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China's diesel trucks are shifting to electric. That could change global LNG and diesel demand
China is replacing its diesel trucks with electric models faster than expected, potentially reshaping global fuel demand and the future of heavy transport.... Read more
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Seismic data can identify aircraft by type
Instruments typically used to detect the ground motion of earthquakes can also be used to identify the type of aircraft flying far overhead, research by University of Alaska Fairbanks scientists shows. That's because aircraft sound waves also shake the ground, though to a much lesser extent.... Read more
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High-entropy superalloy could push jet engine performance to new limits
A novel cobalt (Co)- and nickel (Ni)-based high-entropy superalloy (CoNi-HESA) capable of withstanding higher operating temperatures could prove a step toward more powerful and fuel-efficient aircraft engines.... Read more
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Turbocharging hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has upgraded its hydrogen-powered heavy-duty internal combustion engine (H2-ICE) with a state-of-the-art turbocharger. The upgrades have significantly improved performance across the board, making the engine competitive with current long-haul diesel engines focused on fuel economy while maintaining near-zero tailpipe emissions.... Read more
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Plane and car crash testing is still designed to keep men safe—that puts women in danger
The next time you board a commercial flight and are told how to sit in the brace position for an emergency landing, consider this: did you know that international plane safety testing only requires adult male crash test dummies?... Read more
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Cities and states are turning to AI to improve road safety
As America's aging roads fall further behind on much-needed repairs, cities and states are turning to artificial intelligence to spot the worst hazards and decide which fixes should come first.... Read more
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Cheaper cars emit more pollution, creating urban air quality inequality
More expensive cars emit lower levels of pollution—meaning that motorists owning cheaper, higher-emitting vehicles contribute disproportionately to their local urban air quality problems, a new study reveals.... Read more
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Long-range EV batteries could last 2.8 times longer thanks to new gel electrolyte
A research team affiliated with UNIST has introduced a gel-like material that could extend the lifespan and enhance the safety of high-voltage electric vehicle (EV) batteries designed for long-distance driving.... Read more
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The next frontier in clean flight? Jet fuel from city waste
Aviation currently contributes about 2.5% of total global carbon emissions, and with air travel demand expected to double by 2040, cutting those emissions has become a pressing priority. One path forward is sustainable aviation fuel, a low-carbon alternative made from feedstocks such as used cooking oil and crops. But despite... Read more
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Sulfur-based batteries could offer electric vehicles a greener, longer-range option
Picture an electric car that could go 600, 700 or even 1,000 miles on a single charge. That's much farther than the longest-range electric vehicles on the U.S. market, according to Car and Driver magazine—and twice as far the official rating for the long-range, rear-wheel-drive Tesla Model 3, which has... Read more
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Machine learning used to calibrate emissions control systems faster, more efficiently
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has developed a method to automate the calibration of heavy-duty diesel truck emissions control systems using machine learning and algorithm-based optimization. The latest diesel aftertreatment systems often take weeks to calibrate. SwRI's new method can calibrate them in as little as two hours.... Read more
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Building hypersonic planes won't demand a significantly different design approach, study suggests
Hypersonic planes could fly from Sydney to Los Angeles in just an hour. What's standing in the way of such ultra-fast planes becoming reality is our understanding of how the turbulence they generate as they fly at such high speeds impacts their design. Now, a new study suggests that building... Read more
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New algorithm enhances Doppler resolution of unmanned vehicle radars
A research team has developed an extrapolation-based Doppler resolution enhancement algorithm for frequency modulated continuous wave radars. The algorithm improves system performance, offering an advancement that is superior to existing ultra-high-resolution technologies.... Read more
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Why companies don't share AV crash data, and how they could
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) have been tested as taxis for decades in San Francisco, Pittsburgh and around the world, and trucking companies have enormous incentives to adopt them.... Read more
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Montreal's electric buses use more energy in winter but are still more cost-effective than diesel
The Société de transport de Montréal (STM), the city's urban transit authority, plans to make its network completely electric by 2040 by adding 140 electric buses to its fleet annually to meet this target. It's an ambitious goal, made more challenging by the extreme swings in the city's weather every... Read more
