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THE FUTURE OF THE DIESEL ENGINE

Once again, the world diesel engine industry appears set for a period of significant growth. And again, the basis for optimistic forecast is the belief that diesels will become increasingly popular among car and small truck and van buyers.

One of the diesel’s strength in the past has been its variety of markets. Diesels have a huge power range, from tiny fractional horsepower units to giant ship engines developing over 5,000 hp and they are used to power dozens of machines, including pumps, compressors, electricity generators and railway locomotives. Usually, some markets are strong even if others are weak. The largest single market for diesels is the commercials vehicle sector, accounting for about 30% of unit sales. Agricultural equipment takes about the same number of units, but of smaller engines. In the late 1970s diesels were widely expected major progress in the automotive industry, mainly because of their lower fuel consumption compare with petrol engines. Several car manufactures then planned to produce diesel engines in large numbers. However, diesels are not as powerful as comparably-sized petrol engines and the figures suggest that unless the financial incentive is substantial, car buyers will still prefer better performance.

FUELS FOR THE FUTURE

High-quality and alternative fuels represent a further component in the effort to achieve an optimal environmental balance for the overall drive system. The path for the fuel of the future will take automakers from clean conventional fuels to second-generation synthetic biofuels and the use of hydrogen to power fuel cell drive systems.

Bioethanol and biodiesel as additives. The current practice of blending fossil fuels and crop-derived fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel is already helping to enhance the environmental balance sheet for road traffic. More specifically, producers of passenger cars and commercial vehicles are committed to creating technologies which ensure that vehicles can run on fuels with up to 10 percent of biofuel admixtures. All of the gasoline engines in current automobile companies are already suitable for operation with biogenic fuels containing up to 10 percent ethanol (E10).

Biomass-to-liquid (BTL) – the second, latest generation of biofuels. The testing of diesel engines has shown that switching to synthetic fuels such as BTL would reduce particular emission by as much as 30 percent and cut emission of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons by to 90 percent. BTL fuels are manufactured through the gasification of all types of biogenic waste materials, which means that their production does not complete with food crop cultivation. BTL fuels can also be used with all current and future diesel engines without any need for retrofitting.

Hydrogen – the fuel of the future. Before the fuel cells drive can be brought to market, progress has to be made regarding the production of hydrogen from renewable sources and the establishment of a suitable hydrogen supply infrastructure. Both of these tasks call for extensive cooperation between governments, the oil industry, the energy sector, and other potential investors. In order to promote such an effort, automakers are taking part in the Clean Energy Partnership (CEP) in Europe.

Combating traffic build-up on high-speed

motorways in Japan

The first thing which occurs to most Japanese on hearing the words «high-speed motorways» is traffic congestion. The main means of tackling the problem is to construct more roads parallel to the existing motorways, update to ports and airports, and build high-speed ring roads for city transport. One of the modern solutions to the problem of traffic congestion, which is currently being developed, is the use of magnetic cards to facilitate the collection of tolls. Another technological innovation for introduction in the early 21st century is the IVHS system; this is a joint effort between the state and private sectors which employs control centers to transmit up-to-minute information directly to vehicles. Even now «Car Navigation» systems provide some drivers with information on possible routs. (The most up-to-date of these systems makes use of satellite-transmitted signals to locate the car). And what about the future? The provision of such a centralized network is the key to an effective intelligence system for controlling road traffic.

Smart Driving. London

Clean and efficient city runabouts: A hundred smart ForTwo ed cars with electric drive are currently involved in a smart-fleet practical test in London, where they are demonstrating the advantages of zero-emission driving. Over the next four years, the London Metropolitan Police will also be sending out smart ed models to patrol the city center.

On the outside, the smart petrol cars used by the London Metropolitan Police don’t look any different from the conventional smart ForTwo variants with a diesel or gasoline engine – except, of course, for the police car equipment and the “Met” name stickers on the sides. That’s because only the abbreviation “ed” in the name, the electric socket under the gas tank cover, and the lack of a tailpipe at the back reveal that these are cars with electric drive systems.

The heart of the vehicle is a permanent-magnet electric motor with an output of 30 kW/41 hp that delivers its maximum torque of 140 Nm to the wheels from the very start. Stepping on the “gas pedal” accelerates the city runabout from 0 to 60 km/h in only 5.7 seconds. A Zebra battery (also known as a sodium-nickel-chloride battery) with a capacity of 15.5 kWh and voltage of 300 V provides the necessary electric power. It takes just 3.5 hours to charge the battery at any normal 230 V socket from 20 percent of capacity to 80 percent, which are the figures for a normal charging process. With a fully charged battery, the e-smart has a maximum range of 115 km (72 miles).

From the viewpoint of environmental friendliness, the smart ed is currently unrivaled, because its statistics regarding noise generation and direct exhaust emissions are exemplary. If the electric current used for recharging the battery comes primarily from renewable sources such as wind power or biomass, the smart with electric drive is a genuinely “green” alternative form of mobility with a high degree of energy efficiency. This is due in part to the electric motor’s high degree of efficiency and in part to the “recuperation mode”, in which the braking energy is used to recharge the battery pack in the manner of a dynamo. For regular drives into the City of London – in other words, into the “C-Zone” (Congestion Charging Zone) – the quiet and zero-emission electric city runabout is an excellent option, based on cost factors alone: The drivers will not have to pay the daily “congestion charge” of approximately 10 Euro. Electric vehicles are basically exempt from the congestion charge, which is imposed from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday on passenger cars driving in central London.

Дата добавления: 2015-04-30