E10 consists of 10% organic ethanol and 90% gasoline. Conventional gasoline contains 5 % ethanol, which is still sold at the gas stations everywhere.
Organic ethanol is made of herbals like sugar beets, corn and some treacle.

So what is the purpose to boost the ethanol contingent in our gasoline?

It´s said to eject less damaging emissions, because in this case more carbon dioxide come from organic materials.
The plan is to replace ordinary gasoline through e10 gasoline in some years.

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Problems with ethanol or E10

One problem with this new type of gasoline is that not every car can fill it up. The high percentage of ethanol alcohol is damaging the car engine after a while. That is mostly with older cars build before the year 2000. Also e10 has an increased consumption of gasoline of circa 2 %.
In the USA it is less expensive as usual gasoline, but for example in Germany it is the same or even more expensive.
Many people refuse e10, because they do not want to risk damage for their car engine. Also they are deterred by the increased consumption, so they would have to buy more fuel than before.
Another problem I see in this is the usage of chemical fertilizer to get a fast harvest of the crops to create enough ethanol for the gasoline. This way we have our damaging substances back, tried to be avoided in using e10 gasoline. Furthermore some studies, though there are bezweifelt, found out that it is not true that there is less ejection of Co2 and that even more dangerous substances are created.

Who takes profit of e10 ?

Organic gasoline is good for mother earth, but also good for farmers by selling their harvests of sugar beet and corn. Automobile industries take their profit of e10 in for example selling cars that can be filled up with it and the government for taking economic taxes.

The  solar energy plane Solar Impulse HB-SIA landed this evening at Brussels airport after a 12 hours and 59 minutes fligh. The solar-powered aircraft constructed by Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg was greeted by a cheering crowd, which celebrated its arrival in the European capital.
With every major Premiere researchers and pioneers of the last century have set the limits of possibility further. Today the journey continues with the aim to improve life on our planet. On the way to make world flight without fuel or polluting emissions Solar Impulse will contribute to research and innovation in the service of renewable energy. The project aims to demonstrate the importance of new technologies for sustainable development and make dreams and emotions back into the center of scientific adventure.

Solar Impulse is a revolutionary concept that aims to expand the boundaries of our knowledge of the materials, energy management and the interface between man and machine. With its huge range that corresponds to that of an Airbus A340, while being very light weight features, the prototype of HB-SIA unprecedented structural and aerodynamic properties and therefore moves in an unexplored flight envelope. The structure of carbon fibers, the drive chain, the on-board instruments: Everything has been conceived and designed to save both energy to withstand the harsh environmental conditions for material and pilot at high altitude and to recognize the high standards of weight and air resistance.
The energy issue affects the entire project. For midday, every m² of the earth’s surface, an energy equivalent of 1,000 watts or 1.3 hp light intensity. Over 24 hours gives the sun an average of only 250 W / m². With 200m ² photovoltaic cells and an overall efficiency of the drive chain of 12% reached the average performance of the aircraft engines are not more than 8 hp or 6 KW. Had about as much to the Wright brothers in their first powered flight in 1903 available. And with this energy, is working on the optimization of the solar panel to the propeller, the entire team, Solar Impulse intends to fly day and night without fuel!

HUMAN RESOURCES

The construction of the prototype was only possible thanks to close cooperation between the authorities responsible for aircraft design Solar Impulse team and the various partners such as the material supplier or component manufacturers. have only thanks to that all parties adhere to the requirements identified and exploited and their potential could be developed completely new solutions in the aviation sector.

ENERGY RESOURCES

For each type of energy used, the conversion phenomena must be understood and utilized. This applies to the …
* Radiant energy of the sun
* Electrical energy in photovoltaic cells, batteries and the motors
* Chemical energy in the batteries
* Potential energy when the plane gains altitude
* Mechanical energy during the drive system
* Kinetic energy when the aircraft picks up speed
* Thermal energy in relation to to be minimized losses (friction, heating …)

EFFICIENCY AND CAPACITY

The some 12,000 photovoltaic cells made of monocrystalline silicon thickness of 145 microns are lightweight and have good efficiency. An even better efficiency, as with the panels used in space, would indeed have been possible, but you would have much too much weight to be related disadvantages for night flights, the most critical phase of flight. The main focus of the project lies on the batteries, which are still very heavy. The weight of the remaining aircraft must therefore be drastically reduced, the complete drive train, and optimization of aerodynamic efficiency with a large wingspan and a maximized for low speeds designed wing. With an energy density of 240 Wh / Kg, the weight of the batteries 400 Kg or ¼ of the total mass of the aircraft.
STRUCTURE AND MATERIALS
Solar Impulse combines rigidity, lightness and controllability in flight. The aircraft is built around a composite skeleton, consisting of a carbon fiber honeycomb sandwich structure. The wing underside is covered with a light flexible film and the top with a layer of solar cells. Every 50 cm in total connector 120 carbon fiber ribs, these two layers and give the wing its aerodynamic shape.

DRIVE SYSTEM

Under the wing of four gondolas are attached with one motor, one consisting of 70 rechargeable batteries Lithium-polymer battery and a system for monitoring state of charge and temperature. The insulation is to retain the heat generated by the batteries, which are working well at -40 ° C to 8500 meters. Each engine has a peak output of 10 hp and a transmission which limits the rotation of the two-blade propeller with a diameter of 3.5 meters to 200-400 rpm.

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE

The on-board computer science system collects and analyzes hundreds of parameters that are required for flight control. It provides the pilot with interpretable information for its decision, transmitted to the ground team, the most important data and supplies the engines on the optimal flight configuration and charge state of the batteries balanced performance.

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Tony Coiro, sophomore at Purdue University, found a personal alternative to fuel based transportation. He installed solar panels on his 1978 Suzuki motorcycle. The cost of installing solar panels was around $2,500.

His motorcycle can make 45 miles per hour for a distance of 25 miles. He has designed yet a solar-powered motorcycle to increase the speed up to 100 miles per hour.

After succeeding in his solo project,  Coiro also formed the Purdue Electric Vehicles Club with his classmates. They are now seeking some grand funding to engage in bigger projects.

We hope that his patented vehicle will be an international success and part of the “eco” future. Yet, having some 1500 friends on facebook is also somewhat of a success for a 19 year old student.

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Lutz and Fernandez offers some practices to change the average American’s relationship to cars, in the face of diminishing fossil fuels, increasing traffic problems, and rising costs. They indicate that each car driver passes approximately 18.5 hours per week in “forced isolation” in traffic. I do think that driving can make you feel free and powerful, yet looking at the road in full concentration for that 18,5 hours, instead of reading a book or newspaper on the bus sounds to be a total vaste.

Here are what they propose:

1. Authors recommend people to go from two cars to one, instead of trying to go completely car free.

We wouldn’t want to cut off our relation to cars completely. In deed driving could be a vital need from time to time, but reducing the number of cars  a family owns in favor of higher standards of lifestyle would be a promising tip.

After all sharing a drive twice a day creates yet another time for the family.

2. Improve YOUR life through individual changes while being more politically active as well.

They assume that recognizing their self interest people will be more willing to voice their needs in terms of public transportation etc.

3. Think of alternative forms of transportation – such as bikes, walking, railway

Most often, people use cars just out of the convenience habit. Sometimes my own parents struggle in two hours traffic in rush our because they don’t think of the subway option. Biking whereever possible is both fun and healthy. The Dutch provides a viable example of it.

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Solar impulse, a prototypical solar powered airplane was developed. It is worth $94,000,000 and it weighs 3300 pounds. The shape of the plane is not like ones we are used to. It has a very thin carbon fiber body and long, flat, rectangular wings. 12,000 solar cells were arranged along its wingspan. The plane also used solar batteries to keep flying when the sun went down.

During its first 26 hours flight it reached a height of 8,700 m. It was yet another world record: World’s longest and highest solar powered air travel.

Moreover, it was also the first in history when a manned solar plane flew at night.

The team behind this prototype is preparing now for their new goal: to circumnavigate the world.