Learn about our engine!
"The pursuit of sustainability boils down to innovation. By exploring new technologies , we equip ourselves with fresh tools to tackle today’s challenges from different angles."
2024 marked a significant milestone in the energy transition: greenhouse gas emissions peaked, and are predicted to decrease! This sounds like good news, however we are still far from reaching the EU’s goal of being climate neutral by 2030, and this is evident by the devastating droughts, floods, and wildfires springing up around the globe. Clearly, we cannot become complacent. We do have some tools to help us: we believe electrification and hydrogen are major players in our toolbox. However, they are not the only players. A wide range of alternative technologies provide fresh solutions for a multifaceted attack on a multifaceted problem. At Eco-Runner, we believe these are worth exploring, to maximise our arsenal and together, hone in on our sustainable future.
Alternative fuels will play a role in our quest for a climate neutral economy, but how do we implement those fuels? Here you can find out about our engine: an externally fired gas turbine, what it is, how it works, and how it could accommodate different fuels.
LISTEN TO 'THE ECO-RUMOUR' TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TRANSITION AND ENGINE!
WHAT IS AN EXTERNALLY FIRED GAS TURBINE (EFGT)?
This year, Eco-Runner XV is building a car powered by electricity generated by an externally fired gas turbine. But what exactly does that mean? Watch this video to find out:
How it works
Recuperator: Energy from the combustion chamber is used to heat the drawn in air
Compressor: Cold incoming air is compressed.
Combustion Chamber: Fuel and air from the turbine are mixed and ignited, producing immense amounts of heat energy.
Turbine: Hot air expands through a turbine, which spins at around 200,000 rpm. A generator converts this rotation into electricity to power the car, similar to the dynamo on your bike!
So, now we know how an EFGT works, why does it matter?
Most engines are internally fired, which means that gas is combusted before driving either pistons or a turbine. In other words, the chemical energy from combustion is directly transformed into mechanical energy. This has some benefits, namely regarding efficiency, however it also has some drawbacks. Combustion of certain fuels produces nasty byproducts like soot, which can damage the turbine, and because of this, only ‘clean burning’ fuels can be used, for example, fossil fuels. Externally fired engines rely on indirect energy transfer, by means of a heat exchanger. This means that the products of combustion don’t come into contact with the turbine blades, and a wider range of fuels can be used, even solid fuels.
ABOUT THIS YEARS FUEL
Eco XV wants to drive 400km on 40l of green methanol, but what is green methanol? Green methanol is a renewable form of methanol. Brown, grey, and blue methanol also exist, and are produced from either coal or natural gas. There are generally 2 types of sustainable methanol:
1. Biomethanol, produced from sustainably sourced biomass, or biowaste
2. E-methanol, or green methanol, produced from renewable electricity, water, and renewably sourced CO2
This year, we will be using E-methanol produced from solar energy and CO2 taken from the air. Although all forms of green methanol still emit CO2 when combusted, the fuel production process mitigates this. This means that in practice, it cuts CO2 emissions by 95% compared to conventional methanol!
FAQ: DO YOU STILL BELIEVE IN hYDROGEN?
Yes, we do! We believe hydrogen will play a big role in the energy transition and the future of sustainable mobility. Visit our hydrogen page to find out more. However, we also believe that a fully sustainable future requires a plethora of different solutions and technologies working together in harmony. Hydrogen still faces large scale challenges like investment, policies, infrastructure, and the production of green hydrogen. We hope that governments and companies work together to tackle these challenges, but as a small student team, we believe our responsibility lies elsewhere, in the field of innovation.
