Monthly Archives: June 2008

Energy

Diesel wins Le Mans race for fifth straight year

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The first year of the LMP1 class win was a wonderful story, the second year a “told you so”…the third year was “anyone still doubt the future of diesel“…and now the news is almost not news anymore. Diesel engines should be the future of mobile power-plant technology in 2010 the way PCs were the future of computing in the 1980s. USA Today reports that Audi continues to leave gasoline in its dust:

Audi and Peugeot completed a record of more than 3,200 miles around Circuit de la Sarthe in France, a trip which 55 cars began but only 20 finished. The lead Audi and Peugeot, both diesel-powered LMP1 prototypes, were never separated by more than a lap, thrilling a record 258,000 fans.

The top cars are diesel. Way to go Audi R10 TDI!

It is a 5.5 L (335.6 cu in) all-aluminium twin-turbo 90° V12 engine, with common rail direct fuel injection of more than 1600 bar (23,206 psi). Its output should be 485 kilowatts (650 hp) (regulated) and 1,100 N·m (811 ft·lbf) of torque, and its usable power band is between 3000 and 5000 rpm. Its benefits are a broad range of usable power, high torque and economy.

Two Garrett TR3076R turbochargers limited by the regulations to 2.94 bar (42.64 psi) absolute breathe through two 39.9 millimetres (1.57 in) intake air restrictors. It uses the latest Bosch Motronic (MS14) management, provided by Bosch Motorsport, 1600 bar piezo injectors, and makes a low noise for a race car. It can be difficult to hear the R10 on a track when other cars are present because of the much lower noise level.

Economy and silence in a super-power diesel race car! Amazing stuff. This is not your grandmother’s diesel.

Energy, Security

Fuel conservation gives Earnhardt Jr the win

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I did not notice the whining about fuel economy in 2003 by Dale Earnhardt Jr., as captured by NASCAR.com – Fuel strategy gives Earnhardt Jr. top five – July 28, 2003:

Earnhardt indicated next weekend’s Brickyard 400 would be the same story, exacerbated by two-and-four-tire strategies and the specter of fuel mileage, another issue he said he’s had enough of.

“Tony (Eury) Jr. is always on me about fuel,” Earnhardt said of his car chief, who calls his races from atop the pit box in conjunction with his father, crew chief Tony Eury. “It’s never close, it’s always short.”

Junior said after his last pit stop the crew told him he was “about a gallon short” of having enough fuel to make it to the finish.

“He (Eury Jr.) said ‘Don’t scrub your tires and you’ll save some fuel.’ I said, ‘man, I’ve been through this too many times with you.’ I’m getting tired of hearing it from my guys when they tell me that I need to save fuel.

“There is no book on how to save fuel. I mean, every time they say ‘save fuel’ I say, ‘all right, tell me how to do that again?’ I’ve been around this sport a long time — I don’t think anybody really knows.”

Well, apparently Junior has figured it out and is all the better for knowing. The big news today is that he has won a race in Michigan by applying fuel conservation. The articles I have read point out that stopping for fuel would have dropped the driver 25 places! Big kudos to Tony for his sensible energy strategy:

The most popular driver in NASCAR won this one by gambling, going the last 55 laps on the 2-mile oval, including three laps of overtime, without stopping for gas.

He gave most of the credit for his first win in more than two years to crew chief Tony Eury.

“We came in on that last stop and we were going to be about six laps short, and I saved six laps of gas,” Earnhardt said. “So, (we were) just real lucky. I have to hand it to Tony Jr. for being a risk-taker. … He’s done a good job this year getting us good finishes, better finishes than we should probably have.”

Perhaps Eury could consult with Bush and Cheney now and give them some tips on how to keep America from falling behind; better security and more success from higher availability. Imagine a Dick-infomercial where the VP says “Be a winner. Conserve energy.”

Or perhaps Eury could now convince Earnhardt to drive a diesel race car.

Poetry

When a Cat Dies

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I found this poem by Lyn Lifshin in a book review:

I can mourn
you, remember when
I first held you, dream
you thru nights
where you’re missing.
But that’s really a
lie. I need more, to
be able to put your name
in a poem and not
apologize for staying
in a week, unable to
see anybody and then
finally on the first day I
join the living, have
someone say at my dark
sadness, ‘‘well we all
have days like that.”

Security

ISO 27001, 27002…27003, 4, 5, 7, 8…

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Anyone else notice that the ISO/IEC 27000-series is exploding. First we had 27001 for managing security (ISMS), then 17799 was renamed to 27002 for consistency with 27001. Now, OMFG:

# ISO/IEC 27000 – an introduction and overview for the ISMS Family of Standards, plus a glossary of common terms
# ISO/IEC 27003 – an ISMS implementation guide
# ISO/IEC 27004 – a standard for information security management measurements
# ISO/IEC 27005 – a standard for information security risk management
# ISO/IEC 27007 – a guideline for ISMS auditing (focusing on the management system)
# ISO/IEC 27008 – a guideline for Information Security Management auditing (focusing on the security controls)
# ISO/IEC 27011 – an ISMS implementation guideline for the telecommunications industry (also known as X.1051)
# ISO/IEC 27031 – a specification for ICT readiness for business continuity
# ISO/IEC 27032 – a guideline for cybersecurity (essentially, ‘being a good neighbor’ on the Internet)
# ISO/IEC 27033 – IT network security, a multi-part standard currently known as ISO/IEC 18028:2006
# ISO/IEC 27034 – a guideline for application security
# ISO/IEC 27799 – an ISMS implementation guideline for the healthcare industry

What happened to 6? Perhaps I should be pleased with this laundry list of options, but in fact it makes life quite a bit more complicated right now. I just had to explain 27003 even though it is still in draft form, just because someone wanted to work on ISO compliance for 27002. If you live in a country, let alone a state, that has compliance governance of its own, will you deal with the ISO? Something tells me if you do business across national boundaries this may be your only path of communication, and that is what the ISO is banking upon. On the other hand, I have already met a few people who think international standards are somehow an insult to their sense of national pride and want nothing to do with them.