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Jason Ford
Jason Ford
News Editor
Biofuel on rails
Planes, trains and automobiles are the focus of this week’s Briefing, although not necessarily in that order.
In Scotland today the Prince of Wales is about to embark on a week-long eco-tour of Scotland, England and Wales.
Traveling extensively on the royal train, which is powered by bio-fuel, HRH is aiming to promote and encourage a more sustainable way of living. The tour starts in Glasgow and continues through to Edinburgh, Carmarthen, Bristol, Newcastle, Todmorden, Manchester, Birmingham and concludes in London.
The Engineer has some good news for Prince Charles in the form of a publlication from the Rail Safety and Standards Board which last week disclosed the latest results of research into using bio-diesel fuel on Britain’s railways.
Research on behalf of the Diesel Metering Group (DMG) investigated the impact of using bio-fuel in the diesel engines of locomotives and diesel multiple units.
The report states: ‘from desktop studies, test bed trials and in service trials the DMG has concluded that B20 (a 20 per cent blend of biofuel mixed with 80 per cent ultra-low sulphur diesel) is sensibly the highest blend that could be universally accepted without significant expenditure to retune some engines.
‘The DMG has also concluded that there are two important barriers to bio-diesel use. The first barrier is sustainability of the source fuel. This is a political/environmental decision and requires verification of the source of the fuel. Secondly the research has shown that, for biodiesel blends up to B20 the concern is an economic one and not an engineering one.’
Click here to view the research brief.
Over in the USA and news that NASA is to hold its Green Aviation Summit on Wednesday.
According to NASA, the summit will explore the depth and breadth of the organisation’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate’s work in environmentally responsible aviation.
During this two-day event, delegates will address the challenges for green aviation and view some of the solutions being developed by NASA to reduce aircraft noise, emissions, and fuel consumption.
Back in Britain with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, who today publish the latest monthly car registration figures.
Last month’s figures revealed a 13.2 per cent fall in new car registrations in July, following 12 successive monthly rises.
Last week the organisation urged chancellor George Osborne to consider the contribution made by industry in light of the Comprehensive Spending Review, which is set to be published on 20 October.
In a letter to the chancellor, SMMT emphasized easing access to finance and credit for businesses and consumers, encouraging investment in UK skills and low carbon research and development, and promoting international trade.
The Royal United Services Institute hosts a roundtable tomorrow that will examine the prospects for providing the capabilities necessary to realise the foreign and defence policies likely to emerge from the Strategic Defence and Security Review, given the resources likely to be available. It will also examine the contributions made by industry to the UK’s economic prosperity.
Other notable events include the publication today of the EEF Manufacturing Outlook Report, which covers metals, metal products, mechanical engineering, electronics, electrical engineering, motor vehicles and other transport equipment.
Those of you working in the private sector might like to keep an eye on Westminster tomorrow when MPs vote on a bill to cap civil service redundancy payments.
Unions claim the plans will dramatically reduce redundancy payments for civil servants.
Still with Tuesday and news that the British Society for Strain Measurement is holding its Experimental Mechanics Exhibition and Conference.
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Readers' comments (12)
Phil Mortimer | 6 Sep 2010 2:44 pm
Why do we persist with this position on burning fuel in locomotives/trains at the point of use when electrification (using a wide variety of input fuels at higher efficiency and emissions control and other energy sources) gives rail a massive commercial and energy security advantage no other mode possesses? What we need is more research into lowering the cost and accelerating the speed with which electrification of a greater part of the UK network can be wired up. Possibly a link between the infrastructure owner/manager, power generators, train operators and the catenary suppliers in some long term power by the hour or other measure could be used. The long term leasing of the catenary could provide a long term stable income stream to funders and bring about real change in the energy base of the national transport system. Green fuels including HRH's (publicly funded) train might look at bionic duckweed as an option.
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P Field | 6 Sep 2010 3:07 pm
Why are TWO locos used on the royal train. Not a good example for the greenies.
One can only assume it is a courtesy to the royal family (extra reliability) or that "top and tail" is necessary so the train can easily reverse during its zig-zag journey.
But the higher fuel consumption is a real worry.
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Simon Martin | 6 Sep 2010 4:01 pm
Why is a train being used at all, hardly environmentally friendly hauling around a few hundred tonnes of locos and carriages. It may run on bio fuel but it is still burning such a huge quantity unnecessarily, when a fleet of ordinary cars would use far less. A clear message is being sent out here, it is fine to burn as much fuel as you like as ling as superficially it looks and appears green.
But then Prince Charles has never been in the real world has he.
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David Bradshaw | 6 Sep 2010 5:40 pm
Electrification of the entire rail network is all very well, but due consideration would have to be given to the effect of losing that power, e.g. as in recent severe winter weather when passengers would be denied heat and light. Having an on-board fuel supply and generator has much to commend it under those circumstances.
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RANDYDUTTON | 6 Sep 2010 8:39 pm
Try a more advanced technology.
www.levx.com, a permanent magnet maglev that can climb 45 degree inclines and needs virtually no power to remain suspended.
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alan mathias | 7 Sep 2010 10:06 am
Prince Charles raising visibility on what people can do to be more "green".
Nice to see but:
a) whos paying for the jaunt? - the poor tax paying public presumably and
b) would it not be better for him to use his unqiue access to Govt to press them to listen less to big business and more to the environmentalists to ensure all future policys are "green"?
Oh and Charlie - how about reducing your own carbon footprint and "greening" (at your own cost) and then handing over one or two of your houses to the nation? I'm sure the National Trust could be depended on to turn a profit on them by opening them to the public. We'd all be curious to see the opulance you live in when eveyone esle in this country is having to tighten their belts.
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vinayak Borkar | 7 Sep 2010 11:16 am
biofuel is green fuel no doubt. But are they sustainable for railroad use? What about infrastructure for it's uninterrupted availability?what about it's suitability in Existing locos? Author to address to these issues too.
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Paul Brown | 7 Sep 2010 1:43 pm
We could come to a point where we have to choose between biofuels and food, as there is just so much land to grow them on.
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Mike Page | 8 Sep 2010 10:19 pm
Maybe of even more interest might be an experimental fuel cell electric locomotive, which is being built in the USA (as I understand it); possibly by General Electric.
As for the two locomotives on HRH Prince Charles' train, two are necessary either to cover for possible breakdown or to avoid uncoupling and running the engine to the back of the train for the return journey!
In steam days, one or two 'standing pilot' locos used to be strategically placed on the Royal route in event of breakdown(s).
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carlos | 9 Sep 2010 5:16 pm
Well, if we think that wasted vegetable oil can (and should) be used to make biodiesel fuel, the trains will help to clean the cities.
Any existing diesel loco will burn w/o any trouble up to 100% biodiesel.
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