296
Alternative Fuels for Transportation
10.1 Introduction
In recent years, there has been increasing concern about global environmental issues and the problem in the balance of supply and demand for
fossil fuels. Electricity is one of the clean energies at user point. Before electricity generation began over 125 years ago, houses were lit with kerosene
lamps, food was cooled in iceboxes, and rooms were warmed by woodburning or coal-burning stoves. Currently electricity is one of the prime
energy sources in our day-to-day activities; that is, cooking, heating, light,
computers, and other industrial and residential purposes. Electricity is an
important tool for the industrial growth of the world. Various forms of
other energy sources; that is, coal, petroleum, nuclear, and biomass can be
converted into electric energy in its clean energy form. Electricity is produced in thermal power plants or nuclear power plants in large amounts.
Stored electricity can be used for many applications including space applications, residential purposes, and automobiles. The storage of electricity
is one of the prime movers for development of electric vehicles (EVs). The
EVs charge the battery by grid power supply hence there is no pollution on
the road.
Currently EVs have been gaining acceptability in the transportation sector at a global level. Also, the need to introduce EVs into the transportation
sector as replacements for fossil fuel driven vehicles has been the subject of
world-wide debate during the last few years. Originally, interest in EVs arose
mainly from the concern over atmospheric pollution attributable to exhaust
emissions from petroleum-powered cars. Compared with oil-run vehicles,
battery-powered work vehicles offer low maintenance costs as well as lowrunning costs due to the lower cost of electricity and the use of off-peak
power for recharging. The heart of an EV is its battery and the key to the
success of the EV industry is a better battery with less weight, more compactness, ability to store more energy, longer durability, recharged more rapidly,
and costs less than existing ones. The performance of the vehicle depends
mainly on the performance, efficiency, and reliable operation of the battery.
However, the economic feasibility of EVs has yet to be proved. The performance of present EVs is limited mainly by the low energy and limited power
densities of the lead–acid battery. The weight penalty thus imposed, limits
the range of a four-seat passenger car to about 150 km and the cruising speed
to about 55 km/h.
10.2 Principle of Electric Vehicles
The EVs consist of battery, motor, and controllers in addition to the normal
components of the automobile. The electricity power stored in the battery drive
Alternative Fuels for Transportation
10.1 Introduction
In recent years, there has been increasing concern about global environmental issues and the problem in the balance of supply and demand for
fossil fuels. Electricity is one of the clean energies at user point. Before electricity generation began over 125 years ago, houses were lit with kerosene
lamps, food was cooled in iceboxes, and rooms were warmed by woodburning or coal-burning stoves. Currently electricity is one of the prime
energy sources in our day-to-day activities; that is, cooking, heating, light,
computers, and other industrial and residential purposes. Electricity is an
important tool for the industrial growth of the world. Various forms of
other energy sources; that is, coal, petroleum, nuclear, and biomass can be
converted into electric energy in its clean energy form. Electricity is produced in thermal power plants or nuclear power plants in large amounts.
Stored electricity can be used for many applications including space applications, residential purposes, and automobiles. The storage of electricity
is one of the prime movers for development of electric vehicles (EVs). The
EVs charge the battery by grid power supply hence there is no pollution on
the road.
Currently EVs have been gaining acceptability in the transportation sector at a global level. Also, the need to introduce EVs into the transportation
sector as replacements for fossil fuel driven vehicles has been the subject of
world-wide debate during the last few years. Originally, interest in EVs arose
mainly from the concern over atmospheric pollution attributable to exhaust
emissions from petroleum-powered cars. Compared with oil-run vehicles,
battery-powered work vehicles offer low maintenance costs as well as lowrunning costs due to the lower cost of electricity and the use of off-peak
power for recharging. The heart of an EV is its battery and the key to the
success of the EV industry is a better battery with less weight, more compactness, ability to store more energy, longer durability, recharged more rapidly,
and costs less than existing ones. The performance of the vehicle depends
mainly on the performance, efficiency, and reliable operation of the battery.
However, the economic feasibility of EVs has yet to be proved. The performance of present EVs is limited mainly by the low energy and limited power
densities of the lead–acid battery. The weight penalty thus imposed, limits
the range of a four-seat passenger car to about 150 km and the cruising speed
to about 55 km/h.
10.2 Principle of Electric Vehicles
The EVs consist of battery, motor, and controllers in addition to the normal
components of the automobile. The electricity power stored in the battery drive