From: rezal@leland.Stanford.EDU (Rezal Adzly Abdul Rahman)
Subject: Malaysian transportation systems
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 92 05:37:29 GMT

In article <1992Apr15.033612.9124@leland.Stanford.EDU> azran@leland.Stanford.EDU (Azran Osman Rani) writes:

>Fines will not induce action. The enforcement of these fines will!
>We already have the $500 fines, but it is rarely enforced.
>
>>Another thing...I just cannot believe those bas kilangs running
>>all over with their smoke as thick as ^&*^&$%^(undescribable).
>
>Your are probably referring to diesel exhaust. It looks the
>nastiest because you can actually see the carbon pollutants
>(the ugly black smog!) But looks can be deceiving. I would think that
>regular gosoline exhaust fumes is worse, although it is relatively "clear".
>Doesn't it have a higher Sulphur Dioxide and Nitrogen Dioxide content?
>That would make it even more lethal than diesel exhaust fumes.
>

There is another downside to diesel as being an organic compounds, it is
a perfect solvent for the bitumen tar we use on the roads backhome.
Hence the numerous "bomb craters" on our roads especially those frequented
by heavy duty commercial transports. Although petrol (octane) too is an organic
solvent, due to its more volatile nature, most of the spilled petrol evaporates
before it can sufficiently react with the bitumen.

As far as contents of SO2 and NO2 are concerned, this is also present in
diesel and other petroleum distillates as sulphur is a element commonly
found in crude oil.

Studies in the US has shown that catalytic converters can reduce a substantial
amount of CO in the exhaust system. A hundred '90 model cars may produce
less pollution than a single '75 chevy Nova.

What we should implement is compulsory catalytic converters on all cars sold
after '92 and annual smog emmission checks prior to reregistration at the
JPJ.

Most cars still run on leaded gasoline. Lead in gasoline was produced to
prevent knocking in the combustion chamber (ie premature detonation of the
gasoline-air mixture due to heat not the spark plug) and causing the engine
to run rough. Newer cars (after the 80s) do not really require leaded 
gasoline due to computer chips in the engine management control system which
regulates the fuel flow through the injectors or carbs.

Therefore it is a fallacy to assume that leaded gasoline will make your car
in the 90s (assuming it was built in the 80s) run smoother since knocking
has already been eliminated.

I sometimes question the so-called "scud" exhaust system in Malaysia on their
efficiency. While the sound produced by these systems may sound "macho" (NOT!),
god knows what they do since we do not have any emissions control.
The ANSA exhaust system made popular by Ferrari and used on many other cars
(including Alfas) delivers the same effect but it is more due to the addition
in horsepowers. A properly installed ANSA system may be able to produce an
additional 5hp while still being able to maintain its task of controlling the
emissions. I guess that's the difference between a cheapo and a "ricambi
originale".

>Nobody  has, because Malaysia does not have strict "smog" laws like they
>do here in the States. Although implementing and enforcing these laws
>will help ease the situation, I think more long term solutions need to
>be found. Better public transportation could be one, especially for
>big cities like Kuala Lumpur. Whatever happened to the Mass Rapid Transit
>plans? Still tangled up in the bureaucracy? Figures. Didn't they
>start organizing car pools in KL this year? This should be applauded.

By public transportation, this should not mean more maniacal mini buses.
A clean source of energy should be implemented. Monorail uses electricity
and the state of the art monorails even use less energy due to superconducting
magnets and wires. Buses in Germany run on batteries and ethanol.
A student run project in Stanford is investigating a Hybrid vehicle which will
have a 30-60hp engine connected to a generator. Drive wheels are powered by
two motors and when the engine comes to a stop, the kinetic energy is absorbed
into a kinetic flywheel which store the energy. While all this is happening,
the motor engine is recharging the batteries.

btw zam, MIT applied for the same project but got rejected by FORD.
(sorry guys, just felt like being childish here :))
>
>
>"All idealism is falsehood in the face of necessity"
>					- Nietzsche "Ecce Homo"

I shall start studying Nietzsche in a few weeks so no wily Nietzsche quotes
here for now.
>
>
>Azran "Hey, Molly's in Sports Illustrated!" Osman-Rani

Hoi! Wake up! Molly's probably being courted by some Stanford Stud. 

>:)
>
>
>P/S - Am I the only one who gets annoyed when someone copies/references
>another person's *long* article and then only adds a couple of sentences
>of comment at the end. Don't they know how to delete unessential paragraphs
>or even pages?

No, you're not the only one.

-Rezal