Group1:Leo, Robbie, Richard, Christopher, Joeti

Hybrid Vehicle Technology: Are Hybrids the way forward?
There are several engine types in production today that use both non-renewable and renewable resources and all have different effects on the environment. As fossil fuels are depleting and climate change is becoming a great concern, more efficient vehicles and ‘green’ energy technologies are becoming far more important.



Technology and How they Work
Hybrid electric vehicles, also known as HEV’s, incorporate a combination of two or more propulsion systems. The majority of hybrids today are produced with an internal combustion engine, an electric motor and a battery. Some hybrid vehicles, depending on the type and design, run mostly using the internal combustion engine and the electric motor as a backup. In opposition, other hybrids are dependent on the operation of the electric motor primarily, with the engine as a backup. There are currently three basic types of hybrid vehicles, mild, full and plug-in. Mild hybrids run using the internal combustion engine as its main operating system, with the electric motor and battery as a backup. It cannot operate without the engine. Full hybrids are the opposite of what mild hybrids are. They run primarily on the electric motor and battery, with the engine as a backup. Full hybrids can run either just on the electric motor, the engine, or a combination of both. However, full hybrids can only work on the electric motor under very light cruising and weight conditions, otherwise the engine kicks in and assists or takes over. The third type, plug-in, is operated primarily by the electric motor and battery, with the engine as an assisted backup. The full hybrid offers the best fuel mileage above all, and the plug-in requires long hours of charging. There are five steps towards determining hybridization.



Idle-Off
Idle-off, the first step to hybridization, is a specific feature that allows the engine of a hybrid to turn off when stopped, helping save fuel. Some hybrids have advanced idle-off features where it takes less time for the engine to turn on than it does to hit the brakes and then the gas pedal.

Regenerative Braking
The second step is known as regenerative braking. This is a feature found in hybrids where the electric motor assists in the stopping duties when the brakes are applied. This feature also allows the electric motor to act as a generator. Basically, the electric motor takes some of the energy from braking, converts it to electricity, then stores it in the battery and uses that energy to operate the vehicle later on.

Power Assist and Engine Downsizing
The next step is power assist and engine downsizing. The motor and battery have to be big enough in order to assist the engine, or the other way around. This is known as power assist. When power assisting is successfully applied, engine downsizing is also prominent. A much smaller engine can be used in combination with the electric motor and battery, achieving much better fuel mileage. The result is the same as having a gasoline-powered vehicle, without the better gas mileage.

Electric-only-drive
Electric-only-drive is another technology that lets the vehicle to operate using only the electric motor and battery. It provides a substantially better fuel mileage and is quiet when in transmission. This is what determines ‘full hybrids.’ It is perfect for city driving, however, at high speeds, the engine kicks into gear and assists the electric motor.

Extended Battery-Electric Range
The last step to hybridization is the extended battery-electric range. This is what determines the ‘plug-in’ type of hybrid. It basically extends the electric motor’s ability to operate the car by recharging the battery pack from plugging it into an outlet and charging it. A plug-in can run as a full hybrid if it isn’t recharged from a power source. It all depends on how often the driver charges the car.



Economics
The government of Canada introduced various mission’s to encourage sustainable transportation including a project established by Transport Canada called Moving on Sustainable Tansportation Program (MOST). Funding for a wide range of research projects is carried out by MOST each year which involve such specialists in the fields of engineering, environment and transportation. Through MOST, Transport Canada and the Electric Vehicle Society of Canada introduced the Development of Workshop Manual and Pilot Demonstration Project for Conversion of a Gasoline Vehicle to an Electric Vehicle. In developing this workshop manual, Students are introduced to the emerging sustainable industry and detailed research behind electric transportation and vehicles including hybrid. The project is broken down into four main steps for students. Firstly, electric vehicles and sustainable transportation are introduced to the students. This contains in depth information on greenhouse gas effects and other environmental issues involved with gasoline vehicles. Secondly, the electric vehicle is completed through thorough conversion involving many steps. Students must assess and inspect the vehicle as well as the environmental impact of the project, comparing it to the original gasoline vehicle. Lastly, students encourage support for the project through resource guides and design activities for future promotion of sustainable transportation. With hybrid being introduced to students, the demand for this ecological trend is ever emerging.

The above Canadian governments programs support the introduction of the Hybrid vehicle and provide motivation with ecoAUTO and hands on information through various projects carried within MOST. The increase in electric vehicle sales as well as applicants to the transport Canada team and the Electric Vehicle Society of Canada, hybrids are the rising trend in sustainable transportation.



Comparison of alternative technologies
There are several engine types in production today that use both non-renewable and renewable resources and all have different effects on the environment. As fossil fuels are depleting and climate change is becoming a great concern, more efficient vehicles and ‘green’ energy technologies are becoming far more important.

As gas prices have risen exponentially over recent years, people have been looking for new fuel-efficient and cost-efficient technologies for now and the future. Gas-hybrid engines have been a popular choice in the past; however, there are recent innovations that may be better choices than the hybrid. Hydrogen has been an admired fuel since the 1960’s and is most widely used by NASA for their space shuttle launches. There are two ways to gain energy from hydrogen, through either combustion or a fuel cell. The fuel cell generates electricity as a result of chemical reactions. Another up and coming technology is Mercedes’ Bluetec engine, which is essentially a ‘clean diesel hybrid’.

The gas-hybrid engine is considerably more fuel-efficient than regular gas powered vehicles, and therefore produces less greenhouse gases. However, the purchase cost of a hybrid vehicle is several thousand dollars more than their gas-powered counterparts, and for many people the trade-off between a more expensive vehicle and less fuel cost does not seem beneficial. Figure 1 shows a comparison of hybrid and gas vehicle models. It is evident that the shortest amount of time to break even is 6.3 years for the Honda Civic Hybrid, and the longest is 13.1 years for the Toyota Prius.

The combustion of hydrogen instead of petroleum is more efficient and it’s only by product is water and CO2, which means hydrogen would be an ideal replacement to gasoline. However, intricate monitoring is required for the air-fuel ratio to provide the best amount of power with the least CO2 by-product. Moreover, the advantage of using the hydrogen fuel cell is that it creates no by-products at all as it is enclosed chemical reactions that take place to create the electricity. Currently, hydrogen fuel cells are very fragile and not yet suitable for every day vehicular use. The disadvantage of using hydrogen as a fuel is that currently it is very difficult to separate hydrogen from water and requires much energy to do so.

Mercedes’ Bluetec may provide a better alternative than the gas-hybrid engine because it uses innovative technology to combine a diesel engine with the electric motor. Figure 2 is a photograph showing a concept Jeep Bluetec. Diesel is not as clean burning as gasoline, however is far more efficient. The bluetec engine not only uses more efficient diesel as fuel, but also uses high-tech filtering systems to collect particulate matter and other pollutants before they are released through the exhaust. Ernst Lieb (MBUSA) states “the bluetec has 20-40% better efficiency than the gas-hybrid” and that the Mercedes E320 Bluetec will be able to travel 700 highway miles on a single tank.



Each different engine technology has its own pros and cons. The hydrogen combustion engine and fuel cell are the most environmentally friendly, but only if an efficient technique is discovered to separate the hydrogen in the first place. Mercedes’ Bluetec is the next best option with better fuel efficiency and pollution control.

Cost/Price
Although hybrids are commonly more expensive than gasoline vehicles, they are considered to be a good investment. The following reasons related to cost/price explain why we choose hybrids. First of all, when you purchase a new hybrid (2006 and 2007), federal and provincial tax benefits have already compensated the added costs. Secondly, some of the large insurance companies across Canada can provide lower insurance rates to hybrid owners. Third, maintenance and repair costs for hybrid are much less than gasoline vehicles. Usually the only thing needs to be repaired is the high-capacity electric battery. Although replacing hybrid batteries can cost up to several thousands of dollars, the battery lasts longer and is more useful than gasoline vehicles.

The last point is, not surprisingly, while gas price is standing at a very high rate nowadays, hybrid is definitely a good choice because it runs with electrical power, opposed to fuel powered vehicles. Electrical power can be recharged when the car comes to a stop or in a slow motion.

Environment
As we know, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is one of the primary causes of global warming. The quantity of CO2 released by a vehicle is basically proportional to the amount of fuel consumed. By comparing with gasoline vehicles, the hybrids produce much less toxic pollution and less gasoline being burned. Also, they consume electrical energy and electricity isn’t a cause of environmental damage. Therefore hybrid vehicles are environmental friendly and have the potential to decrease CO2.

According to Environment Canada, each liter of gasoline used will produce 2.36 kg of CO2. For every 500 liters of fuel that aren't consumed as a result of driving a hybrid, over a tone of CO2 is not emitted into the atmosphere. Hybrid influences the reduction of global warming.

Like traditional Gasoline vehicles, Hybrid vehicles running on electric power are quiet, safe, reliable and comfortable on the road.

Convenience
Hybrid vehicles use power from the engine and energy that is otherwise wasted when the car brakes to recharge the battery.

When the power from the gasoline engine is not required, or the car is not moving in traffic, the battery is shut off temporarily and automatically recharges itself. When the battery runs low, the system is programmed to recharge automatically.



Economy
In response to protecting our environment, Between March20, 2007 and December 31, 2008, the Government of Canada offers “ecoAUTO Rebate Program” to all Canadians, providing an incentive on hybrid purchaces. Other incentives include federal and provincial tax rebates or credits. The rebates range between $1000 and $2000. Some of the provinces such as BC, Manitoba and Ontario, offer rebate up to $3000.

As the economic down turn impacts the whole world and gas price keeps maintaining at high level, consumers tend to get clean, efficient and lower price vehicles instead of old types. Therefore, hybrid has its own market in today’s economy over the world.

Safety
The tires for hybrid vehicles are different than gasoline, where Hybrid tires are harder and produce air inflation, which cause less friction. Therefore, chance of collision is largely reduced. Hybrid vehicles are designed to withstand the same crash collision as any other gasoline vehicles. They also include with the same airbag and restraint systems.

Although hybrids have an extra set of batteries, they are sealed in cases, which provides protection in a collision. If a hybrid car is involved in a collision, the vehicle is equipped with an automatic shut off system to prevent an electrical shock from the high voltage system.

Price
The most prominent disadvantage is the price and the expenses that come with purchasing a Hybrid vehicle. The price tag of most hybrid vehicles is significantly higher than that of most non-hybrid commuter vehicles. As the average price is slowly decreasing, it is still well above most non-hybrids. Another expense that comes with the price is the costly tune-ups and service. Because the technology is still new, hybrid vehicles cost more to work on.

New Technology
As with most new technologies, there are many flaws. This problem is associated with most, if not all, new inventions. The solution is simply trial and error and will become better with time, in the same fashion as ordinary vehicles.



Power
The original intent of hybrid technology was not power, thus, hybrid vehicles are significantly less powerful than non-hybrids. There are pros and cons to this issue, and some might not even consider this a drawback, as it offers better handling. The downside is keeping up with traffic. In some situations, this can be a hazard: however for the majority of driving, the power that hybrids offer is sufficient.

Light Build
Hybrid vehicle are made of lighter resources and are of a lighter weight that most non-hybrids. The biggest problem this raises is the amount of damage the vehicle and its passengers are subject to in the event of collision.

Conclusion
Each different engine technology has its own pros and cons. The hydrogen combustion engine and fuel cell are the most environmentally friendly, but only if an efficient technique is discovered to separate the hydrogen in the first place. Mercedes’ Bluetec is the next best option with better fuel efficiency and pollution control. As the economic tsunami impacts against the whole world and gas price keeps maintaining at high level, consumers tend to get clean, efficient and lower price vehicles instead of old types. Therefore, hybrid has is worth buying and is considered to be a good investment.

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Tutorial 14

T.A. Wadhah Almansoori