CHEVROLET VOLT.

A MASTERPIECE BY ENGINEERS..

The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle manufactured by General Motors, also sold as the Holden Volt in Australia and New Zealand. With a different styling it is sold as the Vauxhall Ampera in Great Britain and as the Opel Ampera in the rest of Europe. Sales of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt commenced in the U.S. in mid-December 2010 followed by various European countries and other international markets in 2011. As of 30 June 2013, the Volt and Ampera models have combined global sales of over 50,000 units, and the leading market is the U.S. with 41,313 Chevrolet Volts delivered since its introduction in 2010, making the Volt the top selling plug-in electric vehicle in the United States, and the Volt/Ampera family the best selling plug-in hybrid in the world.

As of July 2013, the Volt is the most fuel-efficient car with a gasoline engine sold in the United States, as rated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with a combined electric mode/gasoline-only rating of 62 mpg_-US (3.8 L/100 km; 74 mpg_-imp)equivalent (MPG-equivalent) for the 2013 model year.^[4][5] The Volt operates as a pure battery electric vehicle until its plug-in battery capacity drops to a predetermined threshold from full charge. From there its internal combustion engine powers an electric generator to extend the vehicle's range if needed. When the engine is running it may be periodically mechanically linked (by a clutch) to the traction motor, to improve energy efficiency. The Volt's regenerative braking also contributes to the on-board electricity generation.

Terminology

The Society of Automotive Engineers' (SAE) definition of a hybrid vehicle states that the vehicle shall have "two or more energy storage systems both of which must provide propulsion power, either together or independently." General Motors has avoided the use of the term "hybrid" when describing its Voltec designs, even after the carmaker revealed that in some cases the combustion engine provided some assist at high speeds or to improve performance. Instead General Motors describes the Volt as an electric vehicle equipped with a "range extending" gasoline powered internal combustion engine (ICE) as a genset and therefore dubbed the Volt an "Extended Range Electric Vehicle" or E-REV. In a January 2011 interview, the Chevy Volt's Global Chief Engineer, Pamela Fletcher, referred to the Volt as "an electric car with extended range."

According to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) definitions, the Volt is a plug-in hybridvehicle, due to the combination of an internal combustion engine and two electric motors, along with a battery that can accept off-board energy.^[17] The Volt operates as a purely electric vehicle for the first 25 to 50 miles (40 to 80 km) in charge-depleting mode. When the battery capacity drops below a pre-established threshold from full charge, the vehicles enters charge-sustaining mode, and the Volt's control system will select the most optimally efficient drive mode to improve performance and boost high-speed efficiency.

Operating and driving modes

Technically the Voltec drivetrain has three power converting elements:

• Primary traction electric motor/generator, provides good acceleration for driving at lower speeds and regeneration for braking, its maximum output of 111 kW setting the maximum output of the whole system.
• Secondary electric motor/generator, assists the primary electric motor or works as generator capable of producing 54 kW.
• Internal combustion engine of 63 kW power, engaged when the batteries reach the predetermined threshold.

These units are connected via a planetary gear and electric clutches to provide power output for propulsion in four programmed operating modes:

1. Single motor electric - The primary motor runs solely on battery power, maximum propulsion power is 111 kW.
2. Dual motor electric - At higher vehicle speeds the secondary motor engages over the planetary gear such that it reduces the speed of the primary motor. This facilitates higher efficiency and better mileage for the combined system, without increasing the maximum power.
3. Single motor extended - The battery reaches its minimum charge which triggers the combustion engine. The engine drives the secondary motor which now works as a generator, via the charging electronics, to keep the minimum battery charge level. The primary motor can still provide its 111 kW for short acceleration, albeit not sustained.
4. Dual motor extended - The electric motors are used again in dual configuration with increased efficiency at higher speeds. Additionally the gasoline engine contributes propulsion power via the planetary gear. While power is drained from the battery the amount is less than in mode 2 for the same propulsion power, thus extending the range.

The drivetrain platform permits the Volt to operate as a pure battery electric vehicle until its battery capacity has been depleted to a defined level, at which time it commences to operate as a series hybrid design where the gasoline engine drives the generator, which keeps the battery at minimum level charge and provides power to the electric motors. The full charge of the battery is replenished only by loading it on the electrical grid.
While in this series mode at higher speeds and loads, (typically above 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) at light to moderate loads) the gasoline engine can engage mechanically to the output from the transmission and assist both electric motors to drive the wheels, in which case the Volt operates as apower-split or series-parallel hybrid. After its all-electric range has been depleted, at speeds between 30 to 70 miles per hour (48 to 110 km/h), the Volt is programmed to select the most efficient drive mode, which improves performance and boosts high-speed efficiency by 10 to 15 percent.

While operating modes are switched automatically the Volt allows the driver to choose from three drive modes: normal, sport and mountain. The mountain mode, which is expected to be required only under unusual power demand conditions, increases minimum battery state of charge (SOC) to around 45%, thus maintaining performance on steep and long grades. The driver will hear more engine noise here due to the higher rate of power generation required to maintain this mode The sport mode causes the engine to rev higher, and the response to the throttle pedal is quicker. The Ampera has an additional option, the "City Mode" or "battery hold", which allows battery management to the needs of the driver, allowing to save the energy currently stored in the battery for use when traveling urban areas or restricted zones. The 2013 model year Volt includes the "Hold Drive" button to provide the same choice.

Performance

The Volt has a top speed of 100 mph (160 km/h). According to Edmunds.com road tests, the Volt's 0 to 60 mph (0–97 km/h) acceleration time is 9.2 seconds running on electric-only mode, and 9.0 seconds with the gasoline engine assisting propulsion. Motor Trend reports the Volt's quarter mile (402 m) time is 16.9 sec @ 84.3 mph (135.7 km/h),while Edmunds reports a quarter mile (402 m) time of 16.8 sec @ 81.5 mph (131.2 km/h) in electric-only operation, and 16.6 sec @ 85.5 mph (137.6 km/h) with the gasoline engine assisting. Motor Trend reports a 60 to 0 mph (97 to 0 km/h) braking distance of 112 ft (34 m) and Edmunds.com of 124 ft (38 m).

Battery

The 2011 Volt's lithium-ion battery (Li-ion) battery pack weighs 435 lb (197 kg) and consists of 288 individual cells arranged into nine modules. Plastic frames hold pairs of lithium-ion cells that sandwich an aluminum cooling fin. The design and construction of that aluminum plate was critical to ensuring an even temperature distribution with no hot or cool spots across the flat, rectangular cell. The battery pack has its own cooling circuit that is similar to, but independent from, the engine cooling system.

Drivetrain

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt has a 16 kW·h / 45 A·h (10.4 kW·h usable) lithium-ion battery pack that can be charged by plugging the car into a 120-240 VAC residential electrical outlet using the provided SAE J1772-compliant charging cord. No external charging station is required. The Volt is propelled by an electric motor with a peak output of 111 kW (149 hp) delivering 273 lb·ft (370 N·m) of torque.

While driving, after the Volt battery has dropped to a predetermined threshold from full charge, a small naturally aspirated 1.4-liter 4-cylinder gasoline fueled internal combustion engine (Opel's Family 0) with approximately 80 hp (60 kW), powers a 55 kW generator to extend the Volt's range. The vehicle also has a regenerative braking system. The electrical power from the generator is sent primarily to the electric motor, with the excess going to the batteries, depending on the state of charge (SOC) of the battery pack and the power demanded at the wheels.

The Volt requires premium gasoline (91 octane or higher) because the higher octane rating fuel permits the 10.5:1 compression ratio engine to utilize more ignition timing advance in order to maximize its fuel efficiency by 5 to 10% as compared to regular gasoline. For users who drive mostly in electric mode and to avoid maintenance problems caused by storing the same gasoline in the tank for months, the 2011 Volt has a sealed and pressurized fuel tank to avoid evaporation, and as a result, the fuel filler has to be depressurized before opening the tank. Also the engine management system monitors the time between engine running and it is programmed to prompt the driver to run past the 40-mile (64 km) all-electric range before recharging in order to consume some gasoline. If the driver does not run on gasoline, the system will automatically run the maintenance mode which starts the engine to consume some of the aging fuel and circulate the fluids within the engine. A configuration with an E85 flex-fuel capable engine is under development and was expected to be available in 2013.

Official introduction

General Motors held a ceremony at its Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Plant on November 30, 2010, to introduce the first Chevrolet Volt off the assembly line. The first Volt built for retail sale was earmarked for display at General Motors' Heritage Center museum in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The second unit was offered at a public auction, with an opening bid of US$50,000 and it was won by Rick Hendrick who paid US$225,000. The proceeds went to fund math and sciences education in Detroit through the Detroit Public Schools Foundation. Deliveries to retail customers began in mid December 2010.

Next generation

In April 2013, CEO Daniel Akerson announced that GM expects the second generation Volt to be priced on the order of US$7,000 to US$10,000 lower than the 2013 model year with the same features. As of July 2013, GM is developing the next generation model which is expected to be launched between 2015 and 2016.

KARL BENZ. Founder- MERCEDES BENZ. And finest mechanical engineer.

 Karl Friedrich Benz  (November 25, 1844 – April 4, 1929) was a German engine designer and car engineer, generally regarded as theinventor of the petrol-powered automobile, and together with Bertha Benz, pioneering founder of the automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz. Other German contemporaries, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach working as partners, also worked on similar types of inventions, without knowledge of the work of the other, but Benz received a patent for his work first, and, subsequently patented all the processes that made the internal combustion engine feasible for use in an automobile. In 1879, his first engine patent was granted to him, and in 1886, Benz was granted a patent for his first automobile.

Early life[edit source | editbeta]

Karl Benz was born Karl Friedrich Michael Vaillant, in November 25, 1844 in Mühlburg, now a borough of Karlsruhe, Baden, which is part of modernGermany, to Josephine Vaillant and a locomotive driver, Johann George Benz, whom she married a few months later.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} When he was two years old, his father was killed in a railway accident, and his name was changed to Karl Friedrich Benz in remembrance of his father.^[6]

Despite living in near poverty, his mother strove to give him a good education. Benz attended the local Grammar School in Karlsruhe and was aprodigious student. In 1853, at the age of nine he started at the scientifically oriented Lyceum. Next he studied at the Poly-Technical University under the instruction of Ferdinand Redtenbacher.

Karl Benz, 1869, 25 years old (Zenodot Verlagsges. mbH)

Benz had originally focused his studies on locksmithing, but eventually followed his father's steps toward locomotive engineering. On September 30, 1860, at age fifteen, he passed the entrance exam for mechanical engineering at the University of Karlsruhe, which he subsequently attended. Benz was graduated July 9, 1864 at nineteen.

During these years, while riding his bicycle, he started to envision concepts for a vehicle that would eventually become the horseless carriage.

Following his formal education, Benz had seven years of professional training in several companies, but did not fit well in any of them. The training started in Karlsruhe with two years of varied jobs in a mechanical engineeringcompany.

He then moved to Mannheim to work as a draftsman and designer in a scales factory. In 1868 he went to Pforzheim to work for a bridge building companyGebrüder Benckiser Eisenwerke und Maschinenfabrik. Finally, he went to Vienna for a short period to work at an iron construction company.

In 2011, a dramatized television movie about the life of Karl and Bertha Benz was made named Carl & Bertha which premiered on 11 May and was aired by Das Erste on 23 May. A trailer of the movie and a "making of" special were released on YouTube.