Saturday, September 26, 2009

MAZDA, BP DEBUT ADVANCED BIOFUEL AT PETIT LE MANS RACE


    Dyson Racing's No. 16 Mazda-powered Lola LMP2 coupe is running a blend of
    ethanol and biobutanol at Road Atlanta. It will not be classified in the race.

    In the ongoing rolling technology showcase that is the American Le Mans Series,
    MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development, Dyson Racing and their primary Series
    sponsor and technical partner, BP, will fuel one of their Mazda MZR-R-powered
    Lola coupe racecars with a fuel combining both ethanol and biobutanol - an
    advanced biofuel that BP is developing with its partner DuPont – in the 12th
    annual Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6.


    "This weekend's debut of an ethanol and biobutanol blend in our American Le Mans
    Series race car is the perfect example of the technical relationship between
    Mazda and BP," said Robert Davis, Senior Vice President, Product Development and
    Quality for Mazda North American Operations, and the man responsible for the
    company's North American motorsport programs under the MAZDASPEED Motorsports
    Development banner. "Advanced biofuels such as biobutanol, along with the choice
    to use a production-derived 2.0-liter turbocharged MZR-R engine, shows the
    commitment that both Mazda and BP have to bringing clean, efficient,
    environmentally sensitive technologies to motorsports, and using motorsports to
    improve those products before we offer them for sale to the general public."


    In order to continue development of the advanced biofuel in a racing
    environment, Dyson Racing will run one of its cars using the standard
    Series-approved fuel (car 20), and the other (car 16) on biobutanol. Through
    open and ongoing discussion between Mazda, American Le Mans Series technical
    personnel and other participating teams the gasoline, ethanol and biobutanol-blend-fueled
    car (car 16) will not participate for Series points during the Petit Le Mans
    weekend.


    BP is a leading energy company with significant investments in advanced biofuels.
    It is looking for opportunities in biofuels that make both a contribution to
    energy security and a material reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared
    with conventional fuels. BP is committed to using economically and
    environmentally sustainable feedstocks and is developing new technologies to
    make good biofuels even better. Participation in American Le Mans Series
    competition offers BP a unique opportunity to produce new fuels and biofuel
    components, as well as demonstrate the performance of these fuels.



    Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Mazda North American Operations oversees the
    sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the
    United States, Canada and Mexico through more than 850 dealers. Operations in
    Canada are managed by Mazda Canada, Inc., located in Ontario, Canada, and in
    Mexico by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.


    Biobutanol facts:

    • Biobutanol shares many of the environmental advantages of ethanol and has
    additional benefits, including:

    • Blends into gasoline at higher concentrations than ethanol without the need to
    modify vehicles.

    • Offers excellent fuel economy that is close to that of gasoline.

    • Can be used alongside ethanol to help improve the performance of
    ethanol/gasoline blends.

    • Can be used in existing gasoline (petrol) supply and distribution channels,
    eliminating the need for expensive infrastructure investments.



    Production:

    • Can utilize a variety of conventional feedstocks (such as sugar cane, corn,
    wheat and sorghum), supporting global implementation.

    • In future, biobutanol can be produced from cellulosic feedstocks, including
    fast-growing energy crops (e.g. energy grasses) or agricultural by-products
    (e.g. corn stalks).



    Environmental Benefits:

    • Initial indications are that, on the same feedstock basis, biobutanol delivers
    emission reductions that are at least as good as ethanol.

    • Biobutanol's low vapour pressure (lower than gasoline), means that vapor
    pressure specifications do not need to be compromised leading to higher VOC
    emissions.



    The 12th annual Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6 on Saturday, September 26 is the
    American Le Mans Series' cornerstone event at Road Atlanta in Braselton Ga. The
    green flag for the 1,000-mile/10-hour endurance classic is scheduled for 11:15
    a.m. ET with SPEED airing live television coverage starting at 11 a.m. ET ...
    rain or shine! American Le Mans Radio presented by Porsche and Living Timing &
    Scoring will be available on Racehub at americanlemans.com. Live coverage also
    can be heard on Sirius 126 and XM 242. You can follow the Series on Twitter (almsnotes)
    and on our Facebook page.



    The race will also mark the ninth round of the 2009 MICHELIN® GREEN X®
    Challenge. Tickets are available at americanlemans.com and roadatlanta.com.


     More
    Photos


    Source URL: http://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/2009/09/mazda-bp-debut-advanced-biofuel-at.html
    Visit Automotive Trend News for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Blog Archive

My Zimbio My Ping in TotalPing.com