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
Alternative fuel vehicles big in two states
New York City has taken a leadership role in working with today’s alternative fuels. The state of New Jersey has also been a large supporter of several different programs at the municipal and state government level. Both areas of the United States cited three basic reasons for continuing to push their programs forward. The three reasons cited are to clean up the air, create local jobs, and reduce dependency on imported fuel. Just as was desired by President George Bush senior in 1988 through 92 and again with Bill Clinton in 92 through 2000, and even continued on with our current President Bush.
Alternative fuels learn from history
With a history of more than a decade of alternative fuel vehicle use, what has been learned in these two states, and what works for government fleets. New York City’s Mark Simon of the department of transportation, assistant Commissioner Rocco D. Reiko of the Department of sanitation, and the New Jersey Department of treasury’s, recently shared insights from the relatively long experiences with alternative fuel vehicles. They cover the most popular and growing fuel choices, all of which provide a reduction in petroleum fuel use, better or as good emission levels, and minimal upset to existing fleet procedures and operations.
Both New York City and New Jersey were early adopters of hybrid light duty vehicles in 2001. Both have a mix of Toyota previous and Ford escape vehicles. Both report that everything is going on about as advertised with these hybrid units. For the prius fuel economy in New York City was reported about 40 miles per gallon, whereas the New Jersey fleet reported about 48 miles per gallon. The New Jersey miles per gallon is surprising because hybrids have better fuel economy rating in city traffic. But the mpg figure reflects both the actual driving cycle and the amount of air conditioning used in the vehicle. The New York’s city fleet is enormous and has more than 1700 generation one and generation 2 Toyota previous hybrids and Ford escape hybrids.
New Jersey’s hybrid fleet is more modest comprising of only 91 prius and 44 Ford escape hybrid vehicles. Buying the Toyota prius was an expensive endeavor, but the fuel savings have been significant. In addition, service problems have been minimal, and no premature battery failures were reported in New Jersey or New York City. Reported savings of about 600 gallons per vehicle per year compared to a conventional vehicle. These results were significant enough for both states to receive approvals from local governments and city councils to continue this program.
Mark is a master mechanic and a member of the society of automobile engineers (SAE). You can learn more about hybrid vehicles at his latest report on the status of the alternative fuels vehicle.
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