Hybrid Vehicles – An alternative for electric vehicles to countries which are not ready for EVs.

These are the days of EVs, but there are many countries where the infrastructure for electric cars is not yet ready. In these markets, hybrid cars make more sense. In this blog, we will look into more about hybrid vehicles.

1.Introduction

A hybrid electric vehicle is a type of hybrid vehicle that combines a conventional internal combustion engine system with an electric propulsion system. The basic principle of hybrid cars is that the different motors work better at different speeds. The IC engine is better for maintaining high speed, whereas the electric motor is more efficient at producing high torque and switching between them at the proper time while moving yields a win-win in terms of energy efficiency so that it translates into greater fuel efficiency.

Working on Hybrid Cars

Hybrid Cars work by a combination of an IC Engine and Electric propulsion system. Electricity required for a hybrid car comes from a high voltage battery pack stored in the car. The IC engine recharges the battery. Hybrid vehicles also employ regenerative braking, which charges the battery every time the brakes are applied by using the energy generated during braking.
The working mechanism of hybrid cars
● A car requires high torque at low speeds, so an electric motor is used.
● The IC engine and electric motor can work together or independently when cruising at
average speed.
● During high speeds and heavy acceleration, the power provided to the car comes from
the IC engine.
● When decelerating and braking, the kinetic energy of the car turns into electric power to
recharge the battery pack, also, the electric motor goes into a reverse mode upon
applying brakes, causing its wheels to slow down.
● Both the IC engine and electric motor shut down when the vehicle stops.

Fig 1. Components of a hybrid car

3.Types of Hybrid Cars

Hybrid Cars are any vehicle that sports a gas engine and an electric engine together but not every car is built. Various manufacturers make hybrid cars to fulfil varying requirements; some of them are built to maximize the fuel economy, while others are created to bring down the cost of the vehicle.
Let’s look into various types of Hybrid Cars in the market today.
Plug-in Hybrid Similar to an electric car, a plug-in hybrid vehicle also contains a bigger battery that needs to be charged through an external source that offers an all-electric drive for approximately 15 to 55 miles. The car reverts to a conventional parallel hybrid after running out of all the electric energy.
Examples of plug-in hybrid cars are BYD F3DM, Toyota Prius, and BMW i8.

Parallel Hybrid

These are the most common Hybrid Cars available on the market. In Parallel Hybrids, the
electric motor and the gas engine are connected to a single transmission. The output power is the summation of the two sources of energy. The kind of transmission the vehicle employs and its gas engines’ size determines the acceleration, look & feel and even the car’s sound. Examples: Toyota Prius, Lexus RX 400 and the Toyota Highlander.

Series Hybrid

In this form of Hybrid car, the electric motor powers the vehicle and the IC engine never powers the wheels directly. The sole purpose of the IC engine in a Series Hybrid car is to replenish the batteries for the electric motor to power the vehicle. The car does have an IC engine. Even if it is only for charging the battery when the battery needs to be replenished, the IC Engine starts automatically. So it will create noise, even when cruising at medium speed. The most Common Example of Series Hybrids is the Fisker Karma.

Mild Hybrids

In Mild Hybrids, the electric engine doesn’t power the wheels directly. It assists the IC engine to help improve the fuel economy and performance of the vehicle. Mild Hybrids’ fuel economy benefits are nothing compared to other types of Hybrid cars, which was the main reason for the failure of these types. However, in recent months, they’re making a comeback– with cars like Audi A6, A7 and A8 and Mercedes- benz E-Class adopting a 48-volt electrical sub-system to complement their traditional high-powered IC engine.

Fig 2. Types of Hybrid Vehicles

4.Advantages of Hybrid Cars

● Less Fossil fuel usage – While hybrid vehicles don’t eliminate the need for oil and gas,
they will certainly reduce the amount needed because the internal combustion engine
won’t be used as much.
● Fuel Efficiency – Since most fuel is not used, the fuel efficiency is more.
● Eco-Friendlier – Hybrid cars are not 100% eco-friendly as they still use gasoline.
However, they are more environmentally friendly than traditional vehicles.
● Charging Station – An entire shift from a Fuel station to a charging station is not required.
Hybrid vehicles can be an intermediate step for shifting from conventional to electric
vehicles.

5.Disadvantages of Hybrid Cars

● Slower Driving – Hybrid cars can’t drive as fast as compared to conventional vehicles. You can drive a car at high speed, but in this case, you consume more gas. This will defeat the overall point of getting a hybrid vehicle in the first place, as it is supposed to use more power and less gas. Therefore, in order to utilise the power of the electric motor more effectively, it is always necessary to drive slowly.
● More Expensive – Hybrid cars are more expensive than conventional or electric cars.
● More Maintenance and Repair costs – The hybrid cars have more moving parts. It would
require more maintenance, and If there is a problem with the functioning of the vehicle,
there are other areas that need to be checked and diagnosed. There may be a problem
with the electric motor or petrol engine. This means that the cost of repairing these parts
will be even higher.

SPACE TOURSIM

Space tourism is a niche segment of the aviation industry which provides tourists ability to become astronauts for recreational, business and leisure purposes at a fee basis. First, what counts as space travel?

Féderátion Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body that certifies and controls global astronautical records. It defines the boundary between space and earth’s atmosphere using Karman line, which lies 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Earth’s mean sea level. But not everybody follows this definition, for example, F.A.A. (Federal Aviation Administration) and NASA, defines the outer space as everything above 50 miles from earth.

Space tourism has been in headlines recently and attracted much attention of general public since the rise of Elon Musk’s SpaceX and its successful flights using Falcon rockets. Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and British billionaire, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic successful commercial sub-orbital last year are a major leap for commercial space tourism. But space tourism is not a ‘coming of the age’ thing but rather it has been around for decades.

Similar to the space race, Russia was the first to send human to space on a commercial basis. Dennis Tito, an American businessman and former JPL scientist visited the ISS (International Space Station) aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft during April-May 2001 becoming world’s first “fee-paying” space tourist. South African businessman, Mark Shuttleworth and American businessman, Greg Olsen became the world’s second and third commercial space tourist. On September 18 2006, Anousheh Ansari, an Iranian entrepreneur, became the first female space tourist and the fourth space tourist overall. All these flights were bound to ISS and used Russian Soyuz vehicles for travel. Since the Columbia disaster of 2003, NASA grounded its Space Shuttle launch vehicle for 2-year period and after the retirement of Space Shuttle in 2011, Soyuz became the only means of accessing ISS, and so space tourism was hold.

BLUE ORIGIN Space tour

After making strides in electric vehicles and reusable rockets industry, Elon musk’s Space X flipped the script for the space tourism industry. On September 16, 2021, Inspiration4 mission on SpaceX Falcon 9 spend almost 3 days in orbit aboard the Crew Dragon Resilience, becoming the first all-civilian crew to fly an orbital space mission. Space tourism can be classified into orbital and sub-orbital space tourism. As of 2022, Space Adventures, Eric Johnson’s space tourism company and SpaceX are the only companies to have carried out successful tourism flights to Earth’s orbit (beyond Karman line). For the sub-orbital space tourism projects, in 2004 Scaled Composites, Northrop Grumman’s aerospace company became the first private company to surpass Karman line but the flight had no space tourists even though the vehicle had seats for passengers. The big break came in last year when within a ten-day period both Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin completed successful flights on VSS Unity and New Shepard respectively to the space with passengers aboard in July 2021.

Space tourism has opened a new chapter for the human tourism/travel; would-be space tourist doesn’t need to undergo rigorous test from space agencies such as NASA to see the mother earth from up above. While the SpaceX flights cost in millions of US dollars Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin offers sub-orbital experience for cost of around 250,000* USD. Many new companies such as Space Perspective is also developing its own touristic balloon spaceship with proposed departure from Florida in 2024, at cost of 125,00 USD. Some believes the space tourism is likely to remain as tiny fraction of commercial space exploration similar to travel on Mt. Everest while others believe it will evolve much like civilian air travel did.

SCRAMJET ENGINE

The Arms race towards hypersonic weapons

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INTRODUCTION

In 2004, NASA’s hypersonic scramjet-powered aircraft X-43A hit a record-breaking speed of Mach 9.6. As one of the most promising propulsive systems, the scramjet engine has drawn the attention of many researchers in the recent years. The development of efficient propulsion systems capable of producing large thrusts is the key to the success of hypersonic vehicle development programs.

WORKING PRINCIPLE

Scramjets or supersonic combustion ramjet are engines designed to operate at high speeds, and usually, they are powered by hydrogen fuel. Theoretical projections place the top speed between Mach 12 and Mac. The major components of a scramjet engine are an inlet, combustion chamber, and exhaust. These are engines designed to operate at high speeds, usually only associated with rockets, and are typically powered by hydrogen fuel.

The major components of a scramjet engine are an inlet, combustion chamber, and exhaust. These are engines designed to operate at high speeds, usually only associated with rockets, and are typically powered by hydrogen fuel.

A scramjet has no moving parts. When the aircraft moves with supersonic velocity, say Mach 4, the air is rammed inside the scramjet engine. Air entering the intake is compressed using the forward speed of the aircraft. The intake air is then slowed from supersonic to low subsonic speeds by aerodynamic diffusion created by the inlet and diffuser. The temperature and pressure of the air increase due to the formation of oblique shock waves. This compressed-air moves towards the combustion chamber, where the hydrogen fuel is injected. The flow field inside a scramjet combustor is highly complex. The mixing of reactants, flame holding, stability, and combustion completion are the primary concerns in supersonic speed in the combustion chamber. The burning of fuel leading to the expansion of hot gases generate enough thrust to overcome the drag forces, and you can get around Mach ten at the exhaust. This results in a forward velocity.

The geometry is simple and can attain very high velocity since the scramjet doesn’t have moving parts like the compressors or turbines like a typical jet engine. But the drawback is that this engine can’t be used when the vehicle is at rest since it uses its forward speed to compress the air. Hence, we can say that the scramjet engine cannot function independently and other propulsion engines have to be used to get the aircraft to reach the supersonic speed. And since the air is traveling at a very high speed, the mixing of fuel and air should take place in a fraction of a second, resulting in fuel wastage.

The efficiency of jet engines is measured by the specific impulse, the ratio of the thrust to the second fuel consumption. From figure 2, we notice that the rocket engine’s specific impulse is much lesser than the air-jet engines. This is because the oxidant is also included in the fuel consumption of the rocket engine, whereas the air-jet engine takes from the atmosphere. In connection with this, the scramjet engines can create hypersonic aircraft, which could dramatically reduce the time of flight from one place to another. These engines could be the first step in creating reusable accelerators to launch missiles into space and inject heavier satellites into orbit.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Advances in scramjet technology could positively impact the global hypersonic technology market. India started its efforts on scramjet technology long back, and ground testing was done in 2006 to validate the engine’s design. Russia was the first country to claim the scramjet flight test in 1991, followed by the US and European Space Agency, and now, India has become the fourth country to claim the successful testing of the engine. In 2020, India tested a hypersonic technology demonstrator vehicle, and DRDO is currently developing a Brahmos II cruise missile based on a scramjet engine. In a nutshell, the development of scramjet technology is an important milestone in ISRO’s endeavor towards its future space transportation systems. The growth of reliable scramjet engines will prompt the expansion of hypersonic technologies, and thus, it will propel the rise of the global market in the future.

REFERENCES

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scramjet#Applications
https://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Education-andCareers/2016-07-22/Scramjet-Engine/243771
https://www.isro.gov.in/launchers/isro%E2%80%99s-scramjet-enginetechnology-demonstrator-successfully-flight-testeds

NFT

The New Trending digital assets.

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NFTs stands for Non-Fungible Tokens and seems to have exploded from ether last year. These digital acquisitions sell for millions of dollars, from art and music to tacos and toilet paper, like the exotic Dutch tulips of the 17th century. But are NFTs worth the money? Or is it hype? Some experts say the bubble is ready to burst, like the dot-com boom and Beanie Babies. Others believe that NFTs will stay here and change their investment forever.

What Is an NFT?

NFTs are digital investments that represent real-world objects such as art, music, in-game items, and videos. They are purchased and sold online and often use cryptocurrencies. They are usually coded in the same underlying software as many cryptos. NFTs, which have been around since 2014, is notorious for being an increasingly popular way to buy and sell digital art. Since November 2017, a staggering 174 million dollars has been spent on NFTs. NFTs are also generally unique, or at least in the smallest version, they have a unique identification code. “In essence, NFTs form digital rarity,” said Arry Yu, chair of the Cascadia Blockchain Council of the Washington Technology Industry Association and executive chairperson of Yellow Umbrella Ventures.

 

NFT is in stark contrast to many digital creations, the supply of which is almost always endless. In theory, cutting supply should increase the value of a given asset, assuming it is in demand. But multiple NFTs, at least in those early days, were digital creations that already existed in some other form, like iconic music videos from NBA games or security releases. The whole of digital art has floated on Instagram.For example, renowned digital artist Mike Winklemann, better known as “Beeple,” aggregates 5,000 drawings daily to create perhaps the most famous NFT at the moment, “Every day: The First 5000 Days”, sold at Christie’s. for a record $69.3 million. Anyone can view individual images or even entire collages online for free. So why would anyone be willing to spend millions on something they can easily capture or download? Because NFT allows the buyer to take ownership of the original item. It also contains built-in authentication, which serves as proof of ownership. Collectors appreciate these “digital bragging rights” almost more than the item itself.

Should You Buy NFTs?

Just because you can buy NFT, does that mean you should? Yu said. “NFTs are very risky because their future is uncertain, and we don’t have much history to gauge their performance,” she noted. “Since NFT is new, it might be worth investing a small amount to try it out now.” In other words, investing in NFT is primarily a personal decision. It might be worth considering if you have the cash to spend, especially if it means something to you.

But keep in mind that an NFT’s significance is entirely based on what someone else is willing to pay for it. Therefore, demand will push the price rather than fundamental, technical, or economic indicators, which typically affect stock prices and generally originate the basis for investor demand.

All of this means that an NFT can be resold for less than what you paid for. Or you may not be capable of reselling it if no one wants it. 

 NFTs are also subject to capital gains tax, just like selling shares at a profit. However, they may not qualify for favorable long-term capital gains because they are considered collectibles. They may even be taxed at a higher collectibles tax rate. However, the IRS has not determined which NFTs are assessed for tax purposes. Remember that cryptocurrencies used to purchase NFTs can also be taxed if their value has increased since you purchased them, meaning you may want to check with a tax professional when considering adding an NFT to your list. 

That said, approach NFTs just like you would make any investment.

• Do your research first,
• Understand the risks next—including that you might lose all of your investing money—and if you decide to take the plunge,
• Finally, proceed with a healthy dose of caution.

References:

Cover	https://bit.ly/3rGWZHS
Fig1	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:VeKings.png
Fig 2	https://bit.ly/3rIkhgf
Content	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-fungible_token https://www.theverge.com/22310188/nft-explainer-what-is-blockchain-crypto-art-faq https://ethereum.org/en/nft/

Electric planes

Are electric planes the inevitable future of flying?

The aviation industry is one of the most cutthroat industries in the world. There is a significant initial investment for airlines from buying/leasing planes, operations cost, and customers also want the best service for their money. After all this, it is no surprise that the profit margins for these airlines are minimal, sometimes as less as 100 rupees per passenger for domestic flights.

Also, Airlines are a business, so purely as a business, it does not make sense for them to care about climate change or become carbon neutral. With a few exceptions, emitting more carbon does not cost the airlines anything. Still, it enables them to make more profit, so the theoretically correct thing for airlines is to emit the amount of carbon to generate the most profit, regardless of environmental consequences. Some say airlines care about climate change for public relations, and they’re right—but only to an extent. The most crucial reason why airlines are caring about climate change is one of the most haunting words in the airline industry, regulation. Globally, the aviation industry produces 2.1% of all human-induced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and governments are slowly but surely taking steps to lose the carbon footprints of their countries. For the aviation industry, that means regulating airlines. 

It’s started already in some sense. In France, the French national assembly has passed a bill that would stop short-haul flights on flight routes that could be travelled in two and a half hours or less by train. Here’s the worst thing for airlines: measures like this make absolute, perfect sense. With airports located away from city centres, security lines, less reliable departure times, and more, no journey that would take two to two and half hours by train could reasonably and reliably be accomplished faster by plane. So, there’s no real downside, but there’s the massive upside of shifting travellers onto trains, which in the case of France emit 77 times less carbon per passenger on journeys of this length.

Figure 1: The bill if enacted in France will stop short haul flights

The problem for airlines is that they don’t have any good arguments against regulations like these. A move away from the short-haul will start, but it won’t end there. As one of the more carbon-intensive industries, airlines will face increasing regulatory barriers to their operations—unless, of course, flying becomes less carbon-intensive.

So, airlines care about climate change because they are pragmatic, and it quickly and increasingly becomes the case that competitiveness, like companies, is linked to how green they are. Biofuels, engine efficiency improvements, carbon offsetting—these things all help, but they’re incremental changes that can only take flying from being very carbon-intense to carbon-intense. However, one solution can actually, realistically turn flying into a somewhat sustainable method of transport: electric aircraft.

Here’s the thing: electric aircrafts in themselves are no massive innovation. They existed in 1973 when the MB-E1 became the first electric plane to fly with a human crew. They existed in 2015 when the Solar Impulse 2 circumnavigated the world exclusively on solar power. They existed in 2020 when the Pipistrel Velis Electro became the first commercially-available type-rated electric-powered aircraft. Conclusion: there’s not a lot technologically preventing electric aircraft from existing, but rather it’s the business case. Batteries are more expensive and less energy-dense than fuel, so airlines always have free carbon emissions. It just always made sense to use petroleum-based fuel.

Figure 2: MB E1, the first electric plane to fly with a human crew

Figure 3: Pipistrel Velis Electro, All electric aircraft made for commercial purpose

But now that is changing. We have aircrafts that can be used for passenger traffic for short-range and fewer passengers per flight. Electric aircrafts make much more profit when operating short distances than standard aircraft. Therefore, airlines that generally operate within the range constraints of electric aircrafts are understandably the most welcoming of electric aircraft. For example, in India, many flights are small distances that would benefit from converting to electric. Not just the overall cost, but because aircrafts will get profits even with low passenger traffic from these flights, direct flights from tier 2 cities can become very normal. 

The release of electric aircrafts will fundamentally break a long-held truth about aviation. Short-haul flying is currently more expensive, per kilometer, than long-haul flying, due to the high costs involved with ground operations at every airport. However, with electric planes available exclusively on shorter routes, at least in the future, there’s a reality in which it’s cheaper per kilometer to fly 500 km than 1500 km. This will also shift airlines’ focus to more regional route networks and connect cities and towns that previously were too small in passenger traffic to make economic sense for airlines. In short, not only will electric aircrafts allow airlines to continue to operate short-haul flights as regulations in the future ramp up, but they will allow them to increase flights in a sustainable, profitable way.

The future of flying seems inevitably electric because the business case is too strong to ignore.

References:

https://www.iata.org/en/publications/economics/fuel-monitor/

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eviation-announces-first-commercial-customer-cape-air-for-its-all-electric-airplane-alice-300870249.html

https://www.atag.org/facts-figures.html

https://www.aviationtoday.com/2020/06/12/pipistrel-receives-first-easa-certification-electric-aircraft-whos-next/

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/ZGRyGR

Additive Manufacturing in Automotive Industry

The New Era of Manufacturing

 Additive manufacturing or 3D printing presents a series of benefits in manufacturing an automobile component by offering design freedom while creating complex yet lightweight parts. It also enables the designers to go through several iterations cost-effectively before deciding on the final product. Hence these advances have opened doors for newer designs, cleaner, lighter and safer products.

What is Additive Manufacturing?

  Additive manufacturing is the Industrial production name for 3D printing. It is a computer-controlled manufacturing process that can create three-dimensional objects by depositing materials layer by layer.

Role of Additive Manufacturing in Automobiles
 

  Traditional manufacturing involves metal cutting, joining, casting, and long lead-time CNC production. But the additive manufacturing can easily replace these expensive processes. Additionally, the tools like grips, jigs, and fixtures can also be optimized and produced at a low cost using this technology.

Benefits of Additive Manufacturing in the Automotive Industry

• Rapid prototyping during Research and Development: Additive manufacturing helps in this process to quickly create a working prototype just in a few hours, instead of turnarounds for several days or more.
  
• Weight Reduction: Weight reduction is desirable in many vehicles because
  It is a crucial factor in improving fuel efficiency. It is also essential for an electric vehicle since lower weight can mean more range that is longer battery life between charges.
  
  
  
• Less wastage of Material: The additive manufacturing process uses only the material needed to create the part. In the case of Subtractive manufacturing, the material is to be taken from the raw stock to obtain the desired product, which must then be handled and destroyed correctly.
  
• Shortening and Simplifying the enormous automotive supply chains: Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) work with many other suppliers to source the different components are constantly seeking ways to trim their supply chain. Therefore, companies can take advantage of additive manufacturing to transform supply chains by producing on-site.
  

Common Additive manufacturing process in Automotive Applications:

• Direct Metal Laser Sintering ( DMLS): DMLS, also known as Metal 3D printing. It is an additive layer technology that uses a computer-controlled, high-power laser beam to melt and fuse the layers of metallic powder. DMLS includes the materials such as stainless steel, Maraging steel, Inconel, Aluminium, Titanium, etc. And the parts like gearbox, grills, fenders, fuel tanks, heat exchangers, etc., are manufactured using this method.
  
• Electron Beam Melting (EBM): The EBM technique uses an electron beam in a high vacuum as its power source, which selectively melts the metal powder bed to print the design of the object layer by layer. The parts like pump impeller, wheel rims, compressor components, frames, turbine blades, etc., are manufactured using this method.
  
  

Conclusion:

The additive manufacturing process can produce optimized, lower weight, and cost-effective components without compromising the quality of the product. It had also opened the way for a variety of innovative designs that were previously impossible to produce using traditional manufacturing methods.

References :

1. 3D opportunity in the automotive industry: https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/insights/us/articles/additive-manufacturing-3d-opportunity-in-automotive/DUP_707-3D-Opportunity-Auto-Industry_MASTER.pdf
2. The role of AM in the automotive industry: https://www.3dnatives.com/en/the-role-of-am-in-the-automotive-industry/#!
3. DMLS vs. SLS: Which is Better for Your Needs? : https://additivemanufacturingllc.com/uncategorized/dmls-vs-sls-which-is-better-for-your-needs/

Fastest car v/s Fastest helicopter

The answer seems pretty obvious, right? Yeah, duh, it has to be a helicopter. But wait, what if I tell you, you are wrong. The correct answer is the fastest car. To know more about it, head out to the blog.

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If someone asks you which one’s faster, a car or a helicopter, the first thought that comes to your mind is a helicopter. But that isn’t the correct answer. The Westland Lynx helicopter in 1986 had set a record of being the fastest helicopter with a speed of 295mph/413kph and remains unbroken. In contrast, the maximum speed recorded by a car was 304mh/489kph on August 2nd,2019. Can you guess the car? Yes it is Bugatti Chiron SuperSport. 

Why is speed limited to that values?

It’s common to have this question about the speed limits. Let us consider the different reasons for these limitations. 

Speed limitations for car

If there is a limitation for the max speed, there has to be some form of resistance acting on the car. The predominant resistance is offered by the air while speeding up. Consider the following equation. 

Fig 1

It’s visible that the drag force increases with speed, and hence the faster we go, we experience a larger drag force. At some instant, the drag force will be equal to the maximum force delivered by the engine, and hence we are at the maximum possible speed. The other way to increase speed is by decreasing the drag coefficient and reference area. Air resistance isn’t the only factor limiting the speed. There are other factors like power efficiency of the engine, better traction of the tire and comfort of the driver, etc. 

Why aren’t helicopter faster than car

Though there are many hindering factors for the car’s max speed, it is still faster than a helicopter. So what are the factors affecting the speed of the helicopter? Similar to cars, helicopters also have these limiting factors. In addition to that, they have some more.

Fig 2

Let us understand how exactly a helicopter takes off. The helicopter’s blades rotate to generate lift. The lift created should be greater than the gravitational force to move upwards. Once the lift equals the gravity, the helicopter comes to a halt position. To move further, the pilot has to convert the available lift force to thrust by getting the helicopter to an angled position. As you move forward, the rotating speed of the right blade will be faster than the left blade creating a larger lift on the right-hand side. To compensate for this dissymmetry, the angle of attacks of the blades of the left rotator is changed to increase the lift. But there is a limit for the maximum angle of attack. The larger the angle of attack more the airflow separation, which in turn retards the motion of the object. Hence there is a speed limit based on the factors mentioned above.

Ahhh, yes, too much of a theoretical aspect. Let’s just wrap it up.

Conclusion 

By now, we know which one’s the fastest, but to make things clear, the word fastest literally means the maximum speed achieved by the individuals. It doesn’t consider the practical applications to reach from one point to another point. If that’s the case, the helicopter would be faster than the car, thanks to us for creating such heavy road traffic. Also, we never know we may build a faster helicopter in the future. 

Thank You

Refereneces

https://fighterjetsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/top-gear-chopper-crash.jpg

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SyZu744vQXg/maxresdefault.jpg

https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-e110054b5d0b6088e268ce3f8c41b299-c

https://subtitlelist.com/en/Fastest-Car-vs-Fastest-Helicopter-Which-is-Faster-36358

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/math/a16842869/fastest-car-fastest-helicopter/

https://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/safety-regulatory-devices/speed-limiter1.htm

Plastics and Automobiles

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Introduction

Plastics are the most generally used chemical compound in human life. They are mainly used

for the creation of usual and unique products. Plastic technology is a functional branch of

study that includes various chemicals showing plasticity. It also involves the study of several

ways in which plastics can be utilized for use in social life. The field is also applied with the

analysis works to produce eco-friendly plastics.

How is plastic used?

Plastic is a peculiar synthetic or artificial polymer similar to natural resins in many aspects.

These materials are used in various applications due to their unique capability of providing

multiple features that benefit the consumers. Because of their exclusive properties, plastics

are used in many different areas like packaging, containers, automobile parts, plastic

industries, etc

History of Plastic Technologies

In the 1960s, discoveries in polymers made it feasible to produce thermosetting polymers

such as polypropylene, a variety of plastic commonly used in modern vehicles. Its many

mechanical characteristics, lightweight, and the point that it is 100% recyclable mean that

polypropylene now addresses up to 40% of all plastics used in the automotive division.

One such innovator, Knauf Industries Automotive, intensively promotes new uses for

thermoplastics such as expanded polypropylene (EPP) and expanded polystyrene (EPS),

whose appearance in vehicles will grow over the next many years, following other elements

traditionally employed in the industry.

In the other half of the 1950s, plastic was employed to make a roof (Citröen DS), truck

cabins, elbow rests, and hollow inside panels. In the 1960s, polypropylene pedals were

already being formed, and cooling fan and radiator housing parts, the cooling system’s equalizing

container, hydraulic liquid tanks, and set dashboard protectors were injection-

molded. Such components as the splitter ceiling, door and window features, seat foam, and

the frontal grille began to be constructed from plastic.

Plastics in the Automobile Industry

The use of plastic in the design and production of automotive vehicles has never been more

necessary, with acrimonious ordinances and changing consumer habits driving demand for

additional affordable, lightweight, and fuel-efficient vehicles. Fuel efficiency has shifted to

become one of the most critical characteristics in automotive vehicle schemes due to the

soaring fuel prices and stricter environmental regulations. Combined with the high demand

for automotive vehicles and rising disposable income in emerging economies, the automotive

industry will demand plastics. But, while some corporealities may win from

recent advancements in the automotive division, others will find themselves on the defeated

side, spelling serious entanglements for plastic producers globally.

There are approximately 30,000 parts in a vehicle, out of which a third are made out of

plastic. About 39 different types of primary plastics and polymers are used to formulate an

automobile in their entirety. More than three-fourths of the plastic used in cars comes from

four essential polymers: polypropylene, polyurethane, polyamides, and PVC. Plastic has

become one of the critical elements required for automobiles’ construction, execution, and

security in new years. The increase in plastic consumption is driven by light-weighting

inclinations for fuel efficiency and more lowering greenhouse gas emissions. The powerful

absorption properties of plastics also allow the vehicle to meet more stringent safety

standards. In contrast, engineering plastics minimizes the mass of parts used in cars as they

offer more design freedom than metals.

Figure 1 : Plastic Technology in a car

Changes to Plastics in modern times

Due to modern environmental and financial concerns, automobile manufacturers include

more high-level plastic materials to decrease weight and make vehicles more fuel-efficient.

Help that these exceptional plastics used in transport-oriented vehicles are:

 Increased safety and comfort

 Flexibility in combining components

 Freedom of design

 Weight is reduced

 Fuel efficiency

Now the eight advanced plastics used in the automotive industry are:

1) Poly-Vinyl Chloride

PVC is recognized for its flexibility, has superior thermal resistance, is flame retardant,

and has slight lead content. Depending on the nature and number of plasticizers employed,

they can be injection moulded, compression moulded, and blow-moulded to perform many

complex or pliable plastic products. It is used to create automobile doors, sheathing

electrical cables, and instrument boards.

2) Polypropylene

Polypropylene is a saturated polymer that is produced by the monomer propylene. One of the

essential benefits that polypropylene awards are that it is immune to acids, bases, and

chemical solvents. It is vital in gas cans, carpet fibres, bumpers, cable insulation, and

chemical tanks.

3) ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene)

ABS is popular due to its low product price and the efficiency of plastic manufacturers

shaping the material. It is composed of polymerizing styrene and acrylonitrile. What’s more,

the styrene provides the plastic with a bright, impervious surface. It has excellent sharp and

low-temperature execution, superior insulation qualities, and is simple to paint and glue. Its

importance can be seen in dashboards, wheel seals, and automotive body components.

4) Polyamide

Polyamide is highly liquid absorbent, has excellent mechanical properties, and is unyielding.

It is a generally used polymer that can be projected and fashioned. Polyamides’ services are a

great power, abrasion assurance, and flexibility. Its value in a vehicle can be identified in

gears, cams, bearings, and waterproof protection. 

5) Polystyrene

Polystyrene exhibits unbelievable electrical and chemical endurance. It is simple to

manufacture, is very elastic, and melts when cooked past its glass transition temperature. Its

mechanical features include power, elongation, impact energy, toughness, and modulus. It is

used in car fittings, exhibit bases, and buttons.

6) POM (polyoxymethylene)

POM is a thermoplastic material known for its excellent dimensional stability, creep

resistance, high heat resistance, and good electrical and dielectric properties. It is an

engineering element utilized in sectors that require accuracy. Purposes for POM incorporate

high-performance components such as gears, inside and outside trims, and fuel modes. 

7) Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate allows unique thermal, electrical, collision, optical, weathering

characteristics. It provides a distinct combination of hardness, stiffness, and toughness. Due

to its incredible impact strength, it is one of the top choices for headlamp lenses, bumpers,

helmets, and bullet-proof glass.

8) Polyethylene

Polyethene shows excellent impact protection, mean density, and excellent toughness. It is

cost-effective, moisture-resistant, and helpful in many thermoplastics processing systems. Its

importance can be found in the electrical lining and reinforced glass.

High-performance plastics will play an essential role in the automotive industry due to their

unbelievable gains.

Figure 2: Various elements of a car that may use plastics

Future of Plastics and Conclusion

Design possibilities were also developed as R&D departments developed thermoplastic

sections, impact retention capacities, and anti-corrosion properties. Unique brands

developed new elements in the automotive business to include mudguards,

reflectors, housings, hoods, and tailgates.

When the turn of the era came, car accessories and production were enhanced, and

environmental security regulations expected lower emissions and higher engagement in

recycling and reusing ingredients. Thus, the test is to reduce vehicles’ weight and seek for

100% recyclable materials that can substitute materials used until now, as in the case of car

body components.

Thus, I urge the readers to understand how plastics have been an important

shaping phenomenon of our era. Their utilisation and importance to the automobile sector have

severely marked the wheel of change of humankind.

References

• https://www.myklassroom.com/Engineering-branches/84/PLASTIC-TECHNOLOGY#:~:text=Plastic%20technology%20is%20a%20specialized,for%20use%20in%20human%20life.
• http://www.plastivision.org/blog/8-advanced-plastics-used-in-the-automobile-sector/
• Four Reasons Why Plastic is Used in Car Manufacturing – Materials and Engineering Resources – Matmatch
• The Plastics Used in Automotives (azom.com)

• https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Fadapt.mx%2Fplastics-in-the-automotive-industry-which-materials-will-be-the-winners-and-losers%2F&psig=AOvVaw2n0TEOJbTA5YLPJmbqTzxn&ust=1638644900684000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAwQjhxqFwoTCLjek4-qyPQCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAg   (Figure 1)

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gk-graphite.com%2Fen%2Ffeatured-product%2F&psig=AOvVaw2n0TEOJbTA5YLPJmbqTzxn&ust=1638644900684000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCLjek4-qyPQCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAV  (Figure 2)

HYPERLOOP

A FUTURISTIC TRANSPORTATION

Humankind has witnessed significant progress since the birth of the human race till today. In this modern era of technological advancement, where technologies have evolved to revolutionize the life of an ordinary man, the modes of transportation haven’t seen significant progress in past decades. Hyperloop is considered to be a transport for a sustainable future.

What is Hyperloop?

 Hyperloop is a high-speed transportation system for passenger and freight transport through partial vacuum tubes. It is described as a sealed tube or system of tubes having low pressure with passengers sitting in pods travelling at airline speeds almost without any air resistance or friction. It mainly employs three components- a tube, pod and terminal. Pods travel through evacuated tubes using electric propulsion, air skies and magnetic levitation.

HISTORY

The roots of the Hyperloop can be traced back to 1799 when George Medhurst proposed the idea of moving goods through cast iron pipes using pressurized air. Later for the first time, Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s atmospheric railway ran between Exeter and Plymouth in the UK from 1847 to 1848. The carriages were moved using pressurized air extracted from pipes that ran between the rails by pumping stations. A piston contained within the pipe was connected to the train, which pulled it forward.

Fig 1 : Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s atmospheric railway

Tesla and Spaced founder, Elon Musk introduced the modern idea of Hyperloop with his ‘Hyperloop alpha’ paper in 2013. In his paper, Musk envisioned a super-fast transportation system that is safer, affordable, weatherproof and energy-efficient.

His initial plan comprised of exploring potential route between Los Angeles and San Francisco to reduce four hour train travel to just 30 minutes. The estimated budget was six billion dollars, but his idea never came into existence. Musk “open-sourced” the idea of hyperloop for future experimentation and actively encouraged others to develop the technology without his involvement.

How does it work?

The basic idea behind Musk’s model is that a passenger pod travels through low-pressure tubes. A vacuum pump removes most of the air from the tubes to eliminate friction and air resistance. The operating pressure of 100 pascals is maintained, which reduces the drag force of the air by 1,000 times, and the energy consumption is less compared to traditional modes of transports. Compressor fans are installed to circulate the air around the pod to create an air cushion so that it floats above the tube’s surface, thereby minimizing friction. According to Musk, Hyperloop would be powered by solar panels fitted over tubes.

Fig 2 : Passenger pod using air cushion technology.

Another version of Hyperloop uses magnetic levitation (Mag-lev), a technology already used in monorails. It uses two sets of magnets, one to repel the tracks and lift them upwards and another to keep them floating along the tracks with considerable speeds and minimal friction. It uses a linear electric motor to accelerate and decelerate the pod. Vacuum sealed tubes along with Mag-lev ensures that the pod experiences little to no resistance. Air pressure inside the tubes is equivalent to flying 200000 ft above sea level, enabling pods to travel at maximum speeds of 750 miles/hour.

Current Developments

Recent developments in Hyperloop have led fully-fledged companies like HTT (Hyperloop transportation technologies), Virgin Hyperloop One, Transport and others to make significant strides in bringing Hyperloop into reality. In 2018, HTT constructed a full-scale test track in France. However, Virgin Hyperloop One is considered to be the front runner among the current standings.

Virgin Hyperloop One was first established in the year 2014. They are already on their way to bringing the hyperloop into operation. In 2017, the company conducted several test runs focusing on individual aspects of the system at its test site in Las Vegas, Nevada. Following its successful test trail, a commercial vehicle design was launched recently. The company signed a deal with Dubai’s Road and transport authority to conduct feasibility studies to link Abu Dhabi to Dubai that would reduce a 2-hour road journey to 12 minutes of travel. Also, in February 18, an ‘intent agreement’ was signed with Government of Maharashtra to build a Hyperloop network between Mumbai to Pune.

Fig 3 : Virgin Hyperloop One’s XP-1 passenger pod

Virgin Hyperloop One launched a global challenge to find possible routes that are best placed to benefit from Hyperloop technology. Among those, only 10 potential routes located in 5 different countries were selected by a panel of experts to construct the first hyperloop network. The United States alone has 4 routes connecting Chicago-Columbus-Pittsburgh, Miami – Orlando, Dallas – Houston and Cheyenne – Pueblo. The United Kingdom has two routes linking its major cities Glasgow and Edinburgh to London. In India Bangalore – Chennai and Mumbai – Chennai were the two routes among the ten selected.

REFERENCES 

• https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-hyperloop-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-future-of-transport/

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperloop

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcikLQZI5wQ

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Hyperloop

• Fig 1 – https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ikbrunel.org.uk%2Findex.php%3Fn%3DAtmospheric-Railway&psig=AOvVaw3RoI4Lx30sfsEsffMNNOFO&ust=1638037038000000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCLiCsdjRtvQCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

• Fig 2- https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcmr.berkeley.edu%2F2017%2F03%2Fhyperloop%2F&psig=AOvVaw2Lcg6i2lVVSn1C85jYCoJq&ust=1638037169127000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCMiD85DStvQCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

• Fig 3- https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.designcurial.com%2Fnews%2Fis-hyperloop-one-the-future-of-travel-6071070&psig=AOvVaw3GxXfGTlwnjCZNWPrsVeT2&ust=1638037300604000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCICJs9HStvQCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

• Cover pic- https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.intelligenttransport.com%2Ftransport-articles%2F74950%2Fhyperloop-concept-suitability-uk%2F&psig=AOvVaw0ZUcg7EgsG_4B_JNMBBECZ&ust=1638037741988000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCNCZj8nUtvQCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAR

Virtual and Augmented Reality

The first step for humans to enter into the world of imagination.

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What are Virtual and Augmented reality?

Virtual reality is a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment that can be interacted by special electronic devices, such as a helmet with a screen inside or pair of gloves fitted with sensors.

Fig. 1 Virtual Reality

Augmented reality is an interactive experience for human beings where real-world objects are enhanced by computer-generated perceptual information ranging from sound to video, graphics to GPS overlayers, and more.

Fig. 2 Augmented Reality

What is the difference between Virtual and Augmented reality?

In augmented reality, users are immersed in a mix of real-world and virtual objects, but it is an entirely fictional world generated by the computer in virtual reality.

In AR, we can interact with both worlds and clearly distinguish them, but in VR, it is tough to determine.

AR aims to enhance the experience by adding virtual components such as digital images and graphics to enhance the interaction with the real world.

The purpose of VR is to create an entirely computer-generated world.

Where do we use AR and VR?

Augmented Reality

• Increased Surgical Training and performance

AR has proven beneficial for training surgeons in a new approach to performing complex surgical operations. The superposition of radiographic images on the live image allows the imagination of the surgical site in a way that was not possible before.

Fig 3

• Repair and Maintenance

One of the most significant use cases of Augmented Reality in industries is repairing and maintaining complex machinery. Whether it’s a car motor or a CNC machine, repair and maintenance staff are beginning to use AR headsets and gloves. At the same time, they perform their jobs to provide them with helpful information on the spot, suggest potential fixes, and point out potential trouble in machine parts.

• . Entertainment Properties

In the Entertainment Industry, AR builds strong relationships between the branded characters and the audience. As we all know, Pokémon Go was one of the AR mobile games developed in 2016 by Niantic.

Virtual Reality

• VR equipment and the Military

VR training is an everyday use case in VR technologies. It often helps for training exercises that are too rare, expensive, dangerous to be done in real life. In history, VR has been highly influenced by the defense industry. It involves using Head-Mounted displays (HMDs) and data gloves to enable military candidates to interact with the Virtual Environment. There would be combat training, flight simulation, battlefield

Fig 4

• Engineering and Robotics

Virtual reality engineering includes using 3D modeling tools and visualization methods as part of the designing process. This technology enables us to view their project in 3D and gain a greater understanding of how it works. They can also spot any flaws or potential risks before implementation. This allows the design team to observe their project within a safer environment and make changes where necessary. 

What is essential is the ability of VR to depict fine-grained information of an engineering product to maintain the illusion. This means high-end graphics, video with a fast refresh rate, and realistic sound and movement are required.  

Fig 5

References

www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/augmented-reality

www.slideshare.net/SilverTech_/virtual-reality-vr-augmented-reality-ar-are-you-ready

www.electronicsforu.com/resources/difference-between-augmented-reality-virtual-reality

https://www.constructionexec.com/assets/site_18/images/article/112019074150.jpg?width=1280

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Fbernardmarr%2F2019%2F07%2F19%2Fthe-important-difference-between-virtual-reality-augmented-reality-and-mixed-reality%2F&psig=AOvVaw2az3P4wkwkqlhsxIBDx3MJ&ust=1636778380707000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCODC4eKAkvQCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAU

https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2Fswevens%2Faugmented-reality-ar-in-healthcare-3c12bdf86a8e&psig=AOvVaw1sFeuW6MuXDLtPR3yodgYw&ust=1636787759607000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCKjl-9mjkvQCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/07/14/10-intriguing-uses-of-ar-technology-in-industry/?sh=faf1de5825c9

https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurevisual.com%2Fblog%2Fuses-vr-military-training%2F&psig=AOvVaw3siYVBLchs1zTYuLV2Rid9&ust=1636791304240000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCIixufSwkvQCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zdnet.com%2Farticle%2Fhow-to-train-a-robot-with-virtual-reality-no-coding-required%2F&psig=AOvVaw3LfLAmnRwavJJJqTR9QT8J&ust=1636792940876000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCKiwuoG3kvQCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAk

https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.analyticsinsight.net%2Far-vr-new-age-technologies-demand-escalates-amid-covid-19%2F&psig=AOvVaw15Sn7K43Ln7CXAZ12Pi1_Y&ust=1636810036937000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCMi4sKT8kvQCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ