IV H “G. GALILEI”

How do conventional petrol-powered vehicles impact the environment?

What role do they play in the production of greenhouse gases?

How are hybrid vehicles different from conventional ones?

Are they a good solution to the environmental issues created by conventional vehicles?

HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES

PLUG-IN HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES

HEVs are powered by an internal combustion engine or other propulsion source that runs on conventional or alternative fuel and an electric motor that uses energy stored in a battery. The battery is charged through regenerative braking and by the internal combustion engine and is not plugged in to charge.

PHEVs are powered by an internal combustion engine that can run on conventional or alternative fuel and an electric motor that uses energy stored in a battery. The vehicle can be plugged into an electric power source to charge the battery. Some PHEVs are also called extended range electric vehicles (EREVs).

ALL-ELECTRIC VEHICLES KERSEVs use a battery to store the

electric energy that powers the motor. EV batteries are charged by plugging the vehicle into an electric power source. EVs are sometimes referred to as battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

(Kinetic Energy Recovery System).It recovers energy from breaking for later use under acceleration. It is used in buses, trains and cars.

MILD HYBRID

Engine off on deceleration.Mild rigenerative breaking.Electric power assist.

FULL HYBRIDKERS.Based on Atkinson Cycle: it has an internal combustion engine helped by an electric engyne.

Opel Ampera

LaFerrari

Toyota Prius

price: €19.900

8 hours to be recharged

3 hours of autonomy per day when driven in a city for an overage of 50 km

Solar cars are powered by electricity through the use of solar energy. Solar panels areattached to the surface (generally, the top) of the vehicle. Photovoltaic (PV) cells convert

theSun's energy directly into electrical energy.

  Powering cars using solar energy has some great benefits: Using solar energy means fossil fuels (which are a limited resource) will be used less. Solar energy is free. Solar energy doesn’t cause pollution. Solar energy will never run out.

However, there are some problems: You can only get solar power during the day (and there is less on cloudy days). Solar equipment is very expensive. Expensive batteries are needed to store solar energy for cars to be able to run at night. Solar cells are not very efficient, and the collector areas are too big for consumer cars.

Scientists are working on these problems. Battery systems that offer high-density energy have

become a focus of auto industry scientists. Development continues towards designing solarpanels on cars that are more efficient.Unfortunately, at this stage, solar cars are still not suitable for day-to-day transport.

However,solar cars are built for special purposes (demonstration and engineering exercises) and arebuilt by enthusiasts who want to race them. Research and development into solar cars continues. The cars are getting faster and bigcorporations are looking at more efficient solar cells and battery technology – where thebatteries are lighter and hold more energy. When the World Solar Challenge began (1987),

thewinner’s average speed was 67km/h. In 2007, the winner’s average speed was 91km/h.

More than a dozen alternative fuels are in production or under development for use in alternative fuel vehicles and advanced technology vehicles. Government and private-sector vehicle fleets are the primary users of these fuels and vehicles, but consumers are increasingly interested in them. Using alternative fuels and advanced vehicles instead of conventional fuels and vehicles helps the United States reduce petroleum use and vehicle emissions.

BIODIESEL Biodiesel is a renewable fuel that can be manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or

recycled cooking grease for use in diesel vehicles.

ELECTRICITY Electricity can be used to power plug-in electric vehicles, which are increasingly available.

Hybrids use electricity to boost efficiency.

ETHANOL Ethanol is a widely used renewable fuel made from corn and other plant materials. It is blended

with gasoline for use in vehicles.

HYDROGEN Hydrogen is a potentially emissions- free alternative fuel that can be produced from domestic

resources for use in fuel cell vehicles.

NATURAL GAS Natural gas is a domestically abundant gaseous fuel that can have significant fuel cost

advantages over gasoline and diesel fuel. 

PROPANE Propane is a readily available gaseous fuel that has been widely used in vehicles throughout

the world for decades

Energy Security The Renewable Fuels Association's 2012 Ethanol Industry Outlook(PDF) calculated that in 2011 the ethanol

industry replaced the petroleum produced from more than 485 million barrels of imported oil. Ethanol represents 25% of domestically produced and refined motor fuel for petroleum engines.

Fuel Economy and Performance Ethanol prodeces less energy than petroleum. The result is lower fuel economy than a gallon of petroleum.

The amount of energy difference varies depending on the blend. For example, E85 has about 27% less energy per gallon than pertoleum . However, because ethanol is a high-octane fuel, it offers increased

vehicle power and performance.

Enlarge illustrationEthanol production creates jobs in rural areas where employment opportunities are needed. According to Renewable Fuels Association, ethanol production in 2011 supported more than 400,000 jobs across the

country, $42.4 billion to the gross domestic product, and $29.9 billion in household income.

Lower EmissionsThe carbon dioxide released when ethanol is burned is balanced by the carbon dioxide captured when the

crops are grown to make ethanol. This differs from petroleum, which is made from plants that grew millions of years ago. On a life cycle analysis basis, corn-based ethanol production and use reduces greenhouse gas

emissions (GHGs) by up to 52% compared to petroleum production and use.

Equipment and Availability Low-level blends require no special fueling equipment and can be used in any petroleum vehicle. E85 fueling equipment is only slightly different than petroleum fueling equipment, but the costs are higher.

FFVs are available nationwide as standard equipment with no incremental costs, making them an affordable alternative fuel vehicle option. However, because most U.S. ethanol plants are concentrated in

the Midwest, fueling stations offering E85 are predominately located in the Corn Belt states. More and more states are installing E85 every day.

Energy Security and BalanceThe United States imports about half of its petroleum, and it is a problem for the economy. Biodiesel can be produced in the U.S. and used in conventional diesel engines, directly substituting for or extending supplies of traditional petroleum

diesel. Biodiesel contains about 8% less energy per gallon than petroleum diesel, but most B20 users report no noticeable difference in performance or fuel

economy.

Air QualityCompared with using petroleum diesel, using biodiesel in a conventional

petroleum diesel engine substantially reduces emissions of carbon dioxide. B100 provides the best emission reductions, but lower-level blends also provide

benefits.

Engine alpha Engine beta

Different types of Stirling engine:

Our Stirling Engine

It was invented by Robert Stirling in 1816

It is an hot air engine It was an alternative to

steam engines when they easely exploded

It stopped being used when steam engines were improved

A positive aspect of the engine is that it has a more ecological exhaust system.

The engine can be used for small domestic purposes.

How do we choose which vehicles to believe in?What can we do in our everyday life to reduce

Carbon Dioxide emissions?

WE MUST LIMIT THE USE OF CARS AND USE BYCICLES AND WALK MORE OFTEN

CHANGE OUR WAY OF DRIVING SHARE CARS, USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND BUY

HYBRID CARS.