scholarly journals Are Personal Electric Vehicles Sustainable? A Hybrid E-Bike Case Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mihai Machedon-Pisu ◽  
Paul Nicolae Borza
Keyword(s):  
Life Span ◽  
Electric Vehicles ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Storage System ◽  
Life Time ◽  
Storage Solutions ◽  
Hybrid Electric ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Sustainability Challenges ◽  
The Impact

As the title suggests, the sustainability of personal electric vehicles is in question. In terms of life span, range, comfort, and safety, electric vehicles, such as e-cars and e-buses, are much better than personal electric vehicles, such as e-bikes. However, electric vehicles present greater costs and increased energy consumption. Also, the impact on environment, health, and fitness is more negative than that of personal electric vehicles. Since transportation vehicles can benefit from hybrid electric storage solutions, we address the following question: Is it possible to reach a compromise between sustainability and technology constraints by implementing a low-cost hybrid personal electric vehicle with improved life span and range that is also green? Our methodology consists of life cycle assessment and performance analyses tackling the facets of the sustainability challenges (economy, society, and environment) and limitations of the electric storage solutions (dependent on technology and application) presented herein. The hybrid electric storage system of the proposed hybrid e-bike is made of batteries, supercapacitors, and corresponding power electronics, allowing the optimal control of power flows between the system’s components and application’s actuators. Our hybrid e-bike costs less than a normal e-bike (half or less), does not depend on battery operation for short periods of time (a few seconds), has better autonomy than most personal electric vehicles (more than 60 km), has a greater life span (a few years more than a normal e-bike), has better energy efficiency (more than 90%), and is much cleaner due to the reduced number of batteries replaced per life time (one instead of two or three).

Design and Research for a Cost-Oriented Hybrid Electric Vehicle Architecture

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianlong Zhang ◽  
Lei Wang ◽  
Chengliang Yin
Keyword(s):  
Electric Vehicle ◽  
Hybrid Electric Vehicle ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Storage System ◽  
Energy Storage System ◽  
Hybrid Energy ◽  
Vehicle Architecture ◽  
Hybrid Energy Storage ◽  
Hybrid Electric ◽  
And Performance

Commercialization and popularization for HEVs are highly depended on the vehicle price and performance attributes. A novel hybrid electric vehicle architecture is designed and researched for HEV cost reduction while maintaining HEV’s potential to improve the fuel economy and drivability. In this architecture, an All-In-One-Controller (AIOC) is designed, low-cost powertrain components are selected, and a Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS) using supercapacitor and battery concept is implemented. Cost validation and performance simulation are finished, and the results show that HEV cost can be reduced significantly and desired performance can be achieved.

Terrestrial Heat Repository for Months of Storage (THERMS): A Novel Radial Thermocline System

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clifford K. Ho ◽  
Walter Gerstle
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Storage System ◽  
Electrical Heating ◽  
Heat Transfer Fluid ◽  
Present System ◽  
System Sensitivity ◽  
Thermal Plant ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This paper describes a terrestrial thermocline storage system comprised of inexpensive rock, gravel, and/or sand-like materials to store high-temperature heat for days to months. The present system seeks to overcome past challenges of thermocline storage (cost and performance) by utilizing a confined radial-based thermocline storage system that can better control the flow and temperature distribution in a bed of porous materials with one or more layers or zones of different particle sizes, materials, and injection/extraction wells. Air is used as the heat-transfer fluid, and the storage bed can be heated or “trickle charged” by flowing hot air through multiple wells during periods of low electricity demand using electrical heating or heat from a solar thermal plant. This terrestrial-based storage system can provide low-cost, large-capacity energy storage for both high- (∼400–800°C) and low- (∼100–400°C) temperature applications. Bench-scale experiments were conducted, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed to verify models and improve understanding of relevant features and processes that impact the performance of the radial thermocline storage system. Sensitivity studies were performed using the CFD model to investigate the impact of the air flow rate, porosity, particle thermal conductivity, and air-to-particle heat-transfer coefficient on temperature profiles. A preliminary technoeconomic analysis was also performed to estimate the levelized cost of storage for different storage durations and discharging scenarios.

Analysis of Current Hybrid-Electric Automobile Drivetrains and Proposal of an Alternative Powertrain

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Ahn ◽  
Thomas S. Welles ◽  
Benjamin Akih-Kumgeh
Keyword(s):  
Electric Vehicles ◽  
Hybrid Electric Vehicle ◽  
Internal Combustion Engines ◽  
Hybrid Electric Vehicles ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Fuel Efficiency ◽  
Combustion Engines ◽  
Hybrid Electric ◽  
Hybrid Configuration

Abstract Byproducts of fossil fuel combustion contribute to negative changes in the global climate. Specifically, emissions from automobiles are a major source of greenhouse gas pollution. Efforts to minimize these harmful emissions have led to the development and sustained improvement of hybrid drivetrains in automobiles. Despite many advancements, however, hybrid systems still face substantial challenges which bear on their practicality, performance, and competitive disadvantage in view of the low cost of today’s traditional internal combustion engines. These imperfections notwithstanding, hybrid electric vehicles have the potential to play significant roles in the future as cleaner transportation solutions. Actualization of this potential will depend on the ability of hybrid-electric vehicles to minimize their disadvantages while increasing their positive features relative to traditional combustion engines. This research investigates current hybrid electric architectures in automobiles with the aim of suggesting an alternative, more efficient hybrid configuration that utilizes current technology. This is completed by utilizing an iterative design process to compare how various components of existing hybrids can be combined and/or improved to develop a single, efficient and cohesive system that performs comparably to or surpasses existing ones in fuel efficiency and low emissions in all driving conditions. A critical and comparative analysis is provided based on current hybrid-electric vehicle architectures as well as a plausible alternative.

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