How Hybrid Car Works: A Brief Glimpse of the Car of the Future

January 2nd, 2009

Many people are now getting frustrated with their conventional gas-guzzling cars because of the consistent increase in fuel prices. Due to this, more and more people are looking for alternative methods of travel. Some are even leaving their cars in the garage and walking to work purely to conserve fuel, while others have chosen to take the subway or an alternate method of public transport. Although one of the reasons to do this is economical, it is also beneficial for the environment.

Walking to work is simply not an option for some because they live too far away from their workplace.  Many people are now considering selling their old conventional gas-guzzling cars and purchasing a new kind of car that can cut fuel consumption by half. This new line of cars are called hybrids. Just imagine, you can effectively go more than 60 miles per gallon with hybrid cars.

Hybrid cars produce fewer pollutants than conventional cars. This means that not only will you cut fuel consumption by more than half, but you will also decrease the level of pollution poisoning the environment aswell as the human population. Everyone can benefit from the transition to hybrid cars, with the exception of car companies refusing to produce such vehicles.

If you are considering buying a hybrid car there are many factors you need to consider first. It should be recognised that hybrid cars can be quite expensive. However, when you calculate the overall cost off gasoline over the lifetime of running a conventional car, you will see that the fuel costs would be considerably less if you ran a hybrid. Aswell as this, hybrid car buyers also enjoy tax incentives imposed by the government.

Hybrid cars combine electricity (which is the cleanest energy source available) and an internal combustion gasoline engine to run the vehicle. Basically, they utilize both electricity and gasoline energy. Once you start a hybrid car it will automatically enter idle mode. When it isn’t driving it requires less power, so the gasoline engine is shut off by default. This means that the car is purely running on electricity and explains why hybrid cars are very quiet. This function is an important factor to conserving fuel. Once you step on the accelerator, the internal combustion engine will automatically start up again. Some hybrid cars can run purely in electric mode. This is very useful if you are only using the car for local travels and means you virtually won’t even need to put gasoline in the car.

It is advised that you still keep some gasoline in a hybrid car so it can be used for back up power in case the battery is discharged. Most hybrid cars developed today don’t need to be plugged in like the electric car. They utilize the kinetic energy created when braking to recharge the battery.

Hybrid cars are comprised of a battery for energy storage, generator,  internal combustion engine, fuel tank and an electric motor. They still run on a relatively new technology and are only gradually being introduced in to society.

Now that you know how hybrid cars work, you now see how beneficial it can be to drive one. You will not only save a lot of money from fuel consumption, but you will also help save the environment by emitting far less toxic fumes than conventional cars.

The History of the Hybrid Car: An Evolution for the Future

January 2nd, 2009

There has been increasing demand in the number of people seeking a car that  can consume less fuel and will not contribute as much to air pollution. The hybrid car was finally created to meet this demand.  Due to the rapid advancements in gasoline engine technology, the hybrid car has become increasingly popular in todays society.

A hybrid car is a means of transportation using two power sources. It uses a rechargeable energy storage system found on board and a fuelled power source as the vehicles driving force. The hybrid car generates less pollution than an average car and also uses less fuel.

Back in 1899, Ferdinand Porsche  developed and led the way to the very first working hybrid-electric vehicle. Inspired by Ferdinand Porsche’s invention, others began developing this original concept. Many people became interested in the hybrid-vehicle concept and began performing research aswell as further developing the concept. However, there was no major car manufacturer who invested in the hybrid concept and mass produced hybrid cars until the late twentieth century. The hybrid technology was mainly utilized in developing diesel-electric submarines during that interim period.

The diesel-electric submarines mainly operate very much the same as a hybrid car. However, the submarines main goal was to conserve oxygen rather than spend less fuel. During the later years, submarines have evolved and have begun using the nuclear power as a substitute for diesel.

During the 1990’s, the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight were the first successful hybrid cars available in the market. It was two of the pioneers in the hybrid car concept which virtually changed the way the world thinks about cars.

An idealistic inventor, Victor Wouk, manufactured a hybrid electric and gas motor vehicle that siphoned fuel at half the amount as practically all the other cars being built then. He built the hybrid car thirty years before the Toyota Prius got the attention of the U.S. as an energy-anxious nation.

The account about the hybrid car and its inventor, who died in May, 2005, at age 86, is unfamiliar among even the most avid fans of the growing hybrid car association. In terms of hybrid car knowledge, it is in fact America that should have led all other countries. Wouk said that the government program that he developed about hybrids was unknown to everyone.

Victor Wouk founded and sold two successful electric industrialized companies in the late 1940s and 1950s. In 1962 he was approached by Russell Feldman, one of the founders of Motorola, who recognized the emission from the automobile as one of the largest contributors to environmental pollution. He was searching for a solution to this problem but his experiments weren’t successful.

Having an idea, Wouk pondered the problem throughout the 1960s and ultimately reached a solution soon later. He combined the low-emission benefits of an electric car with the power of a gasoline engine to produce a hybrid vehicle. Despite this, Wouk did not get the reaction to his ideas he was hoping for by creating a hybrid car; in fact he was heavily criticized for not believing in a full-electric system.

With the help of his colleague who shared the same belief about hybrid cars, Charlie Rosen, he had the chance to prove his concept of the hybrid car being a solution to the issue of pollution. The impressive capabilities of this invention by Wouk has now helped society  in terms of less fuel consumption and air pollution.

Wouk and Rosen put up a new company to develop their hybrid car concept and compete in the market. It had to be constructed as an everyday car that belched far less harmful vapors than contemporary vehicles.

The Prius

Ever since the Toyota Prius was released in to the market, it has remained the premier choice for hybrid car buyers. It is true that old hybrid cars looks more alien-like and cost far more than the conventional car. However, because of the new technology in newer designs, it looks more like a conventional car and is far cheaper than its predecessors. It is a fact that hybrid cars today look very much like conventional cars. However, it will enable you to cut fuel consumption by 50%.

For example, the Honda Civic Hybrid car looks very much like its conventional version. However, when you examine it closely, the hybrid version is able to conserve fuel much more efficiently than its gasoline counterpart. The Civic Hybrid can get you 50 miles with just one gallon of gasoline.

During the year 2004, Ford developed and introduced the Ford Escape Hybrid which was the very first hybrid SUV. A year later, Toyota also introduced their line of hybrid SUVs called the Highlander Hybrid.

Due to the growing demand for hybrid cars, other car manufacturers have began producing hybrid cars. For example, Nissan is now planning to develop and introduce a hybrid version of the Nissan Altima.

Nowadays, over 300,000 hybrid cars are running on American roads wherein 95 percent of them are Japanese made. The hybrid vehicles are truly unique technology that can save both money and our environment.

Hybrid Cars; The Cars of the Future

January 2nd, 2009

If you are thinking about purchasing a new car, it would be benefical to consider avoiding the gas-guzzling conventional car and invest in a hybrid. It will help you financially and won’t have such harsh effects on the environment.

There have been steady increases in gasoline prices lately and because hybrids efficiently conserve fuel, there is large potential to save money . Also, if you are concerned with the increasing air pollution within the planet today, you should start considering using more environmentally-friendly methods of transportation. Also, you won’t need to worry about the constant oil prices as much because hybrids don’t use gasoline as a primary fuel.

Car manufacturers such as Toyota and Honda are now considered to be the leading companies producing hybrid cars in the market today. Hybrid cars are both fuel efficient and emit far lower levels of pollutants, making hybrids the the car of the future.

Hybrid cars work by combining gasoline engines with electric motors. With this kind of innovation, fuel consumption can be cut in half.

First of all, hybrid cars have two engines. The first is the electric motor and the second is the conventional gasoline engine. When your car is running idle, or it is not in motion but is turned on, the gasoline engine automatically switches off and the car will run purely on electricity. Once you step on the accelerator, the gasoline engine will automatically switch on again and use the fuel to propel the car. This means that when you are stuck in gridlock traffic, you will not waste precious fuel running a gasoline engine. It will purely run on electricity.

When a hybrid vehicle is running, the electric motor and the gasoline engine will share the task of propelling the car. This is the reason why hybrid cars emit far lower pollutants than conventional cars with only a gasoline engine. It also explains why hybrids are so quiet when running.

It is now common for car manufacturers to develop and manufacture their own cars based on the hybrid concept.  The hybrid car is indeed the car of the future. Not only will a hybrid car enable you to save money from the rising cost of gasoline, it will also allow you to help reduce your impact on pollution in the environment. In the near future, driving hybrid cars will be the norm.

Review and Compare a Variety of Hybrid Cars

January 2nd, 2009

For the past four to five years, there has been much ado about Hybrid Cars and the many benefits they offer. Their popularity has been compounded by the ever surging gas prices and the concern for the environment. It seems that Hybrid Cars are the solution to both. When you use a Hybrid car, you contribute less to the thickening air pollution, plus you save a lot of money since they require less fuel. Other pros include numerous tax credits being given by many states.

For these reasons, hybrid cars have experienced a sharp spike in sales and more car manufacturers are joining the hybrid vehicle arena with their own hybrid creations. For those who are planning to buy a hybrid car, there is a vast variety to choose from, which is why it is important to compare hybrid cars with one another to see which one better suits your needs.

Two of the top hybrid car manufacturers are the Japanese companies Toyota and Honda. They are credited with producing many innovations in hybrid technology and their hybrid cars are the most acclaimed, most sought after and most awarded hybrid vehicles today.

Here we will compare the hybrid cars they are offering for this year, these will include the Honda Accord Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid, Lexus GS 450H, Toyota Camry Hybrid and the Toyota Prius.

Their fuel efficiency can be compared through their average consumption per mile in different situations, like; City Driving – where the traffic is constantly stopping, Highway Driving – where the engine can freely operate at maximum level and their combined average usage.

Miles Per Gallon – Average Miles Used Per gasoline of Fuel

· Honda Accord Hybrid – 28 MPG (city), 35 MPG (Highway) and 31 MPG (Combined Average)

· Honda Civic – 49 MPG (city), 51 MPG (Highway) and 50 MPG (Combined Average)

· Lexus GS 450H – 25 MPG (city), 28 MPG (Highway) and 26 MPG (Combined Average)

· Toyota Camry Hybrid – 40 MPG (city), 38 MPG (Highway) and 39 MPG (Combined Average)

· Toyota Prius – 60 MPG (city), 51 MPG (Highway) and 55 MPG (Combined Average)

But before you just pick out the one with the highest MPG average, you still have to consider and compare a couple of aspects as well. This includes the fuel type. All of these vehicles use regular gasoline except for the Lexus which uses Premium Gasoline that is pricier.

Then you also have to compare the size class of each hybrid car and their engine size and litres. The Accord Hybrid is a midsize car with a 3 litre – 6 cylinder engine. The Civic Hybrid is a compact car with a 1.3 litre – 4 cylinder engine. The Lexus is another compact car with a 3.5 litre – 6 cylinder engine. The Camry Hybrid is a midsize sedan equipped with a 2.4 litre – 4 cylinder engine and the Toyota Prius is a compact car with a 1.5 litre – 4 cylinder engine. The more powerful the engine is, the more fuel will be consumed.

Before purchasing a hybrid car, compare different factors first and do your research. Find one that would suit your needs and personality to get the best hybrid car for you.

Which is Truly the Best Hybrid Car Available Today?

January 2nd, 2009

Saving the environment through reducing gas emissions from cars has been a big and important issue in contemporary society. More and more people are voicing their concerns about saving the environment from deadly gas emissions and yet people are still buying cars. The convenience given by a car is incomparable, but the damage it brings is astounding. That is why Hybrid Cars have become a viable solution to answer the call for convenience  and reducing air pollution.

Many car manufacturers have seen the potential for hybrid cars and have developed their own versions of the revolutionary vehicle. At the forefront is Toyota and Honda, who were the first to come up with mass produced hybrid vehicles and a number of other hybrid vehicles in their line up. GM has also come out with hybrid vehicles as well as Ford. With many hybrid vehicles out in the market already, a consumer may wonder which is truly the best hybrid car available today.

With the advent of technology and science, more and more gadgets and equipments are being offered today to suit different tastes, styles and preferences. That’s why declaring a single entiety to be the ultimate best is quite impossible. This goes the same for cars. Depending on where you will be using the vehicle, what is best for you may not be necessarily be the best for another. But, they could be divided into categories and the best among them could be chosen.

According to recent research and surveys, here is a list on what is considered the “best” by consumers.

The Best Sedan Hybrid Car distinction was awarded to the latest Honda Civic Hybrid. Improving significantly over its previous model, it has the sleek and sporty look the conventional Civic has and doesn’t announce the fact it is a hybrid. But being its owner, you will certainly feel the difference. You still get the high quality and comfort conventional Civics provide, but you will end up making less frequent trips to gas stations.

The Best SUV Hybrid award is given to the first ever SUV Hybrid in the market, the Ford Escape Hybrid. Its inception in the hybrid market was such a huge success that although it already has competitors from Toyota and Lexus, it still reigns supreme. With many features and accessories plus the power of a small SUV, the Ford Escape is seen to just keeping better and would be hailed as the Majesty of Hybrid SUV’s for many years to come.

Voted for Best Hybrid car in terms of economy in pure fuel is the Honda Insight. Combining its distinctive aerodynamic body design and its lightweight finish plus  its superb hybrid technology, the Insight produces the best figures in fuel economy. Although not as multi awarded nor as comfortable and powerful as its stable mate the Civic Hybrid, the Insight is best if you want fuel economy.  Oil prices are still surging upward and this is useful for the near future.

The most popular by hybrid enthusiasts is the league leading and multi awarded Toyota Prius. Receiving the largest number of votes, this hybrid vehicle offers great value, performance and design. It is fair to say this could be the best hybrid car available today.

The Fantastic Use and Great Advantages of A Hybrid Car

January 2nd, 2009

The cost of fuel and the damage it brings to our environment has become very rampant, and because of that, hybrid cars are presently considered to be very beneficial to the preservation of the environment. Hybrid cars do not depend primarily on fuel for power because it makes use of electricity. This results in smaller amounts of fuel consumption and less emission of toxic substances contributing to air pollution.

A hybrid car combines an electric motor and gasoline engine  to provide sufficient power to the vehicle with less fuel usage and fewer emissions. They are also far more fuel-efficient than purely gas-powered cars, and far more practical for everyday use than purely electric-powered cars.

The hybrid car was created as a result of rising demand and need to cleanse the environment of pollution. To be able to recharge, plugging the hybrid  into an electric outlet is not necessary. They charge themselves by means of kinetic energy gained during coasting and braking and can also be charged by the car’s gasoline engine.

It can offer more benefits than the usual gasoline engine type cars. Here is a list of the many advantages hybrid cars offer:

1. Pollution is less promoted

It is a fact that the continuous damage to our ozone layer is due to the greenhouse effect, and one of the factors that contribute to its damage is pollution in the air. Dangerous chemicals can be transferred to the air. ie. carbon dioxide emitted by vehicles. The measure of carbon dioxide emitted by the hybrid vehicle is principally relative to the quantity of fuel it consumes; thus hybrid cars can absolutely be a contributing factor in lessening the advancement of global warming.

2. More mileage with less fuel consumption

The obvious advantage of using hybrid cars is the saving on gas. Not having to buy gas after every long trip of several miles proves you are consuming less fuel.

3. Hybrid cars can help lower your taxes

Tax rebates are given to hybrid car buyers. If you buy a hybrid car your tax deductions can be removed from your tax payable so you will end up paying less tax.

4. Your money gains more value

A hybrid car can retain a higher resale value. If you ever want to trade or sell a previously owned hybrid car you can be sure that you will get back a substantial amount of what your originally paid.

5. Efficiency and performance are what defines Hybrid Cars

Hybrid cars have smaller engines than the regular gasoline cars since the power is obtained form two sources. The smaller engines are closer to the normal power necessity of engines that will give an efficient performance.

6. “Hybrid car technology” is the greatest solution to today’s increasing problem in car air pollution

Hybrid cars use less fuel and utilise a groundbreaking technology that endeavours to limit damage to the environment, unlike regular cars.

Alternate Method to Make Biodiesel

January 1st, 2009

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Market Analysis For Biodiesel Production

December 21st, 2008

The main priority for those producing large amounts of biodiesel fuel is finding a suitable market. You have to locate your own targeted market where the consumers will buy biodiesel as repetitive customers and not just use it for single purchases. These returned customers are crucial in the expansion and profitability for  the business. Thus, your business and production of biodiesel will exist as long as possible.

To assist you in deciding which market is appropriate to pursue, this article provides basic background information regarding the biodiesel industry.  The availiability of  feedstock has been a factor that remains an obstacle for further improvement of biodiesel technology. On the other hand, demand of biodiesel is on the rise with the governments of many countries encouraging the production and advancement of biodiesel products and technology in their country. If in 2007 only 20 countries produced biodiesel, an estimated 200 countries will produce this alternative renewable energy  in the following years.

One major difference between earlier generations and contemporary situations is the availabilily of raw materials. In early generations, expensive feedstock such as soy, rapeseed and palm oil were used. They are all consumable products and therefore more expensive. On the other hand, alternative feedstock such as Jatropha can provide cheaper raw material with almost same quality. This fact encourages public and private sectors to participate in the biodiesel industry.

If we can find our market, we can get our market share in the biodiesel business. Producers that are able to evolve and adapt with the latest technology, government policies, and feedstock issues will definitely lead the market. We should prepare ourselves to quickly adapt to any issues or changes regarding biodiesel as a whole to achieve long term success.

For the last three years, usage of biodiesel has been increasing in the United States and Europe. We can even find fueling gas stations across the country. Since 2005, automotive manufacturers have started to release cars which accept biodiesel as an acceptable fuel additive. Similar improvements have also been implemented for railroad and aircraft use.

Another use of biodiesel is heating oil. Biodiesel can be used as a heating oil in private or commercial boilers. Biodiesel B20 could therefore reduce CO2 emission in the UK up to 1.5 million tons annually.

The current market for biodiesel is still very small although there is a large potential for this to become a larger scale activity and mainstream. With recent research into biodiesel (including the invention of cheaper and suitable crops such as algae and fungus), balance between supply and demand will be reached in the next few years and current investors will be the most benefited in years to come.

Step By Step Making Biodiesel Fuel

December 21st, 2008

Making biodiesel fuel may seem like a challenge but the process is quite simple. Here, we provide you with general step by steps on how to make biodiesel in your own home. These steps include the preparation of tools and materials.

The first step is to know what raw material you are going to use. Although there are various type of oil that you can use, the steps to creation for each one is similar. The following steps are necessary to complete your task:

  1. Collecting your raw material oil. You can choose your raw material based on how easy you get them and the price.
  2. Filtration and purification of inbound waste oil. You should remove the dirt and other non oil material especially when you are dealing with waste vegetable oil. Purification often has to be done to remove water. This process is necessary since water causes tryglycerides to hydrolize and produces salt of fatty acid instead of ester itself when undergoing transesterification.
  3. Titration and Neutralization of free fatty acid. The titration process determines sample oil. Some sample oil is titrated with base solution until neutral so the concentration is can be determined and the amount of base that will be added to the raw waste vegetable oil may be calculated.
  4. Transesterification process. Calculated quantity of base, usually we use sodium hydroxide (NaOH), which is added slowly to the alcohol solution and stirred. Triglyceride inside the oil should be converted into methyl ester with help of alcohol such as methanol so Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) is produced. For transesterification process, we need warm temperature solution and 5-8 hours stirring process.
  5. Finishing process. Transesterification process gives us two layer solution as a result. The lower layer is the waste product containing glycerine and other products. Meanwhile, top layer with lower density is the main product which is biodiesel with alcohol traces. After lower and top layer are separated from each other with a decantation process, you should eliminate alcohol traces with distillation or extraction with water. After this final process, you have made your own biodiesel.

The results, including the conversion percentage will vary each time. Many factors determine how much conversion you get such as temperature, quality of oil etc. These steps are easy in a laboratory scale, whereas a higher scale operation will require different tools and machinary. But generally, the steps are quite simple.

Making Biodiesel From Vegetable Oil

December 21st, 2008

If you use oil in your own kitchen, don’t throw it away because it can be converted into biofuel. Used vegetable oil is one of the raw material for the production of biodiesel. There are many vegetable oils that you can use as a raw material for this conversion. Some of them are classified as Waste Vegetable Oil or Used Vegetable Oil and Pure Plant Oil.

Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) or Used Vegetable Oil (UVO) is oil that discarded from restaurants or households. From the fast food restaurants, snack factories and industrial potato processing plants in the United States themselves, they produce more than 11 billion liters of Waste Vegetable Oil in a year. You can imagine how much WVO produced by people all over the world. This huge potential should encourage us to produce biodiesel by our selves to utilize our own WVO for economical and environmental reasons.

Pure Plant Oil (PPO) or Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO) is oil from particular plant that are specifically planted to produce biodiesel. In the last ten years, many governments around the world encourage their scientists to create technology that converts relatively cheap plant oil into fuel. Governments are also give ease to investors who want to put in their effort and capital to develop biodiesel technology. This  also assists the agricultural sector because investors who want to build plantation can feel safe with their invested capital.

There are many kinds of plants that can be used as a raw material to produce biodiesel. Some of them may be familiar to you so you can start making diesel fuel immediately.

  1. Rapeseed, scientifically called Brassica napus, is a yellow flower member of family Brassicaceae. Also known as rape, rapa or rapeseed. Its seeds can contain nearly 65% oil that can be used for consumption and fuel purposes. At the beginning, cost to produce biodiesel from rapeseed was higher than fossil diesel fuel. With higher demand, the price become even higher than before. One of the advantages using rapeseed to make diesel fuel is they produce more oil per land area compared with other oil source plants. That’s why in Europe, rapeseed is preferred.
  2. Soybean, is also a popular source to make diesel fuel. Its scientific name is Glycine max. Soybean actually has a lot of nutrition for our body. Besides that, soybean also produce oil as raw material for making diesel fuel. In the United States, nearly 80% of domestic biodiesel was produced from soybean oil.
  3. Jatropha, is a genus name with more than 100 species. Its seeds generally contain 40% oil and count as a future raw material for diesel fuel production. Oil from one of the species, Jatropha curcas, has been used as a raw for biodiesel in many Asian country such as Indonesia and Phillipines. One advantage of the Jatropha, is you can combine it with another crops such as coffee, fruits and vegetables.
  4. Palm oil, this is quite well known as it is an oil mostly used as cooking oil all over the world. Oil from palm is known as a genuine counter for the greenhouse effect according to Greenpeace. Unfortunately, the resources to build palm plantations need newly-cleared area which sacrafices an area of the forest. That’s why Jatropha is preferred over palm because jatropha can live in marginal area such as ex-mining.

There are many plants that produce oil that can be used to make diesel fuel, although the four mentioned above are the most prevalent. If you do plan to make diesel fuel yourself, the options above should provide you with enough information to get started.

As well as vegetable oils, you can try other sources such as animal fats, algae and oil from halophytes. These also have potential and are promising from an economical point of view. Algae, especially because of its high reproducibility and potential to be grown in sewage areas.

To produce your own biodiesel in medium or large scales, the first step is to choose your source of oil. Alternatives listed above should provide suitable options that are better and affordable for you.