BMW ZX-6 car concept came from the 3rd year students of Transportation Design School at Turin Based IED (Istituto Europeo di Design) for final project of Transportation Design (Designing the BMW of 2015) which is designed in partnership with BMW. The concept is focused keeping in mind the modern needs, tastes and life style of an individual. All the cars designed in this project looks like toy cars. You cannot even imagine them running on roads in the real life. There are different concepts of cars designed by the students and all of them are unbelievable in their design and concept. Check out the one that steals our attention, BMW ZX-6 car concept.

Designer : Jai Ho Yoo and Lukas Vanek via CarBodyDesign

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Futuristic Honda The Great Race in 2025 : Combination of Marine, Jet, Robotic, and Automotive

Here comes something beyond our imagination. The Great Race 2025 is a futuristic concept car created by Honda. This design is surely inspired by some dragon games because the design looks like an unbelievable car with dragon wings that can be used to fight and travel any kind of track. The concept is designed to fulfill all the demands of a great race in 2025 which will be a toughest race ever devised. The vehicle’s sonar sensors are smart enough to detect the changes in speed, terrain and altitude. If you have enough credit to afford this vehicle, then you must go for it.

Text from designer :
In 1908, 17 men dared to take on the “toughest race ever devised.” Spanning six months, the Great Race brought these men over 22,000 miles, through three continents and around the world. 117 years later, the Great Race of 2025 is tougher than ever.

Competitors must circumnavigate the globe in 24 hours on land through the United States, by sea through Asia and by air over Europe.

The vehicle’s sonar/echolocation sensors are able to detect changes in speed, terrain, and altitude, allowing it to switch to any configuration. With expertise in automotive, marine, robotics, and jet technologies already in place, Honda possesses a distinct, competitive advantage over its rivals, allowing it to lead in the evolution of motorsports in the 21st century.

Designer : Franco Corral

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Hands Free Bluetooth Car MP3 Player & FM Transmitter with Steering Remote with USB port and SD card port

Support MP3/WMA music format Stereo Bluetooth and FM transmitter technology, you can transmit music right from your phone (You phone must have A2DP Bluetooth function to transmit music over Bluetooth) Hadnsfree function Excellent sound quality with D.S.P solution for echo cancellation & noise suppression Support SD/MMC card, USB key, blue tooth players and any other players attached by cable 21 keys remote control Infrared Steering Wheel remote control Remember the last frequency and music, track and recall them when restarting Transmit frenquency 87.5-108MHz SNR >60db Frequency response 20Hz~15KHz Rated Voltage 12-24V 1. Microphone 2. Bluetooth match/Pick up/cut off/ play/pause 3. Handsfee convert to mobile phone 4. 1.5 inch LCD display 5. Previous track/ volume decrease(hold the button for few seconds) 6. USB jack 7. Metal Hose 8. Power Indicating LED 9. Power socket 10. Next track/ volume decrease(hold the button for few seconds)Handsfree/convert to mobile phone 11. Decrease channel 12. Bluetooth match indicating light 13. Increase channel 14. AUX input socket 15. Remote Control receive window 16. SD socket

Features

* Stereo Bluetooth and FM transmitter technology, you can transmit music right from your phone (You phone must have A2DP Bluetooth function to transmit music over Bluetooth)
* Support SD/MMC card, USB key, blue tooth players and any other players attached by AUX cable
* Pair with your phone and use Hands Free Bluetooth Option, 1.5 inch LCD will display name of the song or caller ID
* Remember the last frequency and music, track and recall them when restarting
* No more XM/Sirius radio bills (Too many buildings, bridges and trees in my area, XM just doesnt well to pay for it)

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The concept

The concept of using dual-fuel on diesel engines is not new. Rudolf Diesel, who invented the engine bearing his name, experimented with enriched combustion air mixtures in the early 1900’s. Before long, natural gas became popular as an enriching fuel for two main reasons... read full concept

System objectives

We had following criteria in mind when developing CES technology:

• No reduction on performance of the engine
• Keep or prolong maintenance cycles
• Automatic control of all vital engine parameters
• Elimination of risks connected to use of gas
• Price the system to repay its capital cost within 12 months of normal operation.

Conversion Process

1. Evaluation – Conversion proposal is prepared based on information about the engine such as brand, type, output, RPM, supercharging, valves overlap etc.
2. On-site inspection (if necessary) – Detail design of diesel-to-Dual Fuel conversion is elaborated based on inspection by our engineers on site.
3. Technical and commercial clarifications – Final detailed technical and commercial conditions of contract.
4. Production of Conversion Kits + Shipment
5. Installation supervision and commissioning – Supervision of conversion works and subsequent commissioning are provided by our engineers under the agreed terms, when necessary. Time of installation depends on engine type, scope of conversion and local facilities/condition.

Benefits summary

Less Fuel Costs
On an equivalent energy basis, natural gas fuel costs have traditionally been lower than liquid fuel.

Practically no engine modifications required
Diesel engines can be converted relatively easily because there are no changes in the engine compression ratio, cylinder heads, or basic operation as a diesel cycle engine. Sophisticated computer controlled dual fuel systems are easy to install and easy to maintain.

Non derated power output
Engine nominal output and main parameters (jacket water temperature, exhaust air temperature, etc.) remain same.

Possibility of original diesel operation
The system can fall back to full diesel operation whenever natural gas is unavailable, with no interruption of service.

Reduced maintenance costs
Maintenance costs are reduced due to the clean burning characteristics of natural gas. Testing has shown that dual fuel engine oil remains cleaner compared to engines running with diesel oil fuel. This brings enhanced engine life time and extended service cycles.

Lower exhaust emissions than diesel engine
Testing has demonstrated a 30% reduction in NOx and a more than 50% reduction in particulate matter emissions when operating in dual fuel compared to straight diesel fuel.

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Before long, natural gas became popular as an enriching fuel for two main reasons:

1. Its combustion characteristics are reasonably compatible with typical diesel engine designs
2. Extensive distribution infrastructure has been developed to make it an economical, commonly available, utility supplied fuel

Throughout the Twentieth Century, various methods were developed to properly deliver natural gas into a diesel engine. Extreme care is required during this process, as an excess concentration of natural gas can cause engine damage due to pre-ignition, or "knock". Early dual-fuel designs used conventional mechanical control systems of the day to control the process. Due to limited capabilities of these controls, performance was compromised and commercial success was restricted to niche applications. More recently, microprocessor controls along with advanced sensor and actuator technologies have provided new opportunities to meet the challenges.

The desire for dual-fuel engines is driven by several environmental and economic factors. Combining diesel fuel with natural gas in dual-fuel operation provides several benefits compared to engines fueled only by diesel or natural gas. Major benefits include:

• Extended run time capabilities
• Reduced diesel fuel storage requirements
• Lower capital cost per kilowatt (kW) compared to spark-ignited engines
• Improved reliability with redundant fuel supply
• Reduced maintenance costs
• Potential for less fuel costs
• Lower exhaust emissions than diesel engines

Dual-fuel methods and operation

Several characteristics distinguish the diesel engine from four-cycle spark-ignited (also referred to as Otto cycle) engines commonly used today to burn gasoline or vaporized fuels such as natural gas:

• A diesel engine uses compression ignition rather than spark ignition. The heat generated by compressing air to high pressures provides the source of ignition for the diesel fuel.
• A diesel engine compresses only air and then injects fuel directly into the cylinder for combustion. Most Otto cycle engines mix the fuel with air before it enters the cylinder(s), using either a carburettor or "indirect" fuel injector(s), often referred to as throttle body or port fuel injection. After the mixture is compressed in the cylinder, an electrical spark (delivered through a spark plug) provides the energy to ignite the fuel.
• Since diesel engines compress only air, they can safely operate at higher compression ratios (typically 13:1 ~ 23:1 compared to 8:1 ~ 12:1 for spark-ignited engines) without concern for pre-ignition. A major benefit of the higher compression ratio is that diesel engines are inherently more energy efficient than lower compression spark-ignited engines. In other words, more of the fuel energy gets converted to mechanical energy rather than being rejected as heat (this was the primary motivation for Diesel's invention in the first place).

Natural gas ignites at a much higher temperature (620° ~ 650° C) compared to diesel fuel (260° ~ 400° C). A diesel engine cannot operate on 100% natural gas. Because the heat generated during compression is not sufficient to ignite this fuel. To create ignition in dual-fuel engines, a small amount of diesel fuel must be injected. Cylinder temperatures are high enough to ignite the diesel fuel, and the flame created reaches a temperature sufficient to ignite the natural gas.

A dual-fuel engine uses a conventional diesel engine as its basis. With most designs, the diesel fuel is delivered using the injectors that already exist on the engine. Additional components are installed to deliver natural gas into the combustion chamber. These are three proven methods that have been employed to do this:

• Low pressure injected natural gas introduces the natural gas using port injection, so it mixes with combustion air just before it enters the cylinder. This is done under moderate pressure, usually less than 3,5 bar. As many diesel engines use turbochargers to feed air into the cylinders, injection pressures must be greater than the boost pressure developed. This approach has been used in large stationary installations.
• High pressure injected natural gas delivers natural gas directly into the combustion chamber under extremely high pressures of approximately 200 bar. This is necessary since the natural gas is injected when the cylinder pressure is very high - at the end of the compression stroke and after diesel fuel has been injected to initiate combustion. This approach has found application in very large dual-fuel engines that typically operate for extended periods producing prime or continuous power. This is due to the economics involved, as separate high pressure natural gas injectors (or sophisticated combination diesel/natural gas injectors), pumps and fuel delivery lines system drive a large price premium for these engine systems.
• Combustion air gas integration introduces the natural gas with intake combustion air just prior to the turbocharger. Since a single, low pressure delivery system is used, additional engine component costs are minimized. Advanced microprocessor, sensor and actuator technologies can provide the precision and response necessary to control the system.

During initial startup, the engine operates on 100% diesel fuel. After certain permissive criteria are satisfied (for instance, the engine coolant temperature reaching 70° C, or acceptance of the electrical load), the microprocessor commences dual-fuel operation and more fuel energy is provided by the natural gas.

Throughout the process, the controller continuously monitors a variety of engine and generator parameters, including intake air temperature, engine coolant temperature, intake manifold temperature and pressure, kW load, engine speed. Through extensive mapping of these variables and their effect upon engine performance, the microprocessor automatically adjusts the dual-fuel ratio and fine tunes the mixture for optimum engine operation.

With utilization of publicly available materials.

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