Greenlings: What is a mild hybrid?

People like to categorize the world. It helps our brains figure stuff out, because we can only manage so much information. Lumping things into bins helps get information down to a manageable level. Unfortunately, most things don't readily fall into discrete categories. Hybrid drive technology is one of them, but we'll try anyway. On the continuum that is hybrid technology, we typically break things down into strong, mild and micro-hybrids. Strong hybrids include systems like Toyota's hybrid synergy drive, Ford's hybrid system and General Motors two-mode system. Micro-hybrids are really nothing more than automatic start stop systems.  Somewhere in between those groups lies the mild hybrid. The basic premise of the mild hybrid is the same as the strong hybrid. An electric motor/generator operate in parallel with the internal combustion engine to provide additional drive torque as well as regenerative braking. The primary difference lies in the power and energy capacity of the electrical side of the system. Continue reading about mild hybrids after the jump. 

Why would an automaker create a mild hybrid system? Mainly to get some of the benefits of a hybrid system at a significantly lower cost and weight. Mild hybrids typically have a much smaller battery than a strong hybrid and a smaller, weaker motor/generator. The first manufacturer to build a system that fits into the mild category is generally considered to be Honda with it's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system as used in the Insight and Civic. 

Since the Insight debuted in 1999, General Motors has released two different mild hybrid systems, one that was briefly offered in the Silverado hybrid in 2005-6 and the more recent belt-alternator-starter (BAS) system offered on several models. Mercedes-Benz and BMW have also co-developed a system of their own that will debut this summer on the S400 BlueHybrid and then on the new 7-series.  The GM system uses what is essentially a beefed up alternator and modified belt drive system to provide some additional drive torque to the engine as well as re-start it. Other systems, such as those from Honda and Mercedes, use a disk-shaped motor-generator sandwiched between the engine and transmission to provide the same functionality. The motor also takes the place of the torque converter in the transmission. 

During deceleration the mild hybrid system can also provide some regenerative braking capability. Because the battery pack is generally smaller than what you find on a strong hybrid, the ability to store energy to drive the vehicle is limited. However, the Mercedes-BMW mild hybrid is using the electrical power in a different way. The energy stored in the battery is being used to drive vehicle electrical systems such as audio, windows, HVAC and others. By using recaptured kinetic energy, the load on the alternator is reduced, cutting parasitic losses.  The Mercedes mild hybrid system will be the first mainstream hybrid to use a lithium ion battery. The Continental-supplied battery is mounted under-hood and is the same size as the traditional lead-acid starter battery, which is replaced by the lithium unit. In 2010, GM plans to launch a second-generation version of its mild hybrid. The new version increases the motor power from 5 to 15 kW and the current nickel metal hydride battery is replaced by a higher capacity, lighter lithium ion unit.  While a mild hybrid system can't drive the vehicle on electricity alone, it still provides benefits. Like direct injection and turbocharging, it allows the automaker to downsize the base engine while maintaining the same performance level. The combination of the reduced peak output of the engine and eliminating engine idle can contribute fuel consumption savings of up to 15 percent in urban driving and 8-10 percent overall. While not as significant as a strong hybrid, these benefits come at a much lower cost in mild hybrid form.

From :http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/04/30/greenlings-what-is-a-mild-hybrid/

© yankandpaste®

Why Indians Don't Envy Israel?

And Why Tharoor's Brief for Israel Is Not Convincing.

Perhaps, it was a well-intended article, meant to instill sense to the senseless people who have been clamoring for an all-out war with Pakistan to take out the terrorist camps and to put an end to the terrorist strikes that have become so commonplace lately. I said perhaps. Perhaps because I still respect the author for his writings that used to uphold the plurality and secularism of India; for all that he has written against the growing clout of the majority fundamentalism in India. But then, I wrote perhaps. Perhaps because the Haaretz article does not read like one from the celebrated author and champion of Indian plurality, who once wrote if America is the melting pot of cultures, India is more like a thali meal, where each dish has its own character and taste and yet complements each other in making the meal a satisfying repast.

India's Israel Envy, read the title, which the author later attributed to the Israeli newspaper editors. But, for all that one understands from the piece, the title just sums up what Mr. Tharoor says in so many words-a case of sour grapes.

Look at the words used in the first paragraph. "As Israeli planes and tanks were exacting a heavy toll on Gaza, India's leaders and strategic thinkers were watching with an unusual degree of interest - and some empathy." Unusual degree of interest and some empathy from India's leaders and strategic thinkers, it says. For all that we know, our country and most of our leaders till very recently-that is until the BJP Government opened diplomatic channels with Israel-had their sympathies with the people of Palestine, for their just cause, for all their sufferings. And even now, the right-thinking people of this country who haven't lost sense of justice have their sympathies with the cause of Palestine. So, from where does this interest-isn't it such a positive word? Like watching a cricket match? I thought we watched terrorist attacks - government-sponsored and private - with anxiety, and not interest-come from? And empathy? Well, only Mr. Tharoor knows when did our sympathies for Palestine people transform into empathy for Israel.

Mr. Tharoor's admiration for the Israeli action becomes clear as he goes on eulogizing Israeli determination in dealing with the Hamas. As if to show that he is not the only Indian charmed by the Israeli iron fist, he writes that the Indians have been nodding in appreciation and asking "why can't we do the same?"

He continues:

"For many Indians, the temptation to identify with Israel was strengthened by the terrorists' seizure of the Chabad House, and the painful awareness that India and Israel share many of the same enemies. India, with its 150 million Muslims, has long been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, and remains strongly committed to an independent Palestinian state. But the Mumbai attacks confirmed what has become apparent in recent years: The forces of global Islamist terror have added Indians to their target list of reviled "Jews and crusaders."
Just as Israel has frequently been attacked by rockets fired from across its border, India has suffered repeated assaults by killers trained, equipped, financed and directed by elements based next door, in Pakistan. When President George W. Bush's press secretary equated members of Hamas with the Mumbai killers, her comments were widely circulated in India."

After painfully building his argument that there are many parallels between India and Israel and cleverly putting India with the Western forces in the Us versus Them global war on terror, he declares: "Yet there the parallels end". And that line did make me hope that he was coming to the facts there. I thought he would tell us why we shouldn't put the terrorism in India and Israel in the same bracket. I thought he would tell us why people should stop eulogizing the Israeli determination and understand that what Israel is carrying out on Palestine and its people is another brand of terrorism-a state-sponsored, home-grown brand, and that Palestinians were forced to doing what they are doing now by decades of Israeli (with the active support and encouragement of the US) atrocities against the people of Palestine, that UN and the people of this world have been made mute-spectators to one of the worst human-right tragedies of our times.

Instead, he goes on to build a rather baffling argument:

"Israel is a small country living in a permanent state of siege, highly security-conscious and surrounded by forces hostile to it; India is a giant country whose borders are notoriously permeable, an open society known for its lax and easygoing ways."

The problem is with our country and our people, he says. He forgets that we are fighting different issues; except for the Islamic prefix (well, then, who said Gujarat pogrom was not a terrorist activity? What about Malegaon? Babri Masjid?), there isn't much in common. I wish I were a little too naïve to think that Sashi Tharoor doesn't know these.

What is more baffling is his parroting the Sangh Parivar line of India being a soft state. He forgets the realities. He forgets what India has been doing in fighting terrorism. He forgets that we cannot afford to have a tough-state label at the cost of basic human rights. And, most surprisingly, he doesn't talk about the causes of terrorism at all; he talks only about the symptoms and addressing the symptoms. Baffling, isn't it? A friend suggested that he might have lost his senses the moment he joined Indian politics; not that I think all our politicians are senseless, but I liked that observation for want of anything better to explain Tharoor's rather nonsensical article.

After explaining in length about why we "cannot" do what Israel is doing; he concludes:

"Yet, when Indians watch Israel take the fight to the enemy, killing those who launched rockets against it and dismantling many of the sites from which the rockets flew, some cannot resist wishing that they could do something similar in Pakistan. India understands, though, that the collateral damage would be too high, the price in civilian lives unacceptable, and the risks of the conflict spiraling out of control too acute to contemplate such an option. So Indians place their trust in international diplomacy and watch, with ill-disguised wistfulness, as Israel does what they could never permit themselves to do."

Again, look at the words; whoever said words do matter was so right I realize as I watch, disappointed, another icon, created by powerful words, being demolished by his own words. Take the fight to the enemy, he wrote, betraying his sympathies for Israeli action. Suddenly, he sounds so pedestrian, pretends like someone who has forgotten his history lessons, like one of those next-door knicker-wallahs who make sweeping statements like every madrassas in this country has terrorists in them and should be taken out along with the terrorist camps across the border. Yeah, those knicker-wallahs have long been talking about taking a few leaves out of the Israel's anti-terrorist operations.

Mr. Tharoor goes on to say that Indians watch Israel doing what they could never permit themselves to do, with ill-disguised wistfulness! And the reasons why we CANNOT do to Pakistan what Israel does to Palestine, the nuclear warheads Pakistan has; otherwise, we could have done what the US has done in Afghanistan and Iraq, what Israel continues to do with Palestine. As I finished reading the piece, I couldn't help wondering whether he has really lost his senses. Perhaps.


© yankandpaste®

Hybrids as per cafe

Power Split Hybrid

The Power Split hybrid (PSHEV) is described as a full or a strong hybrid since it has the ability to move the vehicle on electric power only. It replaces the vehicle’s transmission with a single planetary gear and a motor/generator. A second, more powerful motor/generator is directly connected to the vehicle’s final drive. The planetary gear splits the engine’s torque between the first motor/generator and the final drive. The first motor/generator uses power from the engine to either charge the battery or supply power to the wheels. The speed of the first motor/generator determines the relative speed of the engine to the wheels. In this way, the planetary gear allows the engine to operate independently of vehicle speed, much like a CVT. The Toyota Prius and the Ford Hybrid Escape are two examples of power split hybrid vehicles.

2-Mode Hybrid

The 2-mode hybrid (2MHEV) is another strong hybrid system that has all-electric drive capability. The 2MHEV uses an adaptation of a conventional stepped-ratio automatic transmission by replacing some of the transmission clutches with two electric motors, which makes the transmission act like a CVT. Like the Power Split hybrid, these motors control the ratio of engine speed to vehicle speed. But unlike the Power Split system, clutches allow the motors to be bypassed, which improves both the transmission’s torque capacity and efficiency for improved fuel economy at highway speeds. This type of system is used in the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid.

Plug-In Hybrid

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) are very similar to other strong hybrid electric vehicles, but with significant functional differences. The key distinguishing feature is the ability to charge the battery pack from an outside source of electricity (usually the electric grid). A PHEV would have a larger battery pack with greater energy capacity, and an ability to be discharged further (referred to as “depth of discharge”). No major manufacturer currently has a PHEV in production, although both GM and Toyota have publicly announced that they will launch plug-in hybrids in limited volumes by 2010.

From :http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.43ac99aefa80569eea57529cdba046a0/

© yankandpaste®

The new electric era : 2010

Every car maker asking money to govt, what went wrong ? and whatz next

Yes its new era beginning, people are looking for EVs ( electric vehicles ). Its all about locally generated renewable energy. 

As of now a lot manufactures are plotting plans to come with EVs

Mini EV is already on roads

Plug in Prius is getting ready

I Miev is getting ready to be launched

Nissan plans its launch on 2010.

and Volt from GM

Volt looks like a normal car with 100 mph top speed and only 40 miles range, where volt can run with an   petrol after that.

I was also thinking ICE engine to a generator and then to a battery and then to electric motor, how this is going to be more efficient than a Ice engine connected to wheels because it has some elements in between and everywhere there is energy losses. 

Yes i was also thinking this way till i started reading that the ICE engine in normal driving conditions have only 20% efficiency. so ?

The max efficiency is at highways when its cruising. Another aspect which was mind blowing was it requires only around 47hp when you are cruising. The only place we use the HP is merging to highway or uphill or some other conditions and we never used to use the full HP of and engine.

Here is the advantage of the electric motor configuration comes. 

We can operate the ICE engine at its max efficiency when its operating to generate to electric power. 

We can store the power in ultra capacitors/ batteries

We can generate additional  power from regenerative shocks and breaks.

We can control the power distribution with software logic when we are using electric motors.

We can optimize the power distribution with software logic and its upgradable as time passes.

What this translates to ?

Yes a 120 mpg. The Ice engine with gives a 40 mpg is translated to a 120 mpg with the serial hybrid config. 

Yes the logic  behind Volt is simple, translate the formulas to a never imagined MPG, If you drive only less than 40 miles /64 km them you charge your car and drive - complete renewable energy, and if you drive more, efficient use of energy which takes 3 fold by intelligent algorithms

Yes Lets welcome the new ERA of Volt , Way to go GM  (if  the these numbers matches with your tests ). Its totally green  !!

© yankandpaste®

Loading IOS image via TFTP in ROMMON

Always a pain in the backside, isn’t it, when you’re stuck with a router that has no image on it. Even if you up the baud rate to 115,200 it still takes an age to download an image over the serial port to the thing.

More recent routers seem to have a TFTP client built-into the ROMMON software though. Not entirely sure how recent a router has to be in order to have this facility, but it’s very handy and saves a lot of time.

You basically set a few environment variables so that the router knows what its IP address is, where the server is and what the file it should download is. After that, just issue the “tftpdnld” command and off it goes. Here’s what you do:

rommon 11 > IP_ADDRESS=192.168.1.5
rommon 12 > IP_SUBNET_MASK=255.255.255.0
rommon 13 > DEFAULT_GATEWAY=192.168.1.1
rommon 14 > TFTP_SERVER=192.168.1.10
rommon 15 > TFTP_FILE=c1841-advipservicesk9-mz.124-13a.bin
rommon 16 > tftpdnld
.
IP_ADDRESS: 192.168.1.5
IP_SUBNET_MASK: 255.255.255.0
DEFAULT_GATEWAY: 192.168.1.1
TFTP_SERVER: 192.168.1.10
TFTP_FILE: c1841-advipservicesk9-mz.124-13a.bin
TFTP_MACADDR: 00:13:80:7b:20:1e
TFTP_VERBOSE: Progress
TFTP_RETRY_COUNT: 18
TFTP_TIMEOUT: 7200
TFTP_CHECKSUM: Yes
FE_PORT: 0
FE_SPEED_MODE: Auto Detect
.
Invoke this command for disaster recovery only.
WARNING: all existing data in all partitions on flash will be lost!
Do you wish to continue? y/n: [n]: y
…
Receiving c1841-advipservicesk9-mz.124-13a.bin from 192.168.1.10 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
….
File reception completed.
Validating checksum.
Copying file c1841-advipservicesk9-mz.124-13a.bin to flash.
program load complete, entry point: 0×8000f000, size: 0xc100
.
Initializing ATA monitor library…….
.
Format: Drive communication & 1st Sector Write OK…
Writing Monlib sectors.
……………………………………………………………………..
………………
Monlib write complete
Format: All system sectors written. OK…
Format: Operation completed successfully.
Format of flash: complete
program load complete, entry point: 0×8000f000, size: 0xc100
Initializing ATA monitor library…….
rommon 17 >
Once that’s done, just issue a reset command and it should boot into IOS.

from : http://dataplumber.wordpress.com/2007/03/16/loading-ios-image-via-tftp-in-rommon/

© yankandpaste®

HOW IS AN E-REV DIFFERENT FROM A HYBRID?

While it seems like there are only minor differences, the truth is an E-REV is substantially different than a hybrid. Essentially, a hybrid is a vehicle that is designed to use gasoline as its primary fuel and electricity as a supplement. At lower speeds and light engine loads, some hybrids use only electricity. At higher speeds or rates of acceleration, they operate in a “blended” mode, with both the larger gas engine and smaller electric motor running. Even the most efficient hybrids on the road only get a battery-powered boost at low speeds, while most of the time still burning gas. So while a hybrid is more efficient than a conventional internal combustion engine, under normal driving conditions it will use more gas than an E-REV operating in all-electric mode.


Volt would be the first car to flip that equation. In fact, Volt's unique advanced design has helped establish a new category — Extended-Range Electric Vehicles or E-REVs. Basically, an electric motor would drive the vehicle at all times. So you'll be accelerating, driving on the highway, going uphill — all the normal driving requirements — propelled by electric power. A small gasoline engine and a generator would kick in when the battery power is depleted after driving up to 40 miles. The gas engine and generator then produce all the electricity needed to keep driving for hundreds of miles. It's this range-extending technology that makes EREV so unique. Think of EREV as an electric car that can generate its own electricity, allowing you to continue efficiently without any worry of running out of power.


Volt would be the first car to flip that equation. In fact, Volt's unique advanced design has helped establish a new category — Extended-Range Electric Vehicles or E-REVs. Basically, an electric motor would drive the vehicle at all times. So you'll be accelerating, driving on the highway, going uphill — all the normal driving requirements — propelled by electric power. A small gasoline engine and a generator would kick in when the battery power is depleted after driving up to 40 miles. The gas engine and generator then produce all the electricity needed to keep driving for hundreds of miles. It's this “range-extending” technology that makes Volt so unique. Think of Volt as an electric car that can generate its own electricity, allowing you to continue efficiently without any worry of running out of power.

Because the engine drives a generator that will run at a constant speed, the power band can be optimized for maximum fuel efficiency and lower emissions. The engine will not fully charge the battery (this would be an inefficient use of gasoline). Rather, it will provide enough juice to keep the car going until it can be fully charged in a household outlet. This kind of advanced propulsion system means there are fewer demands on the engine, which can be sized, engineered and controlled to operate in a narrow range of rpm and at peak efficiency.


Because the engine drives a generator that will run at a constant speed, the power band can be optimized for maximum fuel efficiency and lower emissions. The engine will not fully charge the battery (this would be an inefficient use of gasoline). Rather, it will provide enough juice to keep the car going until it can be fully charged in a household outlet. This kind of advanced propulsion system means there are fewer demands on the engine, which can be sized, engineered and controlled to operate in a narrow range of rpm and at peak efficiency.

Extraordinary technological breakthroughs have helped Volt capture the public's imagination. But the real story of the Volt is how all that fuel-saving, emissions-reducing technology will help fundamentally change the way we drive, without affecting the driving patterns and habits that we're used to.

from : http://www.chevrolet.com/electriccar/articles/index.jsp?id=3

© yankandpaste®

Fantastic Cheese…

Bob claims he has invented a cheese that is so unique and wonderful (the “Fantastic Cheese”) that his Fantastic Cheese will make all other traditional cheese options commercially obsolete.
Bob’s reputation is one of being a smart technical innovator. Bob previously worked as an engineer at a large company doing work that is related to how Fantastic Cheese will be manufactured.


Bob has received some financial backing from a respected venture capital firm called New Ideas Capital. New Ideas Capital states in their Investing Policy Statement that they are focusing on investing in cheese related companies because New Ideas Capital believes that cheese is a future growth sector however New Ideas Capital will not discuss their investment in Bob’s Fantastic Cheese.


A large respected military food packaging and catering company called War Food’s, Inc. has provided some funding to Bob to help Bob further develop Fantastic Cheese. Bob has agreed provide War Food’s Inc an exclusive for Fantastic Cheese for certain military food products.
Nobody has seen or tasted Bob’s Fantastic Cheese although Bob has started to build his Fantastic Cheese factory.


An independent company has certified that Bob’s factory is capable of propagating Bob’s proprietary baseline cheese starter bacterial culture. Bob claims his cheese starter bacterial culture contains a unique balance of enzymes that interact in the curdling process in such a way that the cheese becomes Fantastic Cheese.


An independent company has certified that Bob’s factory contains cooking vats capable of maintaining a constant temperature within one quarter of one degree centigrade. Bob claims it is critical to be able to maintain an exact temperature during the cooking process to manufacture Fantastic Cheese.


A very large portion of the cheese produced worldwide is used for pizza toppings. Therefore the potential worldwide market for Fantastic Cheese as a pizza topping is fantastic if Fantastic Cheese is as fantastic as Bob claims. Every pizza maker will want Fantastic Cheese because Fantastic Cheese will render all other cheeses obsolete.

Given all the above facts, why would Bob license his Fantastic Cheese to a small pizza operator under terms that allows the small pizza operator to be the only pizza operator to use Fantastic Cheese?

from : http://gm-volt.com/2009/01/04/eestor-gets-a-trademark-patent-on-eesu-and-provides-specs-for-a-24v-eesu/ Read comments

© yankandpaste®