Assessment of Fuel Economy Technologies for Light-Duty Vehicles


Book Description

Various combinations of commercially available technologies could greatly reduce fuel consumption in passenger cars, sport-utility vehicles, minivans, and other light-duty vehicles without compromising vehicle performance or safety. Assessment of Technologies for Improving Light Duty Vehicle Fuel Economy estimates the potential fuel savings and costs to consumers of available technology combinations for three types of engines: spark-ignition gasoline, compression-ignition diesel, and hybrid. According to its estimates, adopting the full combination of improved technologies in medium and large cars and pickup trucks with spark-ignition engines could reduce fuel consumption by 29 percent at an additional cost of $2,200 to the consumer. Replacing spark-ignition engines with diesel engines and components would yield fuel savings of about 37 percent at an added cost of approximately $5,900 per vehicle, and replacing spark-ignition engines with hybrid engines and components would reduce fuel consumption by 43 percent at an increase of $6,000 per vehicle. The book focuses on fuel consumption-the amount of fuel consumed in a given driving distance-because energy savings are directly related to the amount of fuel used. In contrast, fuel economy measures how far a vehicle will travel with a gallon of fuel. Because fuel consumption data indicate money saved on fuel purchases and reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, the book finds that vehicle stickers should provide consumers with fuel consumption data in addition to fuel economy information.




Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels


Book Description

For a century, almost all light-duty vehicles (LDVs) have been powered by internal combustion engines operating on petroleum fuels. Energy security concerns about petroleum imports and the effect of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on global climate are driving interest in alternatives. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels assesses the potential for reducing petroleum consumption and GHG emissions by 80 percent across the U.S. LDV fleet by 2050, relative to 2005. This report examines the current capability and estimated future performance and costs for each vehicle type and non-petroleum-based fuel technology as options that could significantly contribute to these goals. By analyzing scenarios that combine various fuel and vehicle pathways, the report also identifies barriers to implementation of these technologies and suggests policies to achieve the desired reductions. Several scenarios are promising, but strong, and effective policies such as research and development, subsidies, energy taxes, or regulations will be necessary to overcome barriers, such as cost and consumer choice.




Automobiles and Pollution


Book Description

Explores the impact automobile emissions have on air pollution, focusing on the share of pollution that can accurately be attributed to the use of vehicles. Presents general information on atmospheric pollution and its regulation in Europe, then discusses its impact on health and the environment, the chemistry and mechanisms of automobile pollution, the influence of fuel properties, post-combustion treatments, and economic challenges to alleviating the problem. Translated and enlarged from Automobile et pollution published by Editions Technip in Paris in 1992. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR




Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles


Book Description

Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles evaluates various technologies and methods that could improve the fuel economy of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, such as tractor-trailers, transit buses, and work trucks. The book also recommends approaches that federal agencies could use to regulate these vehicles' fuel consumption. Currently there are no fuel consumption standards for such vehicles, which account for about 26 percent of the transportation fuel used in the U.S. The miles-per-gallon measure used to regulate the fuel economy of passenger cars. is not appropriate for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, which are designed above all to carry loads efficiently. Instead, any regulation of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles should use a metric that reflects the efficiency with which a vehicle moves goods or passengers, such as gallons per ton-mile, a unit that reflects the amount of fuel a vehicle would use to carry a ton of goods one mile. This is called load-specific fuel consumption (LSFC). The book estimates the improvements that various technologies could achieve over the next decade in seven vehicle types. For example, using advanced diesel engines in tractor-trailers could lower their fuel consumption by up to 20 percent by 2020, and improved aerodynamics could yield an 11 percent reduction. Hybrid powertrains could lower the fuel consumption of vehicles that stop frequently, such as garbage trucks and transit buses, by as much 35 percent in the same time frame.




Cost, Effectiveness, and Deployment of Fuel Economy Technologies for Light-Duty Vehicles


Book Description

The light-duty vehicle fleet is expected to undergo substantial technological changes over the next several decades. New powertrain designs, alternative fuels, advanced materials and significant changes to the vehicle body are being driven by increasingly stringent fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards. By the end of the next decade, cars and light-duty trucks will be more fuel efficient, weigh less, emit less air pollutants, have more safety features, and will be more expensive to purchase relative to current vehicles. Though the gasoline-powered spark ignition engine will continue to be the dominant powertrain configuration even through 2030, such vehicles will be equipped with advanced technologies, materials, electronics and controls, and aerodynamics. And by 2030, the deployment of alternative methods to propel and fuel vehicles and alternative modes of transportation, including autonomous vehicles, will be well underway. What are these new technologies - how will they work, and will some technologies be more effective than others? Written to inform The United States Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards, this new report from the National Research Council is a technical evaluation of costs, benefits, and implementation issues of fuel reduction technologies for next-generation light-duty vehicles. Cost, Effectiveness, and Deployment of Fuel Economy Technologies for Light-Duty Vehicles estimates the cost, potential efficiency improvements, and barriers to commercial deployment of technologies that might be employed from 2020 to 2030. This report describes these promising technologies and makes recommendations for their inclusion on the list of technologies applicable for the 2017-2025 CAFE standards.




Introduction to Hybrid Vehicle System Modeling and Control


Book Description

This is an engineering reference book on hybrid vehicle system analysis and design, an outgrowth of the author's substantial work in research, development and production at the National Research Council Canada, Azure Dynamics and now General Motors. It is an irreplaceable tool for helping engineers develop algorithms and gain a thorough understanding of hybrid vehicle systems. This book covers all the major aspects of hybrid vehicle modeling, control, simulation, performance analysis and preliminary design. It not only systemically provides the basic knowledge of hybrid vehicle system configuration and main components, but also details their characteristics and mathematic models. Provides valuable technical expertise necessary for building hybrid vehicle system and analyzing performance via drivability, fuel economy and emissions Built from the author's industry experience at major vehicle companies including General Motors and Azure Dynamics Inc. Offers algorithm implementations and figures/examples extracted from actual practice systems Suitable for a training course on hybrid vehicle system development with supplemental materials An essential resource enabling hybrid development and design engineers to understand the hybrid vehicle systems necessary for control algorithm design and developments.




Modern Electric, Hybrid Electric, and Fuel Cell Vehicles


Book Description

"This book is an introduction to automotive technology, with specic reference to battery electric, hybrid electric, and fuel cell electric vehicles. It could serve electrical engineers who need to know more about automobiles or automotive engineers who need to know about electrical propulsion systems. For example, this reviewer, who is a specialist in electric machinery, could use this book to better understand the automobiles for which the reviewer is designing electric drive motors. An automotive engineer, on the other hand, might use it to better understand the nature of motors and electric storage systems for application in automobiles, trucks or motorcycles. The early chapters of the book are accessible to technically literate people who need to know something about cars. While the rst chapter is historical in nature, the second chapter is a good introduction to automobiles, including dynamics of propulsion and braking. The third chapter discusses, in some detail, spark ignition and compression ignition (Diesel) engines. The fourth chapter discusses the nature of transmission systems.” —James Kirtley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA “The third edition covers extensive topics in modern electric, hybrid electric, and fuel cell vehicles, in which the profound knowledge, mathematical modeling, simulations, and control are clearly presented. Featured with design of various vehicle drivetrains, as well as a multi-objective optimization software, it is an estimable work to meet the needs of automotive industry.” —Haiyan Henry Zhang, Purdue University, USA “The extensive combined experience of the authors have produced an extensive volume covering a broad range but detailed topics on the principles, design and architectures of Modern Electric, Hybrid Electric, and Fuel Cell Vehicles in a well-structured, clear and concise manner. The volume offers a complete overview of technologies, their selection, integration & control, as well as an interesting Technical Overview of the Toyota Prius. The technical chapters are complemented with example problems and user guides to assist the reader in practical calculations through the use of common scientic computing packages. It will be of interest mainly to research postgraduates working in this eld as well as established academic researchers, industrial R&D engineers and allied professionals.” —Christopher Donaghy-Sparg, Durham University, United Kingdom The book deals with the fundamentals, theoretical bases, and design methodologies of conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs). The design methodology is described in mathematical terms, step-by-step, and the topics are approached from the overall drive train system, not just individual components. Furthermore, in explaining the design methodology of each drive train, design examples are presented with simulation results. All the chapters have been updated, and two new chapters on Mild Hybrids and Optimal Sizing and Dimensioning and Control are also included • Chapters updated throughout the text. • New homework problems, solutions, and examples. • Includes two new chapters. • Features accompanying MATLABTM software.




Effectiveness and Impact of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards


Book Description

Since CAFE standards were established 25 years ago, there have been significant changes in motor vehicle technology, globalization of the industry, the mix and characteristics of vehicle sales, production capacity, and other factors. This volume evaluates the implications of these changes as well as changes anticipated in the next few years, on the need for CAFE, as well as the stringency and/or structure of the CAFE program in future years.




Applied Electromechanical Devices and Machines for Electric Mobility Solutions


Book Description

In this book, highly qualified multidisciplinary scientists present their recent research that has been motivated by the significance of applied electromechanical devices and machines for electric mobility solutions. It addresses advanced applications and innovative case studies for electromechanical parameter identification, modeling, and testing of; permanent-magnet synchronous machine drives; investigation on internal short circuit identifications; induction machine simulation; CMOS active inductor applications; low-cost wide-speed operation generators; hybrid electric vehicle fuel consumption; control technologies for high-efficient applications; mechanical and electrical design calculations; torque control of a DC motor with a state-space estimation; and 2D-layered nanomaterials for energy harvesting. This book is essential reading for students, researchers, and professionals interested in applied electromechanical devices and machines for electric mobility solutions.




Hybrid Electric Vehicles


Book Description

This SpringerBrief deals with the control and optimization problem in hybrid electric vehicles. Given that there are two (or more) energy sources (i.e., battery and fuel) in hybrid vehicles, it shows the reader how to implement an energy-management strategy that decides how much of the vehicle’s power is provided by each source instant by instant. Hybrid Electric Vehicles: •introduces methods for modeling energy flow in hybrid electric vehicles; •presents a standard mathematical formulation of the optimal control problem; •discusses different optimization and control strategies for energy management, integrating the most recent research results; and •carries out an overall comparison of the different control strategies presented. Chapter by chapter, a case study is thoroughly developed, providing illustrative numerical examples that show the basic principles applied to real-world situations. The brief is intended as a straightforward tool for learning quickly about state-of-the-art energy-management strategies. It is particularly well-suited to the needs of graduate students and engineers already familiar with the basics of hybrid vehicles but who wish to learn more about their control strategies.