European Carmakers defend diesel to lower CO2 emissions

This is the Air Force refueling aircraft I flew on in the 80's. With water injection during takeoff to increase thrust, we put out a lot of black smoke. (Jet fuel and diesel fuel are both mostly kerosene.)

 

Part of this is illusiory, as the european tests over state mileage, and favor diesel cars.
Why European Gas-Mileage Ratings Are So High--And Often Wrong

Many of us thought that maybe the US test was too tough on diesel, but vw wasn't even following european easier euro 5 rules to spike it.

Compare Side-by-Side
This gives probably a closer real world comparison. A bmw diesel gets 29% more mpg on the epa test than its gasoline counterpart, the ford hybrid gets 44% higher mpg. But the diesel doesn't really do that much better the fuel has more energy, so it cost more and efficiency needs to be recalculated. That puts that bmw only about 15% more efficient versus its advanced gasoline engine.

Most people in the US don't really think diesel should pollute more than gasoline. When the regulations were loser, people didn't buy diesel cars here because they were dirty. With low oil prices and gas taxes in the US, diesel just doesn't make sense. The europeans with EURO 6 decided diesel pollution levels were too high in europe, just like the US regulators decided in the US. With the added cost to actually put in the emissions equipment, fuel prices need to be higher to really favor diesel over gasoline, and if they are higher hybrids, phev, and bevs may be better choices.

Your home new zealand just doesn't have the population density, so higher pollution levels may be alright. I don't think american regulations prevent new zealanders from using more polluting cars, but it isn't right for americans, and Europe is imposing stricter limits that will clean their air and have already made diesel pollution control more expensive.

Heavier thirstier vehicles like SUVs, trucks, busses, and vans may increase diesel market share in the US as makers figure out how to make exhaust cleaner. By 2025 cafe standards may push more of these to diesel, plug-in or hybrid. They will cost more for the diesel pollution controls and fuel though. That added cost doesn't make sense in the US for a car.

 

Screw-the-Folkswagen

;-) European Emissions are cracking-down on gasoline engines too. They may need Soot filters for GDI engines to pass 2017 regulations.

 

"...one of six military fixed-wing aircraft with over 50 years of continuous service with its original operator."
Hard to believe that the last of the 135s rolled off of the assembly line in the mid 60's....and harder still to believe that examples may still be flying beyond 2020.......and 2030!!!

Boeing builds good stuff!!!

Smoke and all!

 

What should drive the emission standards? The effects on vehicle efficiency or the pollution concentration in the air? This seems to be heading to the core issue of the discussion. Are we to set city, country, and worldwide emission standards based on some point where vehicle makers state it is most ideal for them or the technologies they like? Or do we set emission standards based on getting rid of pollution?

 

It look like the plane is rolling coal over the Prius underneath it.

 

I'm pretty sure the KC135A were re-engined with high-bypass, turbofans that significantly improved performance.

Bob Wilson

 

Damn CAFE regs again....

 

Pretty cool concept, water injection to increase take off performance back the the 1950s. I didn't know about it. cooling from vaporization allows for more fuel burn. 2500L of water over 2.5 minutes increases thrust from 10,000 lbf to 13,000 lbf on that plane.

It appears these were replaced with modern GE turbofans generating 22.500 lbf of thrust, plenty to significantly improve take off performance and 25% more efficient and can handle 50% more fuel while being 26 decibels quiteter. This is a 1974 design but I don't know when the planes were retrofitted the modified plane is designated 135R,
Factsheets : KC-135R Stratotanker
Its amazing these old birds are still flying missions. It was a lot cheaper replacing the engines than keeping the old one's going. These are planned to be replaced with 767 based refuelers.

Now back to the topic.

 

The last SITREP I got on the 135s is that they're going to replace the older hulls first with the newer KC-46's(?) with an initial run of 100, but some of the 135's will still be going wheels-up into the 30's.....meaning 2030.

Quite an impressive run for a great platform.

 

Yes, we where about half way done with retrofitting to newer engines when I got out in 1988. I never flew with the new engines.

When I was still flying on KC-135's in the 80s, they were telling us even then that the plan was to keep them flying until 2050.

Back in the day, even F-4 fighters would trail black smoke during the whole flight. A much easier target for the ground guys to shoot down. They got wise and tuned the engines to not do that anymore.

 

Looks more like giving payback to that B52 in the background, which could also do it quite well.

 

What did an F-4 fighter jet sound like during takeoff when it rattled your windows? "The sound of freedom!" Black smoke and all.

 

Growing up we had an ANG base nearby.
You could always pick an F4 out of the crowd just by listening.

Another warbird with a loooooooong service run.
The F4 was introduced in the late 50's and we still used them as Weasels in the Gulf, and in fact we still use them for target drones and they're still in front line service in 5 countries.
Big.
Heavy.
Fast.

If it were a car, it would be a Dodge Challenger.
It's the only plane that was used both by the squids and the aridales in their demonstration teams (Blue Angels and Thunderbirds.)

Since we don't have enough money for each of the services to have their own toys, the F35 might be the second plane to be used by both since the F4, not counting trash haulers like the 130.

Good stuff.

I couldn't find a very good picture, but Europeans had their smokers too....

 

A kids bicycle with cards in the spokes compared to an SR-71 takeoff. In 1972, I was about 3 miles away and remember a night takeoff . . . two huge tongues of flame that disappeared like the Cheshire cat leaving behind only the thunder. When first sound was heard in daylight, you had only seconds to find it before the SR-71 climbed and became a dot and eventually disappeared in the haze.

There was a story that during the Vietnam war, the Russians parked a trawler off the end of the Kadena runway to 'watch airplanes' like the occasional B-52. An SR-71 was loaded with light fuel, put at the opposite end of the runway and did a max power, low pass over the trawler. The SR-71 was off the deck before 1/3d of the runway and super sonic by the beach. It passed at a very low altitude over the trawler which after a suitable pause, away.

Bob Wilson

ps. Concord was impressive too.

 

Cool story!

I've been at an undisclosed location overseas taxiing out for takeoff pre-dawn. We were told to hold short of a hanger. An SR-71 was taxiing out for takeoff. We later sat at the end of the runway and watched the SR-71 takeoff and do a max effort climb. You could count the many stages of afterburner rings.

I once flew on a KC-135 configured for SR-71 refuelings, though our crew was not qualified for that mission. When we went overseas to a tanker task force base, once there we flew other bases aircraft. Often, during a 45 day deployment we would not see "our" aircraft again until we flew it home.

I often miss the Cold War, Regan years. Lots of comradery in a flying squadron. But, I do have some of that now. Many pilots I work with have great stories of their own to tell about the two gulf wars.

 

About 700 from what I can tell. http://www.transport.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Research/Documents/2013-Fleet-report-final.pdf

Damage? It's an exaggeration to say air quality is determined by the Pacific Ocean/Tasman Sea, but it's not too far from the truth. We have a few days of air quality exceedences per year - my perception is wood burners are the main culprit there during cold and still weather.

 

Those are the kind of things that should be killed (at least fight against) when still small.