Fuel electric mobility

Besides fuel-cell (electric) vehicles (FCV), there are other vehicle concepts under development, which are also based on electric drives ranked by increasing battery involvement in the propulsion system, and thus extended battery driving range, these are hybrid-electric vehicles (HEV), plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles (PHEV) - which both incorporate an ICE - and, finally, pure battery-electric vehicles (BEV), without an ICE. While electric mobility in its broadest sense refers to all electric-drive vehicles, that is, vehicles with an electric-drive motor powered by batteries, a fuel cell, or a hybrid drive train, the focus in this chapter is on (primarily) battery-driven vehicles, i.e., BEV and PHEV, simply referred to as electric vehicles in the following. 

Portable generators powered by gasoline fueled internal combustion engines (ICEs) are another way that people have been making electricity mobile. The construction trades, recreational vehicle owners, festival promoters, and many others have used these ICE-powered devices to provide electricity off the electric grid. But these mobile electricity applications are marginalized by noise, localized exhaust emissions, and weak or absent integration with vehicles. 

The U.S. Clean Air Act (CAA) was first enacted by Congress in 1963 [77 Stat. 392 42 U.S.C. 7401]. The statute was intended for air pollution in general, and from its beginning attempted to address general pollution and its components as emitted from point sources—steel mills, factories, foundries, and fossil-fueled electric power plants, among others—and mobile sources, particularly autos and commercial vehicles. Several years later, the Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Act of 1966 [PL 90—148 81 Stat. 485] codified the distinctions in source emissions adding to overall air pollution, stationary versus mobile. 

There are four principal ways ia which biomass is used as a reaewable eaergy resource. The first, and most common, is as a fuel used directiy for space and process heat and for cooking. The second is as a fuel for electric power generation. The third is by gasification iato a fuel used oa the site. The fourth is by coaversioa iato a Hquid fuel that provides the portabiUty aeeded for transportatioa and other mobile appHcations of energy. Figure 7 shows the varied pathways which can be followed to convert biomass feedstocks to useful fuels or electricity. 

Fuel cells, which rely on electrochemical generation of electric power, could be used for nonpolluting sources of power for motor vehicles. Since fuel cells are not heat engines, they offer the potential for extremely low emissions with a higher thermal effidency than internal combustion engines. Their lack of adoption by mobile systems has been due to their cost, large size, weight, lack of operational flexibility, and poor transient response. It has been stated that these problems could keep fuel cells from the mass-produced automobile market until after the year 2010 (5). 

In the United States, in particular, recent legislation has mandated sweeping improvements to urban air quality by limiting mobile source emissions and by promoting cleaner fuels. The new laws require commercial and government fleets to purchase a substantial number of vehicles powered by an alternative fuel, such as natural gas, propane, electricity, methanol or ethanol. However, natural gas is usually preferred because of its lower cost and lower emissions compared with the other available alternative gas or liquid fuels. Even when compared with electricity, it has been shown that the full fuel cycle emissions, including those from production, conversion, and transportation of the fuel, are lower for an NGV [2]. Natural gas vehicles offer other advantages as well. Where natural gas is abundantly available as a domestic resource, increased use... 

The United States generates about 20 million metric tons of nitrogen oxides per year, about 40% of which is emitted from mobile sources. Of the 11 million to 12 million metric tons of nitrogen oxides that originate from stationary sources, about 30% is the result of fuel combustion in large industrial furnaces and 70% is from electric utility furnaces. 

Alternatives to coal and hydrocarbon fuels as a source of power have been sought with increasing determination over the past three decades. One possibility is the Hydrogen Economy (p, 40), Another possibility, particularly for secondary, mobile sources of power, is the use of storage batteries. Indeed, electric vehicles were developed simultaneously with the first intemal-combustion-cngined vehicles, the first being made in 1888. In those days, over a century ago, electric vehicles were popular and sold well compared with the then noisy, inconvenient and rather unreliable peU ol-engined vehicles. In 1899 an electric car held the world land-speed record at 105 km per hour. In the early years of this century, taxis in New York, Boston and Berlin were mainly electric there were over 20000 electi ic vehicles in the USA and some 10000 cars and commercial vehicles in London. Even today (silent) battery-powered milk delivery vehicles are still operated in the UK. These use the traditional lead-sulfuric acid battery (p. 371), but this is extremely heavy and rather expensive. 

While the PEM fuel cells appear to be suitable for mobile applications, SOFC technology appears more applicable for stationary applications. The high operating temperature gives it flexibility towards the type of fuel used, which enables, for example, the use of methane. The heat thus generated can be used to produce additional electricity. Consequently, the efficiency of the SOFC is -60 %, compared with 45 % for PEMFC under optimal conditions. 

J. "The Nature and Origins of Asphaltenes in Processed Coals Chemistry and Mechanisms of Coal Conversion to Clean Fuel", Annual Rept. for 1978 from Mobil Res. Dev. Corpn. to Electric Power Research Institute, AF-1298, Vol. 2. 

As mentioned earlier, separation of C02 at concentrated sources is easier than from the environment, and carbon capture at upstream decarbonizes many subsequent economic sectors. However, it does require significant changes in the existing infrastructure of power and chemical plants. Furthermore, approximately half of all emissions arise from small, distributed sources. Many of these emitters are vehicles for which onboard capture is not practical. Thus, unless all the existing automobiles are replaced by either hydrogen-powered fuel cell cars or electric cars, the capture of C02 from the air provides another alternative for small mobile emitters. 

Micro-fuel cells using small tanks of hydrogen could operate mobile generators, electric bicycles and other portable items. Large 250-kW... 

Fuel cell vehicles could provide extra value when they are in use, by acting as these mobile power sources. Most cars are used for 1 or 2 hours of the day. When they are not used, they are often parked where electricity is needed—offices, stores, homes or factories. If all cars were fuel cell pow-... 

Portable fuel-cell systems are systems that produce electricity for devices with a performance ranging from several watts to 10 kilowatts. The heat produced in the process is a by-product that is normally not used. The system has, therefore, to be cooled down by fans or cooling surfaces, etc. A wide range of applications is possible for fuel cells from small electronic devices like camcorders, mobile phones, laptops, etc. to electric tools, back-up systems, or power generation on boats or caravans. 

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