The Netherlands’ electric is now completely powered by renewable energy
01/13/17
“How is it that the Netherlands’ electric train system is now completely powered by renewable energy?”
A most riveting milestone in global renewable energy adoption has just been reached. The Dutch national railway company NS has just announced that the entirety of their electric train fleet is running on renewable energy! This means that transportation systems that carry 600,000 passengers every day have and consumes 1.2 billion Kwh each year has just had their carbon footprint sabotaged! However, work is not done, as the company also plans to decrease energy used per passenger by 35% by 2020
“Can we combine both the series and parallel hybrid car drivetrains?”
Both series and parallel hybrid car drivetrains offer their distinct advantages and disadvantages. The exclusionary principle of the series drivetrain allow for greater efficiency at lower speeds, while the combined efforts model of the parallel drivetrain allow for a smaller battery. However, would it be possible to combine both types in an attempt to have our cake and eat it too? Well, it turns out such a wild idea is indeed possible through the use of a series/parallel hybrid car drivetrain. These drivetrains are set up so that the electric motor and internal combustion engine can operate independently of the condition of the other. This allows for much greater efficiency than either component acting completely discrete or in union. However, these systems will come at a higher cost, making it prohibitive for many individuals to purchases such systems. Perhaps one day, the cost of the systems will plummet to the point that they will threaten to encapsulate the entire market.
“How can we create a more hybrid car drivetrain more efficient for busy traffic?”
Parallel hybrid car drivetrains are wonderful contraptions, but they come with one downside. Much of the efficiency benefits gained from electric vehicle technology are lost during busy “stop and go” traffic, where the internal combustion engine will impinge upon the other components. So how could we get around this problem? Well, let’s use our engineering mindsets to solve this problem. We know that the inefficiencies only come along when the ICE is in use. So what if we were to create a system in which we could control the amount of power that the motor receives from the battery and ICE? Well, it turns out that this concept has already been put into practice as a series hybrid car drivetrain. The operating principle behind these mechanisms is that an onboard computer will measure the speed and acceleration of the vehicle, and use predetermined algorithms to control the power intake of the ICE vs the battery. Due to the larger power requirements, series hybrid car drivetrain systems require a larger battery and motor.
“How can both an electric motor and internal combustion engine be integrated into a hybrid vehicle?”
Hybrid cars are truly captivating machines, being able to combine the ingenuity of electric motors with the range of internal combustion engines. However, both of these components are designed to work independently of each other. So how can we use our engineering mindset to create a system that can integrate both types of power sources? Well, let’s think of it. If we think back to electronic circuits, we know that we can have multiple batteries supplying a common load by placing the batteries in parallel with one another.So why not do the same thing with our electric motor and ICE to simultaneously power the wheels? This setup is known as a parallel hybrid vehicle drivetrain and is used to power lower cost hybrid vehicles.
“How can we combine traditional internal combustion engine vehicles with electrical ones?” Many consumers face a dilemma when purchasing a motorized vehicle. On one hand, they want to be energy efficient and environmentally friendly by purchasing an electric vehicle. On the other hand, they would like to have a large driving range with an internal combustion engine type vehicle. So how can we solve this problem? Well, why can’t have our cake and eat it two by combining them? This is the operating principle behind hybrid car technology, and it is becoming more prevalent in the automobile market every year.
“How can we minimize the impact that cars have on the environment?”
As of the time of writing, most cars use internal combustion engines (also knowns as ICEs) to power movement. This technology is highly pollutive and needs to be quelled soon to ensure the survival of humanity. But since cars and road infrastructure have become so intrinsic to the fabric of developed countries, it would consume too much energy to try to replace them all together. So how could we develop cars that are much less damaging to the environment? Well, let’s look at it like engineers would. Most cars use internal combustion engines to induce rotative movement to be transferred to the wheels via a drivetrain. However, this setup can be easily replaced with an electric motor powered by a rechargeable battery. When the car wants to move, the battery simply sends current to the motor to move the drivetrain to move the wheels. These Battery electric vehicles are becoming cheaper by the year, and may one day replace traditional vehicles all together!
Drivetrains are responsible for transferring the power from internal combustion engines to the wheels of a car. However, Electric vehicles often lack internal combustion engine technology in place of a motor powered by a battery. So how does the drivetrain for such automobiles differ? Well, let’s use our engineering mindset to solve this problem. We know that motors can be thought of as electrically charged wheels and that wheels connected with a shaft will move together. So how about we implement this type of system into an electric vehicle? If this sounds quite similar to a traditional powertrain, it’s because it actually is! However, electric vehicle powertrains do have a few differences, namely being much less energy intensive (consuming nearly 0% of available energy when compared to the 5-6% of ICE units) and having a more minuscule part count.
“What exactly causes the wheels to move in a car?”
Everyone knows that in order to move a car, you have to turn on the engine, which will cause the wheels to move, but have you ever wondered how an engine transmits power to the wheels? Well, let’s think about it. We know that an internal combustion engine or a motor will produce rotary kinetic energy. In addition, the position of this component in the car will be parallel but not contiguous with the wheels. So wouldn’t it be logical if we were to implement a shaft connecting the engine and wheels to facilitate the transfer of power and energy between these two components? This is the fundamental idea behind a drivetrain, and it is one of the most important parts of a car. The power transfer function of drivetrains allow them to enable the operation of regenerative braking technology. Drivetrains are considered to be so economically vital that the market for such items is expected to reach $314.4.00 USD by the year 2019!
“Is the only thing we need for the next solar power revolution just a simple change of geometry?” The current design of solar panels have a distinct bottleneck; their rectangular geometry leaves them inefficient for obtaining solar power from the sun since the sun’s rays will be in a sub-optimal direction for most of the time. Solar trackers can also be inefficient and are prone to damage in the rain, so how can we completely transform the way we collect solar power? Well, let’s use our engineering mindset to figure this out. Our goal is to make the design of our solar producing unit so that the sun can be in an optimal angle at all times. If we think back to our geometry class, then we will remember that a sphere is symmetric from all directions. With this knowledge, the German architect Andre Broessel created a Spherical Sun Power Generator. The setup works as follows: A supporting structure will house a spherical lens. This spherical lens will have a dual tracking system structure at the back of it. In this tracking system will be solar cells, which will receive ample sunlight as a result of the focusing effect from the spherical lens. These spherical sun power generators allow for twice the conventional yield in a much smaller surface area, allowing it to even absorb the reflected sun light from the moon!
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