Diesel power plays a vital role in the development of one of today’s most important power train technologies, which is helping to significantly reduce fuel consumption and vehicle emissions from heavy duty vehicles. Hybrid electric technology is becoming increasingly popular as it offers hybrid-electric vehicles or HEVs that are powered both by an electrical motor, and by an internal combustion engine as well. While not all HEVs make use of diesel engines, diesel HEVs are capable of combining the absolute latest advances in technology involving hybrid vehicles with the efficiency and reduced emissions that are inherent when it comes to today’s modern clean diesel technology.
This combination produces a dramatic reduction when it comes to both fuel consumption and emissions, which is why diesel electric hybrid vehicles are becoming a popular solution when it comes to today’s automobiles. Diesel hybrid technology is specifically being used more and more as a means of improving the performance not only of large vehicles like SUVs and trucks, but also a number of urban transit bus fleets all over the country because of how exciting this technology currently is.
Before you can understand the concept of diesel electric hybrid vehicles, it is important to understand what hybrid vehicles themselves are. The term hybrid vehicle actually refers to a vehicle that makes use of two different types of power. So for example, a hybrid electric vehicle is one that has an electric source of power, and another source of power that can be one of a number of different things. The other source of motive power in addition to the electric engine can come from a number of different innovative technologies, but the most typical solution in this case is an internal combustion engine that is designed to run either on traditional gasoline, or completely on diesel fuel. The term diesel electric hybrid, then, describes a hybrid electric vehicle or HEV that combines the power behind a diesel engine with the economical nature of an electric motor to create a car or other vehicle that is better for the environment, lower on emissions, and uses up far less gasoline in the process.
Hybrid electric vehicles are fueled just like other vehicles, only they use conventional diesel fuel unlike most other modern day cars, trucks and other vehicles. These hybrid electric vehicles or HEVs generate all of the electricity that they need in order to run on an on board basis, and absolutely never need to be recharged before they can be used. The diesel fuel that powers them accomplishes this by giving power to an internal combustion engine, but this is one that is much smaller and much more efficient than your conventional car or truck engine. This internal combustion engine works alongside an electric motor so that the same amount of power as a larger engine can be created but without creating the same amount of emissions. The electric motor in these hybrid electric vehicles derives its power from a generator or an alternator that couples with a device for energy storage, such as super capacitors or a set of batteries.
Whenever a power system is transferring energy from one form of energy to another, such as the conversion by a hybrid of a mechanical energy into electricity and then back into a mechanical energy again, the system is going to experience an inevitable decrease in the efficiency of the energy. Diesel hybrid electric vehicles or Diesel HEVs offset these losses in a number of different ways which can produce a significant net gain in emission reduction and overall efficiency when combined together with one another. In other words, numerous aspects of the diesel HEV system are able to save such a high amount of energy in collection that the system is actually able to overcome the initial conversion losses of energy. There are four sources in this system that provides a reduction of emissions as well as an increase in efficiency in diesel hybrid-electric vehicles.
1 – Smaller Engine Size.
In diesel hybrid electric vehicles, the largest gain that you will find in overall efficiency is drawn from using a much smaller and much more efficient internal combustion engine. Most traditional vehicle engines are sized in such a way that allows them to provide power for relatively infrequent but fast acceleration. In cruising mode, those engines tend to be much larger than they actually need to be. By implementing an electric motor to deliver some of the power during the acceleration process, a hybrid electric vehicle can be equipped with a much smaller engine that is much more efficient, while still providing acceleration that is equal to conventional vehicles and their capabilities.
2 – Power on Demand.
Another feature that is excellent at saving energy and greatly reducing emissions when it comes to diesel driven HEV vehicles is the ability to shut off the combustion engine during periods where it is not needed, such as during coasting modes or idle modes on a temporary basis. These are situations where the electric motor is strong enough alone to provide enough power that the vehicle’s systems can be kept running without the vehicle burning petroleum. This is an excellent way to reduce emissions and boost efficiency.
3 – Regenerative Braking.
Regenerative braking is another method of saving energy that is important to the diesel electric hybrid vehicle concept. Regenerative braking allows energy to be recovered that would be normally lost through heat during the breaking process, and stores it in the batteries instead so that the electric motor can use it later. In other words, the engine powered generator is used to produce electrical energy only when a full charge is not already being provided by the regenerative braking process.
4 – Constant Power Output and Engine Speeds.
In hybrid applications, vehicles can be designed in such a way that the diesel engine will only be used when the engine has optimum poer output levels and engine speeds. In series hybrids, this can be enabled when the engine is used to power the electric generator rather than as a means of providing power to the wheels. In parallel hybrids, the diesel engine is used to power the wheels when the engine is operating at optimum speeds. Allowing the diesel engine to operate in a more consistent manner increases fuel efficiency and greatly reduces its emissions.
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Originally posted 2008-09-24 12:09:22. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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