by Anthony
(Paris)
Description
In January 2019 we measure and compare fuel consumption and emissions on a retrofitted car with several little-known innovations. The operation is filmed. The systems tested here are short term solutions. Those solutions have to be implemented now if proven to work as claimed because of their low cost and simplicity. The operation does not intend to change habits and stop all the pollution caused by transportation, but to minimize the impact of what is already in place. It is not about throwing away but adapting and retrofitting. The solutions proposed and tested are purely technical and have to be taken as a complement to eco-driving, the adoption of new behaviours, alternative transport systems and alternative fuels when available.
The report ...
- 100 million barrels of crude oil per day extracted worldwide in August 2018, or 14 billion liters per day, an all-time record.
- 1.2 billion cars worldwide (2010 estimation from WARDS).
- 298.9 million passenger cars in service in Europe (ACEA 2018).
- 32.5 million passenger cars in service in France (INSEE 2017).
- not to mention other machines using an internal combustion engine running on fossil fuels: trucks, buses, construction equipment, generators ... nor oil-fired boilers and other oil-fired power plants.
- 123.6 million tons of CO2 emitted in France by road transport in 2014 (Citepa, Secten report May 2015).
- more than 500,000 premature deaths in Europe due to air pollution alone: ozone, NOx, particles (EEA 2012).
Reducing the fuel consumption and polluting emissions of existing vehicles mechanically by at least 15% will not solve all the problems, but it is worth working on right away alongside with other actions until a real energy transition comes along.
THE ALPHA TEAM
We are a young independent team composed of an environnemental engineer, a motor specialist, a technology explorer, a movie director and an artist. Together, we decided to retrofit a car with on-board pollution measuring equipments to study the effects of various innovations identified around the world about the reduction of fuel consumption and emissions of pollutants. These innovations are little known and we run our independant tests for study, see if their effects combine and then communicate.
Join the adventure by supporting us!
- Willem: mechanic, race car maker, the Ace of mechanics.
- Giuseppe: environnemental engineer, he's developing his own project in the scope of sustainable mobility, from the conversion of existing fleets to natural gas, biogas and others. He is the scientist of the team.
- Anthony: technology explorer, grouped the different innovations, the team, coordinates the project in space and time. Consultant on several innovative projects related to energy transition and sustainable mobility.
- Damien: director, will be the one to take the adventure to the screen.
- Lucas: sound engineer, here to make our voices heard.
- Arthur: designer, will act with his digital brushes to make the operation quickly understandable.
THE INNOVATIONS
Many solutions exist when it comes to reducing fuel consumption and emissions for mobility, but those solutions are more or less wacky or silver pills. Those proposed here are the fruit of numerous exchanges, meetings and studies. All operate in pre-combustion, meaning before the engine. These are solutions that exist today, validated by users in the field in France, Ireland and Eastern Europe. Those can be put in place to immediately reduce the effects of climate change. The big question is: do they work together? do their effects add up? Only experience will tell us. In the weeks following the operation we hope you'll be able to ask your car mechanic to retrofit your vehicle.
- ECOPRA. Origin: France. Acts on the air flow. You need 15000L of air to burn 1L of fuel. Mechanical system. Ecopra's oxidizer changes the quality of the air to optimize combustion. From 8% to 20% less fuel and CO2 according to the manufacturer.
- DIPETANE. Origin: Ireland. Acts on the fuel flow. Additive made of hydrocarbon only, liquid added to the tank, 1L of Dipetane treats 200L of fuel. Very well known in Ireland. From 4% to 10% less fuel and CO2 according to the manufacturer. Works on oil-fired boiler too.
- PRODUCT FROM EASTERN EUROPE. Acts on the fuel flow. Mechanical system. THIS PRODUCT prepares fuel for combustion. Innovation comes from Soviet aerospace research. Known in Eastern Europe and Russia. Waiting for confirmation from the manufacturer to communicate his name and have the system installed on our test car. From 8% to 20% less fuel and CO2 according to the manufacturer.
Fuel consomption and CO2 emissions are proportional, if fuel consumption is reduced, CO2 emissions are reduced.
ALPHA-TESTS
Each innovation will be tested alone on fuel consumption and emissions. Then we will test their potential complementarity. Let's keep in mind that the results obtained will depend on the car tested, namely a compact automatic gasoline car, its engine, weather conditions , and the driving cycle, defined here by ourselves, we designed it to be as close as possible to a so-called "real" driving cycle. Tests will be done on the road.
- Agenda: January, days of good weather because otherwise the measurements will not be comparable: the temperature and humidity for example influence fuel consumption and emissions.
- The place: still secret. We can already tell you that it will happen in greater Paris.
- The ALPHA driving cycle will be at least 50km, will include a so-called urban, extra-urban, and highway driving phase. During the cycle we will use a set of automotive-specific IT tools to maximize data sources, statistics, and thus test repeatability and uncertainty assessment.
- Fuel consumption and NOx (nitrogen oxide), HC (unburned), CO (carbon monoxide), CO2, O2, and particles will be measured. The following equipment will be installed on board: exhaust gas analyzer, particle analyzer.
THE ALPHA-TESTS CONDUCT
Some clarifications here for the specialists. Beforehand, all innovations will be installed on the vehicle but disabled. In a first step, existing pollution into the car's engine and parts will be removed with hydrogen "descaling" system. Driver will always be the same, fuel will come from the same petrol-station, tire pressure will be measured before each cycle, engine stop will be timed and engine temperature measured, datas from on-board computer will be recovered (OBD2).
- Three ALPHA cycles without innovations = control cycles
- Three ALPHA cycles with ECOPRA
- Three ALPHA control cycles
- Three ALPHA cycles with Dipetane
- Three ALPHA control cycles
- Three ALPHA cycles with X
- Three ALPHA control cycles
- Three ALPHA cycles with ECOPRA and DIPETANE
- Three ALPHA control cycles
- Three ALPHA cycles with ECOPRA and X
- Three ALPHA control cycles
- Three ALPHA cycles with DIPETANE and X
- Three ALPHA control cycles
- Three ALPHA cycles with ECOPRA, DIPETANE, X
- Three ALPHA control cycles
Describe your project goal
Each euro collected will contribute to the improvement of the Alpha team working conditions, to the scientific success of the operation and its communication.
By collecting the following amounts we can cover from minimum to maximum:
- 750 €: the required car parts to prepare the vehicle, the fuel to do the tests and the hydrogen descaling.
- 1500 €: part of the catering, transportation, accommodation of the team during 15 days for 6 people.
- 2500 € to 4000 €: to cover the work of the team: environnemental engineer, car mechanic, director, sound engineer, draftsman and coordinator.
- 5000 €: part of the cost of pollution measurement sensors.
- 6500 €: total cost of catering, transporation, accomodation.
With overboard amounts of generosity we will be able to:
- up to € 10000: increase the dose of team smiles for its work.
AND THEN ?
Do the innovations complement each other? What do they give one by one? The experiments and the video will answer these questions, and will make it possible to communicate as soon as possible on the products while launching a company project to organize their democratization with more substantial means. You will be kept informed every step of the way.
