Alternative Fuel Vehicles - A Review of Hybrid, Hydrogen, Electric, E85, Biodiesel and CNG Vehicles
| Alternative fuel vehicles are automobiles that are powered by fuels other than gasoline. There are many alternatives that are now being used and tested in order to decrease our dependency on fossil fuels. Some examples of alternative fuel vehicles include: Hybrid - Hybrid vehicles are powered by both a combustion engine and an electric motor. Advanced technologies for hybrids include regenerative braking, assisted power generated by the electric motor, and the process of powering down when idling. Hybrid cars are one of the most popular alternative vehicles on the market today. Electric - These vehicles use an electric motor and electric controls instead of the internal combustion engine. Some advantages to the electric car include very low maintenance and zero emissions. Electric cars also do not give off as much noise pollution as a normal car. Some disadvantages include limited travel distance before having to recharge and slow acceleration. Hydrogen - Hydrogen vehicles convert hydrogen to power through either a modified version of the internal combustion engine, currently available on the market today, or via hydrogen fuel cells which are still in development. Some obstacles in the development of hydrogen fuel cells is cost, fragility of the cell itself and poor performance in freezing temperatures. CNG (Compressed Natural Gas)- CNG vehicles run on compressed natural gas as opposed to gasoline. This kind of car is more environmentally friendly than a gasoline vehicle, and when compared to all the other alternative methods, is the safest. One complaint of CNG vehicle owners is the large fuel tank compared to that of conventional gasoline tanks, which limits trunk space. Ethanol (e85)- E85 vehicles are powered by ethanol, a fuel made from corn and other natural products. These vehicles release no fossil based carbon dioxide. One disadvantage of this type of fueled car is that it is can be very difficult to start in cold weather. However, there are cold conversion kits on the market today that can eliminate this problem. Some people have simply added a couple gallons of gasoline to the tank prior to the cold season to eliminate the problem as well. Propane - Propane vehicles are powered by propane fuel instead of gasoline. These vehicles are up to thirty percent less expensive than conventional gasoline vehicles to operate. Propane was approved by the 1990 Clean Air Act as an alternative fuel, and vehicles powered by propane produce thirty to ninety percent less carbon monoxide than gasoline engines. Biodiesel - Vehicles that are powered by biodiesel are very similar to diesel vehicles in operation except for the fuel itself. Biodiesel vehicles can run on a combination of natural oil and an alcohol such as ethanol or methanol or exclusively on waste vegetable oil, from restaurant fryers or other food industries. Limited petroleum sources combined with rising gasoline prices and consumer demand will encourage vehicle manufacturers to produce and develop alternative fuel vehicles. These vehicles, in the long run, will reduce transportation costs as well as benefit the environment. |
| Author Resource:- Please visit alternative fuel vehicles for more information and gas saver tips to increase fuel mileage. |
| Article From New Ezine Articles |
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Is Alternative Energy Worth Investing In?
Because of escalating oil prices, many ventures are being formed to find other ways of creating energy that is friendly to the environment as well as cheap. Alternative energy is becoming the new wave to lessen the demand for oil while helping our environment.
Alternative energy has always existed, but it was never taken as seriously as it is now that oil prices are so exhorbitant.
Sizeable investments are being made in this up and coming industry. There are risks as with any investment, but investors feel it is better to invest in a rising star than a dead dog.
The United States is not yet fully committed to alternative energy. Most of the energy to power America has come from petroleum sources. Natural gas is second in use for power, then coal and nuclear power. Only a small portion of energy is created by alternative energy at this time.
The problem is to make sure there is ample demand to make investments in alternative energy pay off. Since power plants in existance today use petroleum, gas, coal or nuclear energy, we have to ask if these sources are sufficient to continue to power our cities. But as the population grows, demand for power grows along with it. The resources we currently use are depleting and they also cause the problem of pollution. Soon, we may not have enough power to continue using it.
The need to find different ways to power are world is great, and alternative energy is the most likely solution.
There are a lot of advantages to alternative energy. It is clean and safe since it uses natural sources. It does not produce pollutive gases as oil does. After an alternative power plant is constructed, the energy produced is practically free. The sources of power for these plants is always available.
All investments involve risk, and alternative energy is no exception. It is a new field and may not be successful. It seems to be clean and safe, but there is no guarantee that someday it may show some damage to the environment. Even though it is a mega million dollar industry, it is not yet fully established as the right alternative to traditional energy. At this point, fuel still seems to be the most efficient power source.
Even though there may be pros and cons, the basic point is that alternatives have to be found, and alternative energy may turn out to be the best alternative.
BlueWaterArticles.com: - Is Alternative Energy Worth Investing In?
About the Author
MJ Batta writes on various alternative energy related topics and hosts an alternative energy websites at Alternative Energy
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How Do Fuel Cells Work?
As a principle, Fuel Cells operate just like a battery complete with an anode, a cathode sandwiched between electrolytes along with a catalyst. However, unlike a battery, it does not lose its power and need recharging. As a matter of fact, it produces energy and keeps working until hydrogen is fed to it. It can also b stacked up and the total resulting current can be used to provide for the desired output.
In Operation, Hydrogen is made to pass over one electrode while oxygen is made to pass over the other produced electricity, water and heat in the process.
The Hydrogen gas, after having gone through a successful reform through the fuel-reformer, is fed to the "anode" of the fuel cell, while the oxygen enters through the cathode of the same apparatus. Due to the chemical reaction of the catalyst in the electrolyte, the hydrogen splits into an electron and a proton, both of which travel in different paths to the cathode. While the proton passes through the electrolyte, the electron and a bunch of more of its like pass together, forming an electric current in the process are tapped into for commercial use.
The 'Fuel-Reformer' as mentioned above can be used to extract the Hydrogen gas out of any of its existing forms, say from biogas, methane, and ethanol. Even though this is amongst the most plethoric elements on earth, it never exists as hydrogen itself and is found only as a compound, however once separated, it is the ultimate source of clean energy. There is really no problem finding the fuel for successful operation of the Fuel Cell.
However, problems still exist and apart from the fact there are still concerns about usage of hydrogen as a fuel, the fuel cells are very expensive and we haven't been successful in getting them through the economies of scale and hence lower the costs. Nevertheless, it should not worry us too long, since once upon a time, Ford's Model T was expensive too, while the automobiles today are ubiquitous and taken for granted.
Article Source: http://www.articlenorth.com
Jason Uvios writes about "How Do Fuel Cells Work" to visit: dedicated backup generators, diesel generator and electric generator.
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