Fuel Cells

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute hosted two Congressional briefings to discuss the potential of fuel cell technologies in today's market as well as future energy markets. The U.S. Department of Energy, with the support of Sen. Murkowski (R-AK), Sen. Bingaman (D-NM), and Rep. Regula (R-OH), co-sponsored the first briefing to look at the opportunities and challenges facing the fuel cell industry. Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment USA (GLOBE USA), along with GLOBE USA Members Reps. Nancy Johnson (R-CT) and Mark Udall (D-CO) and Sen. Jim Jeffords (I-VT), co-sponsored the second briefing to discuss hydrogen and fuel cell technology as a part of the solution to the energy crisis.The United States is faced with many energy challenges, ranging from regional power supply crises and sharply escalating energy prices to oil extraction. According to the Wall Street Journal, Americans are more concerned about energy now than they have been for decades. The time is ripe for renewable and sustainable energy technologies to play a much larger role in our energy future, and one of the key elements of this new energy economy is hydrogen and fuel cells. Fuel cells are electrochemical engines that convert the energy of a fuel directly into electricity. This simple process involves no combustion, and thus no pollution. The by-products are water and heat

Tribological investigations of the piston assembly and liner of a gasoline engine

The automotive industry is being forced towards greater efficiency, increased engine power from smaller engines and lower environmental impact by both governmental legislation and public opinion. Oil drain intervals are increasing whilst emissions legislation limit the use of current wear protection and antioxidant additives containing elements such as phosphorus and sulphur. To address these demands and challenges an increased understanding of the link between lubricant degradation, its transport and residence time, and the effect on piston assembly tribology is required. The aim of the work reported in this paper was to further develop the understanding of the effect degraded lubricants have on piston assembly tribology. The small oil volumes and environmental conditions in the piston assembly make the affective lubrication and protection of components in this region one of the most challenging areas of tribology. This was carried out through an extensive experimental programme using a research engine, tribometer testing and chemical and rheological analysis of lubricant samples

Interactive situation modelling in knowledge intensive domains

Interactive Situation Modelling (ISM) method, a semi-methodological approach, is proposed to tackle issues associated with modelling complex knowledge intensive domains, which cannot be easily modelled using traditional approaches. This paper presents the background and implementation of ISM within a complex domain, where synthesizing knowledge from various sources is critical, and is based on the principles of ethnography within a constructivist framework. Although the motivation for the reported work comes from the application presented in the paper, the actual scope of the paper covers a wide range of issues related to modelling complex systems. The author firstly reviews approaches used for modelling knowledge intensive domains, preceded by a brief discussion about two main issues: symmetry of ignorance and system behaviour, which are often confronted when applying modelling approaches to business domains. The ISM process is then characterized and critiqued with lessons from an exemplar presented to illustrate its effectiveness