As the list hasn't followed my suggestion to leave off topic, you get
what you asked
see also blog.internode.on.net Friday 30th Oct
Flying sailplanes (for some people) is about harnessing energy so that
this can be used to achieve speed or distance. By low loss flying,
seeking to extract high value work from energy expended.
From this comes a complete language about dolphining, optimising climb
and glide, climbing up to final glide, overcooked final, etc.
In conventional vehicles, energy efficiency is limited to select high
gear, revs in the torque peak, and minimum steering inputs.
(ICE = internal combustion engine)
In alternate fuel vehicles, the task becomes more akin to sailplanes.
(We need to distinguish between - electric vehicle with generator,
parallel hybrid, series hybrid, open road and commuter electric for the
techniques to make sense, because each is different.
examples of the above - GM Volt, Honda Civic H, Prius & Lexus 450H,
Tesla, MiEV & Leaf)
Electric vehicle with generator seeks to get efficiency by mains charge
to battery, then energy inflow from generator where conventional
refuelling avoids question of 'range anxiety' ie basically a
conventional vehicle, no technique change available and marginal
improvement in economy possible
Hybrids run 2 engine systems, each contributing to drive in proportion
to their efficiency of mode. Prius is the iconic standard, because of
the software controls, now being licensed to other manufacturers.
Significant change in driver technique possible akin to sailplanes - in
particular uphill storm to max ICE efficiency and hold charge for
electric only drive on level or decline
Like sailplanes, a whole language exists - hypermiling, pulse&glide,
stealth, warp stealth, Big Hand syndrome, etc.
Full electric vehicles also attract benefits of adapted driver style,
but without the option of playing the 2 engines amongst one another.
ie, more focused on constant drive energy flow, varying speed to suit
that, see the blog for how road surface, paint lines, etc. are used.
Hybrid fuel gains attribute 0.5l/100km to driving style
Electric seems to be about 36Wh/km
(don't start cross calculating and projecting - there are too many
traps in the diesel-ULP-LPG and calorific value comparisons for there
to be any easy answers.)
thus, to questions in recent days -
- why Prius, because it is the gold standard, doing some mathematically
beautiful interactions between ICE & electric
- why a small engine in the Volt and large ICE in the Prius - one is a
generator feeding the electric drive; the other is power source playing
either contributing to the on road power in harmony with electric drive
or backfeed power to the battery (the 2 shaft sungear can spin
together, 2:1 as 'overdrive', or backward against one another -
mindblowingly cute stuff)
- why a slow speed max distance in a full electric - because it
demonstrates that range anxiety is a furphy, absolved simply by slowing
down
- what has all this got to do with sailplanes
the Eco Challenge had mainstream manufacturers hiring rally drivers who
found this 'the weirdest race we've ever been in' (to quote Neal Bates
and Steven Glenny)
and a couple of sailplaners who found the mindset so familiar we talked
about the Tesla 'cockpit', 'being on final glide', 'ramping up the ring
setting', etc.; to the bewilderment of those around us.
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