Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

~ John W. Howell
Waste2Race Le Mans Prototype race car – credit, SWNS

 

Today’s story comes from the Good News Network.

Hydrogen-Powered Car Fueled by Sewage Attempting to Break Land Speed Records

By Andy Corbley–

A hydrogen-powered car fueled by sewage and manufactured with various recycled materials may soon attempt to break several land speed records.

The car was built by Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) students at the University of Warwick. It will run off a byproduct of wastewater from the utilities company Severn Trent Water.

The Waste2Race Le Mans Prototype race car (LMP3) has been built from a selection of spare and unused parts to further its sustainable street cred in a world little-regarded for its sustainability—motorsport.

The car itself will be used to try to break one of several land speed records depending on how it performs, including the fastest standing and flying starts for both a mile and a kilometer. Its creators hope to have the car fully up and running in the next 6 to 12 months.

The parts themselves come from Ginetta, a British specialist builder of racing and sports cars based in Leeds. Among its green bits and bobs are recycled carbon fiber materials and a wing mirror made from beetroot waste.

The steering wheel is also 100% natural, while the firm ENRG Motorsport contributed a battery recovered from a crashed road car.

“These sorts of collaborations are a great example of how businesses, universities, and the endless curiosity of our students can break barriers and push the boundaries of what’s possible,” said Head of the Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing Research Group at WMG, Professor Kerry Kirwan.

“We’re incredibly proud of the ingenuity of our students and wish them all the best of luck in their land speed record attempt.”

WMG staff and students aim to complete the car in 2025 and use it to showcase a wide range of sustainable concepts being developed across the university and industry.

“We have a firm commitment to support technologies that have positive impacts on our environment, from reducing the process emissions at our sites to developing the circular economy in our region and helping partners like the University of Warwick to realize potentially game-changing new technologies like this,” Richard Walwyn, Head of Asset Intelligence & Innovation at Severn Trent Water, said in a statement.

The project, ‘Waste2Race’, comes as manufacturers such as Alpine and Toyota are exploring hydrogen as a fuel for future racing cars. BMW recently announced plans for its first hydrogen car to go on sale in 2028.

Typically, hydrogen fuels are investigated for their potential to power heavy machinery such as planes, trains, and construction equipment.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the most famous motorsport events in the world, will open the race to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in 2026 as a way of greening the event.

The Good News in this story is that motorsport racing is getting serious about carbon emissions. Today’s JohnKu talks about carbon emissions efforts. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Emissions by John W. Howell © 2024

We want to reduce,

Emissions in the U.S.  . . .

Who else is on board?

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Published by John W. Howell

I have been working in business for over forty years and now have the time to work in special areas of interest. My passion has always been to create compelling stories of fiction. I have authored six novels and am working on my Seventh. The first novel is still in manuscript form and being utilized as a door stop in the laundry room. The second is a contemporary fiction novel of 89,000 words and is complete and I am currently seeking a publisher. I also write poetry but have not had the guts to share any with anyone. The one time I read a piece to a person their only comment was, “it doesn’t rhyme.” I will continue to write and hopefully my blog, Fiction Favorites at www.johnwhowell.com will provide some entertainment and an interesting thought or two. I live in the Austin area with my wife Molly and an assortment of loving pets.

76 thoughts on “Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News”

  4. I like these kinds of projects. Many times the knowledge gained in more important than the goal. Going to the moon didn’t really accomplish much, but there was a lot of invention and creation behind the goal that benefitted everyone. This project reminds me of that.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. I love hearing about the creative efforts to turn the tide. Thank you, John, for sharing this research article. Bravo to the students!

    Liked by 1 person

  17. That is some interesting stuff. Wouldn’t it be grand if these experiments lead to something better than electric cars? (I’m not buying into them…)

    Happy weekend!

    Liked by 1 person

  27. Another baby step taken.

    I like this, and if he were around, I bet Steve McQueen would too.

    Of course once sewage powered cars are on the road, being behind them could be a bit off putting.

    There was this guy who augmented his car to run on old deep fryer oil that had worked its way to the bottom of the diner food chain.

    They were giving it to him just so they didn’t have to pay to have it disposedof.

    The car ran beautifully, but they made him take it off the road due to the stench complaints.

    That was at least a decade ago.

    Point is he was early on board with your JohnKu.

    Count me in!

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    Liked by 2 people

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