K.K.

WAGH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION & RESEARCH

A
PAPER ON

HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE

PRESENTED BY:

Vishal T. Patil
B.E. Mechanical
Email ID: vishal_patil49@yahoo.co.in

Nithin Swamy
B.E. Mechanical.
Email ID: nithin_swamy8@yahoo.co.in

K.K. WAGH INSTITUTE OF ENGG. EDUCATION

& RESEARCH, NASIK-3(M.S.)

K.K. WAGH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION & RESEARCH

ABSTRACT:
The need to save our planet from increasing pollution and global warming has
led to the development of Hybrid Vehicles. An important hybrid vehicle that is
expected to hit the market in the next decade is the Fuel cell- battery hybrid vehicle.
The practical benefits of HEVs include improved fuel economy and lower emissions
compared to conventional vehicles. Use of production HEVs will reduce smogforming pollutants over the current average. Hybrids will never be true zero emission
vehicles, however, because of their internal combustion engine. But the first hybrids
on the market will cut emissions of global-warming pollutants by a third to a half, and
later models may cut emissions by even more. Hybrid vehicles are the new generation
cars, which work on the Dual power mode.
Hybrid vehicles meet the emission standard imposed by the California
emissions standards, which allow only 3.4 g/mi of carbon monoxide. Hybrid vehicles
are the most promising automobiles of the future they strike a good compromise
between the battery powered vehicle and the conventional engine vehicle.
The Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius are two cars available in the market
today. Each of the above cars uses different layouts and technology to derive
maximum power and performance from the vehicle.

K.K. WAGH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION & RESEARCH

INTRODUCTION:
Since the last two decades, the public, the judiciary and the policy makers all
over the world are deeply concerned about the urgent need for protection of the
environment, ecology, humanity at large and changes in weather. Motor vehicles
contribute about 14% of CO, from all sources. Besides, pollution due to both petrol
and diesel engine driven vehicles caused by the emission of CO, NO, unburned HC,
particulates and oxides of tetra ethyl lead are injurious to health and environment.
Regulations on exhaust emissions from vehicle engines have been made
progressively more and more stringent towards the year 2000 and beyond. So, the
electric vehicles creep into the scenario, as they are capable of working at a zero
emission mode and thereby saving fuel and not polluting the environment. The hybrid
electric vehicle is a compromise between the electric vehicle and the vehicle powered
by the conventional internal combustion engine, which reduces emission
considerably, the benefits and technical details of the hybrid passenger car has been
discussed in detail in the paper below. The main source of fuel cells is hydrogen. But
on board storage of hydrogen is difficult requiring temperatures (-253C) and high
pressures (69MPA) Also onboard storage of hydrogen is not considered safe. This led
to the development of methanol fuel cell vehicles.

K.K. WAGH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION & RESEARCH

Methanol fuel cell vehicles have proved 30% more efficient than IC engines.
Continuous research is going on in this field to increase the efficiency and to decrease
the weight of the vehicle.
The above table provides energy efficiency and emissions comparison between
electric vehicles and ICE vehicles running on a variety of fuels.
LIMITATIONS OF BATTERY POWERED VEHICLES: Battery powered vehicles are emission free and hence environment friendly.
However, the following limitations of battery-powered vehicles have to be reckoned
with:

The range of operation is limited to about 100km using lead acid

battery and to about 170 km with costlier Ni-Cd battery.

Batteries require a long charging period at the end of each journey.

Battery powered vehicles will need a network of charging stations to

enable longer journeys.

Cost of operation of the vehicle is high since the numbers of charging

cycles possible during the life of the battery are limited.

The battery is not capable of handling high current loads during

regenerative braking of the vehicle.

HYBRID ELECTRIC DRIVE:

Considering the above-mentioned limitations, hybrid electric drive offers the
best possible solution for exceptionally low emission levels, fuel consumption and net
operating cost. It provides a flexible option to fulfill the need for frequent short
distance operation as in the city occasional long distance journeys.

DIFFERENT SYSTEMS AND LAYOUTS:

K.K. WAGH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION & RESEARCH

Hybrid Components:
Hybrid cars contain the following parts:
Gasoline engine (1) - The hybrid car has an IC engine just like the one in any
conventional car. However, the engine on a hybrid car will be smaller and uses
advanced technologies to reduce emissions and increase efficiency. As the one
showed in the figure below and weighs only 124 pounds (56 kg) and is a tiny, 1.0-liter
three-cylinder that produces 67 horsepower at 5,700 rpm. It incorporates Honda's
VTEC system and uses lean burn technology to maximize efficiency. The Insight
achieves an EPA mileage rating of 61 mpg/city and 70 mpg/highway.

Fuel tank (5) - The fuel tank in a hybrid is the energy storage device for the
internal combustion engine. Gasoline has a much higher energy density than batteries
do. As it takes about 1,000 pounds of batteries to store as much energy as 1 gallon (7
pounds) of gasoline.
Electric motor (3) - The electric motor on a hybrid car is very sophisticated.
Advanced electronics allow it to act as a motor as well as a generator. For example,
when it needs to, it can draw energy from the batteries to accelerate the car. But acting
as a generator, it can slow the car down and return energy to the batteries
(Regenerative Braking).
Generator - The generator is similar to an electric motor, but it acts only to
produce electrical power. It is used mostly on series hybrids. Generators also playa
vital role during regenerative braking.
Batteries (6) - The batteries in a hybrid car are the energy storage device for the
electric motor. Unlike the gasoline in the fuel tank, which can only power the gasoline
engine, the electric motor on a hybrid car can put energy into the batteries as well as
draw energy from them.

K.K. WAGH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION & RESEARCH

Transmission (2) - The transmission on a hybrid car performs the same basic
function as the transmission on a conventional car. Some hybrids, like the Honda
Insight, have conventional transmissions.
Power split device - is a clever gearbox that connects the gasoline engine,
generator and electric motor together. It allows the car to operate in both series and
parallel hybrid configurations. It also acts as a continuously variable transmission
(CVT), eliminating the need for a manual or automatic transmission. It also eliminates
the requirement of a starter. The power split device is a planetary gear set. The electric
motor is connected to the ring gear of the gear set. It is also directly connected to the
differential, which drives the wheels. .so, whatever speed the electric motor and ring
gear spin at determines the speed of the car. The generator is connected to the sun gear
of the gear set, and the engine is connected to the planet carrier. The speed of the ring
gear depends on all three components, so they all have to work together at all times to
control the output speed.

PRINCIPLE TYPES OF HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES

1. PARALLEL HYBRID OPERATION:
The vehicle has two drive systems viz. a petrol engine or gas turbine and an
electric motor. The engine provides normal maximum speed, acceleration, and range.
The electric motor, which is of relatively low power, enables pure electric operation at
lower speeds within the city. These two modes can be used either separately or
combined together. An HEV (hybrid electric vehicle) with a parallel configuration has
a direct mechanical connection between the engine (power unit) and the wheels, as in

K.K. WAGH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION & RESEARCH

a conventional vehicle, but also has an electric motor that drives the wheels. For
example, a parallel vehicle could use the power created from the engine for highway
driving and the power from electric motor for accelerating.
Advantages of a parallel configuration are:
The vehicle has more power because both the engine and the motor supply
power simultaneously. .
Most parallel vehicles do not need a separate generator because the motor
regenerates the batteries.
Because the power is directly coupled to the road, it can be more efficient.

2. SERIES HYBRID OPERATION:

In case the vehicle has only one drive system in the form of electric motor. One
or more electric motors drive it. During city operations, the battery provides power for
short distances. While operating in the main roads, a relatively small and efficient
engine charges batteries whose range is limited only by the capacity of the fuel tank.
An HEV (hybrid electric vehicle) with a series configuration uses the engine or
fuel cell with a generator to produce electricity for the battery pack and electric motor.
Series HEV's have no mechanical connection between the engine (power unit) and the
wheels this means that all power is transferred from chemical energy to mechanical
energy, to electrical energy and back to mechanical energy to drive the wheels.
Advantages of a series configuration are:
The engine never idles, which reduces vehicle emissions.
The engine drives a generator to run at optimum performance.
The design allows for a variety of options when mounting the engine and
vehicle components.
Since it is less dependent on the vehicle's changing power demands, the engine
can operate within a narrower and more efficient range of speeds.
7

K.K. WAGH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION & RESEARCH

Some series hybrids do not need a transmission.

The vehicle can operate in zero emission modes.
The disadvantage is that series HEVs require larger, and therefore, heavier
battery packs than parallel vehicles.
In addition, the engine works hard to maintain battery charge because the
system is not operating in parallel.

One of the most important differences between an HEV (Hybrid electric

vehicle) and a conventional vehicle is the HEV's ability to reclaim a portion of the
energy otherwise lost to braking. In an HEV (Hybrid electric vehicle), when the driver
steps on the brake pedal he is removing energy from the car. The faster a car is going,
the more kinetic energy it has. The brakes of a car remove this energy and dissipate it
in the form of heat. A hybrid car can capture some of this energy and store it in the
battery to use later. During braking, the motor becomes a generator, using the kinetic
energy of the vehicle to generate electricity that can be stored in the battery for later
use. Traditional friction brakes are used, as well as a consistent strategy for smoothly
blending the two braking mechanisms. Regenerative and friction brakes need to be
controlled electronically so that stopping ability is maximized to make the dual brake
operation simpler to the driver.
For example, the Toyota Prius reclaims approximately 30% of the kinetic
energy typically lost as heat to friction brakes. It can be driven for about 1400 km on
one 50-L tank of gasoline (850 miles on 13 gallons) under low-speed stop-and-go
conditions.

K.K. WAGH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION & RESEARCH

COMPARISON WITH EVs:

Hybrid electric vehicle is a real advantage over the electric vehicle as
It has reduced weight - the Honda Insight uses a lightweight aluminum body
and structure to further reduce weight. Honda uses a smaller, lighter engine. The
Insight weighs less than 1,900 pounds (862 kg), which is 500 pounds (227 kg) less
than the lightest conventional car.
It uses a small, efficient engine - The engine in the Insight weighs only 124
pounds (56 kg) and is a 1.0-liter three-cylinder that produces 67 horsepower at 5,700
rpm. It incorporates Honda's VTEC system and uses lean bum technology to
maximize efficiency. The Insight achieves an EPA mileage rating of 61 mpg/city and
70 mpg/highway. Also, with the additional power provided by the small electric
motor, this system is able to accelerate the Insight from 0 to 60 mph in about 11
seconds. With the electric motor running, the Insight produces 73 horsepower at 5,700
rpm. The electric motor on the Insight is rated at 10 kilowatts. Without the electric
motor, the Insight makes its peak torque of 66 pound-feet at 4,800 rpm. With the
electric motor, it makes 91 pound2feet at 2,000 rpm. So the HEV is a much more
powerful car then the conventional battery operated car.
It uses advanced aerodynamics - The Honda Insight is designed using the
classical teardrop shape: The back of the car is narrower than the front. The rear
wheels are partially covered by bodywork to provide a smoother shape, and some
parts of the underside of the car are enclosed with plastic panels. These result in a
drag coefficient of 0.25, which makes it one of the most aerodynamically efficient
cars.

K.K. WAGH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION & RESEARCH

CONCLUSION:
It is difficult to imagine a future without electric vehicles. Its a sure thing that
there will be an age for the Hybrid Electric vehicle, because the global pollution is
going to an hazardous level causing lots of diseases. Over the near term, some form of
hybrid vehicle, most likely using a diesel auxiliary power unit, is probably the best
alternative to conventional vehicles. Although technical and cost hurdles still remain,
over the long term, fuel cells probably offer the best option for an environmentally
benign personal transportation system

10

K.K. WAGH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION & RESEARCH

REFERENCE:
www.ott.doe.gov/hev/what.html
www.honda2000.com/models/insight
www.howstuffworks.com

11