John Martin, Author at Fleet Equipment Magazine - Page 4 of 11
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Finding reason within alternative fuel

I’ve been trying to determine why we’ve taken so many wrong turns incorporating alternate fuels. I looked at Wikipedia the other day, and I think I found the answer. Only 1% of Wikipedia’s content is about logic and mathematics. Another 1% is about thought and philosophy. But fully 30% deals with art and culture, and

Fuels and lubes column
Emissions issues of electric vehicles

When I hear people calling plug-in electric vehicles “zero emissions,” I go through the roof. Don’t they realize that the majority of electrical power generation in this country is accomplished by burning coal? Don’t they also realize that power generation contributes just as much to airborne contaminants as does transportation? The obvious answer is that

Fuel economy improvement ideas

I haven’t purchased an incandescent light bulb for years. When compact fluorescents first came out, I purchased several varieties to evaluate. When they didn’t live up to their marketer’s claims, I began purchasing LEDs. I know LEDs are expensive, so I only purchase them when they’re on sale. I realize the payback period may be more

Truck Fuel Economy Ideas
Corn-based ethanol is swimming upstream

Corn-based ethanol production is currently about 10% of U.S. gasoline production, but overall sales volumes are down due to Americans driving more fuel efficient cars 9% less distance than they did in 2007. U.S. producers are exporting a lot of ethanol to keep their businesses profitable. Australia recently eliminated government ethanol production subsidies. Government subsidies

Fuels and lubes column
CNG usage is growing rapidly

It’s gratifying to see how rapidly compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquid natural gas (LNG) are being incorporated into both power generation and transportation. For several reasons, biofuels have not been able to keep pace. Gaseous fuels usage is increasing in spite of the fact that we still have no reasonable national energy policy. The

CNG usage is growing rapidly
Combining fuel saving technologies to improve fuel economy, greenhouse gas emissions

You would never guess I was a scientist, would you? Recently two things occurred that made me better appreciate the work scientists do on our behalf. The National Research Council (NRC), a private non-profit organization of scientists chartered by Congress to provide unbiased technical expertise, released a series of recommendations on what the Phase II GHG/MPG

Combining fuel saving technologies to improve fuel economy
Fuel economy and operating costs – Fuels and Lubes

First, let’s talk about Class 8 fuel economy. I can’t see gasoline replacing diesel fuel as the major fuel source because of the durability required of Class 8 engines. Gasoline engine development has made great strides recently, but diesel engines routinely go one million miles without rebuilds, and diesels yield about 25% better fuel economy

Fuels and lubes column
Legislative progress could lead to a national energy policy

Instead of being a curmudgeon this month, I’m going to be very positive—you can now call me “Bubbles” Martin. I’ve actually witnessed some legislative progress, which may lead us to a much-needed national energy policy. Congressmen from Missouri and Nebraska recently introduced three bills related to the use of natural gas in the trucking industry.

Legislative progress could lead to a national energy policy
We don’t need no stinkin’ national energy policy

The U.S.’s lack of a coherent national energy policy is about to cost us considerable money, wasted energy and possibly valuable forest lands. When corn-based ethanol was originally proposed, it was with the promise that corn-based ethanol was merely a first-generation solution. The second-generation solution, cellulosic-based ethanol, would soon be commercialized, and then it would be

We don’t need no stinkin’ national energy policy
Alternate energy source scorecard

The alternate energy world can be confusing. To help us all better get our minds around recent developments, I created a simplistic tabulation for first and second generation sources with which I am familiar. Algae Pros: It removes CO2 from atmosphere, no sulfur, less CO, CO2 and HC, 80% of energy of crude oil, 10

Fuels and lubes column
Can’t we just be objective?

Can’t we just be objective? Okay, so I’m a scientist. That means I’m trained to deal in facts—not just “meadow muffins,” as a famous TV colonel used to say. The corn-based ethanol industry is in a dither. A leaked draft of the EPA’s suggested renewable fuel standard (RFS) volumes for 2014 showed a continuation of

Fuels and lubes column
“We have met the enemy, and it are us”

About the headline, Walt Kelly’s comic strip character, Pogo, used this expression to suggest that we are our own worst enemies. Walt Kelly was a great political satirist and was deadly accurate.The United States is still one of the few developed nations without a national energy policy. When several people are killed by a runaway freight