2005 TED Prize winner Edward Burtynsky has made it his life’s work to document humanity’s impact on the planet. His riveting photographs, as beautiful as they are horrifying, capture views of the Earth altered by mankind.

In stunning large-format photographs, Edward Burtynsky follows the path of oil through modern society, from wellhead to pipeline to car engine — and then beyond to the projected peak-oil endgame. Watch the following video to see some of the images:

This video can be found in this link.

Following text extracted from TED website:

Why you should listen to him:

To describe Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky’s work in a single adjective, you have to speak French: jolie-laide. His images of scarred landscapes — from mountains of tires to rivers of bright orange waste from a nickel mine — are eerily pretty yet ugly at the same time. Burtynsky’s large-format color photographs explore the impact of humanity’s expanding footprint and the substantial ways in which we’re reshaping the surface of the planet. His images powerfully alter the way we think about the world and our place in it.

With his blessing and encouragement, WorldChanging.com and others use his work to inspire ongoing global conversations about sustainable living. Burtynsky’s photographs are included in the collections of many major museums, including Bibliotèque Nationale in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. A large-format book, 2003′s Manufactured Landscapes, collected his work, and in 2007, a documentary based on his photography, also called Manufactured Landscapes, debuted at the Toronto Film Festival before going on to screen at Sundance and elsewhere. It was released on DVD in March 2007.

When Burtynsky accepted his 2005 TED Prize, he made three wishes. One of his wishes: to build a website that will help kids think about going green. Thanks to WGBH and the TED community, the new site, Meet the Greens, debuted at TED2007. His second wish: to begin work on an Imax film — and this work is now ongoing. And his third wish, wider in scope, was simply to encourage “a massive and productive worldwide conversation about sustainable living.” Thanks to his help and the input of the TED community, the site WorldChanging.com got an infusion of energy that has helped it to grow into a leading voice in the sustainability community.

Watch the following video for a deeper explanation:

Road vehicles are responsible for a more that 20% of the total emissions of greenhouse gases. As everyone knows, the increasing concentration of those in the atmosphere is leading to climate change. The mainly emitted greenhouse gases by cars are Carbon Dioxide, Monoxide and NOx. The transport sector is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gases. There have been studies that have proved that there is a link between vehicle pollutants and human ill health. Respiratory and cardio-pulmonary disease and lung cancer are the main illnesses.

European directives have been instrumental in reducing what are known as the regulated emissions. These regulations become more and more stringent year on year. This is one of the reasons why manufacturers are investing constantly in technologies to make their cars greener. Catalytic converters, injection systems, diesel particulate filters (DPFs)… are some of the technologies manufacturers had to start applying some years ago. The change to unleaded petrol played a big role also. In fact, the reduction in emissions by cars is so dramatic that a car manufactured today pollutes 20 times less than a car produced in the 70s. Nowadays technologies like high precision direct injection, start-stop systems, last generation catalytic converters… are helping reduce even more the figures of toxic gases. All helps…

…but it not only about being green!

Everyone agrees that reducing emissions is extremely important. We only have one world, and we want to make it last. Then, does this mean that we need to end up driving extremely efficient but boring cars? I am sorry but I don’t agree. And neither do some car companies.

Almost all brands achieve lower consumptions through the same means: engine downsizing, increasing the fuel efficiency, decreasing the weight and minifying the air drag and road resistance. In some companies like Smart, Seat, Ford and Volkswagen this means poor acceleration times and low top speed and therefore a boring driving experience. Other brands like BMW, Audi or Mercedes go further, they achieve amazingly low consumption figures but their cars still have a lively feel, proper acceleration times and high top speeds.

This is because they invest in new technologies, and then apply these in the production cars. They don not limit themselves to reducing power output and weight. They achievements are admirable! Some of the technologies they apply are: deeply engineered, tuned and refined engines; electric power steering, only consumes power when used; brake energy regeneration; lighter body construction…

Take for instance the BMW 320d with efficient dynamics package. It produces 163hp and 380Nm of torque. It consumes only 4.1 l/100km and emits 109 grCO2/100km. It accelerates from stand still to 60km/h in 8.2 seconds and has a max speed of 220Km/h. AMAZING!!! Just amazing!

I have no words, the figures speak for themselves… I have to finish saying that if BMW, for instance, achieves that with a 1500Kg car what other brands are doing is nothing. They seriously need to catch up…

A table comparing the various cars could have been done. I recommend you visiting the various manufacturers websites and reading these previous posts:

BMW Efficient Dynamics

Audi Driving Efficiently

MERCEDES Blue Efficiency

VOLKSWAGEN BlueMotion

Driving Efficiently

Note: On these article, only IC engines have been taken into discussion. Other technologies like hydrogen, hybrids, fuel cells and fully electrics may be treated in future posts.

References

http://www.whatgreencar.com/index.php

http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/FirstDrives/BMW-3-Series-320d-EfficientDynamics/242759/

The various car manufacturers websites

The smell of petrol likes to lots of people, there is something that gives its distinctive odour that some of us love. However, don’t spend too much time sniffing petrol since it is  highly toxic. It is composed of benzene, ethylbenzene, xylene, toluene and other hydrocarbons. All those chemicals are hazardous for your health. Intoxicating yourself through the inhalation of petrol can cause severe physical, cognitive, and psychological impairment, particularly due to the role it plays in the selective degeneration of deep white matter and cerebellar structures.

Going back to the question, so why some people love the smell of petrol?

After having done some research I haven’t found any consistent fact. The only thing that can be said is that is a matter of taste. Some people love it, some people hate it. And the same happens with other things like cauliflower, broccoli… If any of you have a better conclusion, don’t hesitate to contact me, we’ll post it here.

An interesting fact: Men prefer smell of bacon to babies, according to the Telegraph.

Information from:

Yahoo answers

Ask metafilter

The Telegraph

The influence of hunger on perception of the smell of petrol

www.petrolsmell.com wants to be a technical but at the same time interesting automotive blog. We will not be covering the news in the automotive world, there are plenty of other bloggers who do that. Our challenge is to learn, yes LEARN.

This blog was developed by Marc Espolet with the aim of learning through reading, finding more information and then posting it. We we’ll feel proud of www.petrolsmell.com if you, the reader, also learns. We will put all our effort to make quality posts, trying not to fall in the same market as other blogs are in. Our car blog has a big and clear categories bar in the main page, that is to make easier for the user to find older but still interesting posts. In a future there is a plan to make a forum adjoined to this automotive blog. Some of the categories of this blog include car manufacturers, industry, the things that happen behind the scenes, technology reviews, some news, motorshows, motorsport, funny, challenges, makers, office, reviews and test drives, simulators, historical cars, green technology, future…

We are people that like getting deeper knowledge of the automobile world, if you share this love, and ever would like to write in this blogger community (It could be from once to weekly… you decide) feel free to contact us and show us true love and passion for the auto propelled motor world.

As a usual blog reader I really hate when the owners of other blogs put a massive amount of adverts, and even more when they put them in the middle of the posts, so annoys me when reading. In petrolsmell.com we have placed some ads, but we tried to put them in places where they don’t disturb your reading. We don’t make that much money through ads as other blogs do, never mind. As said before, this is not an ordinary blog. If you feel willing to help keeping this blog alive, there is the possibility to make a donation. Don’t feel forced to do it, but every single donation helps, for small that it is.

Thanks for visiting this blog, we hope you enjoyed.

Have a nice day,

Petrol Smell

On the whole, automotive brands achieve lower consumptions and CO₂ emissions in their cars by:

• Reducing the weight.
• Minimizing the air and road drag.
• Designing more efficient engines.
• Not using all time components that are not needed sometimes, such as power steering on a straight.

It has to be said that the style of driving makes the biggest effect on the consumption of the car. So, if you want to improve your mileage, take those points into account:

• Start the engine without using the accelerator pedal. Then wait a few seconds before moving off.
• Use fist gear only to start moving. Shift to second in two seconds or within six meters.
• Overtaking and gear shifting:
  • Depends on the revs: Between 1500 and 2000 r/min is the optimum point
  • Depending on speed:
    • To third after 30km/h
    • To fourth after 40km/h
    • To fifth after more than 50km/h
    • Driving Speed: Maintain speed as regularly as possible. Avoid unnecessary braking, acceleration and gear shifting.
    • Deceleration: Take the foot off the acceleration pedal, leave the car running in the current gear. Brake gently and change down in gears as late as possible, being mindful when descending steep gradients.
    • Stopping: When speed and space allow it, stop the car without shifting down gears.
    • Stopped: When stopped for more than sixty seconds, turn the engine off.

Mindful of the company’s responsibility, production mature and near-production technologies and products are optimized to help reduce CO2 emissions and pollutants. Volkswagen gathers all of its eco-friendly innovations under an umbrella brand that signifies efficiency: BlueMotion Technologies – a pledge to the environment.

The “BlueMotion” suffix identifies vehicles whose entire concept focuses on fuel efficiency. They combine consumption-cutting measures with an equally efficient drive concept. BlueMotion is therefore a fitting response to rising fuel prices and a progressive technology that cuts CO2 emissions.

The CO2 efficiency of the BlueMotion models is achieved through the perfect interplay of the engine, gearbox, aerodynamics and tyres. Design measures that are both visible and – at first glance – invisible make all the difference. The result is a reduction in consumption of at least 0.5 l/100 km compared with the corresponding production model. And, correspondingly, lower CO2 emissions in g/km.

The principal BlueMotion measures are:

• Modified engine management with modified software.
• Reduced idle speed.
• Longer ratios for the higher gears.
• Recommendation on the most efficient gear to select.
• Optimized aerodynamics to minimize aerodynamic drag (Cx).
• Optimized tyres to reduce rolling resistance.
• Lower suspension settings.
• Start-stop system.

Well, I have seen that the previous post on this scheme have had good acceptance. Thanks you all for the comments. Today I am going to explain the methods Mercedes Benz uses to reduce the consumption of their cars.

“Taking less and giving more” This is Mercedes banner. Blue EFFICIENCY editions are the models designed with energy-saving in mind. Everything from the engine to the wheels is optimized for minimal fuel consumption and maximum performance. The engine, chassis, tires and equipment have all been re-developed to reduce resistance and economize on every drop of fuel. The most important advances are:

• Important reduction in weight: by using a lighter construction
• Reduced rolling and wind resistance: using low resistance tires, a lowered body…
• More efficient engine components and auxiliary systems: smaller capacity (volume) engines, energy saving power steering, auto Start-Stop…

For instance, CO2 emissions for the Blue EFFICIENCY C 180 K have been reduced to just 149 g/km, saving 18g/km and bringing substantial reductions in taxation. Fuel consumption is reduced by 11% compared to the existing C 180 KOMPRESSOR design.

Sorry for being this post so weak in amount of information. But the fact is that I could not get more info about Mercedes Blue Efficiency package.

Thanks you all for reading!

As known, Audi is consistently pressing forward to improve fuel economy and CO2 emissions of their cars. Audi’s modular efficiency platform combines reduced consumption with great driveability and outstanding sportiness.

The new technologies they are implementing are:

• On-board computer with the efficiency program, an addition to the Audi Driver Information System. All consumption-related data appear in the center display, with recommendations for efficient driving – after all, up to 30 percent of fuel consumption depends on the individual driving style. The efficiency program continuously analyzes the energy consumption in the vehicle and gives the driver up-to-date tips for saving fuel, depending on the driving situation and driving style. The newly designed gearshift indicator signals to the driver when to shift, for optimal fuel economy: A large and color-coded display indicates whether the right gear is engaged, or whether shifting would be practical for the sake of efficiency. Comfort features like air conditioning and seat heating also increase fuel consumption. A specially developed display in the efficiency program identifies the systems requiring extra energy and indicates their share in fuel consumption.
• Start-stop system realizes its efficiency potential especially in urban traffic, significantly reducing consumption while relieving the driver: The system shuts down the engine once the car has come to a stop, the gear lever stands at idle and the driver releases the clutch pedal. Operating the clutch then starts up the engine again. The start-stop system is extremely quiet, convenient to operate, and fast: The engine returns to idle speed while the driver is shifting gears. Audi combines the start-stop system with efficient battery technology and sophisticated energy management, to maintain functioning even at low temperatures. The system is inactive during the warm-up phase of the engine, so that the engine oil becomes warmer and the exhaust gas cleaning systems reach their operating temperature faster. The driver can also switch off the start-stop system at any time by pressing a button. In the standardized driving cycle the start-stop system lowers fuel consumption by about 0.2 liters per 100 km, and therefore reduces CO2 emissions by around 5 g/km.
• Energy recovery system, witch feeds energy back into the vehicle’s electrical system during deceleration phases. The energy recovery system already uses deceleration phases to convert kinetic energy into electrical energy. When the car accelerates again, the battery directs the temporarily stored energy back into the vehicle, to relieve the alternator and thereby save fuel.

The modular efficiency platform focuses on the further development of powertrain and transmission technologies, and the recovery and storage of mechanical, thermal and electrical energy. Audi also employs a host of measures to minimize driving resistance and optimize aerodynamics. These benefits are made tangible for the driver by a range of innovative assistance systems, with the standard specification of many current Audi models already featuring numerous efficiency technologies such as the Audi valvelift system, high-efficiency transmission and tires with optimized rolling resistance.

By 2012 Audi plans to lower the fuel consumption of its model range by 20 percent compared with the 2007 level. The brand will then have further enhanced its sporty and progressive profile, for efficiency and sportiness are inextricably linked at Audi.

Less emissions. More driving pleasure. This way BMW describes its efficiency package. BMW always looks for the right balance between good performance and low consumption and emissions.

The technology implemented is:

• The engines:

1. Petrol engines use High Precision Injection system. It makes the combustion process more efficient. The engine delivers greater performance and a significant reduction in fuel consumption.

The core element of High Precision Injection technology is the piezo injector positioned between the valves and the spark plug. Inside the injector are multiple layers of piezo crystals which expand instantly when electricity is passed through them. This forces a dose of the fuel/air mix out the injector needle and through the outlet (which is no wider than a human hair) and into the combustion chamber under a pressure of 200 bar. The cone-shaped cloud, the size of a thumb nail, is precisely injected onto the spark and combusts with an excess of oxygen. In contrast to conventional injection systems, BMW’s High Precision Injection requires very little fuel and eliminates the waste caused by unburned fuel being sprayed on the walls of the combustion chamber. Thanks to the piezo injectors, fuel can be injected in just 0.14 milliseconds, making it possible to introduce multiple injections of fuel within one single combustion process. The high-performance, flexible electronic control system adjusts the timing and dose of the injected fuel according to the engine power demand, operating temperature and cylinder pressure. This ensures that combustion is precisely controlled, extremely clean and outstandingly efficient – in every driving situation

1. Diesel engines: The combustion chamber geometry is optimized. Third-generation common rail fuel injection system introduces the diesel into the combustion chamber at remarkably high pressure (up to 1,600 bar) and with outstanding precision, using state-of-the-art piezo injection technology.  Engines are also fitted with a diesel particle filter as standard and comply with EU4 emissions regulations.

• Auto Start Stop function: A clever way to save fuel: the Auto Start Stop function turns off the engine each time the vehicle comes to a complete halt – such as at traffic lights – and restarts it automatically. A reduction in fuel consumption is the result.The principle is simple: if the engine is not running, it cannot consume fuel. The Auto Start Stop function turns off the engine whenever it is not needed. In a traffic jam or in stop-and-go traffic, simply putting your BMW into neutral and taking your foot from the clutch will activate the function. “Start Stop” on the Info Display signals that the engine has been turned off. To set off again, just put your BMW back into gear: the moment you depress the clutch, the engine immediately springs back to life and you can drive on without a moment’s delay. Driving comfort and driving safety are not affected by the Auto Start Stop function. The function is not activated, for example, until the engine has reached the ideal running temperature. The same applies if the air conditioner has not yet brought the cabin to the desired temperature, if the battery is not adequately charged or if the driver moves the steering wheel. The Auto Start Stop function is coordinated by a central control unit that monitors data from all relevant sensors, the starter motor and the alternator. If necessary for comfort or safety, the control unit will automatically restart the engine: for example, if the vehicle begins to roll, the battery charge falls too low or condensation forms on the windscreen. Furthermore, the system also recognises the difference between a temporary stop and the end of the trip. It will not restart the engine if driver’s seatbelt is undone, or if the door or bonnet is open. If desired, the Auto Start Stop function can be completely deactivated with the press of a button. When used consistently, the Auto Start Stop function delivers significant reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

• Brake Energy Regeneration: Make use of every Watt: by charging the battery only when your BMW is braking, coasting or decelerating, Brake Energy Regeneration improves fuel efficiency by up to three percent and ensures that the full power of your engine is available for acceleration. Today’s vehicles require much more electrical energy than older models, due to the much wider array of electric and electronic on-board comfort and safety systems. This energy is created by the generator (also known as the alternator) which converts the engine’s power output into electricity. In conventional systems, the generator is permanently driven by a belt connected to the engine. BMW’s Brake Energy Regeneration operates differently: the generator is activated only when you take your foot from the accelerator or apply the brake. The kinetic energy that would otherwise go to waste is now used efficiently, converted into electricity by the generator and stored in the battery. Producing electricity in this highly efficient way delivers an additional advantage: when you apply the accelerator, the generator is deactivated – so the full power of the engine can be directed to the drive wheels. Brake Energy Regeneration thus increases fuel efficiency while simultaneously enhancing driving dynamics. As a safety precaution, the Brake Energy Regeneration system monitors the level of battery charge and will, if necessary, continue to charge the battery even during acceleration to prevent a complete discharging of the battery.

• Electric power steering: Every movement requires energy, this is why Electric Power Steering only acts when it is needed. To give you more bends per litre, an electric motor is used to assist the steering. However, unlike conventional hydraulic systems, Electric Power Steering is supported by an electric motor which helps to ensure that energy is only used during actual steering manoeuvres. If the steering wheel is kept in a constant position when driving straight ahead or cornering, the electric motor is inactive and therefore does not use any energy.

• Air vent control: A constant airflow through the radiator increases air resistance and affects aerodynamics. Electrically controlled vents in front of the radiator open and close the cooling air inlets so that the vents are only opened if cooling air is required. When the vents are closed, air resistance is reduced, as is fuel consumption.

• Gear shift indicator: It shows what is the ideal gear for the less consumption.

• Tyres with reduced rolling resistance: Resistance is useless – so these tyres are manufactured with special materials that enable the tyres to roll with less resistance, reducing fuel consumption. Every time a vehicle drives along a road surface, the shape of its tyres becomes distorted. Depending on the contact surface and the air pressure of the tyre, this distortion can cost significant amounts of energy, reducing fuel efficiency. BMW overcomes this problem by using tyres with reduced rolling resistance: special heat-resistant, anti-distortion materials in the side wall and tread helps maintain the shape of the tyres, ensuring they roll smoothly. Thanks to their innovative design, tyres with reduced rolling resistance deliver a smoother ride, improve fuel efficiency and lead to a reduction in emissions.

So, those are the technologies used for BMW. I think they are really wise and consistent. Here I attach the commercials BMW used to present these technologies: