green – DesignApplause

solar impulse ready to resume first round-the-world solar flight from hawaii.

Apr 14, 2016

above> maintenance flight of solar impulse 2 over hawaii 14 march 2016

swiss pioneers bertrand piccard and andré borschberg are ready to resume their attempt to achieve the first ever round-the-world solar flight with solar impulse 2 (si2) – the first solar airplane capable of flying day and night without using a drop of fuel. after replacing overheated batteries and running maintenance flights, the team is now re-entering “mission mode”, and as of tomorrow, will identify the first favorable window for bertrand piccard to fly toward north america, despite the current difficult weather conditions. the goal of this entire endeavor is to demonstrate how modern clean technologies can achieve the impossible.

above & below> solar impulse 2 lands in hawaii

on 3 july 2015, si2 landed in hawaii after a record breaking flight of five days and nights (117 hours and 52 minutes) and around 8’900km from japan, accomplished by andré borschberg. during this flight, the airplane suffered battery damage due to overheating which led to an unforeseen pause in the adventure – it was going to take the team more time to replace the batteries than the remaining time left before the end of the season with long enough days, and short enough nights, to continue the round-the-world flight.

above> solar impulse 2 undertakes a maintenance flight in hawaii / below> flight preparation planning in hawaii

“as we experienced many times with solar impulse, obstacles often turn out to be opportunities for improvement,” explained andré borschberg, ceo and co-founder. “ultimately, this time was used to recreate the strong mindset within the team to continue our adventure. it takes sometimes more time to build up the right spirit then to develop new technologies.”

solar impulse was fortunate to find a shelter to protect the airplane during the winter on kalaeloa airport, thanks to the university of hawaii, the honolulu community college and the department of transportation, and received valuable support from many people and institutions, such as the governor of hawaii, the authorities of kalaeloa and honolulu airports, and the swiss consulate.

between late february and mid-april 2016, si2 accomplished a total of 13 flights. maintenance flights, carried out by solar impulse’s test pilot, confirmed the good performance of the aircraft and proper functioning of the newly integrated cooling system, installed to safeguard the batteries from temperature-related glitches. they were followed by a series of training flights completed by both pilots: andré borschberg and bertrand piccard, including a high altitude flight, in order to prepare for the remainder of the pacific crossing (watch the video here).

bertrand piccard performs a training flight with solar impulse 2 in hawaii

“an airplane with perpetual flight endurance, without fuel, like the solar impulse is not only a first in the history of aviation, but also in the history of energy,” emphasized bertrand piccard, initiator and chairman of the project. “the primary purpose of this adventure is to demonstrate that modern clean technologies can achieve the impossible and encourage everyone to use these same energy efficient solutions on the ground in their daily lives for mobility, construction, lighting, heating, cooling and more.”

when the weather is right, si2 will resume its round-the-world solar flight and take off for north america with bertrand piccard at the controls. the team is examining four potential destinations: phoenix, the san francisco area, los angeles and vancouver. based on the learnings of 2015, the decision was made to expand the range of potential destinations to leave a maximum flexibility for route planning. the final landing place will be chosen a couple of days before departure depending on the weather conditions. the mission will then continue onward to new york, europe or north africa and abu dhabi where it all started.

solar impulse 2 undertakes a maintenance flight in hawaii

above> the inflatable mobile hangar protects solar impulse 2 in nagoya, japan / below> solar impulse 2 rolled in its inflatable mobile hangar in nagoya

below> solar impulse 2 takes-off from nagoya to hawaii

[ solar impulse 2 details ] #solarimpulse

toyota unveils fcv plus hydrogen concept.

Oct 9, 2015

Toyota envisages a sustainable society in which hydrogen energy is in widespread use. The reasoning, compressed hydrogen has a higher energy density than electricity and can be generated from a wide range of raw materials. It’s also easy to store. Toyota’s also envisages more than transportation for the car by turning fuel cell vehicles from eco-cars into energy-cars.

[ electricity generation and sharing ]
The car can also generate electricity directly from hydrogen stored outside the vehicle, transforming into a stable source of electric power for use at home or away. When the car is not being used as a means of transport, it shares its power generation capabilities with communities as part of the local infrastructure.

[ supporting future generations ]
The fuel cell stack can be repurposed as an electricity generating device contributing significantly to local communities.

The fuel cell stack is mounted between the front tires, and the hydrogen tank behind the rear seat. Together with the adoption of independent in-wheel motors in all four wheels, this allows for a spacious cabin despite the vehicle’s compact vehicle body. By concentrating functional parts at the front and the rear of the vehicle, and creates a wide field of vision.

vw backs off on diesels in u.s. for 2016.

Oct 8, 2015

vw backs off on diesels in u.s. for 2016. withdraws application to sell diesel-powered vehicles in the u.s. via usa today [RK]

vw blames engineers.

Oct 8, 2015

it seems this was the work of a couple of rogue engineers. ‘i agree, it’s very hard to believe, ‘volkswagen of america ceo michael horn conceded to congressional hearing. ‘it’s a sign of arrogance. it’s a sign of not admitting yet the severity of your problem,’ representative r-ny, chris collins, an engineer said. via nbc news [RK] above> volkswagen of america ceo, michael horn

how engineers at west virginia university caught vw cheating.

Sep 22, 2015

how engineers at west virginia university caught vw cheating. the information was out there for more than a year but the auto press missed its significance. via spectrum.ieee.org [RK]

apple targets electric-car 2019 shipping date.

Sep 22, 2015

apple targets electric-car 2019 shipping date. apple has recently hired a number of engineers with backgrounds in automotive and battery design. via wsj [RK]

swa helps to create nation’s largest planned net-zero energy community.

Sep 11, 2015

click on image > lightbox navigation

International landscape architecture, planning and urban design firm SWA provided key planning and landscape strategies for the nation’s largest planned Zero-Net Energy (ZNE) community for the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). A unique public-private partnership between UC Davis and developer West Village Community Partnership (WVCP) made the project possible.

Initially conceived as an “environmentally responsible campus housing project,” the 225-acre neighborhood West Village project ultimately transformed into a ZNE community, which uses “zero net electricity from the grid, measured on an annual basis.” SWA provided master planning, site planning, and landscape strategies to help realize the ambitious vision.

SWA’s sustainable initiatives support the project’s core principles of housing affordability, environmental responsiveness, and quality of place. The new campus neighborhood will provide housing for 3,000 students and 500 staff/faculty families within a network of parks, storm water ponds and corridors, bicycle and pedestrian trails, a community college, and retail and recreational services.

UC Davis launched the West Village Energy Initiative (WVEI) in cooperation with WVCP in 2003, to study energy efficiency measures, with an initial target of 50 percent reduction in consumption compared to the California Energy Efficiency Building Code. By 2008, the WVEI proposed that West Village could become a ZNE community without sacrificing quality, and at no increased cost to developer or consumer.

Phase 1A of the West Village development is now complete, housing 1,944 students at 99 percent occupancy. Phase 1A also comprises 42,500 square feet of retail/office space and a leasing/recreation center, centered on Village Square, an open, communal space. The ground floors of mixed-use Village Square buildings comprise the university’s first “uHub,” or innovation center, which includes the Plug-In Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Research Center and the Western Cooling Efficiency Center.

Robert Segar, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Campus Planning and Community Resources at UC Davis, states: “All parties saw tremendous value in reaching the goals. If one path toward Zero Net Energy didn’t work, we were willing to try another path. The phrase ‘Zero Net Energy’ was central to this; its absolute clarity became our guiding principle.”

SWA’s site planning and landscape strategies for the West Village development encompassed three major areas: Energy Systems, Community-wide Connectivity, and High-performance Landscape.

Within Energy Systems, SWA worked to integrate energy conservation and on-site energy generation in a functional and aesthetic manner, in harmony with local environmental conditions. SWA conducted analyses at regional, site, and building/garden scales in order to maximize opportunities for passive cooling, proposing to arrange buildings in loose clusters that allow breezes from the Bay Delta to filter through the site. SWA also proposed the planting of shade-giving deciduous trees, reducing the need for air conditioning.

In considering Community-wide Connectivity, SWA posited the bicycle as the site’s primary mode of transportation, based on the well-established bike culture of Davis, in combination with the site’s flat topography. SWA developed a five-mile network of bicycle trails, offering access to both community destinations and the main campus. This network also connects to other transit, fulfilling the objective of locating each residence no more than a quarter mile from the campus bus line.

To achieve a High-Performance Landscape, SWA integrated drainage into the site’s system of parks, sports fields, trails, and gardens. Storm water drains to the site’s large northern ponds, where it is purified by native wetland planting in a series of basins. The slopes of the site’s ponds incorporate native shrubs and trees, selected in cooperation with UC Davis’ horticulturists, botanical garden curators, and ground and maintenance pewrsonnel, to provide a sustainable habitat for migratory birds, while also providing a visually appealing natural landscape for residents year-round.

Robert Segar adds: “SWA was the one point of continuity in the design and implementation process. They met both the university’s goals of working successfully across scales, from community-scale natural drainage and landscape strategies to plant selection and coordination with our horticulture experts, as well as big-picture ZNE goals.”

UC Davis’ internal monitoring shows that the West Village ZNE community achieved an exceptional 87 percent of initial ZNE goals in its first year. In 2013, West Village received the ULI Global Award of Excellence, which honors outstanding development in both the private and public sectors, with an emphasis on responsible land use.

[ swa ] images courtesy of swa / photo credits > david llyod/swa & jonnu singleton

aston martin dbx concept challenges convention .

Mar 4, 2015

the designers and engineers get to play ‘what if’. images courtesy of aston martin

[ official release ]

DBX Concept redefines the luxury GT segment for the 21st Century
World debut for idea of first all-electric, all-wheel drive, Aston Martin
Sophisticated design and innovative engineering to broaden appeal

3 March 2015, Gaydon: Aston Martin today challenges the nature of luxury GT travel in the 21st Century with the debut at the 85th Geneva International Motor Show of the innovative DBX Concept.

Created to defy conventional thinking about the luxury GT segment, the DBX Concept widens the appeal of the iconic British luxury brand and reaches out to a more diverse global audience than ever before.

Unveiling the concept, Aston Martin CEO Dr Andy Palmer said: “The DBX Concept is a challenge to the existing status quo in the high luxury GT segment. It envisages a world, perhaps a world not too far away, when luxury GT travel is not only stylish and luxurious but also more practical, more family-friendly and more environmentally responsible.

“I asked my team at Aston Martin to expand their thinking beyond conventions, to explore what the future of luxury GT motoring would look like in years ahead, and the DBX Concept you see before you is the result.”

Dr Palmer added: “This is, clearly, not a production-ready sports GT car, but it is a piece of fresh, bold thinking about what Aston Martin GT customers around the world could request of us in the future.

“The DBX Concept is more than a thought starter for us and for our customers, though. We will, in due course, be entering a car into the new DBX space and I am very much looking forward to seeing how this concept is received not only here today, but also by our legion of existing loyal customers and by those potential customers around the world who have, to this point, yet to consider one of our cars.”

[ harmonious design ]
Imagined by Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman and his team at the brand’s global headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, the all-electric DBX Concept showcases not only cutting edge engineering but also a major evolution of the British brand’s world-renowned and highly-regarded design language.

Clearly signalling an extension to the brand’s existing model lines in the future, the all-wheel drive DBX Concept seamlessly combines traditional Aston Martin beauty with elegant new engineering that gracefully aligns form and function.

Capable of accommodating four adults in comfort, the DBX Concept also majors on day-to-day practicality. It offers generous luggage capacity by virtue of the fact that its rear trunk and forward load bay can both accept passengers’ belongings.

Opulence and cutting edge style go hand-in-hand in the DBX Concept thanks to a unique fusion of high luxury and advanced technology. These characteristics, allied to the ingenious use of unconventional materials and finishes inside and out, are calculated to further broaden the appeal of Aston Martin.

The concept’s exterior bright work emphasises the brand’s approach to the use of authentic materials, and is made up of machined billet aluminium with visible milling lines in a piece of exquisite craftsmanship intended to be seen as the car’s jewellery. The DBX Concept’s unique paint finish – Black Pearl Chromium – has been specially created to mimic the look of a genuine black pearl, and comprises a micro-fine layer of chrome to deliver a level of reflectivity that cannot be obtained through normal paint finishes.

Inside, the deliberate use of non-automotive standard materials generates a uniquely soft, cocooning ambience. The extensive application of velvet-like Nubuck leather contrasts with the concept’s hard, hi-tech equipment. The exposed leather reveals a sandwiched accent layer, more akin to high-end furniture, while the car’s interior bright ware matches that of the exterior with the addition of a gold ‘pin striping’ element on the edging.

Marek Reichman explained: “The exceptional craftsmanship, with detailing more typically seen on luxury consumer goods or fine jewellery, gives the DBX Concept genuinely global appeal.”

[ experimental engineering ]
Embracing the very latest engineering techniques and theories, the DBX Concept needs no engine compartment thanks to its use of electric, inboard-of-wheel, motors powered by lithium sulphur cells.

Drive-by-wire electric steering, toughened glass with an auto-dimming ‘smart glass’ inter-layer, and bespoke driver and passenger head-up displays are further examples of its cutting edge technology.

Active LED exterior lights, carbon ceramic brakes with a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) and rear view cameras in place of conventional mirrors also underline the mould-breaking nature of this luxury GT concept.

Dr Palmer explained: “A concept car such as this should, in my view, challenge conventional thinking and explore the art of the possible. In the DBX Concept, I believe we have created a new type of luxury car that can not only broaden the appeal of Aston Martin to a whole new generation of customers, but sit with pride alongside the rest of our range.”

about phil patton

update (photos) on tesla’s first battery swap station.

Jan 29, 2015

update (photos) on tesla’s first battery swap station. three hours southeast of san francisco close to being finished. via gigaom [RK]

lamborghini goes plug-in hybrid with 910-hp asterion concept.

Oct 10, 2014

Lamborghini showed off a future plug-in hybrid concept car, the Asterion LPI 910-4 in Paris in September. With 910 horsepower, this is no wimpy green mobile—more gesture than environment changer. The exterior offers an experiment in how Lambo might evolve beyond its contsricting, over macho design language of rough facets.

about phil patton