Last week, Scuderi Group President Sal Scuderi answered “the heat question.” Engineers commonly ask how the Scuderi Engine deals with heat, particularly in the engine’s power cylinder. This week, for the benefit of our German audience, Vice President of European Operations Lutz Deyerling tackles the same topic in German.
Growing and burning many biofuels may actually raise rather than lower greenhouse gas emissions, a new study led by Nobel prize-winning chemist Paul Crutzen has shown. The findings come in the wake of a recent OECD report, which warned nations not to rush headlong into growing energy crops because they cause food shortages and damage biodiversity.
Crutzen and colleagues have calculated that growing some of the most commonly used biofuel crops releases around twice the amount of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) than previously thought - wiping out any benefits from not using fossil fuels and, worse, probably contributing to global warming. The work appears in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics and is currently subject to open review.
‘The significance of it is that the supposed benefits of biofuel are even more disputable than had been thought hitherto,’ Keith Smith, a co-author on the paper from the University of Edinburgh, told Chemistry World. ‘What we are saying is that [growing many biofuels] is probably of no benefit and in fact is actually making the climate issue worse.’
Tuesday night marked another milestone for the Scuderi Group and the development of the Air-Hybrid Engine when it was presented with the prestigious 2007 Frost & Sullivan North American Technology Innovation Award in the field of engine technologies.
Each year Frost & Sullivan presents this Award to a company that has carried out new research, which has resulted in innovations that have brought, or are expected to bring, significant contributions to the industry in terms of adoption, change, and competitive posture. This award recognizes the quality and depth of a company’s research and development program as well as the vision and risk-taking that enabled it to undertake such an endeavor.
Accepting the award on behalf of the Scuderi Group and their late father, Carmelo, was Angelo Scuderi, who briefly spoke to the audience who had gathered at the banquet awards ceremony in Monterey, Calif.
“Our late father, Carmelo Scuderi, worked very hard his whole life to solve complicated engineering problems of all shapes and sizes. And while the bulk of his work was with military and defense applications, the inefficiencies of the modern automotive engine nagged at him constantly. This was the genesis of his innovative engine design,” said Angelo.
“We believe our split-cycle, air-hybrid engine is poised to change the automotive industry in historical fashion. So we are honored to receive such esteemed validation from Frost & Sullivan. This award is for our Dad – Carm Scuderi – the genius behind the Scuderi Air-Hybrid Engine.”
Earlier in the day Stephen Scuderi, vice president and patent attorney, participated in a Frost & Sullivan roundtable focusing on growth and innovation in today’s business and economic climate. There, he took part in high level discussion with various C-level executives about many issues affecting the growth of corporations today.
The Frost and Sullivan Growth and Innovation conference is an annual event designed specifically to help organizations meet growth objectives by presenting innovative, practical solutions to stay ahead of the curve and grow faster than the market growth rate. This event provided a forum for companies to build a structured and measurable process to achieve their growth goals, and delivered thought leadership, real world case examples, best practices and key strategies.
By Peter Hoy, September 18, 2007
Interested in an energy-efficient auto? You’re in luck. That’s because nearly every major car company has a hybrid line, or has plans to introduce one soon.
But enter the showroom, and instead of seeing green, you may be seeing red. Many of the market’s hybrids–cars which combine gasoline engines with battery-powered electric motors–forsake fuel-efficiency in the name of power and performance.
The average gas mileage of hybrid models available in the U.S. is 33 miles per gallon (combined city and highway). But Chevy’s newest Silverado hybrid truck gets only 16 mpg. The newest Lexus LS 600h L hybrid sedan clocks in at 21 mpg, the 2007 Saturn Vue hybrid at 26 mpg.
This contradiction is not lost on consumers. The most recent 2006 J.D. Power and Associates Alternative Powertrain Study found that only 50% of new-vehicle shoppers are currently considering a hybrid–down from 57% the year before.
Engineers commonly ask how the Scuderi Engine deals with heat, particularly in the engine's power cylinder. In this interview, Scuderi Group President Sal Scuderi answers the thermal question. As Sal points out, the Scuderi Engine actually has lower peak temperatures than a conventional combustion engine, and the company's research indicates that no special materials or lubricants (beyond commercially available synthentic oil) are required in the design.
