Modern cars require more and more advanced engines. This concerns power, economy, dynamic characteristics and ensuring the requirements of environmental standards. Developers are constantly improving the capabilities of modern ICE. Other sources of energy (hydrogen and gas engines) are being used, new types of cars (electric vehicles) are being created, but for the good old ICE there are unusual uses. One of them is the hybrid engine.
A conventional ICE is a source of pollution of the atmosphere and the environment. Many of its shortcomings are devoid of an electric motor (but it has its own). A car with an ordinary motor can travel 500-600 km at one gas station, an electric car - 100-150 km on a full charge of batteries. One of the attempts to solve this contradiction is the creation of a new type of power unit, the so-called hybrid engine. To understand what a hybrid engine is, you just need to imagine the joint work of electric and gasoline (diesel) engines. The engine rotates the generator, which generates electricity, and the electric motor ensures the movement of the car.
This is only a description of the principle that is embedded in the hybrid engine. The concrete realization of the idea of such an engine can be quite diverse. It can be noted that there are three different versions of such a power unit:
-complete;
- Moderate;
- "plug-in".
The so-called moderate engines mainly use the ICE work, i.e. In the car the normal engine works, and if necessary the electric is connected to it. This is extremely convenient, it allows smoothing the peak loads on the ICE and providing him with the most favorable working conditions. A full hybrid engine on a car uses only electricity for traffic, the previously described principle is implemented here in pure form - the joint work of two different engines. And finally, the plug-in hybrid allows charging from the electrical network of the batteries used by them.
The topic of a separate conversation can be the process of interaction of electric and gasoline engines in the process of work. Suffice it to say that this interaction can be realized in parallel, sequentially and sequentially, in parallel. Each of these methods has drawbacks and advantages, so the choice of the interaction option depends on the conditions of use of the engine on a particular car.
Currently, there are mass-produced cars with a hybrid engine, for example "Toyota Prius". There are cars with similar power units and other automakers. Such cars are most popular in North America, less popular in Europe. Perhaps hybrid cars in Russia will appear in the near future (a serial production of a Russian hybrid car will begin - it will be E-mobile). His presentation has already taken place, so that those who wish can only wait for the start of production.
Of course, the hybrid engine does not solve all the problems of car developers. However, it can be considered an intermediate option, allowing to extend the use of traditional ICE. And to ensure its application with a lower level of environmental pollution.