UCD Students Build Super-Efficient Plug-in Hybrid

"Trinity," a highly fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid vehicle, has been built by engineering students at the University of California, Davis. The vehicle is the team's entry in the national Challenge X competition, sponsored by General Motors Corp. and the U.S. Department of Energy. Field trials for the competition are currently taking place in Phoenix.

Trinity is a 2006 model Chevy Equinox SUV powered by electric motors and a small internal combustion engine that can run on gasoline or ethanol. The electric motors and batteries provide power for driving at low speeds and for a range of up to 40 miles, and the gas engine supplies additional power for longer journeys and highway driving.

Computer models run by the team show that Trinity's average gas consumption in everyday use could reach about 200 miles per gallon, assuming an all-electric range of 40 miles, said graduate student Peter English, outreach coordinator for the team.

Trinity also carries a small on-board fuel cell to provide auxiliary power for air conditioning, entertainment systems and other services.

Some of the design details of Trinity include:

Engine

• Toyota Prius gasoline engine
• Powered mainly on ethanol

Transmission

• 95% efficient continuously variable transmission
• More efficient than manual or other transmission systems

Turbo Generator

• Exhaust gas driven generator / turbo charger
• Compresses air to boost engine at high altitudes
• Recovers exhaust gas to recharge batteries

Hydrogen Injection

• Hydrogen injected into combustion chamber
• Allows engine to operate at higher temperature
• Reduces nitrous oxide emission

Weight: 1985 kg

Challenge X is a three-year national competition sponsored by General Motors, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and other partners. Engineering students from 17 universities across North America are challenged to re-engineer a mid-size SUV to achieve better fuel economy and lower emissions. The program provides the opportunity for engineering schools to participate in real-world research and math-intensive development with leading-edge automotive propulsion, fuels, materials and emissions-control technologies.

In the first year (2004-5), teams worked on vehicle design using the same techniques and software as auto industry designers. This year is the second of a three-year program to re-engineer a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox, a crossover sport utility vehicle. Over the past year, they have worked on putting their designs together in an actual vehicles, which are now competing in field tests at General Motors’ Desert Proving Ground in Mesa, Arizona from May 30 – June 8.  Teams will be evaluated in more than a dozen static and dynamic evaluations including tests for towing capacity, acceleration, off-road performance, greenhouse gas impact, total well-to-wheels fuel economy, emissions, and consumer acceptability.

In the final year (2006-7), they will refine their vehicles leading up to the final competition.

Resources:

New Super-Efficient Plug-in Hybrid Unveiled, UCDavis press release, May 18, 2006
UC Davis Hybrid-Electric Vehicle Group Website

Comments

[Brianthesmurf]

What does that "200 miles per gallon" really mean? How much coal or oil is being burnt to charge this plug-in hybrid.

It would be more honest to quote miles per kg of C02 produced and include the power station emisions (not much of the US total is produced by carbon free renewables).

And why did they have to use a 1985 kg SUV? Oh! of course the sponsor - silly me!

[Stephen Boulet]

Quoting x miles a gallon is still meaningful, since it illustrates how far your gas can be stretched. The kg of CO2 produced depends on where you plugged it in. If you were near the Hoover Dam, a nuclear plant, or a wind farm, it might be little.

I personally like average cost per mile, though you need to make assumptions about how far a vehicle is typically driven (when the batteries are drained and it is operated by the internal combustion).

I wonder how GM feels about a Toyota engine in their product. ;)

The big question is why can't GM do that?! Or put another way, what are the impedements internal to the company/board of directors that keep them from being innovative and losing market share?

Stephen

[Michael Lawson]

It seems more than a bit hypocritical for GM to be sponsoring this kind of "research". GM had a wonderful electric vehicle and then chopped them all up. When I see things like this, it all seems like a meaningless PR campaign.

[Pablo]

Nobody's ever made a "wonderful electric vehicle" because battery technology's never been wonderful. Some day.

You can't make pluggable hybrid designers responsible for choices made by utility companies. These teams are being evaluated for greenhouse gas impacts, so that's the best you can assessing them for that.

If you're that gung ho on greenhouse gas reduction, you're going to have your own renewable generating capacity at home, and charge your pluggable from that. Put your money where your mouth is.

[politicaobscura]

The post says, "Computer models run by the team" ... yeah, according to computer models I'm as good looking as Brad Pitt.... I'll believe when I see (but keeping my fingers crossed).

[Brianthesmurf]

"If you're that gung ho on greenhouse gas reduction, you're going to have your own renewable generating capacity at home, and charge your pluggable from that. Put your money where your mouth is."

Yes I am that gung ho - the contract I have with my utility company guarantees that they generate enough energy from renewable sources to cover my consumption. (http://www.greenchoice.nl/) Is this available in the US?

Oh and by the way I don't own a car - not even a plugin hybrid.

Cheers
Brian

[patooker]

Yes Brian, in New York I'm paying a bit extra to make ConEd give me electricity from wind.

[Jim from The Energy Blog]

The UCD team charges their batteries with electricity generated from their own solar panels. Standard commercially produced advanced li-ion batteries are available from Valance and Altair Nanotechnologies has preproduction batteries available for evaluation.