Germany's motor industry is advancing by leaps and bounds, surpassing even Toyota's hydrogen, which seems to remain a mere experiment compared to the innovation of Volkswagen or Renault. Right in the middle of its "golden age," experts from half the world have been shocked to learn about the new engine launched by a mythical brand in a European country. It is so strange; it is not even placed under the hood and uses no fuel, although it has zero emissions.
This is the most futuristic engine ever: It does not go under the hood but in this part.
At present, BMW is in the limelight for its new product innovation of incorporating in-wheel motors in electric vehicles. This electric drive system, jointly created with Munich's startup DeepDrive, will revolutionize the world of electric mobility. Innately, the cylindrical-shaped motor of BMW's new in-wheel motor is the result of DeepDrive's innovative radial-flux dual-rotor technology.
This unique design sets it apart from conventional electric motors in several key ways:
- Dual-Rotor Design: In traditional electric motors, while the stator moves an internal or an external rotor in motion, DeepDrive's technology enables the stator to drive both the internal and external rotors. This intelligent design leads to a smaller motor unit that is more efficient in its use of power.
- Compact Size: The dual-rotor concept design is very efficient in that it integrates two electric motors into a single unit – the drive unit. It also has a compact design, which enables it to be installed directly within the wheel hubs and, therefore, presents new possibilities for automobiles and their space utilization.
From its unprecedented performance to its unexpected efficiency, The BMW in-wheel engine, in detail
While specific power figures for BMW's implementation are not yet public, DeepDrive's technology boasts impressive performance metrics:
- Efficiency Gains: An innovative dual-rotor configuration will likely enhance the vehicle's efficiency by as much as 20 percent more than any other electric motor. This significant improvement could mean an increase in the range of EVs.
- Torque Output: Purchasers can get DeepDrive with different motors for various types of automobiles. The company's best model is the RM 2400, which can produce up to 2400 Nm (1770 lb-ft) torque.
- Power Output: The RM 2400 variant can deliver up to 250 kW of maximum power output, which is more than enough for myriad vehicle types.
- Weight Reduction: However, this engine is not its heaviest since the RM 2400 only weighs 37 kg and generates a powerful output. This makes it easier for vehicles using the technology to be lighter, thereby improving efficiency and performance.
Why develop an in-wheel engine? This new technology could be better than we thought.
The in-wheel motor technology offers several performance benefits:
- Improved Range: The 20% improvement in the efficiency that LTEA can offer means a 20% increase or improvement in the driving range of electric cars vehicles or a 20% reduction in the battery size to be used but with the same range.
- Enhanced Vehicle Dynamics: Since every wheel has its own motor, it makes ends meet with torque vectoring, which promotes handling and traction control.
- Space Efficiency: This reduces the space requirement for a central motor, a transmission, and other drive train attributes, and hence, the in-wheel motors offer more space within the car for other uses or innovation.
- Reduced Complexity: The concept of in-wheel motors is less complex than RWD, which can reduce manufacturing costs and reliability.
This new BMW in-wheel engine is closer to being the prototype that the country has been waiting for years to revolutionize the zero-emission industry. The challenge remains to overcome the high tariffs that China intends to impose to avoid what they have called "unfair competition," which will dominate the motoring news in the coming months (we will see what effect this has on our industry, of course).
The most modern engine doesn't go in the engine and isn't hydrogen: BMW has disclosed it.
Germany's motor industry is advancing by leaps and bounds, surpassing even Toyota's hydrogen, which seems to remain a mere experiment compared to the innovation of Volkswagen or Renault. Right in the middle of its "golden age", experts from half the world have been shocked to learn about the new engine launched by a mythical brand in a European country. It is so strange; it is not even placed under the hood and uses no fuel, although it has zero emissions.
This is the most futuristic engine ever: It does not go under the hood,but in this part.
At present, BMW is in the limelight for its new product innovation of incorporating in-wheel motors in electric vehicles. This electric drive system, jointly created with Munich's startup DeepDrive, will revolutionize the world of electric mobility. Innately, the cylindrical-shaped motor of BMW's new in-wheel motor is the result of DeepDrive's innovative radial-flux dual-rotor technology.
This unique design sets it apart from conventional electric motors in several key ways:
- Dual-Rotor Design: In traditional electric motors, while the stator moves an internal or an external rotor in motion, DeepDrive's technology enables the stator to drive both the internal and external rotors. This intelligent design leads to a smaller motor unit that is more efficient in its use of power.
- Compact Size: The dual-rotor concept design is very efficient in that it integrates two electric motors into a single unit – the drive unit. It also has a compact design, which enables it to be installed directly within the wheel hubs and, therefore, presents new possibilities for automobiles and their space utilization.
From its unprecedented performance to its unexpected efficiency, The BMW in-wheel engine, in detail
While specific power figures for BMW's implementation are not yet public, DeepDrive's technology boasts impressive performance metrics:
- Efficiency Gains: An innovative dual-rotor configuration will likely enhance the vehicle's efficiency by as much as 20 percent more than any other electric motor. This significant improvement could mean an increase in the range of EVs.
- Torque Output: Purchasers can get DeepDrive with different motors for various types of automobiles. The company's best model is the RM 2400, which can produce up to 2400 Nm (1770 lb-ft) torque.
- Power Output: The RM 2400 variant can deliver up to 250 kW of maximum power output, which is more than enough for myriad vehicle types.
- Weight Reduction: However, this engine is not its heaviest since the RM 2400 only weighs 37 kg and generates a powerful output. This makes it easier for vehicles using the technology to be lighter, thereby improving efficiency and performance.
Why develop an in-wheel engine? This new technology could be better than we thought.
The in-wheel motor technology offers several performance benefits:
- Improved Range: The 20% improvement in the efficiency that LTEA can offer means a 20% increase or improvement in the driving range of the vehicles in electric cars or a 20% reduction in the battery size to be used but with the same range.
- Enhanced Vehicle Dynamics: Since every wheel has its own motor, it makes ends meet with torque vectoring, which promotes handling and traction control.
- Space Efficiency: This reduces the space requirement for a central motor, a transmission, and other drive train attributes, and hence, the in-wheel motors offer more space within the car for other uses or innovation.
- Reduced Complexity: The concept of in-wheel motors is less complex compared to RWD, which can reduce manufacturing costs and reliability.
This new BMW in-wheel engine is closer to being the prototype that the country has been waiting for years to revolutionize the zero-emission industry. The challenge remains to overcome the high tariffs that China intends to impose to avoid what they have called "unfair competition," which will dominate the motoring news in the coming months (we will see what effect this has on our industry, of course).
Einstein anticipated the air motor, and it has been made: It runs at 18000 mph without refueling
Why do countries launch so many rockets into space? It’s not just for exploration or for taking pictures of the moon and stars. You rely on satellites that orbit the Earth for almost every aspect of your daily life. You get directions from GPS signals that ping from satellites, and your cellphone sends and receives messages that way too. By launching a rocket with an engine fueled by methane and oxygen, China will be able to send rockets into Earth’s orbit at 18,000 miles per hour without refueling.
A new type of rocket fuel could launch China farther into space, beating its competition by a million miles
China has announced the successful launch of ZQ-2 Y2, the nickname of the country’s first liquid methane and liquid oxygen-fueled spacecraft. American scientists are worried about catching up to this breakthrough in aerospace engineering. Chinese companies and government organizations work hard to be at the forefront of technological innovation, and this event proves that their efforts pay off. Using this new fuel, China could save millions of dollars and reduce some of the emissions created when launching rockets.
Liquid methane and liquid oxygen are not easy to create. To turn these gases into liquids, scientists have to force them through metal tubes submerged in super-cold liquid nitrogen. The freezing temperature slows down the gas particles, turning the substance into a liquid. Liquid methane and liquid oxygen burn much cleaner than traditional rocket fuel, which is made from petroleum.
Einstein talked of an air engine, but this liquid oxygen and methane-fueled launch changes everything
Albert Einstein was one of the most brilliant minds of his generation, and he passed down many innovative ideas for inventions. He even talked about using an air engine to create bigger and faster vehicles. However, the ZQ-2 Y2 doesn’t need an air engine to reach a top speed of 18,000 miles per hour. The engine in this rocket uses liquid fuel but with a twist. Instead of using kerosene or a form of purified gasoline, this Chinese rocket uses liquid oxygen and liquid methane.
Liquid oxygen has been used in aerospace engineering for some time. It has generally been added to fuel to increase the combustion capabilities of the engine. Since fire needs oxygen to burn, combining liquid oxygen with another liquid fuel creates massive explosions, and it takes a huge explosion to launch a rocket. However, China’s use of liquid methane as the main fuel could change the future of aerospace ventures. Methane is considered a greener, cheaper, and more effective fuel source than kerosene.
The use of better fuel is going to impact the space and aviation industries for the next 100 years
Now that China has shown the world that it’s possible to launch a rocket with liquid methane, every other country will race to develop the same technology. Using liquid methane to launch rockets has many potential benefits, including:
- Safe storage
- Low-cost production
- Non-toxic substance
- Highly versatile
Methane takes time to produce, but if more countries invest heavily in research and development of this fuel source, it could become a fixture in the space and aviation industries. China will continue to launch test rockets with liquid methane as the main fuel source and conduct safety and efficacy trials.
As with most technological breakthroughs, more testing needs to be done to explore the use of liquid methane as rocket fuel. Most methane is harvested from the Earth, which impacts the environment. Researchers want to find greener ways of creating methane, mostly from decaying organic matter. For now, China has been the most avid pursuer of this alternate fuel source and has made impressive strides for the future of the industry.
Not electric, not hydrogen, but air: The first engine that runs on oxygen alone, revealed to the world
Just several weeks ago, we told you about the Spaniard who invented the first water engine in history half a century ago. Mysteriously (or not), it ended up being a failure, and now the closest thing we have left is hydrogen. But what if we were to use air, or more specifically, oxygen, to power a car? This could be a striking alternative to EVs, which are making headway but need a “transition fuel” to replace PHEVs, far from zero emissions.
India once planned to revolutionize the roads with air: It was before the hydrogen engine
Tata Motors, one of the largest automobile manufacturing companies in India, undertook a project in the early 2000s to launch an air-based engine. This revolutionary idea was to change the outlook of the automobile manufacturing industry by providing a cleaner, more efficient, and cheaper source of power than the conventional internal combustion engine.
Air-powered engines, also known as compressed air engines, operate on a simple principle: compressed air is employed in lieu of fuel to operate the vehicle, where pistons are made to work as a result of compressed air. The concept of remote work itself can be described as rather old-fashioned, having been first tried in the nineteenth century.
In 2007, Tata Motors declared its association with Motor Development International (MDI), a Luxembourg company that devoted to compressed air engine systems. It was planned to make air-powered Cars in India; Tata Motors bought the technology and rights to build as well as sell air-powered vehicles from MDI.
Tata Motors’ air-powered engine was a failure: The strange reason behind this ending.
The basic part of an air-powered engine was a tank, which was subsequently filled with compressed air. This was used for the storage of energy, much like the tank used to store fuel in ordinary automobiles.
Despite the promising concept and initial enthusiasm, Tata Motors’ air-powered engine project faced several challenges that ultimately led to its failure:
- Technical Limitations: Compressed air technology never had the power or range to allow it to be put into practical use every day. These challenges included the comparatively low energy density of compressed air as compared to conventional fuels.
- Infrastructure Challenges: The use of air-powered vehicles would have entailed the need for lots of infrastructure, such as refueling stations with high-pressure air compressors, to name but a few.
- Safety Concerns: The high-pressure air tanks became a nightmare when it came to safety, especially in cases of mishaps or failures of the tanks.
- Regulatory Hurdles: The process of seeking regulatory approvals for a new technology and unconventional propulsion system was challenging and time-consuming.
The truth is that we cannot speak of a different end than expected since this type of “fuel” was tested several decades ago and also ended up being a failure. However, Tata Motors’ proposal is very different, so the mobility sector has a lot to learn. We would even be talking about something more than an experimental prototype, as on other occasions.
It is inevitable to think that models like this Tata Motors air-powered engine could be an option for the future, although it has already proven not to be as viable as we would like. We have seen other experimental models running on nitrogen, alcohol, and even wine. Still, they have all demonstrated the same thing: we can get them out of the way of EVs and innovate elsewhere, but realistically, that does not seem like a bad joke for the zero-emission mobility sector.