in our next few posts.
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