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Introduction: Natural Gas

Dedicatednatural gas vehicles are designed to run on natural
Vehicles
gas only, while dual-fuelorbi-fuelvehicles can also run on
gasoline or diesel.

Dual-fuel vehicles allow users to take advantage of the widespread availability of gasoline or diesel but also uses a cleaner,
more economical alternative when natural gas is available.

Natural gas used as a transportation fuel is called compressed

natural gas because the gas is compressed to a pressure of
about 3,600 pounds per square inch (psi) and stored in a fuel
cylinder aboard the vehicle. CNG flows into the engine's
combustion chamber and is ignited to create power to drive the
vehicle.

It is estimated that there are 9.6 million natural gas operated

vehicles in the world (December 2009)

Compressed Natural Gas

CNG is stored on the vehicle in high-pressure tanks - 20

to 25 MPa (200 to 250 bar, or 3,000 to 3,600 psi).

Natural gas consists of methane and is drawn from gas

wells or in conjunction with crude oil production.
As delivered through the pipeline system, it also contains
hydrocarbons such as ethane and propane as well as
other gases such as nitrogen, helium, carbon dioxide,
sulphur compounds, and water vapour.
A sulphur-based odourant is normally added to CNG to
facilitate leak detection.
Natural gas is lighter than air and thus will normally
dissipate in the case of a leak, giving it a significant safety
advantage over gasoline or LPG.
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The average composition of CNG is

as follows
Constituents

Percentage (%)

Methane

88.5

Ethane

5.5

Propane

3.7

Butane

1.8

Pentane

0.5

The Technology
Typical CNG Components in a Natural Gas
Vehicle

Is CNG safe?

Yes, it is safe. The properties of

CNG make it a safe fuel. It is
lighter than air, and hence in case
of leakage it disperses into the
atmosphere rapidly. Its high autoignition temperature of 540
degrees centigrade as against
petrols 360 degrees centigrade
makes it even more safe fuel. CNG
also has a narrow inflammability
range of 5% to 15%, making it
much safer than other fuels.
Control pollution

Is CNG environmentally friendlier

than any other fuel?
Yes, it is. As CNG mainly consists of
methane which is the simplest
hydrocarbon, it is a much cleaner and
efficient fuel. The use of CNG significantly
reduces harmful exhaust gas emissions
like carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide
and sulphur dioxide which causes harmful
diseases like cancer, asthama etc. CNG
also helps in reducing the effects of global
warming.
Top
Control pollution

Which type of vehicles can be

converted into CNG?

All spark-ignited engines can be

converted to CNG, for which a specially
designed conversion kit is required for
the conversion process. The kit consists
of a cylinder to be fixed in the boot of
the car and other equipments to allow
gas flow into the engine.
Control pollution

Liquefied Petroleum Gas

LPG (also called Autogas) consists mainly of propane, propylene,
butane, and butylene in various mixtures.
It is produced as a by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum
refining.
The components of LPG are gases at normal temperatures and
pressures.
One challenge with LPG is that it can vary widely in composition,
leading to variable engine performance and cold starting performance.
At normal temperatures and pressures, LPG will evaporate. Because of
this, LPG is stored in pressurised steel bottles.
Unlike natural gas, LPG is heavier than air, and thus will flow along
floors and tend to settle in low spots, such as basements. Such
accumulations can cause explosion hazards, and are the reason that
LPG fuelled vehicles are prohibited from indoor parkades in many
jurisdictions.
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The average composition of LPG is

as follows
constituents

percentage

N-butane

38.5

Iso butane

37

propane

24.5

Its calorific value is about 25,000 kcal/m 3

WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

LPG is from two different sources

It occurs naturally in oil and gas fields

Also a by-product of oil refining

LPG Liquefied Petroleum Gas

SUITABILITY AND PERFORMANCE

Performance of LPG vehicles better than other alternate fuels

Has a higher octane rating than gasoline

Runs smoother, less maintenance needed
Releases less soot than gasoline and diesel
Better thermal efficiency

LPG Liquefied Petroleum Gas

STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION

LPG vehicle tanks are constructed from carbon steel and 20
times more puncture resistant than a typical gasoline,
methanol or ethanol tank.

New LPG cylinders are manufactured with a device that

shuts off the filling process when the tank reaches 80%
of its liquid capacity, allowing for temperature changes
in fuel volume without any release of gas

LPG Liquefied Petroleum Gas

SAFETY
LPG in this form is an especially safe for vehicle
applications
LPG engine fuel systems are fitted with safety valves
which are automatic if fuel line ruptures.
LPG is non-toxic, non poisonous and doesnt contaminate
soil
LPG has lowest flammability of any alternative fuel.
LPG wont ignite with air unless ignition is at 940F.
Gasoline needs only an ignition of 430F.
If LPG leaks it doesnt puddle but evaporates

WHAT IS A HYBRID VEHICLE?

Any vehicle which combines two or
more sources of power.
Examples:
Diesel electric
Nuclear electric
Gasoline - electric

15

What are hybrid cars

Vehicles that use both a traditional engine (combustion) and a rechargeable
system (typically operated by a battery) to improve mileage, cause less
pollution, and decrease need for gasoline

An automobile powered by both an internal combustion engine and an

electric motor
Most hybrid cars available today use a combination of gasoline and electric engines while some use a
combination of diesel and electric engines.

Auto Relief Group

www.autoreliefgroup.com

HYBRID STRUCTURE
The two power sources found in hybrid
vehicles may be combined in different
ways, either in parallel or series
Either one will allow the gasoline
engine to shut down when it is not
needed.

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PARALLEL HYBRID
Gasoline motor
Batteries which
powers an electric
motor
Both can power the
transmission at the
same time
Electric motor
supplements the
gasoline engine
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ParallelH ybrid

H as a fueltank that
supplies gas to the engine
like a regular car
It also has a set of
batteries that run an
electric m otor
Both the engine and
electric m otor can turn the
transm ission at the sam e
tim e.

HOW PARALLEL HYBRID

CARS WORK
Gasoline engine and electric motor
work together to move the car
forward

SERIES HYBRID
Gasoline motor
turns a generator
Generator may
either charge the
batteries or power
an electric motor
that drives the
transmission
At low speeds is
powered only by
the electric motor
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Series H ybrid

The fueltank goes to the

engine, but the engine
turns a generator
Then the generator can
either charge the batteries
or pow er an electric m otor
that drives the
transm ission
The gasoline engine does
not directly pow er the car

HOW SERIES HYBRID

CARS WORK
Gasoline engine either directly powers an
electric motor that powers the vehicle, or
charges batteries that will power the battery

OTHER HYBRID TERMINOLOGY

Full Hybrid:

Can move solely on electric power

Mild Hybrid: Requires at least some gasoline

the transmission

to power

Stop-Start Hybrids: Use electric power only while idling

or during vehicle deceleration

Vehicle kinetic energy

E

VB > VA
is increased
A

1
2

m(VA2 VB2 )

accelerating, fuel is consumed, kinetic energy

VA > VB
braking, vey little fuel is consumed, kinetic
energy is
reduced
energy is dissipated in the brakes as heat in conventional
cars
In hybrids braking energy is recovered by an electric
generator and stored in a battery
it is called regenerative energy, or Regen Energy
25

A hybrid System
VCU
Prius does not have
step gears
clutch or
torque converter
starter motor
alternator

Eclectic
motors and
planetary
gear system
work as a CVT
or
Continuously
Variable
Transmission

Schematic diagram of Prius

www.cleangreencar.co.nz/page/prius-technical-info
26

How Hybrids work

Eclectic
motors and
planetary
gear system
work as a CVT
or
Continuously
Variable
Transmission

Prius Planetary Gear

27
www.cleangreencar.co.nz/page/prius-technical-info

Com ponents of a H ybrid

G asoline engine
M uch like our engines but sm aller and is m ade w ith advanced
technologies to reduce em issions and increase ef f
ciency
i

FuelTank
Energy storing device for the gasoline engine
G as has a m uch larger density than the batteries
Exam ple: 1,000 pounds of batteries store as m uch energy as 1
gallon (7 pounds) of gas

Continuing Com ponents

Electric M otor
Advance electronics allow it to act as either an m otor or a
generator
Exam ple: W hen needed it can take pow er from the batteries to
accelerate the car. O r as the car slow s dow n it acts as a
generator and returns that energy to the batteries

G enerator
Sim ilar to an electric m otor, just it acts only to produce
electricalpow er
M ainly in series hybrids

Continuing Com ponents

Batteries
Energy storage device for the electric m otor

Transm ission
Transm ission on a hybrid perform s the sam e as a transm ission
on our cars
H ow a transm ission w orks is that it takes pow er from the
engine or m otor and sends to the driveshaft w hich turns your
axle to m ove your car

HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICAL

SYSTEMS
Power for the electric motor is
supplied by high-voltage nickel-metal
hydride battery
Batteries for all hybrids are produced
by Panasonic EV Energy in Japan
Voltage ranges from 144 volts to 650
volts of DC current

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BATTERY RECHARGING
The Ni-MH batteries are recharged
through a process call regenerative
braking
Regenerative braking takes energy
from the forward momentum of the
vehicle and captures it while coasting
or braking.
Occasionally batteries are recharged
by the electric motor
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HYBRID VEHICLES OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

KEYLESS IGNITION SYSTEMS

33

COMMON MEANS OF
IDENTIFICATION

34

COMMON MEANS OF
IDENTIFICATION

35

COMMON MEANS OF
IDENTIFICATION

36

WHOS MAKING HYBRIDS NOW?

Honda

Accord
Civic
Insight

Prius
Camry
Highlander

Toyota

Ford

Escape

Mazda

Tribute

Saturn

Vue

Lexus

RX 400h SUV
GS 450h
LS 600h L

Mercury

Mariner SUV

Dodge

Ram contractors edition

General Motors

Silverado and Sierra

Malibu
Tahoe/Yukon

Nissan

Altima
Versa

37

WHATS IN STORE FOR THE

FUTURE?

Toyota Sienna minivan

Chrysler Aspen
Cadillac Escalade
Dodge Durango
Porsche Cayenne
BMW X6
Hyundai Accent
Mercedes Benz S400
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Problem

Benefits of Hybrid Car Technologies

"Vehicle Shift, World Shift"
toxic emissions

damage

Gasoline Vehicles

But if we use.

Hybrid Car Features

Regenerative Braking: Instead of using only friction to brake the car, the electric
motor/generator of the hybrid car uses the excess kinetic energy to charge the batteries of
the electric engine and thereby capturing some of the energy that would've been otherwise
lost in the case of conventional cars.

Temporary Engine Shut-off: Since hybrid cars have two engines to power them, it they
can automatically shut off the gas powered engine when the car is idle and use its electric
engine to power it. This saves fuel.

Other features to maximize the fuel efficiency of hybrid cars are,

Minimal-drag tires

carbon fiber and

Other lightweight materials to reduce overall weight

Sate of the art aerodynamic designs for the body.

All these things make it easier for a hybrid car to drive up inclines and accelerate, attain

Benefits of hybrid car

Environment friendly. They can reduce pollution by 90 percent.

Hybrid cars are much simpler to operate - less maintenance, reliable in the long
run

lower emissions and better mileage.

purchase incentives for Hybrid vehicle owners (varies)

Special warranties are provided for the battery pack, the electric motor other
costly items

Auto Relief Group

www.autoreliefgroup.com

Advantages

Hybrids combine clean energy of the

electrical motor with the power of the gaspowered engine which results into lower
emissions and better mileage. .
Hybrids are reliable and comfortable as
any traditional car.
Hybrids are much cleaner cars than
normal vehicles with lesser CO and other
greenhouse gas emissions.
Hybrids provide a better mileage.

The future for hybrids looks bright with

rapid developments in hybrid technology
to improve engine efficiency.
Due
to
the
Regenerative
Braking
technology, the batteries need not be
charged by an external source.
Special warranties are provided for the
battery pack, the electric motor other
costly items.
Hybrids help reduce the dependency on
fossil fuels which directly affects fuel
prices.

Disadvantages

High cost: hybrids cost anywhere from $2,000 to

$5,000 more their non-Hybrid versions.
More weight due to battery packs.
Some states charge additional fees for registration.
In the event of an unfortunate accident, there is a
risk of exposure to high voltage wires.
They have a complicated system which needs to
be taken care of by experienced mechanics only.
Spare parts maybe hard to find and may be costly.
Usually, hybrids have a lower acceleration than
that their normal counterparts.

Hybrid Cars
car of the era

Auto Relief Group

www.autoreliefgroup.com