fuel

A huge fuel tank has fallen from heaven in Argentina. And we already have suspicious: a Chinese rocket

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The afternoon is almost always quiet in the small Chaco town of Puerto Tirol, north of Argentina. On Thursday, that tranquility was interrupted by an object fallen from heaven. He had appeared on a rural property whose owner did not hesitate to call the police. The police cordoned off the area waiting for firefighters. All the investigations are already made on the Internet. What is known. The object measures 1.70 meters long by 1.20 meters in diameter. It is metallic, has a cylindrical shape and is covered with carbon fiber or a similar compound material, so it is surely a pressurized propellant tank, a piece of the space rockets known as Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel (COPV). When a satellite or a rocket re -enters the atmosphere, most of its body is burned by pressure. These containers, on the other hand, are designed to support very high pressures, so it is not strange that they survive intact. Or judging by the photos, somewhat chamuscados and frayed. What is suspected. The first identification came from the hand of the Caribbean Astronomy Society (SAC) in A Facebook post. They confirmed that it looks like a piece of space vehicle, specifically a COPV. And they pointed out that, of the most recent releases, the main candidate is a Chinese rocket released the day before. The analysis of the trajectory seems to confirm suspicions. The astrophysic and renowned Jonathan McDowell satellite tracker He corroborated this hypothesisstating that the object is “probably” the tank of the fourth stage of a Chinese jielong-3 rocket. From China to Chaco. The private company China Rocket had launched on Wednesday the eighth mission of its Jielong-3 rocket. The Y8 mission took off From a maritime platform At 07:56 UTC to put 12 satellites of the Geely Future Mobility constellation in orbit, a positioning and communications service of the Chinese automotive giant Geely. After displaying the satellites, the fourth stage of the rocket continued to orbit the earth until 9:00 UTC of the next day, when It was sighted disintegrated in the sky 15 kilometers from Puerto Tyrol. Most likely, it will not be completely burned and the deposit survived the fall. A questionable history. China has earned in recent years. The most notorious case is that of the CZ-5B state rocket, whose central stage of more than 20 tons is designed to reach the orbit and then fall to the earth unpredictably within a period of days or weeks. The reality is that this behavior is changing, and both state and private companies are actively providing their rockets on the ability to actively extend, keeping some fuel and after deploying satellites. The problem is not that. But the space garbage, and that is that the Earth’s orbit has become a landfill. There are all kinds of dead satellites and rockets in the terrestrial orbit that gradually approach the earth due to atmospheric braking. With the rise of satellite megaconstellations, every day they re -enter the atmosphere an average of three large pieces of space garbage. And in this case they do it without any control. As a result, incidents in inhabited areas are increasingly frequent. In March 2024, a fragment of a battery pallet discarded from the International Space Station crossed the roof of a house. In January 2025, A half ton ring He appeared in a town in Kenya. In February, several fragments of a spacex rocket They fell near the city of Poland. The Earth is very large and mostly depopulated or covered with water, but it is a matter of time that something happens. Therefore, space agencies such as ESA They are promoting a commitment of “zero waste” to harden the regulations of their own missions. It is necessary, yes, a global consensus. Images | Llitory region In Xataka | The fireball that crossed Spain on Sunday will not be the last one: with 8,000 Starlinks in orbit, it will be a habitual show

This Barcelona bus has been working with a fuel that we all produce: our excrements

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A bus of line V3 has been circulating through the streets of Barcelona that has been operating exclusively with a renewable fuel generated from what we least imagine: human waste. And best of all, the experiment has been considered a success. A project that has managed to evolve. This project was baptized as’Nimbus‘, and is the result of a collaboration agreement between The local water management company VeoliaMetropolitan Transport of Barcelona (TMB) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). Together they have turned the concept of circular economy into something very tangible: transform the sludge of wastewater into biomethane for public transport. Five years later, and with good results in the hand, the project is ready to move on to the next level and start with large -scale production thanks to European funds. The ultimate goal is to make the production of this fuel based on the solid waste of the city to end in the deposits of the buses themselves in the future that is not very distant. This creates this fuel. The heart of this innovation It is found in the purification of Baix Llobregatone of the largest in Europe. Every day, this plant processes about 400,000 cubic meters of wastewater. While 95% of the water is regenerated for agricultural or urban uses, the remaining solid waste, known as sludge, usually end as dry material for agriculture. The Nimbus project has given it a new purpose. Using an innovative process, researchers have managed to transform four cubic meters of mud per hour into high purity biomethane. This gas is pure enough to be used in vehicles with natural gas engines without any modification. The secret is to refine the initial biogas. Initially, gas contains 65% methane and 35% carbon dioxide. Instead of separating gases, Veolia’s team Combine carbon dioxide with hydrogen that is obtained in renewable sources. In this way, almost all the biomás becomes biomethane, making the resulting fuel emit so much carbon dioxide. A fuel responsible with the environment. The figures that result from this first phase have shown that this biomethane works very well. It emits 80% less carbon dioxide than traditional natural gas and complies with strict regulations of EU euro VI emissionsalthough it produces nitrogen oxide to very small amounts. An alternative to electric buses. Right now, Barcelona’s periphery routes need a bus that has a high passenger capacity and greater autonomy. This is something that electric buses cannot offer today, but biomethane, maintaining the reduction in the emission of carbon dioxide. The future: more buses and production at an industrial scale. After five years of success, the Nimbus experiment gave way to a new phase: the project Sempre-Bio. The objective is now climbing production, going from generating biomethane for a bus line to do it for two. For this they have a budget of more than eleven million dollars, with financing from the European Union. As detailed in the project, with this budget they will “reduce the investment and exploitation costs of biomethane production plants and expand the biomethane production potential through new routes of waste valorization.” Many projects to find the ideal fuel. Synthetic fuel It is one of the great research results for finding an alternative to natural oil. One of the examples is The e-diéselwhich is based on “water and air” for conventional engines, or even Toyota He already works with hydrogen to turn it into an alternative To keep the combustion engine. But the reality is that right now combustion cars are in danger of extinction. Electric cars They don’t stop growingand the Chinese market Not stop driving this sector on other continents Like Europe. Images | Wang Xiong In Xataka | Aid of the Moves III 2025 Plan to buy an electric car: money to receive, since when you can ask for and how to request it

Ferrari has won on land, but now points to the ocean. His new challenge is a ship that works without a drop of fuel

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Ferrari has already conquered the circuits. Now he wants to do the same in the ocean. Its new project has no wheels, nor ailerons, nor a V12 engine. Is called Hypersail And it is a Monohull of regattasalthough that description barely scratches the surface. The Italian brand has decided to build an extreme boat, designed to challenge resistance and engineering. The challenge is not less: to create a 100 -foot monoccasco that literally rises on water, driven only by renewable energies. Without a drop of fuel. A brand that is no longer limited to asphalt For decades, Ferrari has been synonymous with competition, engineering and prestige. Its history has been written in the most demanding paths and in the most select garages in the world. But times are changing. The brand continues to manufacture sports cars, yes, but it is also expanding its playing field. Today Ferrari not only innovates in his vehicles, he also does it in his strategy. Part of that evolution It has to do with the public. The Z and millennial generation They already suppose 40 % of their new buyers. They are younger customers, interested in design and technology, but also in impact and sustainability. And Ferrari is adapting. In that context, Hypersail It does not seem to be a whim or a marketing maneuver. It can be a way to apply everything learned in the asphalt to a different environment, although later also carrying that experience obtained in the water to their cars. Ferrari describes Hypersail Like a floating laboratory. And it is not an exaggeration. The boat, designed by the Naval Architect Guillaume Verdier and directed by the navigator Giovanni SoldiniIt has little to do with a conventional ship. Its structure is designed to keep the helmet out of the water by means of three support points: a foil coupled to a tilting keel, another in the rudder and one side that acts alternately. This provision Reduces friction to a minimum and literally allows “flying” on the waves. The most radical aspect of the project is not seen with the naked eye: it does not carry a combustion engine. All the energy necessary for its operation – from the control of hydraulic systems to navigation computers – is generated on board while sailing. The source is exclusively renewable: solar, wind and kinetic. It is not just about installing panels or captors, but of redesigning each system to be as efficient as possible. There are no hidden generators or plans B. According to the company itself, for many, this combination of total autonomy and oceanic navigation It seemed unfeasible. Ferrari wants to demonstrate that it is perfectly possible. Ferrari not only contributes his name, he actively participates in development. The equipment has applied to the sailboat many of the tools already used in its cars: aerodynamic simulation, advanced structural calculations and a flight control system adapted to the marine environment. That joint work has already resulted in nine patents, with another six in preparation. The ship reacts in real time to sea conditions, adjusting its position as a racing car would make it trace a curve. According to Ferrari, the development of Hypersail is also contributing to the evolution of its sports. The company has not specified specific models, but this technological approach would fit with its current hyper -sports linelike him Ferrari F80a hybrid of 1,200 hp called to continue what Enzo and Laferrari left. Hypersail It is not a finished product. It is an idea under construction. His assembly has already begun in Italy and the launch is scheduled for 2026. For now, Ferrari has shared very few images of the project, and everything indicates that we will have to wait to see more details of its development. Until then, the sailboat will continue to evolve as an open innovation platform. Images | Ferrari In Xataka | In Australia they already have the ‘infinite train’. To batteries, without catenary and unlimited autonomy, but with a great asterisk

Nostalgia has become the true fuel in the car market. The scamoteable headlights are the last test

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There was a day that the headlights were hidden in cars. Deportivo, sharp nose … and some headlights that completely broke the front of the vehicle with two huge bulbs to illuminate what was in front. The Ferrari F40, the Lamborghini Countachhe BMW M1 or the most earthly first Mazda MX-5. There are many examples of all kinds. Some of them extremely shocking such as the Porsche 911 Flatnose. Because yes, Porsche came to offer as extra equipment the sneakable headlights In its most iconic sports car, which some sacrilege will seem to some. And what do we say about Carlos Sainz flying along the sofari rally slopes In Kenia aboard his Toyota Celica? And although when we think of scamotable headlights we look almost automatically at the 80s and 90s, it is a much older invention. It is considered that The Cord 80 was the first car that he used this formula in the United States in 1935. Shortly after, in 1936 he would arrive in Europe with the beautiful Alfa Romeo 8C (attentive to this miniature If you are thinking of spending more than 20,000 euros on one of them). Regardless of where we place its origin, the usual as we said is to think in the decade of the 80s and the 90s when we talk about this lighting system. And how everything comes back: are the sneakable headlights back? Mg cyber x concept They come back … more or less Shanghai 2025, MG presents the Cyber ​​X Concept. The prototype is, in the words of the Chinese company, a “global urban adventure toy.” What our eyes see is an extraordinarily square SUV to generate that aspect of hard off -road. Of course, nothing similar to Joseph Kaban Bugatti Veyron, designer of both products. But, beyond this curiosity … What appears on the front? Yes, small and fine sneaky headlights. With two LED squares in each of them, the Cyber ​​X Concept look is projected through some that hide in the body “as a nod to the classics,” they mention in the brand. Mazda Ionic sp Interestingly, it is not the only prototype that has opted for this formula in recent years or months. Mazda presented the IConic SP at the 2023 Tokyo Salon. There they revealed the prototype of a sports car Halfway between Mazda MX-5 and RX-7. What had both models in common? Yes, the sneakable headlights. At least in the First generation of the mythical Miata. With its rounded and fluid forms, Mazda advanced its concept of what its Sports of the future. An extended rank electric that was projected towards the past with A rotating engine to act as a generator And, in addition, with scamotable headlights that make you drool when you see the figure of the car. The last great manufacturer that has presented his proposal of scamoteable headlights was Honda. In the past CES of January, the company presumed two electrical prototypes that advance the formula of its future models. It was what the company called Honda 0 series. Honda Series 0 The formula was striking because it recovered the flat and acute forms of wedge -shaped eighties. According to the brand, it was “applying the thin, light and wise approach to a SUV.” It was promised that an evolution will be seen in the US market in 2026 and, later, in Japan and Europe. But another thing that caught the attention were the headlights of his front. Their light groups were hidden under a small retractable tab They closed to leave a clean hood and retracted to illuminate what you have ahead. A more logical and realistic solution than those of Mazda and Mg. Because the problem of retractable headlights are safety regulations. In fact, although they disappeared for them, they were also the main reason why they became popular. They explain in Diariomotor that in the United States was forced to take the headlights at a minimum height to the ground. The solution went to use these retractable headlights that allowed the height of the headlights to be raised without compromising a front of the front. To this was added the fashion of playing with this device, popularizing in the 80s. But after this fever, that bump when the headlights were deployed was gradually disappearing. A sum of small details ended up killing them inside the industry. First of all for something very simple: the sneakable headlights are a headache. Compared to a traditional optical group, the lighthouse must have a small electric motor, which makes the frontal and more susceptible to breakdowns more complex. The second is that, although closed the car could significantly increase its aerodynamic performance, deployed were a disaster in this regard. Of course, the solution of a lighthouse wall on the front of the vehicle does not seem the best solution. Finally, in the early 2000s, special attention began to be paid to the consequences of the outrage of a pedestrian. Obviously, two huge flat, sharp and outstanding surfaces In the body they were not going to deliver the best results, so he discouraged the manufacturer to set up a component that was already beginning to go down in history. Today, in this Revival That we live in the automotive market, up to three manufacturers have recently presented prototypes with sneaking headlights in recent months. Will we see them again? I say, hopefully. As long as he was not hit by one of them. Photo | MG and MAZDA In Xataka | This lighthouse costs as much as a Porsche 911: it is no joke, it is the lighthouse of a bugatti chiron

An island in Japan has revolutionized its vehicles. They have turned cow droppings into hydrogen fuel

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If we talk about hydrogen and mobility, we would possibly have to Add to Japan In the equation. Few companies have tried to make it a real alternative to the electric car like the Japanese Toyota, although it is true that in recent times the idea was Much more than in doubt. An island has shown that technology is still there. Of course, with the invaluable help of tons of cows excrement. The solution in Hokkaido. On the island of HokkaidoJapan, a key region for country production of the countryan innovative project seeks to convert the Hydrogen cow manurethat clean fuel with the potential of feed vehicles, homes and agricultural machinery. With More than one million cows Currently generating 20 million tons of manure per year, this source of waste represents an environmental problem due to its methane emissions and its impact on the Water quality. He Shikaoi Hydrogen Farmlaunched in 2015 by the Ministry of Environment of Japan, addresses this challenge by transforming waste into a sustainable energy resource. As? The manure and urine of cows are Farm collected local and sent to an anaerobic digester, where bacteria break down organic matter to produce biogas and liquid fertilizer. Then, biogas is purified in methane, which later becomes, hydrogen. Sustainable mobility. The plant has a production capacity of 70 cubic meters of hydrogenenough to supply up to 28 vehicles with hydrogen cells per day. In addition to cars, the fuel is currently used In tractors and forklift of the island, whose electrification with batteries is more complex. It is also stored in Canisters that are transported to provide energy to a sturgence fish and Obihiro Zoo. Challenges Several, of course. The main one is logistics, since it must be stored in high pressure tanks, which does so susceptible to leaks and degradation of materials, in addition to requiring specialized infrastructure for transport and distribution. Your acryogenic lmacement at -253 ° C is energetically expensive, which hinders its scalability. In spite of this, the project continues to advance, mainly with subsidies that equate the price of hydrogen with that of gasoline, to promote its adoption in cities such as Sapporo and Muroran. In fact and as we said at the beginning, Japan leads the hydrogen industryalthough the electric cars still They are more profitable than those driven by this gas. Hydrogen from waste. The truth is that the concept of producing hydrogen from waste is not limited to Japan. Other initiatives in the world explore alternative sources such as Pork manurepoultry and even Coconut peels. For example, in Thailand Toyota investigates hydrogen production From chicken excrement. In the United States the University of Illinois developed A METHOD TO MANUFACTURE HYDROGEN With manure, sugarcane residues and corn cobs, significantly reducing the energy consumption of the process. And in Fukuoka, Japan, a wastewater treatment plant produces hydrogen From human wastesupplying a fleet of garbage trucks without emission. All initiatives show that bioenergy from waste can play a key role in the global energy transition. However, the lack of infrastructure and high costs remain barriers for large -scale expansion. Uncertain future. He Project in Shikaoi It is an innovative example of circular economy, where waste becomes energy, reducing emissions and promoting sustainability. However, the viability of hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels will depend on technological advances that reduce their cost of production, storage and distribution. Although manure and cow droppings will hardly be the main source of hydrogen in the future, especially worldwide, initiatives such as these can lay the foundations for a new energy industry based on waste recycling, with potential applications in transport, agriculture and clean energy generation globally. Image | Japanexpeter, Nara In Xataka | Remote solar self -consumption: When you can’t install panels on your roof, you ask for remote In Xataka | Solar tiles: What are they, what is their price and what they offer in front of conventional solar panels

Cruises will save a lot of fuel through the sun through their balconies: a new German proposal

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Solar balconies have proven to be effective in terms of self -consumption in countries such as Germany, Netherlands And even Spain. But what would happen if we took them to the middle of the sea? Not in the form of floating panels, but integrated into a cruise. A cruise with solar panels. An investigation has developed A simulation to check the installation of photovoltaic in the cruise cabin. The objective of the project is to feed public services and, at the same time, reduce the environmental impact. The initiative raised by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Siemens Energy Global have taken cruise data that navigated the Caribbean already along the Norwegian and Danish coasts. These routes were not randomly selected: the differences in solar radiation between tropical and northern European regions offered an ideal range to evaluate the performance of photovoltaic systems in very different climatic conditions. The design. The study has raised a system that integrates solar panels of 250 W and 22 % efficiency in the boots of the cabins. In addition, each cabin would be equipped with two panels: one integrated into the glass barrier of the balcony at an angle of 90 ° and another placed at an angle of 30 °, between the ship’s covers. The scientists themselves have explained that if a cruise of the Helios class with 1,655 shots with balcony is extrapolated, in terms of scalability the maximum photovoltaic capacity would be at 827.5 kW, which is a significant step towards a cleaner energy in high high sea. The networks. Currently, cruises are adopting continuous current (CC) networks to facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources. In each case, the researchers evaluated three integration approaches for solar panels. First, a network of 48 volts, which directly feeds the cabins, but its high cost and maintenance makes it less practical. On the other hand, the 350 volt network, which acts as a secondary distribution network, balancing security, efficiency and operational simplicity. Finally, the 700 volt network, which connects with the machine room to be a primary network, but has greater energy losses. After evaluating these options, researchers have concluded that the 350 V network combines security measures, lower cost and simplicity in maintenance for the integration of panels into the balconies. In addition, the system is complemented by iron and lithium phosphate batteries (Lifepo4), specifically designed to store energy in case of emergency, cushion demand peaks and guarantee a stable supply. The results. Scientists have performed simulations with Python taking into account more than 100 energy demand scenarios in the cabins during two cruise routes: a 15 -day tour of the Caribbean in March and an eight -day route along the coasts of Denmark and Norway during the months of August and September. With that recreation they have discovered that photovoltaic systems managed to cover 45% of the needs in the Caribbean and 47% in northern Europe. As for energy savings, it was an average of 3.2 MWh in the Caribbean and 3.8 MWh in Norway and Denmark. Finally, the environmental impact would reduce CO2 emissions between 1,500 and 1,800 kg per day, depending on the route. Other boats with solar panels. The study not only highlights the potential of solar balconies to improve the energy efficiency of cruises, but also ask questions about their scalability and future applications. However, it is not the first time that we see solar panels in ships, we have already seen progress in future candles with photovoltaic and, even, there are many millionaires who They bet on ideas more sustainable. Despite being a sector that It presents challenges For the autonomy of their batteries or the lack of load infrastructure, but this German idea in the cruises promises to open new possibilities of high seas efficiency. Image | DLR Institute of Networked Energy Systems CC BY 4.0 Xataka | The solar panels have conquered the balconies of Germany. With this invention they can also store the energy surplus

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