Renewable Fuel Alternatives for Automobiles

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Renewable Fuel Alternatives for Automobiles

• Mike Hanchak

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Dilemma

• 100 million cars on the road in U.S.
• Oil supply shortage in 2050
• Pollution increases with every car made
• Infernal combustion engines old idea

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Vehicle Powertrains

• Internal combustion (IC) engine
• Electric motor drivetrains
• Hybrid drive - a little of both

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IC engines

• Alternative fuels
• Availability of refueling stations
• Alternative fuel vehicles

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Alternative Fuels

• CNG, E85, LNG, LPG, M85
• Less bang for your buck, but...
• Less pollutionup to 80 less for CNG
• Not much more expensive

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Fueling stations

• They do exist!!!
• Ohio has 106, California has over 1000
• Similar storage except for LNG

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Alternative Fuel Vehicles

• Modified carssome can share fuel types
• Dodge, Ford, Chevrolet, etc.
• Light trucks and vans for fleet use

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Electric Motor Drivetrains

• Batteries a problem
• Fuel cells... where do we get the hydrogen???
• Actual vehicles

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Fuel Cells and Hydrogen

• Gasoline - reforming _at_ 1000 C C8H18 16 H2O ?
  25 H2 8 CO2
• Methanol - Steam reforming _at_ 280 C CH3OH H2O ?
  3H2 CO2
• Result Hydrogen has more energy than the
  hydrocarbons that contain it.

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Electric Vehicles
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Hybrids

• Gasoline or diesel engine - Highway
• small but efficient
• Electric motor - City
• very efficient, used as generator as well
• Battery, regenerative braking

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Hybrid Vehicles
This model year!!!
Buy one now!!!
Pays for itself in less than 5 years!!!
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Conclusions

• Alternatives do exist
• Lack of fuel infrastructure is a hindrance
• THINK HYDROGEN