Airpocalypse
 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-0...rpocalyse.html



London's Dirty Secret: Pollution Worse Than Beijing's



London has a dirty secret.



Levels of the harmful air pollutant nitrogen dioxide at a city-center monitoring station are the highest in Europe. Concentrations are greater even than in Beijing, where expatriates have dubbed the city's smog the "airpocalypse."



It's the law of unintended consequences at work. European Union efforts to fight climate change favored diesel fuel over gasoline because it emits less carbon dioxide, or CO2. However, diesel's contaminants have swamped benefits from measures that include a toll drivers pay to enter central London, a thriving bike-hire program and growing public-transport network.

Time to face reality: London was designed for bicycles, not motor vehicles..

A few years ago there was some story about a company in Carmarillo that was injecting hot gasoline w/ catalyst directly into the cylinders of an engine, much like a diesel. Unlike diesel, all of the fuel was injected at once near top dead center for a high pressure ratio Otto cycle, more efficient than a diesel cycle for the same compression. Supposedly the engine would fire at really lean fuel mixtures so the vehicle could cruise at 40 km/l.

That would be ultimate smog engine. It's surprising more hasn't been done with it.


Bret Cahill

Airpocalypse
 

Bret Cahill writes:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-0...ty-secret-poll
utes-like-beijing-airpocalyse.html


London's Dirty Secret: Pollution Worse Than Beijing's


London has a dirty secret.


Levels of the harmful air pollutant nitrogen dioxide at a city-center
monitoring station are the highest in Europe. Concentrations are
greater even than in Beijing, where expatriates have dubbed the
city's smog the "airpocalypse."


[...]

Time to face reality: London was designed for bicycles, not motor
vehicles.

To be fair, it was originally designed for Roman pedestrians or native
farm animals. Fortunately, bicycles generate much less pollution than
either of those.

However, the actual levels of air pollution in the city are much worse
than indicated by the monitoring stations. The council fiddle those
readings by regularly spraying a sticky substance on the roads in the
immediate vicinity so that some proportion of the pollutants do not
reach the sensors.

--
Mark

Airpocalypse
 

On 22/06/2014 19:58, Mark Williams wrote:
Bret Cahill writes:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-0...ty-secret-poll
utes-like-beijing-airpocalyse.html


London's Dirty Secret: Pollution Worse Than Beijing's


London has a dirty secret.


Levels of the harmful air pollutant nitrogen dioxide at a city-center
monitoring station are the highest in Europe. Concentrations are
greater even than in Beijing, where expatriates have dubbed the
city's smog the "airpocalypse."


[...]

Time to face reality: London was designed for bicycles, not motor
vehicles.

To be fair, it was originally designed for Roman pedestrians or native
farm animals. Fortunately, bicycles generate much less pollution than
either of those.

However, the actual levels of air pollution in the city are much worse
than indicated by the monitoring stations. The council fiddle those
readings by regularly spraying a sticky substance on the roads in the
immediate vicinity so that some proportion of the pollutants do not
reach the sensors.

But you're not a conspiracy theorist or anything.

Airpocalypse
 

On Thu, 29 May 2014 08:40:47 -0700 (PDT), Bret Cahill
wrote:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-0...rpocalyse.html



London's Dirty Secret: Pollution Worse Than Beijing's



London has a dirty secret.



Levels of the harmful air pollutant nitrogen dioxide at a city-center monitoring station are the highest in Europe. Concentrations are greater even than in Beijing, where expatriates have dubbed the city's smog the "airpocalypse."



It's the law of unintended consequences at work. European Union efforts to fight climate change favored diesel fuel over gasoline because it emits less carbon dioxide, or CO2. However, diesel's contaminants have swamped benefits from measures that include a toll drivers pay to enter central London, a thriving bike-hire program and growing public-transport network.

Time to face reality: London was designed for bicycles, not motor vehicles.



Oh really - when do you think that London was actually "designed for bicycles"?

(I am not disputing that it was not designed for motor vehicles: but I think
you will find it was designed for neither)

Airpocalypse
 

On Thu, 29 May 2014 08:40:47 -0700 (PDT), Bret Cahill
wrote:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-0...rpocalyse.html



London's Dirty Secret: Pollution Worse Than Beijing's



London has a dirty secret.



Levels of the harmful air pollutant nitrogen dioxide at a city-center monitoring station are the highest in Europe. Concentrations are greater even than in Beijing, where expatriates have dubbed the city's smog the "airpocalypse."



It's the law of unintended consequences at work. European Union efforts to fight climate change favored diesel fuel over gasoline because it emits less carbon dioxide, or CO2. However, diesel's contaminants have swamped benefits from measures that include a toll drivers pay to enter central London, a thriving bike-hire program and growing public-transport network.

Time to face reality: London was designed for bicycles, not motor vehicles.

A few years ago there was some story about a company in Carmarillo that was injecting hot gasoline w/ catalyst directly into the cylinders of an engine, much like a diesel. Unlike diesel, all of the fuel was injected at once near top dead center for a high pressure ratio Otto cycle

Where can one buy these Otto cycles please?

Airpocalypse
 

On Mon, 23 Jun 2014 07:58:21 +0100, Judith wrote:

On Thu, 29 May 2014 08:40:47 -0700 (PDT), Bret Cahill

wrote:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-0...-dirty-secret-
pollutes-like-beijing-airpocalyse.html



London's Dirty Secret: Pollution Worse Than Beijing's



London has a dirty secret.



Levels of the harmful air pollutant nitrogen dioxide at a city-center
monitoring station are the highest in Europe. Concentrations are
greater even than in Beijing, where expatriates have dubbed the city's
smog the "airpocalypse."



It's the law of unintended consequences at work. European Union
efforts to fight climate change favored diesel fuel over gasoline
because it emits less carbon dioxide, or CO2. However, diesel's
contaminants have swamped benefits from measures that include a toll
drivers pay to enter central London, a thriving bike-hire program and
growing public-transport network.

Time to face reality: London was designed for bicycles, not motor
vehicles.



Oh really - when do you think that London was actually "designed for
bicycles"?

(I am not disputing that it was not designed for motor vehicles: but I
think you will find it was designed for neither)

From my experience I think London just happened. It was not planned for
anything.

Airpocalypse
 

On 23/06/2014 07:58, Judith wrote:

Bret Cahill wrote:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-0...rpocalyse.html

London's Dirty Secret: Pollution Worse Than Beijing's
London has a dirty secret.
Levels of the harmful air pollutant nitrogen dioxide at a city-center monitoring station are the highest in Europe. Concentrations are greater even than in Beijing, where expatriates have dubbed the city's smog the "airpocalypse."
It's the law of unintended consequences at work. European Union efforts to fight climate change favored diesel fuel over gasoline because it emits less carbon dioxide, or CO2. However, diesel's contaminants have swamped benefits from measures that include a toll drivers pay to enter central London, a thriving bike-hire program and growing public-transport network.

Time to face reality: London was designed for bicycles, not motor vehicles.

Oh really - when do you think that London was actually "designed for bicycles"?

(I am not disputing that it was not designed for motor vehicles: but I think
you will find it was designed for neither)

This old "not designed for motor vehicles" chestnut fails to take
account of something significant.

Go to Pompeii, look at the streets, and you are seeing design which
lasted from the Roman Empire to the almost-present day: the thoroughfare
lined with (as it happens, terraced) buildings, equipped with a footway
at either side and a carriageway in the middle, all paved.

As the centuries wore on, design standards improved and thoroughfares
and their carriageways became wider, mainly to cater for the heavier
horse-drawn traffic needed in larger settlements. Bicycles were never
calculated to "fit" that design and didn't need to be.

But motor vehicles *were* designed to fit into the urban landscape - and
better at it than horse-drawn traffic.

Their overall payload dimensions were based on horse-drawn vehicles,
whether of people, goods, or both. And since London - like other modern
cities - was increasingly designed for equine power, motor vehicles,
usually of roughly a traditional capacity, but much more compact because
of the removed need for draught animals, they were even more suited to
motor traffic than they had been to animal power.

So... cities were not designed for bicycles. That never happened and
only someone quite unhinged could try to claim it.

OTOH, cities were designed for vehicles of the size of the motor car or
(usually) bigger.

Airpocalypse
 

On Mon, 23 Jun 2014 13:45:30 +0100, JNugent
wrote:

On 23/06/2014 07:58, Judith wrote:

Bret Cahill wrote:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-0...rpocalyse.html

London's Dirty Secret: Pollution Worse Than Beijing's
London has a dirty secret.
Levels of the harmful air pollutant nitrogen dioxide at a city-center monitoring station are the highest in Europe. Concentrations are greater even than in Beijing, where expatriates have dubbed the city's smog the "airpocalypse."
It's the law of unintended consequences at work. European Union efforts to fight climate change favored diesel fuel over gasoline because it emits less carbon dioxide, or CO2. However, diesel's contaminants have swamped benefits from measures that include a toll drivers pay to enter central London, a thriving bike-hire program and growing public-transport network.

Time to face reality: London was designed for bicycles, not motor vehicles.

Oh really - when do you think that London was actually "designed for bicycles"?

(I am not disputing that it was not designed for motor vehicles: but I think
you will find it was designed for neither)

This old "not designed for motor vehicles" chestnut fails to take
account of something significant.

Go to Pompeii, look at the streets, and you are seeing design which
lasted from the Roman Empire to the almost-present day: the thoroughfare
lined with (as it happens, terraced) buildings, equipped with a footway
at either side and a carriageway in the middle, all paved.

As the centuries wore on, design standards improved and thoroughfares
and their carriageways became wider, mainly to cater for the heavier
horse-drawn traffic needed in larger settlements. Bicycles were never
calculated to "fit" that design and didn't need to be.

But motor vehicles *were* designed to fit into the urban landscape - and
better at it than horse-drawn traffic.

Their overall payload dimensions were based on horse-drawn vehicles,
whether of people, goods, or both. And since London - like other modern
cities - was increasingly designed for equine power, motor vehicles,
usually of roughly a traditional capacity, but much more compact because
of the removed need for draught animals, they were even more suited to
motor traffic than they had been to animal power.

So, when riding a bike, we should all haul a 5'6" wide trailer, and
motor vehicle drivers and cyclists will all get along fine.

Or, you are talking nonsense....

I'd be happy to wager £50 on the latter being closer to the truth.

So... cities were not designed for bicycles. That never happened and
only someone quite unhinged could try to claim it.

OTOH, cities were designed for vehicles of the size of the motor car or
(usually) bigger.

Airpocalypse
 

On 23/06/2014 15:33, Bertie Wooster wrote:

JNugent wrote:
On 23/06/2014 07:58, Judith wrote:
Bret Cahill wrote:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-0...rpocalyse.html

London's Dirty Secret: Pollution Worse Than Beijing's
London has a dirty secret.
Levels of the harmful air pollutant nitrogen dioxide at a city-center monitoring station are the highest in Europe. Concentrations are greater even than in Beijing, where expatriates have dubbed the city's smog the "airpocalypse."
It's the law of unintended consequences at work. European Union efforts to fight climate change favored diesel fuel over gasoline because it emits less carbon dioxide, or CO2. However, diesel's contaminants have swamped benefits from measures that include a toll drivers pay to enter central London, a thriving bike-hire program and growing public-transport network.

Time to face reality: London was designed for bicycles, not motor vehicles.

Oh really - when do you think that London was actually "designed for bicycles"?
(I am not disputing that it was not designed for motor vehicles: but I think
you will find it was designed for neither)

This old "not designed for motor vehicles" chestnut fails to take
account of something significant.
Go to Pompeii, look at the streets, and you are seeing design which
lasted from the Roman Empire to the almost-present day: the thoroughfare
lined with (as it happens, terraced) buildings, equipped with a footway
at either side and a carriageway in the middle, all paved.
As the centuries wore on, design standards improved and thoroughfares
and their carriageways became wider, mainly to cater for the heavier
horse-drawn traffic needed in larger settlements. Bicycles were never
calculated to "fit" that design and didn't need to be.
But motor vehicles *were* designed to fit into the urban landscape - and
better at it than horse-drawn traffic.
Their overall payload dimensions were based on horse-drawn vehicles,
whether of people, goods, or both. And since London - like other modern
cities - was increasingly designed for equine power, motor vehicles,
usually of roughly a traditional capacity, but much more compact because
of the removed need for draught animals, they were even more suited to
motor traffic than they had been to animal power.

So, when riding a bike, we should all haul a 5'6" wide trailer, and
motor vehicle drivers and cyclists will all get along fine.

Would you be able to keep up a non-obstructive speed if you did that?

Or, you are talking nonsense....

Everything I wrote above is absolutely factual.

I'd be happy to wager £50 on the latter being closer to the truth.

Have you never even seen a picture of a Pompeii street, then?

Try: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Pompeii_Street.jpg

Or: http://www.dl.ket.org/latin/mores/housing/images/pompeii_street.jpg

Have a guess why the carriageway is as wide as it is.

Are you unaware that almost every Victorian street in London is at least
two to three times as wide?

So... cities were not designed for bicycles. That never happened and
only someone quite unhinged could try to claim it.
OTOH, cities were designed for vehicles of the size of the motor car or
(usually) bigger.

No argument with that, then?

Airpocalypse
 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-0...rpocalyse.html







London's Dirty Secret: Pollution Worse Than Beijing's







London has a dirty secret.







Levels of the harmful air pollutant nitrogen dioxide at a city-center monitoring station are the highest in Europe. Concentrations are greater even than in Beijing, where expatriates have dubbed the city's smog the "airpocalypse."







It's the law of unintended consequences at work. European Union efforts to fight climate change favored diesel fuel over gasoline because it emits less carbon dioxide, or CO2. However, diesel's contaminants have swamped benefits from measures that include a toll drivers pay to enter central London, a thriving bike-hire program and growing public-transport network.



Time to face reality: London was designed for bicycles, not motor vehicles.



A few years ago there was some story about a company in Carmarillo that was injecting hot gasoline w/ catalyst directly into the cylinders of an engine, much like a diesel. Unlike diesel, all of the fuel was injected at once near top dead center for a high pressure ratio Otto cycle



Where can one buy these Otto cycles please?

That's a _thermo_ cycle, an irrelevant sketch that bores even engineers.

I never heard anything more about the engine -- something you _could_ buy if it worked -- probably because it has a materials issue:

The rings could never handle the pressure.


Bret Cahill