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Mobility without particulates by Staff Writers Stuttgart, Germany (SPX) Jan 15, 2021
The environment is polluted not only by exhaust gases from internal combustion engines, but also by particulate matter. In the transport sector, particulate matter is produced during the combustion process and in the abrasion of tyres and brakes. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) is currently developing and testing an innovative vehicle concept as part of its Zero Emission Drive Unit - Generation 1 (ZEDU-1) project. The goal is to avoid particulate emissions as far as possible. When combined with energy from renewable sources and electric propulsion systems, this can make mobility almost entirely emission free. "We are concentrating on components that have received little attention in the past. The focus is on a particulate-free braking system and the collection and absorption of matter from tyre wear, so that this does not enter the environment," says the project leader and DLR scientist Franz Philipps. The DLR Institute of Vehicle Concepts in Stuttgart, engineering company HWA and surface specialist Langlet are all working together on the project.
Project objectives - zero brake abrasion and negligible tyre wear Braking also causes the abrasion of brake discs and brake pads. Over 90 percent of the resulting debris takes the form of ultrafine particles. These particles are considered to be particularly harmful to the environment and human health, as they can penetrate deep into our respiratory systems and become lodged there. "Given these figures, we have set ourselves some ambitious goals. We want to prevent brake abrasion altogether and reduce tyre abrasion by up to 90 percent," says Philipps. "It is important that our concept is highly effective and as compact, versatile and suitable for everyday use as we can make it. This will allow it to be applied directly to cars, commercial vehicles and even rail transport."
Completely rethinking braking systems and wheel arches The team is also studying and combining different braking concepts. One of these is a special kind of disc brake, which works mechanically and acts as a closed system. The brake pads are kept in an oil bath. Brake abrasion takes place within the oil, which is constantly pumped through a filter and cleaned. Another approach is induction brakes, which are wear-free and use the force of magnetic fields to generate a braking effect. A newly designed wheel arch is intended to minimise tyre wear, with an aerodynamic shape that creates negative pressure while driving. Any wear thus occurs in a specific location. The resulting particles are absorbed by a filter system, similar to a vacuum cleaner.
In the test facility and on the road - practical trials with a research vehicle For these tests, the researchers are working alongside the DLR Institute of Combustion Technology, also based in Stuttgart. This institute has state-of-the-art measurement technologies and a mobile measurement vehicle, which is able to detect and characterise particulate matter down to the ultrafine range. The analyses will focus on the total amount of particulate emissions and the size distribution of the particles. The Baden-Wurttemberg Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labour and Housing has invested six million euros in the project.
Seagrass 'Neptune balls' bundle plastic waste Paris (AFP) Jan 14, 2021 Underwater seagrass in coastal areas appear to trap bits of plastic in natural bundles of fibre known as "Neptune balls," researchers said Thursday. With no help from humans, the swaying plants - anchored to shallow seabeds - may collect nearly 900 million plastic items in the Mediterranean alone every year, they reported in the journal Scientific Reports. "We show that plastic debris in the seafloor can be trapped in seagrass remains, eventually leaving the marine environment through beaching ... read more
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