"e-Jeepney" - The electric powered jeepney

[kitsons]

In the case for the E-Jeepney projects, they need a system to directly recharge the batteries. The only viable "green" solution that would fit in a space that can be found in a city like Metro Manila would be something like bio-gas.

The other solutions like solar, wind and hydro are not viable because of the scale required to make it viable.

In Japan, they have fuel cells that generate electricity for buildings. Excess electricity generated by buildings are fed to a grid where others who may be in need of them uses the excess electricity brought into the grid.

If we think in terms of the wind powered wind farms like the one in Iloscos, the scale of such electricity generation certainly is huge and applicable to the electricity needs of whole towns and cities.

However, if we think in terms of something like the fuel cell grid, the interconnection of different micro or mini power sources perhaps maybe feasible especially if the organic waste from a jeepney route say from Alabang to even just the Poblacion of Muntinlupa City may generate enough gas to produce the electricity need of powering a fleet of e-jeepneys to service the route.

I'm aware of this as we are just waiting for the Jeepney association servicing the route to settle the politics in the organization that is preventing the association from transforming into a cooperative. The corruption of course is the root cause of the set back from enabling the route to become an e-jeepney route.

Have been discussing the possiblities on this forum especially on the technology of batteries as the big possibility is that marketing control can be the main culprit that makes such low technology not applied as coming up with the plates for deep cell batteries.

I remember when before the 60's, very seldom can one see a discarded car or truck battery. I don't even recall our family to have had to buy a new set of batteries for our different cars that we went through up to the 70's. It was only in the 80's that batteries were often changed and in the 90's when the sealed types came out thus goodbye to repairing sot batteries. The sealed type were disposable.

The old batteries worked perfectly why was it replaced. In fact this was why I ambitioned to manufacturing batteries that can last even perhaps more than five years.

The batteries is the main factor essential to e-jeepneys and could be the make or break of having the e-jeepneys be the cleanest means of transportation within secondary, tertiary and perhaps if a motor can be made powerful enough to run to longer mileage, even primary roads will be served by E-jeepneys.

[ghosthunter]

In Japan, they have fuel cells that generate electricity for buildings. Excess electricity generated by buildings are fed to a grid where others who may be in need of them uses the excess electricity brought into the grid.

But the thing with fuel cells is they do not produce electricity by themselves. They need fuel in the form of hydrogen. That hydrogen needs to come from somewhere and producing hydrogen from conventional means is expensive and requires a lot of power.

If we think in terms of the wind powered wind farms like the one in Iloscos, the scale of such electricity generation certainly is huge and applicable to the electricity needs of whole towns and cities.

Yes, they are big and require a lot of land and a good location that have constant high velocity winds. That is why they are not applicable within Metro Manila.

However, if we think in terms of something like the fuel cell grid, the interconnection of different micro or mini power sources perhaps maybe feasible especially if the organic waste from a jeepney route say from Alabang to even just the Poblacion of Muntinlupa City may generate enough gas to produce the electricity need of powering a fleet of e-jeepneys to service the route.

Getting power from wind power within a city using small wind turbines will only produce a few watt/hours of power. This is probably useful to light up a small home or two using low power lighting but it will not enough to recharge a single E-Jeepney for a whole day's worth of driving. You might need a network of half a dozen to a dozen small wind turbines just to charge a single vehicle and that is assuming the wind is favorable.

The more feasible solution is bio-mass and using the generated methane gas to fuel a standard generator. BTW, methane derived from bio-mass contains a bit of alkaline and would require a neutralization process so it won't damage the engine of the generator in the long run.

[kitsons]

But the thing with fuel cells is they do not produce electricity by themselves. They need fuel in the form of hydrogen. That hydrogen needs to come from somewhere and producing hydrogen from conventional means is expensive and requires a lot of power.




Yes, they are big and require a lot of land and a good location that have constant high velocity winds. That is why they are not applicable within Metro Manila.




Getting power from wind power within a city using small wind turbines will only produce a few watt/hours of power. This is probably useful to light up a small home or two using low power lighting but it will not enough to recharge a single E-Jeepney for a whole day's worth of driving. You might need a network of half a dozen to a dozen small wind turbines just to charge a single vehicle and that is assuming the wind is favorable.

The more feasible solution is bio-mass and using the generated methane gas to fuel a standard generator. BTW, methane derived from bio-mass contains a bit of alkaline and would require a neutralization process so it won't damage the engine of the generator in the long run.

Was thinking in terms of the windmills with a blade span of around five to ten feet that already power water pumps. The windmill can fit in a ten by ten meter lot a that can already house the generator. A ply wheel and governor gear system can regulate the rpm.

There also are generators that can be hung across rivers and creeks tha produce enough electricity to power the needs of a mobile home that I saw in one of the education Japanese video clips. These can augment the windmill i times wi=hen the wind is down.

Japan also has a design of windmills that can turn evenly from as low as a 5 mph wind to a 110 mph squall. I'm not sure though if the torque on this windmill design may be also even. Perhaps a governor can be designed to give even torque to run the generator at constant electricity output.

These small generating system will augment the bio-digesters, as the area requirement for operating such methan production may need a bigger area considering the amount of methane needed for power generation of a fleet of e-jeepneys.

All these though are still top of the head thinking on the details of such power generation. I just have the system of collecting the necessary organic wast conceptualized and am working on the implementation that is a bit bloody at this point as the need for a credible on organization is still being worked out run by people beyond suspicion that can oversee the implementation of the project.

Just thinking through for the ares within the inner city where there practically are not much space available for power generation except through the use of roof tops windmill.

[niky]

I hate to sound antagonistic, but in the end the e-jeepney will be charged through electricity generated by traditional power plants. We'd still import a lot of coal and diesel. I hope they'd also push clean electricity.

Even if it's produced from fossil fuels... it's cheaper... which equates to lower emissions per kilometer.

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The methane processing idea is one that I really want to see come to fruitition... imagine... putting all that garbage the metro generates to a practical use...

[ghosthunter]

Even if it's produced from fossil fuels... it's cheaper... which equates to lower emissions per kilometer.

If they use electricity generated from fossil fuels, then the e-jeepney is a big FAIL in its goal. It is no better than just installing a small diesel engine right under the vehicle.

The methane processing idea is one that I really want to see come to fruitition... imagine... putting all that garbage the metro generates to a practical use...

Yes, this would be interesting but there are minor issues that need to be ironed out like which is more efficient, burning the garbage as fuel for a power station or using the garbage as feed for a bio-gas generator then using the methane to fuel a standard generator.

Also the issue of people living near the bio-gas generator might have a few issues about safety especially with potential leaks of methane gas that can explode. Another issue is the bad smell of the "fresh" organic matter needed to feed the bio-digester.

[niky]

If they use electricity generated from fossil fuels, then the e-jeepney is a big FAIL in its goal. It is no better than just installing a small diesel engine right under the vehicle.

Yes, "fail" in that it still causes emissions... partial success in that it minimizes it. Of course, a cradle-to-grave study, including recyclability, would be needed to assess overall environmental impact.

Yes, this would be interesting but there are minor issues that need to be ironed out like which is more efficient, burning the garbage as fuel for a power station or using the garbage as feed for a bio-gas generator then using the methane to fuel a standard generator.

Also the issue of people living near the bio-gas generator might have a few issues about safety especially with potential leaks of methane gas that can explode. Another issue is the bad smell of the "fresh" organic matter needed to feed the bio-digester.

Not any worse than living near the fireworks factories in Bulacan... safety regulations have to be enforced, of course, for this to be viable... but if the processing factories are placed in or beside the existing dumpsites... I don't think it's the smell of the generator itself that will be worrying residents... plus, as a bonus... you can provide livelihood opportunities for the garbage pickers.

That's as long as government support doesn't dry up with the shifting of political winds and whimsy.

[ghosthunter]

Not any worse than living near the fireworks factories in Bulacan... safety regulations have to be enforced, of course, for this to be viable... but if the processing factories are placed in or beside the existing dumpsites... I don't think it's the smell of the generator itself that will be worrying residents... plus, as a bonus... you can provide livelihood opportunities for the garbage pickers.

Unfortunately recharging sites for the e-jeepneys are NOT near dumpsites.

[jpdm]

Binalot supports the Ejeepney!

Yes yes yes!

[niky]

Unfortunately recharging sites for the e-jeepneys are NOT near dumpsites.

Well... such plants would be for more than just the e-Jeeps... they'd be tied straight into the power grid or methane production would be centralized then the stuff would be delivered to the site of use.

[ghosthunter]

Well... such plants would be for more than just the e-Jeeps... they'd be tied straight into the power grid or methane production would be centralized then the stuff would be delivered to the site of use.

I hope people know how to make a proper methane storage tank. Any air left inside it and it's basically a methane bomb.

[niky]

I hope people know how to make a proper methane storage tank. Any air left inside it and it's basically a methane bomb.

Like the CNG the government is pushing?

[ehnriko]

Like the CNG the government is pushing?

Just the thought that those cylinders are actually filled with so much pressure... scary.

[Phoenix67]

OT... nakakita na ako ng malalaking biogas tank (either gawa sa semento at inflated ballon type) sa mga piggeries na biogas.... wala pa akong nakitang sumabog. palagay ko, kasing safe siya ng LPG tank. (Safe kung tama ang pag-gamit at pagkakayari.) Ganun din siguro ang CNG.

pasensya na OT ako.

[ghosthunter]

OT... nakakita na ako ng malalaking biogas tank (either gawa sa semento at inflated ballon type) sa mga piggeries na biogas.... wala pa akong nakitang sumabog. palagay ko, kasing safe siya ng LPG tank. (Safe kung tama ang pag-gamit at pagkakayari.) Ganun din siguro ang CNG.

pasensya na OT ako.

It is easy enough to make a relatively safe bio-gas tank. Personally I prefer the floating tank design than the inflatable type.

As for CNG, its a different thing because CNG tanks has to be made with thicker material to hold the higher pressure CNG.

[Phoenix67]

OT again: ang biogas with Floating tank of the now closed Maya Farms (naging Maya Alta Subdivision na) was easily corroded at sumingaw in less than 2 years of operation. AFAIK, now-a-days wala ng gumagamit (sa Pilipinas) ng floating tank set-up dahil madaling mag-corrode ang metal "cover". Wala ring sumubok na gamitin ay FRP (fiber reinforced plastic). Highly corrosive kasi ang methane ng biogas (unless lagyang siguro ng scrubber). Pati yung engine (V6 petrol engine converted to biogas feed) na nagpatakbo ng genset ng isang piggery na kaibigan ko have only about 4-5year lifespan (as stated ng supplier).

[ghosthunter]

Like the CNG the government is pushing?

CNG tanks are very different from bio-gas/methane storage tanks.

[niky]

CNG tanks are very different from bio-gas/methane storage tanks.

Yes... they're thicker and stronger... and they still explode in fires, as evidence in the US from CNG-powered Honda Civics show...

[ghosthunter]

OT again: ang biogas with Floating tank of the now closed Maya Farms (naging Maya Alta Subdivision na) was easily corroded at sumingaw in less than 2 years of operation. AFAIK, now-a-days wala ng gumagamit (sa Pilipinas) ng floating tank set-up dahil madaling mag-corrode ang metal "cover". Wala ring sumubok na gamitin ay FRP (fiber reinforced plastic). Highly corrosive kasi ang methane ng biogas (unless lagyang siguro ng scrubber). Pati yung engine (V6 petrol engine converted to biogas feed) na nagpatakbo ng genset ng isang piggery na kaibigan ko have only about 4-5year lifespan (as stated ng supplier).

The corrosion is due to the alkaline content of "raw" bio-gas. The raw bio-gas needs to be processed through a neutralizer before it can be stored or used in an engine.

So if this step/processed is skipped by the government funded project to support the e-jeepney, it will obviously be a short term project.

[ghosthunter]

Yes... they're thicker and stronger... and they still explode in fires, as evidence in the US from CNG-powered Honda Civics show...

I guess fire has this "unique" ability to change the properly of metals, as in they weaken them (aside from the over-pressure aspect).

[romski123]

pampagana.

Just want to share with you a glimpse of what is to come.