HYBRIDCAR

Where Does Gasoline Come In?

By:  Lestari

There are electric/gasoline-type systems that use a combination of lead-acid battery plus an induction coil to create a high-voltage electrical spark. The spark will then ignite the mix of air and fuel within the cylinder. The battery is rechargeable even during operation through an alternator or generator driven by the engine itself. Gasoline engines get an air and gasoline mixture to be compressed to less than 185 psi. The spark plug ignites the mixture during compression within the cylinder.

As for diesel engines, these require only heat and pressure produced by the engine during the compression process for ignition. Diesel compression is approximately three times higher compared to a gasoline engine. Diesel engines use air only. Some diesel fuel is sprayed into the cylinder with the use of a fuel injector just before peak compression to start ignition immediately. HCCI engines also require only heat and pressure but take in air and fuel. This process makes diesel and HCCI engines more prone to cold starts.

The Polluting Effects

Combustion products or the hot gases ignited and burnt inside the engine will have higher amounts of energy compared to the compressed fuel and air mixture. After available energy are used up to drive the engine pistons, remaining combustion products will be vented or exhausted through a valve or the exhaust outlet to bring back the piston in its original state also called TDC. Any heat which is not used up will become a waste product due to be removed from the engine via a liquid or air cooling system.

Air pollution emissions then result from incomplete combustion of carbonaceous fuel. Examples of engine byproducts are carbon monoxide, soot, nitrogen wastes, sulfur and uncombusted hydrocarbons. These also result if the products did not operate near the stoichiometric ratio required for effective combustion. The fuel would not have burnt very well due to factors like cool cylinder walls or lack of air. This is also known as quenching of the flame.

Both gasoline and diesel engines emit harmful gases that can be dangerous to humans as well as the environment. The greenhouse gases start trapping hot air within the atmosphere instead of allowing them to exit to space leading to global warming. The rise of the ICE or internal combustion engine finally showed its major flaw which is pollution.

Gas Power and Electric Power Combined

By:  Lestari

Gasoline powered vehicle

As the name implies, a gasoline powered vehicle uses a combustion engine as a source of power. It has a fuel tank that supplies gasoline to the engine which drives the transmission and turns the wheels.

Pros

With a single full tank, a gasoline-powered vehicle can run several times longer than an electric car.

A gallon of gasoline is much denser than batteries in terms of energy. For example, 1 gallon of gasoline (7 pounds) produces the same amount of power as 1000 pounds of batteries.

It can keep up with the traffic on the road.

You have the widest car options. From compact to full-size sedan, from pickup trucks to SUVs, from minivans to luxury cars, you can jump from one car dealer to another and still get the best car varieties.

You can also choose from different types and sizes of engines.

Cons

With the soaring prices of fuel, getting a gas tank full is very expensive. Combustion engine wastes a lot of energy and consumes a lot of fuel. It also emits pollutants that contribute to the depletion of the environment.

Electric vehicle

An electric vehicle has a battery that supplies power to the electric motor, which then drives the transmission and turns the wheels.

Pros

Since it does not consume fuel, an electric vehicle emits no toxic fumes which is good news for the environment.

Although the battery pack is expensive, electric power is cheaper as compared to pump prices.

Cons

The battery can power the car short distances on a single charging.

Batteries of an electric car take several hours to charge.

Electric cars cannot keep up with the traffic.

Its top speed is slower than gasoline cars.

Hybrid Car - Problem solved

Hybrid cars get the best of both engines. It uses both an electric motor and a combustion engine to drive the vehicle. That means that a hybrid can either run on an electric motor and use the advantages of an electric car, or run on a combustion engine and use the edge of a gasoline powered car. Or, it can run on both at the same time. Depending on the type of hybrid car, you can have the best fuel efficiency with a performance similar or even better than its non-hybrid counterpart.