Efficiency

Energy efficiency means to do more with less. Efficiency is achieved by improving technology, so that less energy is consumed while getting the same or better results. A new automobile that gets better gas mileage without reducing power or performance is an example of how advances in technology can save energy by increasing efficiency, rather than relying on conservation (reduced performance) as the only way to save energy.

Fuel Efficiency

If a car or truck averages 15 miles per gallon (15 mpg), it will take 10 gallons of gasoline to drive 150 miles. If the price of gasoline is $4.00 per gallon, the 150 mile drive will cost $40.00 (10 gal x $4). However, if a car or truck averages 30 miles per gallon, it would only need 5 gallons of gasoline to drive 150 miles, costing the driver $20.00 (5 gal x $4).

The driver of a vehicle that averages 30 miles per gallon will be able to drive twice as far (per gallon of gas) as the driver of a vehicle that only gets 15 miles per gallon. If an oil shortage occurs and gasoline is rationed, limiting each vehicle to 10 gallons per fill, the vehicle that only gets 15 miles per gallon will be restricted to a driving range half that of the vehicle that gets 30 miles per gallon.

Some people like to fool themselves by thinking that a larger gas tank is the same as higher gas mileage. But if gasoline shortages occur, caused by either a natural or deliberate disaster—or another oil embargo, fuel prices will spike again, everyone will be subjected to gas rationing, and a larger fuel tank will not help.

When the world economy recovers from the current economic recession, and if world oil supply cannot meet growing demand, experts predict the price of gasoline will quickly return to $4 per gallon and could soar to $6. This prediction does not consider an actual oil supply interruption — this prediction assumes global oil production remains steady, but demand continues to push supply to its limits — a scenario which makes the possibility of a supply interruption very real.

During the Arab oil embargo of 1973-74 and the Iranian Revolution of 1979-80, Americans were subjected to gasoline rationing and long gas lines at the gas station. As a result, gas guzzling cars and trucks were called “Gas Hogs” and their value dropped to nearly zero.

Today, people who own SUV’s and pickup trucks are hurting — $4 gasoline caused the value of their SUV’s and trucks to drop faster than the value of their homes. The gas guzzling cars and trucks are not selling — GM and Ford have stopped making them, and autoworkers whose jobs depended on SUV and Truck sales are now unemployed.

And, the amazing thing is that all of this has occurred without any real shortage or interruption in the supply of oil. If a real shortage occurred, gas prices would spike beyond $6 and reach $10-$15 per gallon overnight. Americans would be faced once again with gasoline rationing.

If gasoline rationing forces drivers to wait two hours or more in long gas lines before taking their turn at the pump, drivers will add the value of their time to the price they pay for gas. Fuel efficiency is not only about the price of gas; it is also about how far you can drive on a limited amount of gas.

Fuel efficient cars and trucks will help protect families from the rising cost of gasoline and will also ease the pain of any future fuel shortage or gas rationing.

A typical gasoline powered automobile is only about 25% efficient. In other words, out of the 100% thermal energy potential of a gallon of gasoline, only about 25% of the energy is converted to real mechanical work that turns the wheels of the car — the other 75% is lost in the form of wasted heat and friction.

Automobile transportation in the USA consumes about 140 billion gallons of gasoline per year. If the average fuel efficiency of the automobile is increased from 25% to 50%, then annual gasoline consumption in the USA would be reduced to about 70 billion gallons per year, cutting the demand for oil to make gasoline in half.

The goal of achieving 50% energy efficiency for automobiles is the primary reason behind the national push for the development of fuel cells.

The national fuel cell development effort should continue to receive public support, but Americans do not need to wait for fuel cell cars before realizing significant automotive fuel efficiency gains. In addition to advances in gasoline engine technology already underway, automotive engineers are developing Alcohol Engines, advanced Diesel Engines, Hybrid Cars, Plug-in Hybrids, all Electric Vehicles, and Multi-Fuel Vehicles.

New Hybrid gasoline/electric cars and SUV's are available now and offer much of the efficiency promised by fuel cells.

Invention could make a big difference in fuel efficiency

The September 2004 Special Issue of Popular Science magazine featured a story by Charles Graeber, titled Obsession: Mr. Singh’s Search for the Holy Grail, about an inventor in India who has received a U.S patent for an invention that could increase your car's gas mileage by as much as 20%. The inventor's name is Somender Singh, he lives in the city of Mysore, located a few hours south of the city of Bangalore—the center of India's new high tech industry. This invention is something that car manufacturers could add to next year’s cars and SUV’s because it does not require a new engine design, just a simple modification to the standard designs.

Singh applied for a patent in January 1999, and the U.S. Patent Office issued him patent No. 6,237,579 in May 2001. Two months after his application hit the patent office Web site, engineers from General Electric applied for a nearly identical patent for an aftermarket design, which they claimed, as Singh had, would result in increased turbulence, and thus better fuel efficiency, with fewer emissions.

“It’s very interesting, I think, that General Electric developed this idea after my patent became public,” Singh says with a smile. “But their design is very stupid. An add-on will never survive the intense forces of the combustion chamber. If I had come up with this idea, I would have been too embarrassed to tell anybody about it, let alone apply for the patent.”

This roadside mechanic in Mysore had seemingly beaten a billion-dollar R&D department. But what had he actually invented? Did it really work? Singh had his patent and his prototype. Now all that remained was to introduce his invention to the world.
— Charles Graeber
    September 23, 2004

If the above link to the article doesn't work, go to www.popsci.com and type "Somender Singh" into the Popular Science search field.