Alternative Hybrid-Electric Vehicle

An Alternative Hybrid-Electric Vehicle

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Introduction


An Alternative Hybrid-Electric Vehicle (A YouTube Video)
This is the vehicle's 1st electric run.  
It was powered by a 3-phase 240/480-volt 
industrial electric motor, driven by a
sinusoidal 3-phase variable frequency, variable voltage
inverter, taking its power from an 84-volt battery bank. It may be operated at any frequency range, although I designed the operation of this system for the range 20 Hz to 150 Hz.

Since I DESIGNED the inverter myself and BUILT it 
with the assistance of Mr Sherdon Niño Y. Uy of the 
Manila Observatory, I could have any
DC voltage input, any AC voltage output, and any 
operating frequency range, as may be desired.

I deeply appreciate the assistance that Niño Uy, 
Mang Cally, Mang Rudy, Mang Numer, Edsel Uy, 
and Dr Greg Tangonan, so generously gave me.

I also want to thank the Ateneo de Manila University,
especially its President Fr. Jose Ramon T. Villarin, SJ,
the Manila Observatory, the School of Science and
Engineering, the ECCE Department, and the
Physics Department and their respective Officers and
Faculty members for having allowed and
encouraged me to conduct this
research on their premises.

Dean Toby Dayrit, Professors Rosula Reyes, Joseph Nathaniel Libatique, and Oscar Oppus provided the academic atmosphere that allowed the students working on the various module to complete their undergraduate Research Theses successfully. We tested the three Theses for compliance with all the input and output requirements of the overall system specifications.



This is a hybrid-electric vehicle prototype. I used my experience managing a large electric power grid, to design this vehicle's propulsion system. This design highlights the synergistic interaction of base-loaded power plants and of grid storage systems, an example of which is a pumped-storage hydro.

If it is operated at all, my engine is ALWAYS operated at its optimum operating range, as base-loaded power plant would be. If the demand on the wheels is light, additional load is added to charge a battery. In an electric grid, this is like pumping water to an elevated lake. The "electric energy" is converted into stored "potential energy."


As the demand gets heavier, charging to the battery is decreased, so that that much more power is delivered to the shaft. As the demand goes beyond the optimum operating point of the engine, additional power is supplied by a tried and tested industrial three-phase induction motor, driven by a variable frequency, variable voltage inverter. Finally, the engine is turned off, when the demand goes lower than its optimum operating point.  The electric motor takes over at this point. Note that the electric motor is the "work horse" when the vehicle starts, and when it is about to stop.