- Alternative fuels for vehicles
Conventional fuels such as gasoline and diesel are gradually being replaced by alternative fuels such as gaseous fuels (natural gas and propane), alcohol (methanol and ethanol), and hydrogen. Conventional fuels can also be modified to a reformulated gasoline to help reduce toxic emissions. Technological advances in the automotive industry (such as in fuel cells and hybrid-powered vehicles) are helping to increase the demand for alternative fuels... - Automotive engine
The component of the motor vehicle that converts the chemical energy in fuel into mechanical energy for power. The automotive engine also drives the generator and various accessories, such as the air-conditioning compressor and power-steering pump... - Automotive restraint systems
In the past 20 years, newly produced automobiles have been equipped with occupant restraint systems, such as air bags, to reduce passenger injuries and fatalities in the event of a crash. An air bag is a passive restraint system–an automatic safety system that requires no action by the occupant. Government regulations, industrial participation, and social consciousness of safety have popularized the use of occupant restraints in vehicles worldwide. Using advanced technologies, additional restraints and enhanced functionalities are being implemented. - Electric vehicle
A ground vehicle propelled by a motor that is powered by electrical energy from rechargeable batteries or other source onboard the vehicle, or from an external source in, on, or above the roadway. Examples are the golf cart, industrial truck and tractor, automobile, delivery van and other on-highway truck, and trolley bus. In common usage, electric vehicle refers to an automotive vehicle in which the propulsion system converts electrical energy stored chemically in a battery into mechanical energy to move the vehicle. This is classed as a battery-only-powered electric vehicle. The other major class is the hybrid-electric vehicle, which has more than one power source. - Fuel system
The system that stores fuel for present use and delivers it as needed to an engine; includes the fuel tank, fuel lines, pump, filter, vapor return lines, carburetor or injection components, and all fuel system vents and evaporative emission control systems or devices that provide fuel supply and fuel metering functions. Some early vehicles and other engines had a gravity-feed fuel system, in which fuel flowed to the engine from a tank located above it. Automotive and most other engines have a pressurized fuel system with a pump that draws or pushes fuel from the tank to the engine. - Highway bridge
A structure that crosses over a body of water, traffic, or other obstruction, permitting the smooth and safe passage of vehicles. In highway transportation systems, the term "bridge" is usually reserved for structures over bodies of water. However, many other structures are generally considered highway bridges. An overhead is a structure carrying a highway over a railroad, and an underpass is a structure providing passage of a highway under a railroad. An overcrossing is a structure carrying a county road or a city street over a state highway, and an undercrossing is a structure providing passage of a county road or a city street under a state highway. - Hybrid automotive power systems
Hybrid vehicles use two or more sources of energy for propulsion. Typically, one source is a liquid or gaseous fuel and the other is energy stored in an energy storage system such as batteries or ultracapacitors. Other options for energy storage include compressed gas, pressurized liquids (hydraulics), and mechanical energy stored in a flywheel. The most common type of hybrid vehicle is the hybridelectric vehicle (HEV), which typically uses a liquid fuel (gasoline, diesel, or a gasoline/ethanol blend) to power an internal combustion engine that works with batteries, or ultracapacitors, to power an electric motor. - Race-car aerodynamics
In recent years motor racing has become one of the most popular of sports, attracting record numbers of followers. In some racing categories the vehicles resemble production sedans while in others they look more like fighter airplanes, and there is also a great variety of tracks that range from paved to unpaved and from straight to oval or regular road courses. In all forms of racing, however, aerodynamics eventually surfaced as a significant design parameter, and nowadays all race-car designs have some level of aerodynamic element. - Reversible express lanes
A most unique toll road, Tampa's Crosstown Expressway reversible express lanes (REL) opened to motorists in July 2006. It is developed, owned, and operated by Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority. REL is a common-sense transportation solution that addresses urban congestion by combining the innovations of concrete segmental bridges, reversible express lanes, cashless open-road tolling, and full electronic controls.
Articles courtesy of Access Science
