Re: Rethinking the Internal Combustion Engine

[Christopher Meier <Christopher.Meier@MCI2000.COM>]

Is anyone on the list aware of studies on the exhaust gas
concentration in the airstream on a freeway during periods
with less than congested traffic?

I've often thought about what I might be breathing as I
drive to and from work.  I occasionally will adjust my
driving to avoid a particularly smelly/visible particulate
vehicle, and when I spot them ahead I'll turn off the
air vents until I'm past them.  How many new vehicles
have air vent intake filters?

Depending on what facts there are to demonstrate
the risk, this could be a good issue to raise interest
in zero emission ev's.

I don't recall reading anything specific to this topic
on the ev list, but I could have missed it.  Most
emission related topics deal with how the EV
relocates the emissions to a power plant and
the relative efficiency of the gas and electric
generation/delivery/use systems.  For example,
http://www.crest.org/efficiency/ev-list-archive/9712/msg00202.html
suggests
    'If you are going to sell EVs, sell it
    for its "Quiet Power", not for emissions.'

Which completely misses your point; but these
days it would seem the general public probably
isn't interested in making the air more breathable
for the guy driving behind them, so the focus
would have to be more on the 'no exhaust
leaking into your house while the car warms
up in the garage during the winter (a real
problem in cold climates - just say no!)'
A web search (using webferret with
"automobile exhaust"+concentration) turned up
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/carbon2.html
    "Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning from
    Small Gasoline-Powered Engines and Tools "
which may hold interest for those building gensets
=66rom small gas engines.


-----Original Message-----
=46rom: Tsuyoshi Matsuo <matstsu@sc.llu.edu>
To: ev@sjsuvm1.sjsu.edu <ev@sjsuvm1.sjsu.edu>
Date: Friday, February 27, 1998 7:25 PM
Subject: Rethinking the Internal Combustion Engine


=2E..But I think the most important thing about the
electric motor is that it is zero emission of toxins.  And the best
benefit we can gain from transition from the ICE to the electric moto=
r
is better health.  Before I get off the list, I just wanted the peopl=
e
on the list to think about it.  The following is an essay I wrote las=
t
summer about this issue.  I hope you'll take the time and read it.

Rethinking the Internal Combustion Engine

I=92m writing this to warn you that people are getting injured and ki=
lled
by the exhaust gases of internal combustion engines...



Re: Rethinking the Internal Combustion Engine