Artistic High Quality Wallpapers

Tags: Funny Pictures, Pakistani Girls Pictures Indian Teen Girls, Sports Celebrities Pictures, Hollywood Celebrities, Bollywood Celebrities, Katrina Kaif, South Indian Actress, Hot Teen Models

World's Top 10 Worst Oil Disasters

In the aftermath of the explosion of the Deep-water Horizon platform, which is now estimated to be leaking 5,000 barrels of crude each day, many are fearing the worst in terms of the potential environmental and economic impact. But how does this spill stack up to the biggest oil disasters in history?

To get a sense, CNBC.com reviewed data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and The Mariner Group, an oil spill response firm, to get a sense of which oil disasters have been the worst, by volume of oil spilled.

To get a scope on the economic impact, we calculated the 2010 cost of the oil spilled at the current cost of light, sweet crude at $85 per barrel. However, this does not take into account the cost of cleanup efforts, ecological impact and loss of equipment, which could add millions -- or even billions -- to the cost.

So, what are the worst oil disasters in history?


10. M/T Haven

Photo: Romani Cagnoni | Hulton Archive | Getty Images

Oil Spilled: 1 million barrels
Cost in 2010: $85 million

In April 1991, the M/T Haven suffered a devastating explosion that caused the ship to eventually break in two and sink after three days. The explosion occurred when the ship was unloading fuel into an offshore loading platform near Genoa, Italy, when a routine transfer procedure caused an explosion that caused flames more than 100 meters high and killed six crew members.

Officials estimated that most of the oil burned off, but about 290,000 barrels leaked into the ocean, affecting the Mediterranean coasts of Italy and France for the next decade


9. Odyssey

Photo: Paul Edmondson | Stockbyte | Getty Images

Oil Spilled: 1.02 million barrels
Cost in 2010: $86.7 million

In November 1988, the American-owned Odyssey drilling rig dumped more than 1 million barrels of crude oil after an explosion 700 miles off Canada's east coast, although most of the oil burned off before salvage and containment efforts could mobilize.


8. Amoco Cadiz

Photo: Jean-Pierre Prevel | AFP | Getty Images

Oil Spilled: 1.6 million barrels
Cost in 2010: $136 million

In March 1978, the oil tanker Amoco Cadiz ran aground after its rudder was damaged in a winter storm, and although crews were alerted to the impending disaster, they were unable to halt the ship. According to the Mariner Group, the ship spilled 1.6 million barrels of crude oil near Portsall, France and the resulting slick eventually affected 125 miles of coastline.


7. Castillo de Bellver

Photo: Martin Harvey | Gallo Images | Getty Images

Oil Spilled: 1.8 million barrels
Cost in 2010: $153 million

The Spanish tanker Castillo de Bellver caught fire and eventually suffered a devastating explosion, which resulted in a spill of more than 1.8 million barrels 70 miles off the coast of South Africa in August 1983. Although the coastline was in serious danger following the spill, a shift in winds pushed the oil offshore and, according to the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF), the "environmental effects were minimal." Inevitably, however, many marine animals were still affected.


6. Nowruz Oil Field

Photo: Tom Stoddart | Hulton Archive | Getty Images

Oil Spilled: 1.9 million barrels
Cost in 2010: $161.5 million

On February 10 1983, an oil tanker collided with the Nowruz platform, causing the platform to tilt to a 45 degree angle. Eventually, wave action and corrosion ate away at the platform's crippled support structure, causing internal collapse that leaked oil at 1,500 barrels per day.

Located in the Persian Gulf near the shores of Iran, the oil spill could not be capped or contained because it was located in the middle of an Iran/Iraq war zone. The platform was eventually attacked by Iraqi planes and the oil slick caught fire. The leak was eventually capped in September, 1983.


5. ABT Summer

Photo: Terje Rakke | The Image Bank | Getty Images

Oil Spilled: 1.92 million barrels
Cost in 2010: $163.2 million

The Liberian supertanker ABT Summer suffered an explosion 900 miles off the coast of Angola in May 1991, resulting in an oil slick that spanned more than 17 nautical miles. The disaster killed five crew members on board after the ship burnt for three days prior to sinking, according to the ITOPF.


4. Fergana Valley


Oil Spilled: 2.095 million barrels
Cost in 2010: $178 million

Although not highly publicized at the time, the March 1992 oil spill in Fergana Valley caused a loss of more than 2 million barrels of crude oil. Although the economic significance of the area is mostly based in agriculture, the area has been producing oil since 1908 and it continues to be one of the most active energy and oil refining centers in Uzbekistan. The US Department of Energy estimates that prior to the spill there was about 4.5 billion barrels of oil in the Fergana basin.


3. Atlantic Empress/Aegean Captain


Oil Spilled: 2.2 million barrels
Cost in 2010: $187 million

In July 1979, about 2.2 million barrels of crude oil spilled after two ships, the Atlantic Empress and the Aegean Captain, collided during a tropical storm of the island of Tobago. Although it took less than a month for crews to recover the ships, the Atlantic Empress continued to leak oil, even as it was being towed away from the site of the original collision. It eventually sank on August 3.

2. Ixotoc 1

Photo: John Hoagland | Liaison | Getty Images

Oil Spilled: 3.34 million barrels
Cost in 2010: $283.9 million

The Ixotoc 1 was an exploratory oil well located in the Gulf of Mexico, about 600 miles off the coast of Texas. The rig, owned by the Mexican oil company Pemex, suffered a "blowout," which resulted from a pressure imbalance. The disaster caused about 10,000 to 30,000 barrels of crude per day to spill from June 3 to March 23 of the next year.

The US government took two months to contain the spill and was able to protect major inlets. Pemex is owned by the Mexican Government, has refused US requests to pay damages to compensate for the clean-up costs.


1. Kuwait Oil Spill

Photo: AP

Oil Spilled: 5.7 million barrels
Cost in 2010: $484.5 million

In the largest oil spill of all-time, the Kuwaiti oil spill during the Gulf War is estimated to be almost twice the size of the Ixotoc disaster. The spill came as a result of the invading Iraqi army intentionally opening oil pipelines and dumping crude from tankers, in order to deter US forces from landing in Kuwait via the Persian Gulf.

To stop the spill of oil, American air-strikes destroyed pipelines in order to prevent further spillage. However, a multinational study on the spill suggests that there was little long-term damage, with about 1 million barrels recovered and as much as 3 million barrels washing on shore in Saudi Arabia.

Tags: Funny Pictures, Pakistani Girls Pictures Indian Teen Girls, Sports Celebrities Pictures, Hollywood Celebrities, Bollywood Celebrities, Katrina Kaif, South Indian Actress, Hot Teen Models

Dodge Tomahawk: World’s Most Expensive Heavy Bike

Dodge Tomahawk is a bike which was produced by Dodge manufacturers and it was unveiled in “North American International Auto Show” in 2003. It has a very unusual design that inspire every bike admirer and especially the “speed bike lovers”. It has a 8.3 L V10 engine which can produce 500hp. It has a maximum speed of 370 miles per hour which produces torque of 712 Nm. Its front brake has 16 piston disk and back brake has 8 piston disk. The weight of bike is approximately 1500 pounds (680 kg) and has price about $ 555,000. Fuel capacity which is 12.3 liters.


Viper V10 engine

* 500 bhp (372 kW) @ 5600 rpm (60.4 bhp/liter); 525 lb.-ft. (712 Nm) @ 4200 rpm
* 10-cylinder 90-degree V-type, liquid-cooled, 505 cubic inches (8277 cc)
* 356-T6 aluminum alloy block with cast-iron liners, aluminum alloy cylinder heads
* Bore x Stroke: 4.03 inches x 3.96 inches (102.4 x 100.6)
* Two pushrod-actuated overhead valves per cylinder
* Roller-type hydraulic lifters
* Sequential fuel injection with individual runners
* Compression Ratio: 9.6:1
* Max Engine Speed: 6000 rpm
* Fuel: Unleaded gasoline, 93 octane (R+M/2)
* Dry sump oil system takes 8 quarts of oil
* Cooling: Twin aluminum radiators mounted atop engine intake manifolds, force-fed from front-mounted, belt-driven turbine fan. Takes 11 quarts of antifreeze.
* Exhaust: Equal-length tubular stainless steel headers with dual collectors and central rear outlets

Suspension, brakes, tires, and wheels

Front suspension: Outboard, single-sided parallel upper and lower control arms made from polished billet aluminum. Mounted via ball joint
to aluminum steering uprights and hubs. Five degrees caster. Single, adjustable centrally located coil-over damper (2.25-inch coil with adjustable spring perch); pull-rod and rocker-actuated mono linkage. Center-lock racing-style hubs.
Rear suspension: Hand-fabricated box-section steel inboard swing arms, incorporating hydral-link lockable recirculating hydraulic circuit parking stand. Single adjustable Koni coil-over damper (2.25-inch coil with adjustable spring perch); pushrod and rocker-actuated mono linkage. Center-lock racing-style hubs

Front brakes: 20-inch perimeter-mounted drilled machined stainless steel rotors, one per wheel. Two four-piston fixed aluminum calipers per wheel (16 pistons total), custom designed. Blue anodized caliper finish. Hand-activated.

Rear brakes: 20-inch perimeter-mounted drilled cast-iron rotors, one per wheel. One four-piston fixed aluminum caliper per wheel (8 pistons total), custom designed. Blue anodized caliper finish. Foot-activated.

Tires and wheels: Billet aluminum discs, asymmetrical, twin 20x4 front, twin 20x5 rear, with custom made Dunlop symmetrical tires (P120/60R20 in front, P150/50R20 in back).


Performance

0-60 mph:
2.5 seconds
Top Speed:
300+ mph (est.)


Electrical

Alternator: 136-amp high-speed
Battery: Leak-resistant, maintenance-free 600 CCA
Lighting: Headlights consist of 12 five-watt LEDs, front, with beam-modifying optics and masked lenses. Eight LEDs, rear. Headlamps articulate with wheels.

Transmission

Manual, foot-shifted, aluminum-cased two-speed, sequential racing-style with dog ring, straight-cut gears
Gear Ratios: 1st 18:38; 2nd 23:25
Clutch: Double-disc, dry-plate with organic friction materials, hand lever actuated with assist
Final drive: Dual 110-link motorcycle-style chains
Front Sprockets: 14 teeth
Rear Sprockets: 35 teeth


Steering

Dual-hub center type steering. Linkage uses rocker arm and push/pull rod with roller bearings. Billet aluminum steering yoke with aluminum grips and billet levers. Steering Lock: 20°; Lean Angle: 45°

Tags: Funny Pictures, Pakistani Girls Pictures Indian Teen Girls, Sports Celebrities Pictures, Hollywood Celebrities, Bollywood Celebrities, Katrina Kaif, South Indian Actress, Hot Teen Models

10 Most - Amazing Concept of Bikes

Everyone loves riding bikes and so do we. As technology evolves, we shall be seeing new concept bikes with some unique design anatomy. Though fascinating, these concept bikes share a common aptitude of never making into the real world.

Compiled below is a list of the most amazing concept bikes you will ever see. Some of them may even hit the roads of reality in coming future but most of them are just idealized for the imaginary world.


1. Honda V4


The Honda V4 concept which was revealed at the 2008 Intermot bike show in Germany is a stylish and futuristic sportbike which proposes a new design direction for the brand.


2. Suzuki G-Strider


The Suzuki G-Strider was first seen during the 2003 Tokyo Motorshow. This concept motorbike is best described as half scooter half cruiser motorcycle as it shares atributes with both.


3. I.Care


This concept bike, known as the I.Care, is the best example of modern-day technology mixed with design and speed. It is designed and visualized by a France-based company, Enzyme Design. The I.Care motorcycle is meant to be the Aston Martin of the two-wheeled world with a six-cyclinder 1.8 Honda engine


4. Victory Vision 800


This concept bike, known as the I.Care, is the best example of modern-day technology mixed with design and speed. It is designed and visualized by a France-based company, Enzyme Design. The I.Care motorcycle is meant to be the Aston Martin of the two-wheeled world with a six-cylinder 1.8 Honda engine


5. Yamaha Tesseract


The Yamaha Tesseract Concept Bike was unveiled at the Yamaha 2008 Tokyo Auto Show. Yamaha has made this concept a hybrid, boasting both a V-Twin engine of undisclosed size along with an electric motor.

6. Peraves Monotracer


The Peraves Mono-tracer is a fully enclosed motorbike featuring a sporty, aerodynamic appearance and low fuel consumption. The Peraves Mono-tracer is a new, updated and more attractive version of the Swiss-made Eco-mobile.

7. Bombadier Embrio


The Embryo is a robotic unicycle announced by Bombardier in 2003, it is currently only a conceptual design. If produced, it would not be available until 2025. It is designed to be a hydrogen fuel cell-powered motorized unicycle capable of reaching highway speeds.


8. Batpod


Seen this in the Dark Knight, Have we? The Batpod was designed for the movie by Nathan Crowley and is powered by a high-performance, water-cooled, single-cylinder engine - geared toward the lower end for faster acceleration and with no exhaust pipes.


9. Dodge Tomahawk


The Dodge Tomahawk is a concept vehicle which was produced by Dodge. The insane potential widow-maker Dodge conceived and subsequently named the Tomahawk was first seen in 2003 at the Detroit Auto Show.


10. Confederate Renovatio



The Renovatio concept motorbike from Confederate Motorcycles based in America is a radical concept bike designed by Confederate’s lead designer Ed Jacobs. It is extremely minimalistic with all the mechanical elements of the bike on show. Liked the list? Give us a comment so we can be encouraged to share more.

Tags: Funny Pictures, Pakistani Girls Pictures Indian Teen Girls, Sports Celebrities Pictures, Hollywood Celebrities, Bollywood Celebrities, Katrina Kaif, South Indian Actress, Hot Teen Models

Top 10 Most Economical Cars

Invented in the 19th century, the bicycle hasn’t changed much since then, and it’s sorely in need of a 21st century makeover. Luckily, there are plenty of designers eager to jump in and do just that, with amazing concepts that fold into compact portable packages, harness solar energy, store kinetic pedal power and even allow amphibious travel. Some are ready for the assembly line while others will never be more than an idea, but all 16 of these designs are quite a departure from the ordinary.


Laptop-Charging Bike Concept

(image via: gizmodo)

It’s probably the boxiest and least aerodynamic bicycle concept yet, but the most interesting part of Yuji Fujimura’s strange design has nothing to do with looks. This electric bicycle has a docking station for your laptop, charged by the bike’s battery as you ride. Sure, it’s probably uncomfortable and you’d be knocked down in no time flat by the slightest gust of wind, but you’d never run out of juice.


Incredible Folding Backback Bicycle

(image via: bergmoench)

The backcountry provides some of the most breathtaking, adventurous settings for mountain biking – but the journey to get there sometimes takes enthusiasts over terrain that has to be negotiated on foot, and most bicycles aren’t easy to carry. The Bergmönch folding backpack bicycle eliminates that problem. Not only is it small and lightweight, it folds perfectly onto itself in less than two minutes in a convenient configuration.


Solar Powered Electric Bike

(image via: the design blog)

While cyclists on traditional rides huff and puff up hills, Cycle Sol owners can glide up effortlessly using solar power instead of muscle power. Designed by Miroslav Miljevic, this electric bicycle has a roof that both protects the rider from the sun and rain and collects solar energy. It’s made for people who don’t feel up to the physical demands of cycling, but still want to get the rest of the benefits.


Collapsible Bike Concept

(image via: tuvie)

Portability is key when it comes to the bikes of the future, and concept designers are finding incredibly creative ways to make bikes light and collapsible. This design by Blair Hasty not only breaks down into a small package, but also provides storage space in the form of a bag positioned between the wheels. Hasty also set out to improve rider posturing, saying “I resolved these issues by moving the position of the pedals behind the rider and moving some of the pressure of their body weight onto the front of the hip bones, using a broad front section of the seat and onto their forearms with supports protruding from the handles.”

BMW Concept Bikes

(image via: millionface)

It comes as no surprise that some of the coolest-looking bicycle concepts were designed by automaker BMW. It’s not clear exactly what these concepts were created for, but with their colorful motorbike-esque shapes and proportions, they do provide some inspiration for bringing bicycle design firmly into the 21st century.


Bizarre Di-Cycle

(image via: dvice)

Designed to carry the rider over both land and water, this strange bicycle concept was designed especially for the city of Helmond in the Netherlands, which has as many canals as it does roads. Created by GBO Design, the Di-Cycle is far bulkier than traditional bicycles – which would seem to limit its application – but does offer an intriguing solution to amphibious travel.

ThisWay: All-Weather Bicycle Design

(image via: dezeen)

One of the most common reasons people give for not riding a bicycle more often is that they don’t want to get wet. All-weather bicycle concepts aren’t entirely new, but they’ve always been rather clunky and unrealistic – until now. ‘ThisWay’, a covered bicycle concept by Swedish designer Torkel Dohmers, features a transparent roof that can protect against precipitation. It’s a cool idea, but critics point out that the lack of fenders means water from the road will splash up onto the rider.

Locust Flexible Folding Bicycle

(image via: coroflot)

With its large circular frame, the Locust folds in a way that most other portable, collapsible bikes don’t. Designer Josef Cardek told Ride This Bike, “The idea behind the Locust was developed in a very analytical way: I asked myself what parts of a normal bike can never fold? Wheels, of course. So everything else must be subordinated to wheels…and from this idea it was clear to me what shape the bike will have. Also, one of my core objectives was to keep ‘classic conservative geometry’, using the biggest wheels possible to achieve the easy handling and feel of a normal bike.”


Grasshopper: Folding Electric Bike

(image via: inhabitat)

Naturally, some intrepid designers have taken folding bicycles to the next level by making them electric. But none have gone quite so far as David Gonçalves, whose Grasshopper design not only gets you to and fro, but can also become a stationary exercise bike and even generates and stores the energy you produce when pedaling.


Wind-Powered Racing Bicycle

(image via: wee.ato-nh)

Unwieldy? No doubt. But creating this monster of a wind-powered, multi-seater bicycle (tricycle, actually) was a dream of Gustav Winkler’s since he was a boy, and he’s thrilled with the results, even if the creation doesn’t offer much in the way of protection for the rider.


Minimalist Theft-Proof Computer-Aided Bicycle

(image via: dailymail)

With spokeless wheels designed to eliminate wind drag, tires that can’t be punctured, no visible chain and a minimalist frame, this bicycle is a definite departure from old school designs. The brainchild of Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman, the bike has a solar-powered battery that assists the rider up hills and even has a fingerprint-reading device that only allows the owner to ride it. A tiny computer on the handlebars calculates the number of calories burned based on the number of times the pedals rotate. This is definitely a bike of the future: Boardman estimates that it won’t be available for at least two decades.



Adjustable, Eco-Friendly Versabikes

(image via: the design blog)

The Versabike seems to be employing some biomimicry, with a shape that calls to mind a human body. Designed to adapt to a range of different user heights, this bicycle concept adjusts using the same mechanics that we do, bending at the ‘knees’ to bring the seat and pedals closer to the ground. As a result, it can be shared by a couple or grow with a child.

Webcycle: Internet Exercise Bike

(image via: tom scott)

This bicycle isn’t going to get you from point A to point B, but it will help you get fit. Internet addicts who find themselves out of shape because they like to sit in front of the computer all day could use the WebCycle to pedal their way to fitness and browse the web at the same time – with a small catch. If you pedal slowly, the bike and accompanying computer program restrict your bandwidth, so you’re effectively punished or rewarded depending on how hard you work.


Nulla: Ultramodern Spokeless Bike

(image via: tuvie)

Nulla means “nothing” in Italian, and though this bicycle is closer to “nothing” than most, it’s still a whole lot of something. Like the minimalist theft-proof bicycle by Chris Boardman, the Nulla has no hubs or chain drive for perhaps the sleekest, most futuristic look yet.



Honda U3-X: If Unicycles and Segways Mated

Okay, so this isn’t a bicycle, it’s a unicycle – and the concept is totally contrary to the essence of a bicycle, which requires some kind of effort on behalf of the rider in order to move. The Honda U3-X is like a Segway for even lazier people, allowing users to control it simply by leaning their bodies slightly. About the size of a retro boombox, the U3-X is battery powered and goes only 4mph. But considering that it’s the world’s smallest mobility device, it could possibly inspire other concepts that are a bit more useful in the real world.

Suspended Bicycle Lane Concept

It’s not a bicycle itself, but rather a new way to ride them: a bike lane in the sky, where cyclists can literally rise above the headaches of car traffic. Architect Martin Angelo v envisions the ‘Kolelinia’ as a sort of self-powered monorail for bikes: rails run between buildings and towers in the city, grabbing onto the bikes’ handlebars to keep riders safe on their sky-high trail. Cyclists are kept out of street traffic and can safely go anywhere they need to.

Tags: Funny Pictures, Pakistani Girls Pictures Indian Teen Girls, Sports Celebrities Pictures, Hollywood Celebrities, Bollywood Celebrities, Katrina Kaif, South Indian Actress, Hot Teen Models