Alternate
Fuels & Electric Vehicles
Hybrid Power Plants
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Fig. The layout of the Hybrid Power Plant |
Introduction-
The main intention behind this concept is the use of
alternate sources in the same power plant and giving a positive contribution
towards the environment. The word ‘Hybrid
vehicle’ stands for a vehicle which can utilize more than one energy sources
for propulsion.
Some combinations used in Hybrid Vehicles are as
follows-
i.
Petrol
engine & LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas)
ii.
Diesel
engine & CNG (Compressed Natural Gas)
iii.
Petrol
engine & battery operated vehicle
Working-
i. This chain of energy generation starts with
an engine running on conventional fuel like- Petrol, Diesel, etc.
ii. When the driver operates the vehicle then
a generator converts the energy coming from an engine into electricity and stored
into the battery.
iii. Then the battery provides power to the electric
motor.
iv. The internal combustion engine and electric
motor work simultaneously and each provide power to the power split device.
v. Combining both the powers and utilizing it
into the transmission is the function of the power split device.
vi. Further process of turning the wheels and
propelling the vehicle is carried out completely by the transmission system.
Advantages-
i)
It converts almost 40% of petrol energy to
power the vehicle.
ii) A moderate speed range of 110 miles per hr. is provided by hybrid vehicles.
iii) It is
so energy-efficient and environment-friendly.
iv)
It
reduces noise pollution as the electric drive is involved in the system.
LPG and CNG operated engines
Advantages of LPG & CNG
operated engines-
i) The cost of fuel is very less as compared to
conventional fuel resources.
ii) As this system is showing approximately complete
combustion, this will not cause any harmful effect on the environment if air
pollution is concerned.
iii) More
efficiency is achieved.
iv) It is safer for the vehicle. The LPG/CNG fuel
tank is made of the thick walls so they can withstand the dynamic explosion, crash test,
and direct gunfire.
v) The life
of lubricating oils is increased, as LPG/CNG does not contaminate and dilute
the crankcase oil. Hence no need for changing oil frequently so vehicle
maintenance is reduced.
vi) Due to its antilock property, CNG can be
used safely in the engine with a compression ratio as high as 12:1 compare to
the gasoline engine. Because CNG has a higher octane number than petrol, CNG
engines operate at a higher compression ratio without knocking.
vii) CNG/LPG fuel systems are sealed, preventing
fuel losses from spills or evaporation.
Disadvantages
of LPG & CNG operated engines
i) More
space is required for LPG/CNG.
ii) LPG/CNG
the tank is bulky in nature.
iii) More
the current rated battery is required to operate this system.
iv)
It
eats up entire boots space of the vehicle so utilization of space becomes
difficult.
v) The most important limitation is that this fuel source is not easily available in rural
areas (especially in India).
Electric Vehicles
Introduction-
As the new era of electric
vehicles (EVs) is started all around the world, it is very clear that we are
becoming more cautious towards the environment. EV was mainly converted from
an existing IC engine vehicle by replacing engine and fuel tank with electric
motor drive and battery pack. Looking towards the many limitations of these EVs
like- more weight, lower flexibility, performance degradation, etc. modern EVs
are purposely built, based on original body and frame designs. These
modifications make modern EVs more flexible than ever.
Need-
From the day when the engines running on fossil fuels
come to use, we mainly dependent on these fuel sources. While looking at the
energy demand of the world, it can be surely stated that this demand can eat
up all the fossil fuel sources very soon. And hence the area of searching
alternatives to fulfill the energy demand is enlightened day by day.
This is not the only reason but the situation of
the environment is also alarming all over the world and to contribute positively
towards the environment is our duty.
The highest record made by AQI
(Air Quality Index) in Delhi was 1000 where the quality of air is good when the
AQI is between 0 to 50.
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Fig. Air Quality Index (Range)
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Fig. The primary power train of Electric Vehicle
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Fig.
Conceptual illustration of general of EV configuration
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Advantages-
1) Zero-emission
The point of attraction to EVs is ‘Zero Emission’. It
is the way forward to decrease your personal impact on the environment through
transport. The electric engine operates on a closed circuit so EV does not emit any
of the gases harmful to the environment. EVs are a great source to reduce the carbon
footprint of individuals.
2) Low maintenance
The
maintenance cost in the case of petrol/diesel engines is much more in case of
a breakdown as well as in preventive type. But EVs don’t demand much more for
their maintenance. As the combustion engine consists of higher and complicated
mechanical linkages, it often faces maintenance. On the other hand, EVs are
likely to have almost 20 moving parts and hence the frequency of maintenance is
quite low.
3) Performance-
Electric cars are lighter and can surprise in
acceleration capability. Due to a lack of a large engine, EVs offer a smoother drive
with lower levels of noise. For example- one of the fastest accelerating cars
in the market is Tesla Model S which is doing 0-60 mph in just 2.5 seconds.
Disadvantages-
1) Charging Woes-
EVs require charging stations and those who are traveling long distances need a network of such stations located
strategically. But if we look especially in India, there are no such charging
stations spread yet so that one can find a station easily.
2) Longer Recharge Time-
To fuel gasoline-powered cars it just takes a few
minutes but the process of battery charging often takes about 4-6 hrs. hence it
is so time-consuming.
3) Traveling Distance (Range)-
On a single charge, an electric car can travel about 50-100
miles on an average which won’t match gasoline.
But as technology is growing faster day by day, this would not be the disadvantage for longer.
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Fig. Traveling Range of EVs
4) Silence as a Disadvantage-
Due to silence of
EVs, the probability of accidents increases.
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