IISc team develops hybrid auto

BANGALORE: Over the years, concern over pollution has led to the trickling in of a few electric-powered cars. But the problem with these vehicles is that batteries, which power these cars, are heavy, expensive and have a limited range.
To overcome some of these difficulties, the Centre for Electronic Design and Technology (CEDT) of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has designed and developed a prototype of low-polluting hybrid three-wheeler.The CEDT team, which has got inputs from Swiss experts in developing the vehicle, has applied for patents.
A CEDT scientist says, ``A hybrid vehicle combines two or more sources of power. Our three-wheeler runs on a combination of petrol genset and battery. Pollution levels are far lesser as compared to conventional vehicles and it overcomes the range problem faced in pure electric vehicles (EVs).''''
The multi-disciplinary team comprising Pradeep Yammiyavar, N.V. Chalapathi Rao, K. Gopakumar and L. Umanand initially toyed with the idea of an EV, but gave it up for a hybrid. Since autorickshaw is one of the most polluting vehicles they developed a prototype for the three-wheeler first.
``The future will see pure electric vehicles. For now, hybrid is the bridge between conventional and electric vehicles,'''' says Umanand.
The hybrid auto is equipped with a generator and a set of batteries. It has a steering wheel and is equipped with a digital signal processor fitted to a computer to collect data.
A pure electric car generates ``almost no pollution'''', but it can travel only up to 80-160 km between charges. Besides, the recharging process is slow and inconvenient. The new hybrid overcomes the limitation in mileage with an improved performance of 20-30 per cent over the conventional system.
Umanand says most EVs use a DC motor, while his team replaced it with an AC motor built with parts sourced locally. This is ideal for India, as the AC-induction motor is more rugged, smaller and less expensive.
``We can proudly say our hybrid autorickshaw has met the drivers'' and users'' expectations,'''' says Yammiyavar.
The project is a joint effort of the CEDT and ARGE-CH of Switzerland which involves Biel School of Engineering and DASAG Energy Ltd. In the past two years, various aspects of the vehicle -- inverters, controllers, chargers, energy-management systems, mechanical systems, structure and industrial design, including the new chassis, ergonomic interiors and exteriors -- were experimented upon.
For a four-wheeler, the fundamentals would remain the same but the cost and power requirement would change, Umanand says.