Southwestern Mobile Auto Detailing and Car Washing - Case Study

Weather is such a big issue and mobile detailing and mobile car washing, that it almost pays to start the business in an area that has decent weather most all year-round. Now then, let's say you wanted to choose a city to do this type of business, which city would you choose? Well, I would suggest that you choose a city in the Southwest. Perhaps, a city in New Mexico or Arizona for instance - okay so, let's talk about running a mobile car wash business in Tucson Arizona, as a case study.

Now then, before you set up your mobile car wash business you have to take a look at the area and do a little bit of marketing, a little bit of scouting around to see what kind of competition you have, what kind of prices you can charge, and if there is the proper clientele to maintain a solid cash flow, and a busy route for your schedule.

Electric Car Conversion DIY

Home Brew Electric Vehicle Conversions
The process of turning a gasoline power vehicle into a vehicle that runs off of only electricity is called an electric vehicle conversion. If you're not aware, there is a big movement going on across the country in which people are doing "home brew" electric vehicles in order to initially beat the ever-growing gas prices across the nation and to end up ultimately end up making money by saving money in the end. After all, it was Benjamin Franklin that said the famous quote, "A penny saved is a penny earned." In the case of electric car conversions, this quote is not only true, but it is also a life style.

Electric Vehicle Conversion Motors
In order to do your own electric vehicle conversion you have got to be confident that you are knowledgeable in the field of electricity, mechanics, and automobiles in general. If you're not, individuals can always hire a mechanic in order to operate on your electric vehicle conversion motors.

DC Electric Car Motors
If you are confident working on electric motors, then this article is for you. Electric motors come in AC or DC versions. DC motors are usually motors that have a wide range in voltage. Electric car conversion motors can range anywhere between 96 and 192 volts. In fact, almost all electric vehicle conversion motors come from the forklift industry. Many lower power fork lifts are electrically powered motors in order to do their lifting where as the heavy duty for lifts generally use propane gas tanks which ride on the back of the fork lift.

AC Electric Car Motors
If the electric car conversion motor is of the AC variety it is most likely three-phase running at 240 volts. Generally the 240-volt electric vehicle conversion motor is accompanied by a 300-volt battery pack. AC installations allow the individuals handling the electric car conversion motors the use of almost any industrial motor. AC electric car conversion motors are actually much easier to find in any size, shape, or power rating.

Regardless of if you're the type of person that prefers one of the electric car conversion motors over the other, it should be known that if you are going to undertake the process of doing an electric car conversion to your motor then you should be thanked and praised for doing something that not only saves you money but also saves the environment at the same time. For that, we salute you.

How to Prepare Your Used Porsche or Audi for Winter

Many sports car drivers take no measures to winterize their vehicles. If you ask a Porsche service pro, he or she will tell you that winterizing your car is essential to keeping it in top condition. With that said, you can preserve your car's Porsche or Audi parts this winter by taking the following steps to winterize your car. These methods will work with just about any car or truck.

1. Get an oil change. If you've been putting off that oil change for your used Porsche, pay a visit to your Porsche service dealer and get it done. Cold temps make oil work less efficiently, so it's especially important to make sure your oil is replaced as soon as possible. You may also want to consider switching to a thinner oil mixture for the winter.

2. Battery check. Even the more durable and high-quality batteries work poorly in cold weather which means your used Audi and Audi parts have to work overtime during the winter. Have a professional Audi or Porsche service expert test your battery and do a full check to ensure that all coils and connectors are in proper condition.

Detailing Your Car At Home The Right Way

Have you ever taken your car to be detailed? A detailed car is thoroughly clean on the inside; every little nook and cranny has been scrubbed, polished, vacuumed, and washed. Even the oldest vehicle can be made to look almost new again after a good detailing. In fact, a great way to prepare for a road trip or other extended period of driving is to take your vehicle in for a detailing session before you leave. Even though having a car detailed is a great thing, the cost can really add up. For some people, this is a luxury that can only be afforded once or twice a year. To make things a little easier on your wallet without sacrificing the experience of a freshly cleaned car, you should consider doing the work yourself. Detailing doesn't have to take very long and you can save a lot of money by doing the job at home.

There are a couple different ways you can go about detailing the inside of your vehicle. You can do it all at once or you can stretch the process out over several days. Each option has its pros and cons, so decide which you are going to do before you begin any work. Planning your detailing session will help you use your time more wisely since you'll have scheduled your time with the task in mind. If your car is especially dirty, consider working in stages instead of trying to do everything in a single afternoon.

Tips To Buy Various Machines for Mobile Car Wash

Starting a mobile car wash and detailing business requires versatile and effective equipment. For efficient cleaning, many experienced professionals recommend using multiple cleaning machines. Ideally, one must use a soft surface carpet and upholstery cleaner for cleaning the interior of vehicles and a hard surface pressure washer for cleaning the exteriors of vehicles.

An Overview of Mobile Car Wash Systems
Before going deep into the types of cleaning machines available for the job, it is better to understand the task. What does the mobile car wash process try to achieve? The major goals are fairly obvious. The dirt and dust accumulated on the vehicle must be removed. The exterior and interior surfaces must look good and look as new as possible.

This Year's Must-Have Accessories for Your Modified Car

The most in-style accessories for a car are often the most unique ones, as car enthusiasts are continually looking for new ways to impress. Finding something that matches your personality will make you stand out from the crowd, so it's always a good idea to look for accessories that nobody seems to have. This year, certain car modifications and accessories are set to be popular, so get ahead of the trend and lead the pack rather than follow it.

The 1980s are back in fashion, big time, and the style with cars is no exception. There is not a more iconic 1980s car than the DeLorean from the classic 80s film 'Back to the Future'. Although it is not yet possible to modify your car to travel in time, the wing doors from the DeLorean are making a major comeback. Of course, you will need some specialist knowledge to install these and you'll need to make at least one trip to the spray painter; but the end result is well worth the time and effort. Amazingly, wing doors make your car look both retro and futuristic at the same time, and they're also a perfect way to show off your car's sleek interior.

A 'natural' solution for transportation

Argonne National Laboratory
Feb 2, 2012

Researchers at Argonne have begun to investigate adding one more contender to the list of possible energy sources for light-duty cars and trucks: compressed natural gas (CNG). Image courtesy of Mercedes Benz

As the United States transitions away from a primarily petroleum-based transportation industry, a number of different alternative fuel sources—ethanol, biodiesel, electricity and hydrogen—have each shown their own promise. Hoping to expand the pool even further, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have begun to investigate adding one more contender to the list of possible energy sources for light-duty cars and trucks: compressed natural gas (CNG).

Compressed natural gas is composed primarily of methane, which when compressed occupies less than one percent of the volume it occupies at standard pressure. CNG is typically stored in cylindrical tanks that would be carried onboard the vehicles it fuels.

Because the domestic production of natural gas has increased dramatically over the past ten years, making a large number of the cars and light trucks currently on the road CNG-compatible would help to improve U.S. energy security. "As a country, we don't lack for natural gas deposits," said Argonne mechanical engineer Thomas Wallner. "There are fewer obvious challenges with direct supply than with most other fuels."

Natural gas currently comes primarily from deep underground rock structures, including shale. Recent improvements with hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," a controversial process that some critics claim can hurt the environment, have made it economical for natural gas companies to extract a greater supply of natural gas from unconventional sources.

Like gasoline, both the production and combustion of CNG release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. To be able to make an accurate comparison to gasoline, scientists and engineers will need to look at each stage of the fuel's production and use, said Argonne environmental scientist Andrew Burnham.
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Mitsubishi Electric Announces New Ultra-High-Speed Elevator Technologies

Engineerblogger
Feb 3, 2012

Shanghai Tower will represent China's dynamic 'future

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced today its new suite of technologies that enable ultra-high-speed elevators to travel faster than 1,000 meters per minute, or 60 kph, with enhanced efficiency, comfort and safety. The technologies will be incorporated in the world's fastest elevators, including those developed by Mitsubishi Electric for the 632-meter Shanghai Tower under construction in Shanghai, China.

In response to the increasing height of high-rise buildings amid continuing urban population growth, the role of elevators is gaining even greater importance. In response, Mitsubishi Electric is developing advanced solutions incorporating technologies and equipment for enhanced drive and controllability, safety, super high-rise cable mechanics and passenger comfort. The company's new suite of ultra-high-speed elevator technologies includes the following advancements:

1.  Drive and Controllability

• The traction motor incorporates a permanent magnetic motor for energy-efficient, low-noise, low-vibration operation.

• A single motor has two grouped three-phase winding coils and parallel drive systems controlled by separate control panels. Each motor has a built-in converter to regenerate electricity, lowering power consumption by more than 30 percent.

• Brakes composed of two units with a hydraulic driven clamp-type disk brake achieve stable braking.

 
2.  Safety

• Safety gears, which activate the brakes by grasping the guide rails in emergencies if cables become transected, comprise two stages to manage increased kinetic energy due to ultra-high speeds.

• Fine ceramic is used for the safety gear shoe to realize high resistance to heat, abrasion and shock. Braking is extra-stable even if high frictional heat is generated when the safety gear is activated.

• The hydraulic oil buffer (shock absorber) at the bottom of the elevator shaft has an advanced plunger comprising three stages for exceptional shock absorption within a shortened frame.

• Newly developed governor monitors elevator speed stably even with heavy loads placed by ropes traveling at high speeds over long distances.

3.  Super high-rise cable mechanics

• A steel core with a wider diameter provides high intensity, allowing traveling cables to be lightened by using lightweight sheath material and operated by a highly efficient electric power carrier system.

• Mitsubishi Electric's new "sfleX-rope" comprising bundles of high-intensity steel wire strands, each covered with plastic, offers higher intensity than conventional rope for safe operation despite the greater weight of longer ropes. Each wire has a higher density and wider cross-sectional area than conventional rope, which helps to reduce rope stretching caused when passengers step onto the elevator.

4.  Ride comfort

•   A new active roller guide, which reduces vibration from the guide rails and wind, enhances passenger comfort even at ultra-high speeds.

•   The inside of the car is extra-quiet thanks to a streamlined aerodynamic car cover and a high sound insulation cage.

• Air pressure control helps to minimize rapid changes in atmospheric pressure for reduced ear discomfort.

Just like cars, going that fast also leads to the question of safety – rest assured that Mitsubishi will deliver enhanced efficiency, comfort and safety as thousands of people traverse through these elevators each day. Fine ceramic is the material of choice for the safety gear shoe as it has a high resistance to heat, abrasion and shock. Never mind if high frictional heat is generated, braking remains extremely stable.

Source: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Biosolar Breakthrough Promises Cheap, Easy Green Electricity

Engineerblogger
Feb 3, 2012

Barry D. Bruce

Barry D. Bruce, professor of biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is turning the term “power plant” on its head. The biochemist and a team of researchers have developed a system that taps into photosynthetic processes to produce efficient and inexpensive energy.

Bruce collaborated with researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Ecole Polytechnique Federale in Switzerland to develop a process that improves the efficiency of generating electric power using molecular structures extracted from plants. The biosolar breakthrough has the potential to make “green” electricity dramatically cheaper and easier.

“This system is a preferred method of sustainable energy because it is clean and it is potentially very efficient,” said Bruce, who was named one of “Ten Revolutionaries that May Change the World” by Forbes magazine in 2007 for his early work, which first demonstated biosolar electricity generation. “As opposed to conventional photovoltaic solar power systems, we are using renewable biological materials rather than toxic chemicals to generate energy. Likewise, our system will require less time, land, water and input of fossil fuels to produce energy than most biofuels.”

Their findings are in the current issue of Nature: Scientific Reports.

To produce the energy, the scientists harnessed the power of a key component of photosynthesis known as photosystem-I (PSI) from blue-green algae. This complex was then bioengineered to specifically interact with a semi-conductor so that, when illuminated, the process of photosynthesis produced electricity. Because of the engineered properties, the system self-assembles and is much easier to re-create than his earlier work. In fact, the approach is simple enough that it can be replicated in most labs—allowing others around the world to work toward further optimization.

“Because the system is so cheap and simple, my hope is that this system will develop with additional improvements to lead to a green, sustainable energy source,” said Bruce, noting that today’s fossil fuels were once, millions of years ago, energy-rich plant matter whose growth also was supported by the sun via the process of photosynthesis.

This green solar cell is a marriage of non-biological and biological materials. It consists of small tubes made of zinc oxide—this is the non-biological material. These tiny tubes are bioengineered to attract PSI particles and quickly become coated with them—that’s the biological part. Done correctly, the two materials intimately intermingle on the metal oxide interface, which when illuminated by sunlight, excites PSI to produce an electron which “jumps” into the zinc oxide semiconductor, producing an electric current.

The mechanism is orders of magnitude more efficient than Bruce’s earlier work for producing bio-electricity thanks to the interfacing of PSI with the large surface provided by the nanostructured conductive zinc oxide; however it still needs to improve manifold to become useful. Still, the researchers are optimistic and expect rapid progress.

Bruce’s ability to extract the photosynthetic complexes from algae was key to the new biosolar process. His lab at UT isolated and bioengineered usable quantities of the PSI for the research.

Algae could be the next power source. Credit: University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Andreas Mershin, the lead author of the paper and a research scientist at MIT, conceptualized and created the nanoscale wires and platform. He credits his design to observing the way needles on pine trees are placed to maximize exposure to sunlight.

Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin in the lab of Michael Graetzel, a professor at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale in Lausanne, Switzerland, did the complex testing needed to determine that the new mechanism actually performed as expected. Graetzel is a pioneer in energy and electron transfer reactions and their application in solar energy conversion.

Michael Vaughn, once an undergraduate in Bruce’s lab and now a National Science Foundation (NSF) predoctoral fellow at Arizona State University, also collaborated on the paper.

“This is a real scientific breakthrough that could become a significant part of our renewable energy strategy in the future,” said Lee Riedinger, interim vice chancellor for research. “This success shows that the major energy challenges facing us require clever interdisciplinary solutions, which is what we are trying to achieve in our energy science and engineering PhD program at the Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education of which Dr. Bruce is one of the leading faculty.”

The Bredesen Center is a joint UT/Oak Ridge National Laboratory academic unit. Bruce is also a co-principal investigator and scientific thrust leader in TN: SCORE, the Tennessee Solar Conversion and Storage Using Outreach, Research and Education. The $20 million project is funded by the NSF and focuses on promoting research and education on solar energy problems across Tennessee. Additionally, he co-founded and is associate director of UT’s Sustainable Energy Education.

Bruce’s work is funded by the Emerging Frontiers Program at the National Science Foundation.


Source: University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Related Information:

• UT Knoxville and ORNL Researchers Turn Algae into High-Temperature Hydrogen Source

Graphene electronics moves into a third dimension

Engineerblogger
Feb 3, 2012

Graphene nanofabric. SEM micrograph of a strongly crumpled graphene sheet on a Si wafer. Note that it looks just like silk thrown over a surface. Lateral size of the image is 20 microns. Si wafer is at the bottom-right corner. Credit: University of Manchester

In a paper published this week in Science, a Manchester team lead by Nobel laureates Professor Andre Geim and Professor Konstantin Novoselov has literally opened a third dimension in graphene research. Their research shows a transistor that may prove the missing link for graphene to become the next silicon.

Graphene – one atomic plane of carbon – is a remarkable material with endless unique properties, from electronic to chemical and from optical to mechanical.

One of many potential applications of graphene is its use as the basic material for computer chips instead of silicon. This potential has alerted the attention of major chip manufactures, including IBM, Samsung, Texas Instruments and Intel. Individual transistors with very high frequencies (up to 300 GHz) have already been demonstrated by several groups worldwide.

Unfortunately, those transistors cannot be packed densely in a computer chip because they leak too much current, even in the most insulating state of graphene. This electric current would cause chips to melt within a fraction of a second.

This problem has been around since 2004 when the Manchester researchers reported their Nobel-winning graphene findings and, despite a huge worldwide effort to solve it since then, no real solution has so far been offered.

The University of Manchester scientists now suggest using graphene not laterally (in plane) – as all the previous studies did – but in the vertical direction. They used graphene as an electrode from which electrons tunnelled through a dielectric into another metal. This is called a tunnelling diode.

Then they exploited a truly unique feature of graphene – that an external voltage can strongly change the energy of tunnelling electrons. As a result they got a new type of a device – vertical field-effect tunnelling transistor in which graphene is a critical ingredient.

Dr Leonid Ponomarenko, who spearheaded the experimental effort, said: “We have proved a conceptually new approach to graphene electronics. Our transistors already work pretty well. I believe they can be improved much further, scaled down to nanometre sizes and work at sub-THz frequencies.”

“It is a new vista for graphene research and chances for graphene-based electronics never looked better than they are now”, adds Professor Novoselov.

Graphene alone would not be enough to make the breakthrough. Fortunately, there are many other materials, which are only one atom or one molecule thick, and they were used for help.

The Manchester team made the transistors by combining graphene together with atomic planes of boron nitride and molybdenum disulfide. The transistors were assembled layer by layer in a desired sequence, like a layer cake but on an atomic scale.

Such layer-cake superstructures do not exist in nature. It is an entirely new concept introduced in the report by the Manchester researchers. The atomic-scale assembly offers many new degrees of functionality, without some of which the tunnelling transistor would be impossible.

“The demonstrated transistor is important but the concept of atomic layer assembly is probably even more important,” explains Professor Geim.

Professor Novoselov added: “Tunnelling transistor is just one example of the inexhaustible collection of layered structures and novel devices which can now be created by such assembly.

“It really offers endless opportunities both for fundamental physics and for applications. Other possible examples include light emission diodes, photovoltaic devices, and so on.”

Source: University of Manchester

Additional Information:

• The abstract of "Field-effect tunneling transistor based on vertical graphene heterostructures", by L. Britnel1, R. Gorbache2, R. Jalil, B. Bell2, F. Schedin, A. Mishchenko, T. Georgiou, M. Katsnelson, L. Eaves, S. Morozov, N. Peres, J. Leist, A. Geim, K. Novoselov, and L. Ponomarenko in Science Journal. 

Scratching away at automotive surfaces: Characterising new materials and coatings for clean and easy-to-maintain surfaces

Engineerblogger
Feb 3, 2012

Stephanie Baron and Gerard Liraut of Renault presented a paper at the 2011 VDI plastics in automotive conference on characterising new materials and coatings for clean and easy-to-maintain surfaces. They addressed issues of maintaining high gloss, avoiding dust attraction and ongoing concerns over visibility of scratches on through-coloured automotive interior mouldings.

Baron pointed out that while PP compounds are considered materials with good cost performance and recyclability, talc fillers in PP are still thought to cause scratches to become visible, with white marks that are especially noticable on dark mouldings.

"Some competitors use materials improved by sliding agents," Baron said. "But a known inconvenience is that this kind of agent with a base of amides exudes with heat and creates a sticky effect." Baron did, however, admit that some improved additives are available that are said to have resolved this problem of migration to the surface.

Similarly with dust attraction, some of Renault's competitors are using additives with anti-static action. But a sticky effect is generated here, too, as UV agents and anti-static agents interact in the presence of air.

And in order to have permanent anti-dust effects, the concentration of additive needed is so high that "the prices increase and mechanical properties decline", Baron complained. She pointed out that Asian automotive OEMs have found an easy solution by making their interiors in light colours, so that the dust - or scratches for that matter - is not so visible.

Renault, on the other hand, has tested permanent anti-static additives, only to find that the plastics tested were just as dirty as other parts after nine months. A more durable anti-static effect or one that could be reactivated would therefore be of interest to Renault.

Looking ahead, Renault seeks to make interior plastic parts with anti-adherent hydrophobic and oleophobic surfaces, to limit soiling. Otherwise, adapting the architecture of the cockpit for easy, simple and efficient cleaning would be at least "an important preliminary step", Baron concluded.

One of the latest measures to address scratch visibility has been applied by Styron for the UV-stable PP-based Inspire compounds used on the new Range Rover Evoque. The compounds are used in interior parts such as the shrouds around the steering column, centre console cladding and trim panels in the rear load space compartment.

Source: European Plastics News