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Research this field. “I am trying to develop future energy- types of vehicles. He doesn’t think that internal
conversion technologies that will be based on combustion engines are about to vanish in the
electrofuels, such as methanol. Engines using coming decades, but believe that combining an
these kinds of fuels will significantly improve electric and an internal combustion engine in a
efficiency and reduce pollutant emissions to very single hybrid vehicle could produce an efficient
low levels.” and environmentally safe outcome.
The vast majority of vehicles today are propelled “Some experts—myself included—think that
by internal combustion engines that are fed by the internal combustion engine could reach
polluting fossil fuels. Over the last decades, 60% efficiency, with negligible emissions,” he
engineers and scientists have been trying to explains. “An electric motor can achieve 90%
feed internal combustion engines with hydrogen efficiency, but only under an optimal regimen.
produced from hydrocarbon fuels, with little When working in diverse conditions, its efficiency
success. The main challenge lies in injecting the drops to about 60%-70%, and at that point,
hydrogen into the engine. The highly explosive the internal combustion engine could become
hydrogen invariably ignites in the suction pipe, an competitive. With a hybrid system, you can enjoy
undesirable outcome for potential drivers and any the best of both worlds and achieve optimum
surrounding buildings. And of course, for engine levels in all conditions. This is why the technology
output as well.
“We came with new ideas,” explains Tartakovsky. Prof. Leonid Tartakovsky: Vehicles will
“Instead of adding hydrogen into the suction enter, or fly into, the nearest gas station,
pipe, we injected it directly into the engine’s check which fuel is cheaper in that station
cylinder. Because there is pressure within, the or which fuel suits their needs better,
hydrogen must be injected at a higher pressure. and refuel in any way it chooses.
In gas form, hydrogen is difficult to compress,
because gas compression requires considerable with the best market penetration rates today
energy. We chose to compress electrofuels, such is hybrid technology, with an electric motor
as methanol, in liquid form, the energy cost of alongside an internal combustion engine that is
which is insignificant. We then turn the methanol more efficient, thanks to our technologies and
into hydrogen, using residual energy that would those of others.”
otherwise have been wasted, making it possible In an ideal future, according to Tartakovsky,
to inject the hydrogen directly into the cylinder.” vehicles will serve the battle on global warming
Tartakovsky has already proven the feasibility by consuming electrofuels, whose production will
of this concept with an engine prototype built lower carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.
in his lab, which is showing promising initial Moreover, the entire automotive industry will no
results. He reports that engine efficiency rates longer be responsible for a third of all greenhouse
improved by up to 30% and pollutant emission gas emissions, according to U.S. data. It also
was reduced by at least 90%, all thanks to the won’t waste 70% of the energy it consumes.
new energy conversion process termed high Instead, future vehicles will be considerably
pressure thermochemical energy recuperation, more efficient, benefiting from the combination
which he and his research group have developed. of electric and internal combustion engines.
This process is particularly significant because They will be able to use a variety of fuels, based
it enables vehicles to use electrofuel, the on necessity as well as on a variety of other
production of which absorbs carbon dioxide from considerations, including environmental ones.
the atmosphere, slowing down global warming. “Vehicles will enter, or fly into, the nearest gas
Tartakovsky is convinced the new process he
has developed could find its way into many
16 | MEgazine | Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
