Fuel Cell Vehicles Slipping in Popularity
Fuel Cell Diagram
I am a big fan of alternative fueled vehicles overall but I was always most optimistic about fuel cell vehicles. 5 Years ago I thought this was the automotive power plant of the future. Unfortunately it seems that the research and development of these vehicles has slowed to a crawl.
First let’s clear up what type of vehicle I am speaking of. A fuel cell powered vehicle contains a device that converts fuel directly into electricity to power the vehicle. It wasn’t long ago that fuel cells where seen as the solution to the problems of electric cars. We hoped that the technology would have been able to replace the lithium ion batteries currently installed.
In essence being able to remove the most troublesome part of an electric vehicle and replacing it with a renewable source of continuous electric power that would work in harmony with the electric drive systems that are currently installed in vehicles such as the Nissan leaf and Chevrolet volt.
How fuel cells work
Will electric vehicles ever get popular
People Love Golf Carts
Why do people love golf carts and hate electric cars? I believe by now all of the major automobile manufacturers have developed an electric vehicle of some kind. The question seems to be why they are so unpopular with the general car buying public and will car-makers be able to turn this around and make them popular.
Some people argue that the EV’s still use fossil fuels, as in the power that recharges the batteries comes from power plants that consumes some type of fossil fuel or maybe if you’re lucky electricity that is produced from nuclear.
Just my personal opinion on the prior statement, I think that there is some truth to it but it would seem like a lot less fossil fuel is used to charge a battery then let’s say putting 20 gallons of unleaded regular or even diesel in your car or truck. You also get to send this electricity to your vehicle straight from the power plant.
In liquid fuel terms this is like an individual pipeline directly to your house from the oil refinery. Read more
Get the Maximum Fuel Economy
alternative fuels device
To get the maximum fuel economy from your vehicle you have to have an efficient running engine. There must be the correct amount of fuel mixed with the correct amount of air. When the engine is running at maximum efficiency not only do you get the best fuel economy and power but also the least amount of pollutants in the exhaust.
With all of these things to gain and nothing to lose why not make sure that your vehicle is getting the absolute maximum miles per gallon that it should be. Run an actual mpg test on your car to see what your getting. Yes, the reason I am writing this article is because gas prices are on their way up to some scary levels I have not seen since 2008.
Back then I went off the deep end and was trying some crazy things to increase my miles per gallon with alternative fuels. This time around I just want you to think about getting what the car manufacturer states is achievable mpg. I know in the case of the automobiles in my family most of them are not achieving the number that was posted on the window sticker.
This is mainly because of poor driving habits and the word lead foot comes to mind. But in a few cases it may also be caused by lack of maintenance of things such as the automotive air filter, fuel filter, spark plugs and other items responsible for complete combustion.
Problems that reduce fuel economy Read more
What About Diesel Fuel
Me working on a diesel engine
Diesel fuel is a petroleum product that is not as popular in the United States as it is in other countries. As a resident of the United States and a strong believer in the benefits of diesel fuels I hope that the North American continent will someday embrace this type of fuel.
One thing that can be said about diesel is that it contains more energy per gallon than gasoline and therefore can be considered more efficient. The engine that burns this type of petroleum produces much more torque at lower RPMs because of high compression chamber ratios.
This makes it a perfect choice for trucks and trains that haul heavy loads and that will require massive amounts of torque to get that load moving.
The difference between diesel and gasoline
The fuel in a gasoline engine is ignited by a spark plug. The diesel engine uses its own high combustion chamber pressure to compress the fuel until ignites on its own. Gasoline is extremely flammable compared to diesel fuel. Read more
Fuel Quality Problems
Battery powered fuel siphon
Sometimes although not often fuel quality problems can cause extremely hard-to-find engine drivability problems and repeat failures of fuel system components. Described below will be an effective way for you to check the basics of your fuels quality.
Keep in mind that you will need an accurate fuel sample from the vehicle you want to test. Although there are several safe ways to remove fuel from your tank I recommend that you pick up a special fuel siphon hose from your auto parts store. Or I have a link to the one pictured to the left at the bottom of the article.
You will also need a glass cylinder that is graduated in milliliters (also available below). In order to keep the testing simple it is best to use round numbers. Your graduated cylinder should hold 100 ml and have a cap to prevent tainted results. Don’t worry you do not have to be a scientist to conduct this test but you will need a gas sample and a graduated cylinder. Read more
Alternative Fuel Types
Two types of alternative fuel that I would like to discuss would be LPG or liquid petroleum gas. And also CNG compressed natural gas.
Back 10 or 20 years ago, these two types of fuels were at the leading edge of most alternative fuel programs and were considered to be the wave of the future.
I was so convinced of this that I studied and became certified in CNG powered vehicles. Although both of these fuels are extremely interesting they are still both fossil fuels. This would seem to be the main reason that interest has faded in both of these types of fuels.
First, we will discuss LPG or liquid petroleum gas. Fuel grade LP is almost pure propane with a small amount of butane, which is why many people simply refer to it as propane.
They call this LP because it is stored as a liquid in a pressurized bottle. The most common containers look just like the one that’s mounted to your propane barbecue grill.
You will also find many forklifts that still use this type of fuel. The LPG tanks that are mounted on the forklifts will look more like a beer keg.
Propane or liquid petroleum gas is perfect for a forklift that operates inside of a large warehouse.
These types of alternative fuel burn clean because the fuel is vaporized at atmospheric temperatures and pressures. This means that it emits less hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide.
These properties also allow for easy engine start up even in the coldest climates. This is probably why we will continue to see LPG powered forklifts operating in warehouses.
Even though LP gas is a good alternative to unleaded gasoline is still a fossil fuel. Therefore, you will probably not see the automotive industry develop this environmentally friendly fuel into a possible solution for the future.
More alternative fuel types
Compressed natural gas vehicles offer some advantages over their gasoline-powered counterparts. Read more
Alternative Fuels Discussion
Alternative fuels are discussed on several pages of this blog. I thought it was time to fire up a discussion about why alternative fuel is necessary and more information about some of the popular types.
A concern of fossil fuel inventories reaching record lows and increased emissions standards for automobiles has led to an explosion in alternative fuel research. There are many factors to be considered when determining a viable source of alternative fuel.
These will include engine emissions, cost, fuel availability, safety, engine life and being able to build an infrastructure to deliver this combustible fuel.
Alternative fueled vehicles
Many vehicles on the road are designed to use something other than gasoline as fuel. These are commonly referred to as dedicated vehicles or multiple fuel vehicles. Dedicated vehicles are those designed to use one particular type of alternative fuel such as diesel.
Multiple fuel vehicles are designed to use more than one fuel. Some of these bi fuel vehicles will have separate fuel tanks and can operate on one or the other.
Flexible fuel vehicles can operate solely on alcohol-based fuel, unleaded gasoline, or a mixture of the two. This property gives the driver flexibility and convenience when refueling the tank.
Types of alternative fuel
Diesel fuel vehicles are Read more
Hybrid Electric Vehicle
Hybrid electric vehicles have arrived in my county. The new wave of mass transit technology has landed on my front door step. These electric hybrid vehicles operate on the same principles as the Toyota prius and the other popular hybrid models that are available today.
Electric hybrid vehicles
The big difference is, instead of a gas engine, this bus has a 5.9 L Cummings ISB common rail diesel engine. This diesel engine is coupled with a hi torque electric motor and power is blended to the wheels through an Alison CVT transmission.
The constant variable transmission is much like driving a snowmobile where you never feel the transmission up shift to the next gear. The transmission changes gear ratios on the fly to provide more speed at the optimum RPMs.
Electric hybrid diesels
Another thing that is different then on many hybrid vehicles is that the diesel engine never shuts off. In the best case scenario when the electric motor is driving the vehicle the diesel engine is still idling. The old transit buses received somewhere around eight to 10 miles per gallon.
The new hybrid electric transit vehicle will double the miles per gallon and should receive 16 to 20 miles per gallon. These specifications are for the ultimate of city driving. A transit bus is a stop and go vehicle and if it is lucky may reach 40 mph a few times during the day. Note that the batteries are on the roof of the electric hybrid vehicle and are recharged by engine braking.
Another interesting part about the diesel side of the vehicle is that this diesel engine manufactured by Cummings meets all of the latest alternative fuels emissions standards. You will not see belching black smoke from the fancy exhaust pipe shown in the picture below. The reason is that the 2009 standards include a particulate filter. This filter will pull most of the carbon from the exhaust being emitted from the tailpipe.
hybrid electric
These particulate filters are new to the market and do require service. Read more
Water 4 Gas Comments
My water 4 gas comments section continues to grow. I have kept my promise and posted all comments both good and bad. Even the ones that are filled with hate and directly insult me and my belief in the hydrogen generating system. People get really emotional about this subject. You can review some recent comments down on the right side column. One of the most common statements I get is: if this thing really worked how come General Motors is not using it. Well, I really don’t have an answer to that. I am just a car mechanic from Florida but I can tell you that I have belonged to the water for gas website and community for 13 months.
For me it has developed into an interesting little hobby. And this is one hobby that has had as many failures as successes. When I built my first hydrogen generator similar to the one pictured here. The first time I turned it on it melted. Needless to say the next generator I built used a glass jar instead of plastic. In my opinion my little test system yielded a few more miles per gallon, which spurred me on to continue my science project.
Water for gas convention
As luck would have it good old Ozzie Freedom, and his road show came to a town near me. Read more
The Top 5 products a complete surprise!
