Transitions to Alternative Transportation Technologies

Transitions to Alternative Transportation Technologies

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2008-11-17

Total Pages: 141

ISBN-13: 0309134366

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs) could alleviate the nation's dependence on oil and reduce U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas. Industry-and government-sponsored research programs have made very impressive technical progress over the past several years, and several companies are currently introducing pre-commercial vehicles and hydrogen fueling stations in limited markets. However, to achieve wide hydrogen vehicle penetration, further technological advances are required for commercial viability, and vehicle manufacturer and hydrogen supplier activities must be coordinated. In particular, costs must be reduced, new automotive manufacturing technologies commercialized, and adequate supplies of hydrogen produced and made available to motorists. These efforts will require considerable resources, especially federal and private sector funding. This book estimates the resources that will be needed to bring HFCVs to the point of competitive self-sustainability in the marketplace. It also estimates the impact on oil consumption and carbon dioxide emissions as HFCVs become a large fraction of the light-duty vehicle fleet.


Electric, Hybrid, and Fuel Cell Vehicles

Electric, Hybrid, and Fuel Cell Vehicles

Author: Amgad Elgowainy

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2021-09-30

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781071614914

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This volume of "Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, Second Edition," covers the electrification of vehicles, which is key to a sustainable future of transportation in both light-duty and heavy-duty vehicle sectors to address global concerns of climate change, air pollutant emissions, energy efficiency and energy security. Vehicle electrification includes several existing and emerging technologies and powertrain architectures such as conventional hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrids with various electric driving range, short- and long-range battery electric vehicles, as well as hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Electrification will be key to connected autonomous vehicles, which are perceived to improve mobility, increase safety, reduce energy consumption and infrastructure costs, improve productivity, decrease traffic congestion and increase customer satisfaction. While electrification of vehicle technologies is relatively mature, technology improvement and economies of scale are needed to compete against incumbent technologies and to realize their benefits in the marketplace. Significant infrastructure development is needed in the case of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and to a lesser extent for plug-in electric vehicles. Vehicle efficiency improvement is sought through a combination of several approaches, including weight reduction, engine downsizing, increased engine compression ratio with high octane fuels, and the use of compression ignition engines with low octane fuels. Liquid hydrocarbon fuels are needed in applications where high storage energy density is required such as long-haul class-8 combination heavy-duty trucks. Shared mobility is another emerging concept that enables access to transportation services on an as-needed basis. This approach can enhance accessibility to transportation, decrease number of vehicles on the road, reduce energy use and impact on the environment, reduce cost of transportation and the need for parking, and reduce transportation time between origin and destination. In all, the reader will receive a comprehensive introduction to electric vehicles and technology trends, including energy storage, in light-, medium-, and heavy-duty sectors, as well as the infrastructure development that will be required to realize these benefits for society.


Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels

Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2013-04-14

Total Pages: 395

ISBN-13: 0309268524

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

For a century, almost all light-duty vehicles (LDVs) have been powered by internal combustion engines operating on petroleum fuels. Energy security concerns about petroleum imports and the effect of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on global climate are driving interest in alternatives. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels assesses the potential for reducing petroleum consumption and GHG emissions by 80 percent across the U.S. LDV fleet by 2050, relative to 2005. This report examines the current capability and estimated future performance and costs for each vehicle type and non-petroleum-based fuel technology as options that could significantly contribute to these goals. By analyzing scenarios that combine various fuel and vehicle pathways, the report also identifies barriers to implementation of these technologies and suggests policies to achieve the desired reductions. Several scenarios are promising, but strong, and effective policies such as research and development, subsidies, energy taxes, or regulations will be necessary to overcome barriers, such as cost and consumer choice.


Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Road Vehicles

Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Road Vehicles

Author: Pasquale Corbo

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2011-01-19

Total Pages: 254

ISBN-13: 085729136X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Road Vehicles addresses the main issues related to the application of hydrogen fuel cell technology in the road transportation sector. A preliminary treatment is given on fuel resources and atmospheric pollution concerns which are closely related to the current technology (internal combustion engine) used for moving people and goods. The authors deal, in particular, with the problems that can hinder a widespread hydrogen market (production, storage and distribution), as well as giving an analysis of fuel cell technologies available for utilization of this energy carrier in the automotive field. Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Road Vehicles also examines the concerns faced during the design and realization of a PEM fuel cell system with optimal size and efficiency, evidencing the impact of the individual auxiliary components on energy losses and dynamic stack performance. The book ends with the analysis of two practical case studies on fuel cell propulsion systems. Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Road Vehicles is a useful text for researchers, professionals and advanced students in the fields of automotive and environmental engineering.


The Hype About Hydrogen

The Hype About Hydrogen

Author: Joseph J. Romm

Publisher: Island Press

Published: 2013-04-10

Total Pages: 252

ISBN-13: 1597266078

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Lately it has become a matter of conventional wisdom that hydrogen will solve many of our energy and environmental problems. Nearly everyone -- environmentalists, mainstream media commentators, industry analysts, General Motors, and even President Bush -- seems to expect emission-free hydrogen fuel cells to ride to the rescue in a matter of years, or at most a decade or two. Not so fast, says Joseph Romm. In The Hype about Hydrogen, he explains why hydrogen isn't the quick technological fix it's cracked up to be, and why cheering for fuel cells to sweep the market is not a viable strategy for combating climate change. Buildings and factories powered by fuel cells may indeed become common after 2010, Joseph Romm argues, but when it comes to transportation, the biggest source of greenhouse-gas emissions, hydrogen is unlikely to have a significant impact before 2050. The Hype about Hydrogen offers a hype-free explanation of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, takes a hard look at the practical difficulties of transitioning to a hydrogen economy, and reveals why, given increasingly strong evidence of the gravity of climate change, neither government policy nor business investment should be based on the belief that hydrogen cars will have meaningful commercial success in the near or medium term. Romm, who helped run the federal government's program on hydrogen and fuel cells during the Clinton administration, provides a provocative primer on the politics, business, and technology of hydrogen and climate protection.


Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

Author: Gianfranco Pistoia

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2010-07-27

Total Pages: 671

ISBN-13: 0444535667

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Electric and Hybrid Vehicles: Power Sources, Models, Sustainability, Infrastructure and the Market reviews the performance, cost, safety, and sustainability of battery systems for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs), including nickel-metal hydride batteries and Li-ion batteries. Throughout this book, especially in the first chapters, alternative vehicles with different power trains are compared in terms of lifetime cost, fuel consumption, and environmental impact. The emissions of greenhouse gases are particularly dealt with. The improvement of the battery, or fuel cell, performance and governmental incentives will play a fundamental role in determining how far and how substantial alternative vehicles will penetrate into the market. An adequate recharging infrastructure is of paramount importance for the diffusion of vehicles powered by batteries and fuel cells, as it may contribute to overcome the so-called range anxiety."" Thus, proposed battery charging techniques are summarized and hydrogen refueling stations are described. The final chapter reviews the state of the art of the current models of hybrid and electric vehicles along with the powertrain solutions adopted by the major automakers. - Contributions from the worlds leading industry and research experts - Executive summaries of specific case studies - Information on basic research and application approaches