time log

Yesterday,12-1-09 my group and I spent 3 hours yesterday working on completing some of the text we will be using for our board.

On 10-23-09 my group ad I spent 2 hours discussing our topic and what to do with it

change

we are changing our topic from experiment based to purely research based

Blogging from the iPhone for the first time
was ack last wednesay and so we couldn't meet planning on meeting after fall break

Meetings every Wednesday after school starting 10-21-09

progress

I have learned that my group can indeed test the different types of fuels by placing them in a lamp with a wick of certain length and we can measure how long it burns for to test its efficiency as well as heat. We are thinking of testing only regular gasoline or diesel as the control and then test something like either bio-diesel or vegetable oil for the variable.
Also there seems to be another G4 group with the same topic so that needs to be clarified.

80 minutes

Today our Biology class went to the library computer labfor 80 minutes to conduct reseach on our g4 topics, here is what i found:

-Toyota has definitely made an algae poweredPrius that gets 150 mpg: http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/150mpg-algae-powered-toyota-prius/

-The key concept is "net energy ratio" which is the ratio of nergy put in to make the fuel vs. how much energy is yeilded from the fuel and the process

-We have run into a problem with burning the fuels. I know that i can burn diesel, but biodiesel or vegetable oils are a whole different story.

-It says here we should be able to do it: http://www.utahbiodieselsupply.com/biodiesellamp.php

News

Bio-fuels is obviously growing. Toyota has launched a Prius test vehicle powered by algae fuel! Toyota is also testing put fuel made of grass into another Prius! I honestly believe that clean, renewable bio-fuels will be the fuel used in cars in the future after all over 70% of Brazil's cars are already runnning on the stuff!!