Diesel Hybrid Electric Drivetrain Developed for Military Applications

Monday, November 2, 2009 | | 0 comments

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. has introduced a fuel efficient, high performance diesel hybrid electric powertrain, “Q-Force,” after six years of development. This advanced, proprietary 4-wheel drivetrain can be configured for specialized military as well as commercial applications.

The first application of Quantum Q-Force is in a JP-8 fuel compatible diesel engine-based, battery dominant, series-hybrid electric military Alternative Mobility Vehicle (AMV). A number of pre-production prototypes that incorporate Q-Force have been successfully developed and built for testing and evaluation by selected commands to assess mission suitability, supportability, performance objectives, and guidance on final vehicle configuration.

In one configuration, the diesel engine produces 75 horsepower, the electric motor, 133 horsepower, and the powertrain yields 5,463 foot-pounds of torque after gear reduction. Features of Q-Force include:

Sophisticated System Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, incorporating Quantum‟s proprietary algorithms

Hybrid control system that minimizes battery size through optimized charge controls and regenerative braking

Optimized engine operation/calibration and generator performance

Advanced traction motor/transmission system

Alan P. Niedzwiecki, President and CEO of Quantum said: “Our innovative diesel hybrid electric all-wheel drive system provides high performance, acceleration and extended range, resulting in significant advantages for the U.S. Army in communications, surveillance, targeting, and reconnaissance missions. We believe that Quantum’s Q-Force drivetrain is also very well-suited for commercial applications including homeland security, border patrol, park service operations, and light-duty automobiles.”

In 2008 Quantum introduced a gasoline plug-in-hybrid electric drive known as „Q-Drive‟ in the Fisker KARMA 4-door sports sedan. Fisker Automotive, a „Green American‟ car company co-founded in 2007 by Quantum and Henrik Fisker, was recently selected by the U.S. Department of Energy for a low interest loan of $528.7 million, under the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Loan Program.

About Quantum:

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc., a fully integrated alternative energy company, is a leader in the development and production of advanced propulsion systems, energy storage technologies, and alternative fuel vehicles.


Diesel Hybrid Electric Drivetrain Developed for Military Applications

Requirement for Power

Sunday, September 13, 2009 | | 1 comments

The growing unquenchable thirst for more power in the developed countries and perhaps more in the developing ones has led to constant innovation, a thirst that has never been quenched since the early industrial revolution to the present 21st century. Various contraptions have been designed to satiate this thirst. An engine generator is one of them.

An electric generator and an internet combustion engine assembled together so as to form a single piece of equipment is called as an Engine- Generator or even more colloquially, it is also called as generator set. They have evolved as a complimentary choice or an alternative for the electric generator and utilize the engine for the mechanical rotary force that needs to be developed for producing electricity.

In general, these generator sets also included a fuel reservoir for the engine, an engine speed regulator and also a voltage regulator. Some units also come equipped with a batter and a self-starter notwithstanding a transfer switch which can be used to load or on load the utility source on or off the generator set combination of an electric generator with an internal combustion engine, mounted

Wind powered generators

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The nature has paid the price for extraordinary expansion of human civilization; the non-renewable energy resources of the world have been nearly exhausted. Now scientists all over the world are trying to work out a solution to make up the energy shortage that the human civilization is going to face in the coming years.

Among many other products under development, the scientists have invested great hopes in the potentials of wind powered electricity generators. This is a system that harnesses the power of the wind to produce usable energy.

So far you have never paid any heed to the winds that apparently lack any material value. But now the situation has changed the wind can be the solution of future, the answer to the concern over energy shortage in the future world. Just imagine, you do not have to foot the fat electric bills every month, instead just generate some electric power from the wind that is blowing overhead! No, it's not a scene from science fiction. a wind power electric generator can actually make it possible for you.

No matter, what speed the wind is blowing-low or a high speed-the wind powered generator has the capacity to harness the wind-energy to produce electricity. In general, a wind powered generator requires 3mph to 150mph wind speed to start producing electricity.

It does not matter if you reside in an area where wind blows at a lower speed. Even then your wind powered generator will be able to produce enough energy to save you from paying any electricity bill. This becomes possible because your wind powered generator works all day round, even when you are not home. As a result, electricity is produced even when they are not utilized; thus there is always enough supply of electricity generated by the wind powered generator.

If you are living in a high wind speed area, you will have many occasions when there will be excess production of electricity. Most of the wind generators provide you the facility of storage. You can store the excess electricity for future use.

There is another way of utilizing this excess electricity produced by your wind powered generator; you can send the excess electricity to the grid meter in return of either a credit, or cash.

Wind powered generators are typically small in size. They are mounted on your rooftop. They are available in the forms of propeller or turbines.

A home wind electricity generator is made of a few simple components. The major component of the system is: a tower and a small wind turbine usually mounted on the tower. It also includes such parts as inverters, controllers, and/or batteries.

In order to take advantage of increased wind speed, you have to place the system higher. The higher it is positioned, the greater will be the output.