A High Efficiency Small Internal Combustion Engine for the Production of Electricity Onboard Electric Vehicles 2021-26-0162

A combustion fuel tank, an internal combustion engine (ICE), and a generator provide the best opportunity to store extra energy onboard battery electric vehicles (BEV). This energy may be used for on-demand electricity production when needed, for example, rural or interstate driving. Specific to this work, the design of a high-efficiency ICE that works at a single speed and a single load, continuously, during the operation of this series hybrid vehicle is considered. The ICE and generator provide a fuel conversion efficiency chemical to electric η~50%. The series hybrid vehicle may deliver miles-per-gallon-of-gasoline (MPG) 13% better than current production plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), and miles-per-gallon-of-gasoline-equivalent (MPGe) 12% better than the BEV of the same platform with a larger battery pack to permit capital cities commuting. The range of the proposed series hybrid vehicle fitted with the proposed fuel tank, ICE and generator, can be increased dramatically at minimal costs. Gasoline possesses a much larger than lithium-ion battery energy density per unit weight or unit volume, and the weight of the onboard fuel depends on the fuel tank level. With 10 gallons of gasoline full fuel tank, the total range may exceed 650 miles.