NP Stroke engine and Active Stroke cycle management

Was thinking on how to increase the efficiency of an ICE engine. 

Searched on different engines  and got one idea.

We are not even using any heat energy generated by the internal combustion engine. Lets first explain a four stroke engine 

Four stoke engine consists of 

  Intake stroke

  Compression stroke

  Power stroke

  Exhaust stroke

In intake stroke, the air is taking in then compress the air ,fuel gets injected to the compressed air and then ignited results in the power stroke and after the compression stroke the exhaust gases will be removed in the exhaust stroke. Its all fine and give 35-37% efficiency.

One of the problem is the heat is never utilized for any purpose.  So the idea of six stroke engine came in.

 

The six-stroke engine is a type of internal combustion engine based on the four-stroke engine, but with additional complexity to make it more efficient and reduce emissions. 

Two different types of six-stroke engine have been developed since the 1990s:

In the first approach, the engine captures the heat lost from the four-stroke Otto cycle or Diesel cycle and uses it to power an additional power and exhaust stroke of the piston in the same cylinder. Designs use either steam or air as the working fluid for the additional power stroke. As well as extracting power, the additional  stroke cools the engine and removes the need for a cooling system, making the engine lighter and giving an estimated efficiency of 40%. The pistons in this type of six-stroke engine go up and down six times for each injection of fuel.

 There are two power strokes: one with fuel, the other with steam or air.

The second approach to the six-stroke engine uses a second opposed piston in each cylinder that moves at half the cyclical rate of the  main piston, thus giving six piston movements per cycle. Functionally, the second piston replaces the valve mechanism of a conventional  engine but also increases the compression ratio. 

I started thinking more in this direction and found another way called NP Stroke engine and Active Stroke cycle management for a better solution.. 

The theory i propose always gives variable  efficiency optimal according the  circumstance of operation.  

Lets go to the first proposal of NP  stroke engine. 

N is a number where this can be 1 to any number. P denotes Power stroke, Lets explain how NP stroke engine works when N is equal to 3.

The additional requirements/changes in the design is an additional  closed hot air chamber, Air injector , Heat transfer agent and injector ( ex water).

Once the 4 strokes of 4 stroke engine is over , the exhaust stroke will push the air to the air chamber. Once the exhaust stroke is over, instead of another intake stroke,  1/3rd of the hot exhaust air stored in the air chamber is released to the intake .After this a  compression stroke of this air occurs. Once its compressed, a heat transfer agent is injected (ex: water ). This agent will utilize the heat in the exhaust gas and convert to a vapour form results in a power stroke. Once the power stroke is over another exhaust stroke occurs and the exhaust is send out. Again in another intake stroke the air injector injects another 1/3 of the exhaust gas and same 4 strokes occurs. Lets call these strokes as thermal energy transfer strokes. Once the 4 strokes are over, the last 1/3 is utilized t make another 4 strokes. which results in total of 12 strokes.

Which means the engine gets 3 times efficient than the normal 4 stroke engine. 

Here a number of  questions arises : 

Is 3 an optimal number ? 

What happens in a cold place

What happens when i drive a lot

What happens when i start the car where engine is cool.

Here the second theory comes in effect. Active Stroke cycle management:

This consists of a temperature sensor, a decision making logic and a control to the air injector attached to the hot air chamber

The temperature sensor senses the temperature and decides the optimal number of heat exchange cycles which can be performed on the current temperature.

ex: In a cold condition starting , the engine can work as normal 4 stroke, while its running heat increases and it can increase the number of thermal cycles based on the   temperature and other deciding parameters.

So in a long ride, according to the temperature readings, it can control and decide N of the NP cycle engine.This will result in high efficiency engine which is according to the operating conditions

By the implementation its possible to have 120mpg engines using attaching proper thermal conversion cycles to a 40 mpg capable engine. Once its tuned to run ,  the efficiency will be increased heavily according to the operating conditions.

tail piece: This is to make sure this idea is fresh and intellectual property rights of this idea is for me as i didn't find anybody have the idea published. The intellectual property rights includes,idea,rights of implementations , decisions of different control parameters, heat transfer agent, agent recovery methods  etc and  the trade marks of  Active Stroke cycle management/ Active cycle management.

Thanks Wikepedia to understand the prior art for this idea.

© yankandpaste®

Accelerator pedal for electric Car

DC Motor scenario

A simple DC controller connected to the batteries and the DC motor. 

If the driver floors the accelerator pedal, the controller delivers the full 96 volts from the batteries to the motor. 

If the driver take his/her foot off the accelerator, the controller delivers zero volts to the motor. 

For any setting in between, the controller "chops" the 96 volts thousands of times per second to create an average voltage somewhere between 0 and 96 volts.

The controller takes power from the batteries and delivers it to the motor. The accelerator pedal hooks to a pair of potentiometers (variable resistors), and

 these potentiometers provide the signal that tells the controller how much power it is supposed to deliver. 

The controller can deliver zero power (when the car is stopped), full power (when the driver floors the accelerator pedal), or any power level in between.

AC motor scenario

In an AC controller, the job is a little more complicated, but it is the same idea. The controller creates three pseudo-sine waves. It does this by taking the DC voltage from the batteries and pulsing it on and off. In an AC controller, there is the additional need to reverse the polarity of the voltage 60 times a second. Therefore, you actually need six sets of transistors in an AC controller, while you need only one set in a DC controller. In the AC controller, for each phase you need one set of transistors to pulse the voltage and another set to reverse the polarity. 

You replicate that three times for the three phases -- six total sets of transistors.

thanks to http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/vehicles/electric-car.htm

Regenerative breaking

Regenerative breaking is used on hybrid gas/electric automobiles to recoup some of the energy lost during stopping. This energy is saved in a storage battery and used later to power the motor whenever the car is in electric mode.

Understanding how regenerative braking works may require a brief look at the system it replaces. Conventional braking systems use friction to counteract the forward momentum of a moving car. As the brake pads rub against the wheels (or a disc connected to the axle), excessive heat energy is also created. This heat energy dissipates into the air, wasting up to 30% of the car's generated power. Over time, this cycle of friction and wasted heat energy reduces the car's fuel efficiency. More energy from the engine is required to replace the energy lost by braking.

Regenerative braking utilizes the fact that an electric motor can also act as a generator. The vehicle's electric traction motor is operated as a generator during braking and its output is supplied to an electrical load. It is the transfer of energy to the load which provides the braking effect.

As the driver applies the brakes through a conventional pedal, the electric motors reverse direction. The torque created by this reversal counteracts the forward momentum and eventually stops the car.

At the most basic level, regenerative braking means re-capturing the kinetic energy of the vehicle's motion and turning it into another type of energy. Commonly, this is done by converting kinetic energy into electricity and recharging the car's battery with it.The energy captured in the battery is used moving the car later and due to the energy capture and reutilization the mpg for the car improves drastically.

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What is cD and why does it matter?

Aerodynamics. When discussing overall efficiency, sometimes it's easy to overlook just how important the shape of an automobile is in determining how fuel efficient it is

First, let's discuss what the term aerodynamics means. According to Merriam-Webster, aerodynamics is "a branch of dynamics that deals with the motion of air and other gaseous fluids and with the forces acting on bodies in motion relative to such fluids." Clear as mud? In this case, the fluid we're talking about is indeed air, and the easier it is for an object to cut through the air, the less energy is required to keep that body in motion.

For the purpose of comparing different automotive designs, engineers measure the resistance of a body to flow through the air using computational fluid dynamics simulations and wind tunnel testing. A flat board held perpendicular to the air flow may have a coefficient of 1 or more, depending on the shape of the edges and the surface texture. The drag coefficient is a unitless number and is based on the shape and surface properties of the object. Two identical objects that are different sizes will have the same cD. However, that doesn't mean they have the same overall drag. 

This, of course, is further complicated by the vagaries of the real world. The addition of items like outside mirrors, windshield wipers and radio antennas can cause a lot of disruption to air-flow. There is also the fact that cars often don't travel perpendicular to air-flow. Vehicles often encounter cross-winds when driving down the road so the airflow must be measured at various angles to ensure resistance is kept to a minimum. 

Safety is also a concern.The air-flow over a vehicle's body can trigger either lift or down-force just as it does with an aircraft wing. If a vehicle's shape causes too much lift, it can make the vehicle unstable and difficult to control. All of these factors must be balanced in the final design.

The designers of all of the most fuel efficient vehicles ever offered for sale have taken aerodynamics very seriously and as such, they all have a very favorable cD. For instance, the GM EV1 scored a cD of 0.195, which is quite good. For comparison, the 2010 Toyota Prius manages a fine 0.25 and the Aptera 2e (above) blows them both out of the water air with an amazingly low 0.15. When multiplied by the car's frontal area, the Aptera design scores even better due to its narrow, bullet-like shape with narrow out-rigger front wheels that are completely shrouded . For what it's worth, the brick-shaped HUMMER H2 scores a dismal 0.57 – further proof that its designers were in no way concerned with its fuel efficiency.

Besides the actual bodywork of an automobile, there are other factors contributing to the overall coefficient of drag any given car is able to register, including the car's tires and its ride height. Wide tires move more air and therefore take more power to move, and the air pressure of a given tire can have drastic consequences on its ability to roll. 

Why is all of this so important? Calculations reveal that about 60 percent of the energy used to move the average car goes towards overcoming its aerodynamic drag. That's huge, and means that even small improvements in a car's cD can pay big dividends in overall fuel efficiency. 

2 mode power train :Speed to time graph and modes.

2 mode powertrain, The  previous post shows mild hybrid and diagram . It gives a clear idea on differnce on mild hybrid and 2 mode hybrids (click on the pic to see it in detail )

The Two-Mode hybrid system maximizes city and highway fuel economy by integrating two electric continuously variable modes with four fixed mechanical gear ratios. The system consists of twin, active-cooled electric motors integrated into the automatic transmission. Energy to power the motors comes from a 300V nickel-metal hydride battery pack, which consists of nickel metal hydride modules and is packaged behind the second-row seat below the cargo floor.

In the first mode, at lower speed and lighter loads the 2-Mode Hybrid operates in one of three ways depending on conditions and battery charge level: all-electric power, internal combustion engine power or a combination of the two. All reverse operation is driven solely by the electric motors.

The second mode is used primarily to optimize fuel economy at highway speeds. It provides electric assist in addition to combustion engine power when conditions demand it, such as trailer towing and climbing steep grades, and to allow the engine to run at its most efficient point under less-demanding conditions.

No engine speed changes are necessary for the mode shift to occur. The result is exceptionally smooth, seamless acceleration and responsiveness. At all times, the Hybrid Optimizing System (HOS) collects torque-based data, deciphers it, then determines the most fuel-efficient means of propelling the 2-Mode Hybrid.

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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/

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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.


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