Background/FAQ

Engr 103 - Group 7

Energy and Carbon Footprint of Electric and Conventional Automobiles

Background

Several factors contribute to the pollution of the earth. Transportation vehicles is one of the major aspects of this growing trend. This Freshmen Deisgn Project's purpose is to send a letter to the U.S. Congressional Budget Committee with details on the life cycle energy, greenhouse gas, and air pollutant emissions of conventional internal combustion engines and electrical cars. The purpose is to persuade investment into the appropriate car that is efficient while still leaving a small carbon footprint. Data will be collected throughout the weeks, and complied into several graphs, spreadsheets, and models.

FAQ

1. What is GREET?
1. GREET is a computer program that provides information and allows for direct comparisons on the emissions of various vehicles.
2. What are the different types of pollutants? What effects do they have on the environment?
1. Ranked from least harmful to most harmful:
1. CO2 - most common greenhouse gas
2. CH4 - greenhouse gas
3. N2O - can give rise to the more harmful NO
4. CO - impacts human health
5. NOx - primary pollutants that produce photochemical smog, acid rain, and nitrate particulates. Destruction of stratospheric ozone. Human health impact.
3. What model of vehicle is being researched?
1. The statistics used in this project is a classic sedan. The hope is that by comparing the carbon emissions and footprint of the sedans this research will translate to other types of vehicles as well.
4. What fuels are you researching? What are they composed of?
1. E10 Gasoline - Composed of 10% ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline.
2. E40 Gasoline - Composed of 40% ethanol and 60% unleaded gasoline.
3. BD20 (20% Biodiesel) - vegetable oil - or animal fat-based diesel fuel.
4. Low Sulfur Diesel (LSD) - 500ppm of sulfur in diesel
5. What kind of fuels are the vehicles being compared running on?
1. We are comparing three main types of vehicles: conventional automobiles (which run on gasoline and diesel), hybrid electric vehicles (which run on E10 and electricity), and plug-in-hybrid (which runs on electricity and either E10, BD20, or LSD).
6. What is the meaning GWP? Why is this important? What’s the difference between direct and indirect?

a. GWP stands for “Global Warming Potential”.  It refers to the relative greenhouse gases that are trapped in the atmosphere. Indirect GWP involves gases that are chemically transformed from original gas, or, when gases are created to influence a different process. Direct GWP involves the typical emission of Greenhouse gases that are long lasting, for example, CO2, which has a GWP of 1, and is used as a comparison of other gases.

7. What is the engine combustion process?
1. The Perfect and Ideal Engine Combustion Process would be fuel (hydrocarbons) and air (oxygen and nitrogen) being consumed and transferred into carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2O), and nitrogen.
2. However, realistically the engine combustion process looks like this. Fuel (hydrocarbons) and air (oxygen and nitrogen) react and produce unburned or partially burned hydrocarbons (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and water (H2O).

8.  What does the chemical process of combustion involve?

1. There are two, a “Perfect” Combustion Process, and a Typical Real-World Engine Process.
2. Simply put:
1. “Perfect“ involves Fuel and Air producing CO2, Water, and Nitrogen.
2. Typical involves Fuel and Air producing Partially Burned or Unburned Hydrocarbons, Nitrogen Oxides, CO2, CO, and Water.

9. In terms of fuel, is there a limitation in usage?

The compatibility of a gasoline with a vehicle depends upon the octane rating/ethanol concentration. Octane requirements must be met and the gasoline ethanol concentration cannot exceed the compatibility limit.