SWE - Fall 2008 - (Page 46)

“Fuel consumption will be the focus as well as how we drive. We can’t look to escalating performance anymore.” John Heywood, Ph.D., Sloan Automotive Laboratories, MIT improved turbine generators and new fuel cell technologies that use coal-derived synthetic fuels, along with new ways to capture and store greenhouse gases instead of releasing them into the atmosphere,” he said. Redesign the engine While researchers pursue new fuel sources, Dr. Heywood at MIT’s Sloan Automotive Laboratory is developing technology to make engines more fuel-efficient and cut emissions. According to Dr. Heywood, petroleum currently provides the most energy for its cost, but because petroleum won’t last, biomass fuels are an option. Auto manufacturers already are improving mainstream technology and advancing it to large-scale production. Recently passed legislation mandates that cars must average 35 mpg by 2020. “Fuel consumption will be the focus as well as how we drive. We can’t look to escalating performance anymore,” noted Dr. Heywood. He suggested a technology to give feedback to drivers advising them when they are using more fuel than necessary due to bad driving habits. Elsewhere, research universities such as the University of Maryland and the National Institute of Standards are designing a fuel tank that will store enough raw hydrogen to drive a reasonable distance. Other areas where new technologies can vastly improve fuel consumption are variable valve controls to reduce engine friction, improving the transmission, and turbocharged engines. Dr. Heywood said these are getting a lot of emphasis along with plug-in hybrids. “With turbo-charged engines, you can compress the air, which improves the performance of the engine. The car’s weight goes down with a smaller and more efficient engine,” he pointed out. Multiple options Cicerone ended his speech at the National Academy of Sciences meeting by declaring the need to maintain an expanded vision that includes all possible energy sources. “There is no single action or individual technology that will take us to this goal,” he said. “Rather, we must explore all sources and pathways and discover, invent, and optimize in each case.” Madlinger agrees that we are on the verge of a new era in the production of energy. “There are so many technologies out there,” she said. “It will be interesting to see which ones pan out, which ones are the most cost-effective.” I Copyright © 2008 Boeing. All rights reserved. WHAT DO YOU SEE IN YOUR FUTURE? YOUR FUTURE SHOULD BE AS FULL and dynamic as your imagination can conjure. Ideas that move us. That protect us. That help us see the world as it is and give us the tools to make it better. If that’s the future you imagine, come build it at Boeing. That’s why we’re here. The job categories below reﬂect skills we are seeking for various positions in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington. To view the available jobs at each location and to apply, visit: boeing.com/collegecareers Apply at: boeing.com/collegecareers – click on “get hired” To view the available jobs at each location and to apply, visit: boeing.com/employment. Security clearance requirements are indicated in the position listings. U.S. citizenship is necessary for all positions requiring a security clearance. Boeing is an equal opportunity employer supporting diversity in the workplace. 46 SWE FALL 2008 http://boeing.com http://boeing.com/collegecareers http://boeing.com/collegecareers http://boeing.com/employment

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SWE - Fall 2008

SWE - Fall 2008 Heritage Club Contents Farewell Message from FY08 President Michelle Tortolani Congratulations SWE Magazine A Conversation with FY09 President Virginia Connolly, P.E. Introducing the FY09 Board of Directors View from the Executive Suite Editor's Page Public Policy Update SWE Retention Study, Part 6 Membership Information & Calendar A&B SWE Member Kristina Johnson First Woman to Receive John Fritz Medal University Labs Fuel a New Era in Energy Women Engineering Leaders in Academe 2008 Opening the Gateways to Engineering Your Collegiate Section History is Waiting to Be Discovered Honoring the Legacy of Ada Pressman, P.E. Report from WEPAN Engineering World Proposed Bylaws Amendments Point of View Correction Career Toolbox Corporate Partnership Council Book Review SWE Smiles In Memory Opportunity Index SWE Scrapbook

SWE - Fall 2008

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