As more and more habitancy catch on to the wave of the automotive future - the hybrid car, more and more questions arise about these efficient, but somewhat mysterious vehicles. But just how do they work, are they reliable enough, and are they capable of being the car of the future?
So what is a Hybrid Car?
A hybrid car is any car that combines two or more sources of power, such as gasoline and a rechargeable battery. A hybrid-electric vehicle (Hev) combines the power of a gas motor with an electric motor. These dual motor systems can be configured for separate purposes such as addition the car's power and enhancing fuel economy.
Components of a Hybrid Car
Components of an Hybrid car may include:
- Battery
- electric motor
- Internal combustion motor (Ice)
- Generator
- Power split device
The Technological Advances
Some of the technological advances in the hybrid car industry include:
- Regenerative braking: This highlight verily recycles energy when the cars brakes are applied. The electric motor is designed to exert resistance to the car's drive train, which then causes its wheels to slow down. energy from the wheels is then used to fuel the electric motor, which acts as a generator, converting the energy that would otherwise be wasted while braking into electricity that is stored in the battery until needed.
- automatic start and shut-off: This highlight automatically shuts off the motor when the car has come to a stop, then restarts it when the accelerator is touched. This eliminates the need to waste energy by idling the engine.
- electric motor drive: The hybrid's electric motor gives the car the added power it needs when accelerating, passing, or climbing hills. With this extra assistance, a smaller, more fuel productive motor can be used.
Quick facts on How Hybrid Car Work
An internal combustion motor is "fueled" by a hybrid's electric generator, which acts as the starter, and is used when first switching the car on. Once the Ice is heated up, it automatically shuts itself off with the electric motor taking over. Some hybrids will stay in an all electric mode until the car reaches a inescapable speed, ordinarily about 15 mph. If there are no sudden accelerations, and the driver moderately makes a gradual increase in speed, these hybrids can still use all electricity for its power, saving gas, energy and a reducing harmful emissions.
A computer within the hybrid is responsible for determining how much power is needed from the Ice and how much should be used from the electric engine, depending on how fast the car is going. The computer continues to determine either or not the electric motor should be used, or the internal combustion motor the entire time the car is running. Signals are sent to a gearbox known as the power split device, which uses a series of intricate gears that join together both the gas and electric engines/motors together.
The electric portion of the hybrid draws its power from a set of nickel hydride batteries. The computer also enduringly monitors the amount of payment in the battery, holding it at no less than 40 percent of its full capacity, and never more than 60 percent. The purpose of this is to keep the battery persisting as long as possible, which is ordinarily a integrate hundred thousand miles.
An Introduction to Hybrid Cars