Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Etc.
Video: Saab Trionic actually cleans the air
Recently, I wrote about a claim by Jeremy Clarkson that the Porsche 911 Turbo could actually clean the air. A comment to that article referenced a video by Saab about a system called Trionic that you could say cleans the air by "digesting" it. In The video demonstration above, the amount of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons in the exhaust of a Saab car with Trionic and an older, dirtier burning car are measured. A pipe is put over the exhaust of the older car that leads to the air intake of the Saab with Trionic. What happens?
The Trionic car's emissions increases at first but then the Trionic system detects the increase of CO and hydrocarbons, and the emissions goes down. So, yes, it's conceivable that Porsche has developed similar technology and while the promotional video is from 1992, Trionic seems to be available in Saab cars you can buy today. The car is really just burning fuel older cars did not burn so you probably get better mileage in polluted cities because you are getting free fuel from the air. ... That's a seriously disturbing thought.
[Source: Google Video via Phoenexius]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
regguy 9:16AM (11/13/2007)
PremAir coating on radiators converts ground level O3 to O2. A number of cars today get pollution reduction credits when so equipped. The benefits have been proven, and safeguards to prevent non-coated replacement radiators are likewise regulated.
http://www.catalysts.basf.com/Main/environmental/mobile_sources/automotive_emissions/premair_catalysts/using_passenger_cars_to_destroy_ozone.be
Hydrogen fueled ICE's remove all HCs and methane from the ambient intake air and exhaust only H2O and infinitesimal NOx. Fuel cell and electric vehicles demonstrate no ambient air cleaning effect.
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BlackbirdHighway 9:56AM (11/13/2007)
Then again, if all cars were electric, and the electricity was generated cleanly, then the air wouldn't need to be cleaned.
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regguy 10:23AM (11/13/2007)
BBHighway, you may be surprised to learn the origin of methane (a greenhouse gas) released into the atmosphere. Organisms and nature release methane.
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2005/methane.html
"Sources of methane include natural sources like wetlands, gas hydrates in the ocean floor, permafrost, termites, oceans, freshwater bodies, and non-wetland soils. Fossil fuels, cattle, landfills and rice paddies are the main human-related sources."
HC releases are being dramatically reduced (PZEVs) but cars that accelerate the process while operating are a good thing.
Battery electric vehicles will be part of the solution, but not the silver bullet.
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BlackbirdHighway 10:51AM (11/13/2007)
If I understand your statement, you are proposing gasoline powered autos as a means to reduce naturally occuring methane?
If that's not you meant, then I apologize, but if it is then that is some truly bizarro logic there.
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CJ 12:48PM (11/13/2007)
Man, in Beijing, you'd never need to fillup!
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MikeW 1:50PM (11/13/2007)
Yes, catalytic converters are good. Two-stroke are bad.
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why not the LS2LS7? 2:28PM (11/13/2007)
Yes, if your air is as polluted as the exhaust of an older car and your car is as clean as a Saab, it can clean the air!
But since Porsches aren't especially clean and the Porsches are drawing in air from the atmosphere, not from another car's tailpipe, driving a Porsche 911 is not going to clean the air.
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1985 Gripen 6:46PM (11/13/2007)
When the Vale or Aspen (I don't remember which) police department replaced their Saab police patrol sedans (the Aspen police Saab 9-5 can be seen in the background at various times in the film "Dumb and Dumber") with Volvo XC90 SUVs they tried to claim the Volvos were more environmentally-friendly because the radiator coating "eats" ozone (O3), so they must've been equipped with the aforementioned PremAir product. Of course, the idea that an SUV is more environmentally-friendly than a sedan doesn't even pass the "common sense" test, but whatever. Hype sells.
Saab basically sells three models in North America in various body variations, trim levels, and engine offerings.
The 9-3 sedan, convertible, and combi (wagon) in four-cylinder turbocharged 2.0-liter form utilizes Trionic 7 (210 horsepower, 29 highway mpg).
The 9-3 sedan, convertible, and combi in six-cylinder turbocharged 2.8-liter "Aero" spec utilizes Trionic 8 (255 horsepower and 26 highway mpg, with 280 horsepower all-wheel-drive version coming later in the year).
The 9-5 sedan and combi is only available with a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine (260 horsepower, 28 mpg highway) which utilizes Trionic 7.
The 9-7X all-wheel-drive SUV is available with a 4.2-liter V6 (20 mpg highway), 5.3-liter V8 (19 mpg highway), or 6-liter V8 (16 mpg highway). None are turbocharged and none have the Trionic engine management system because this SUV is based on the GM360 SUV platform (related to the Chevy Trailblazer) rather than being a home-grown Saab development.
Saab is planning to bring their "BioPower" line of ethanol/gasoline flex-fuel cars for sale in the U.S. in early 2009 (they've been EXTREMELY popular in Sweden, and are for sale in the U.K., Germany, France, Australia, and some other countries for quite some time now), beginning with the four-cylinder turbocharged 2-liter Saab 9-3. This car will be able to run on 100% gasoline, E85, or any mixture in-between and is self-adjusting. The best thing about this car is if you run on gasoline you get 175 horsepower. But if you put E85 into it you get 200 horsepower. Not only will you be helping the environment by reducing consumption of fossil-based fuels and reducing CO2 emissions from fossil-based fuel, but you are rewarded with more power and more fun! You can have your cake and eat it too!
Also, Saab has optimized the BioPower models so that the fuel economy "hit" for running on E85 is a bit less than the typical 30% reduction versus gasoline you see in a flex-fuel automobile.
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Joseph 8:13PM (11/13/2007)
"Man, in Beijing, you'd never need to fillup!"
Very funny CJ! LOL
First of all, I'm sure this "technology" is in all cars. Second, yes, technically it is possible for the air coming to be dirtier than the stuff coming out, but can you really can the exhaust emmisions
"air" ? This is a very extreme condition.
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