Researchers at UC Berkeley have identified a two-step catalytic approach for nearly completely converting glucose (99% conversion) to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and further converting HMF to 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF), a promising high-energy content product that can be used as a fuel or... Mike Millikin

Sauter Carbon Offset Design has introduced the design of Transcendence, a 49-meter plug-in hybrid megayacht featuring Mercedes Benz / MTU Bluetec diesel electric power generation, solar cells, and a grid-chargeable Li-ion storage system to achieve a 50 to 100% reduction... Mike Millikin

Unlike radial flux motors with a cylindrical rotor turning within a cylindrical stator, axial flux motors use a disc-like rotor sandwiched between two (or facing one) disc-like stator(s)., Source: Dr. M. Lampérth. Click to enlarge. EVO Electric Ltd., a 2007... Mike Millikin

General Motors do Brasil is investing a R$700 million (US$386 million) for the development and production of a new Chevrolet model at the São Caetano do Sul plant, which is located in the state of Sao Paulo. This represents the... Mike Millikin

Nikkei. A consortium including the University of Tokyo, Toray Industries Inc., and Mitsubishi Rayon Co. ( has developed a new automotive carbon fiber material that is as easy to process as metal. The developers reckon that it can be made... Mike Millikin

Australia-based Eden Energy Limited has successfully tested a production-ready 6-liter engine that will enable India’s largest bus manufacturer, Ashok Leyland, to power buses with Eden’s low-emission Hythane blend of hydrogen-enriched natural gas (usually 20% hydrogen by volume). (Earlier post.) The... Mike Millikin

The Finnish companies STX Finland Oy, Aker Arctic Technology Oy, Southeast Trading Oy (SET Group), and the Russian companies OAO Sovcomflot and FSUE Rosmorport have signed a cooperation agreement for the purpose of developing and building a new generation of... Mike Millikin

With the top kill procedure having failed, BP is moving on to its next attempt: the placement of a containment cap on the Lower Marine Riser Package (LMRP). (Earlier post.) The LMRP is the top half of the blowout preventer... Mike Millikin

MIT researchers used modified M13 bacteriophages as templates to assemble noble metal allow nanowires for Li-ion anode materials. Credit: ACS, Lee et al. Click to enlarge. An MIT team including Drs. Gerbrand Ceder and Angela Belcher has synthesized gold (Au)... Mike Millikin

Dr. Jerald Schnoor, the Allen S. Henry Chair, Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Iowa and the Editor of the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology is calling on Gulf researchers to consider submitting their scientific... Mike Millikin

Blending jatropha biodiesel (JBD) with Fischer-Tropsch synthetic diesel (FT) results in lower CO, THC, smoke and PM emissions compared to neat FT, according to a study by researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) published in the... Mike Millikin

China Daily. China’s incentive plan for private purchases of new-energy vehicles may be introduced by the end of this month and will be tested in five cities, rather than nationwide, according to a report in the Shanghai Securities News. The... Mike Millikin

The Mumbai train derailment two days ago could point to a growing trend in India, according to Brian Jenkins, director of the Mineta Transportation Institute’s (MTI) National Transportation Security Center of Excellence. But it also could have serious implications for... Mike Millikin

BP and the government team involved in the response have deemed the top kill operation attempting to stop the flow of oil from the MC252 well in the Gulf of Mexico (earlier post) unsuccessful. BP is proceeding with the Lower... Mike Millikin

BP and the government team involved in the response have deemed the top kill operation attempting to stop the flow of oil from the MC252 well in the Gulf of Mexico (earlier post) unsuccessful. BP is proceeding with the Lower... Mike Millikin

EnerFuel is developing a HT PEM cell/on-board reformer system that enables the use of conventional fuels in the fuel cell range extender. Source: EnerFuel. Click to enlarge. EnerFuel, a subsidiary of Li-ion manufacturer EnerDel’s parent Ener 1, is developing a... Mike Millikin

EnerFuel is developing a HT PEM cell/on-board reformer system that enables the use of conventional fuels in the fuel cell range extender. Source: EnerFuel. Click to enlarge. EnerFuel, a subsidiary of Li-ion manufacturer EnerDel’s parent Ener 1, is developing a... Mike Millikin

The three major elements of the third-generation Zytek EV powertrain are the inverter and powertrain related electronics (top), the transmission (middle) and the air-cooled motor (right). This is the configuration that will power the T.27 electric city car concept. Click... Mike Millikin

The three major elements of the third-generation Zytek EV powertrain are the inverter and powertrain related electronics (top), the transmission (middle) and the air-cooled motor (right). This is the configuration that will power the T.27 electric city car concept. Click... Mike Millikin

A $3 million Ohio Third Frontier award to the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) will fund the scale-up and production of a new nanomaterial that will allow composites to multitask—enabling a wind turbine tower that can store energy to... Mike Millikin