12.4 NOTES Alternative Fuel Cars

D.6 Alternate-Fuel Vehicles Personal vehicles consume ~ 50% of petrol burned for fuel

Compressed Natural Gas Natural gas condensed under high pressure that is stored in metal cylinders; substitute fuel   Advantages: Wide availability 80% decrease in CO and NO emissions Disadvantages: Increase cost of vehicle $2 - $4000 High fire risk due to pressure

Fuel-Cell Power Became practical in the 1960s Any fuel containing hydrogen can be used in a fuel cell   - The reaction for the fuel is 2H2 + O2  2H2O + electrical energy - Water is a widely used fuel source for fuel cells - The electrons produced that provide the energy are prevented from passing back to the fuel side by a membrane - Platinum electrodes catalyze the removal of electrons from hydrogen atoms

Advantages Don’t require recharging Eliminate/reduce air pollutants Difficulties: Handling/processing High Cost

Hybrid Gasoline-Electric Power Hybrid vehicles have a gas engine and a electric motor Batteries recharge while driving Can store some “lost” energy for later use, making them more efficient than normal cars, which use only 25% of fuel Typically can get upwards of 40mpg and can go 650 miles on one tank of gas