Seven good reasons to love a Honda Civic

Honda Civic is one of a major car in the road which has a considerable market share. It is so attractive car made by Honda. There are number of reasons to love a civic. That’s why there are clubs called Honda Civic clubs exist. Here is a little analysis of Honda civic. You may find several or few facilities in other car, but Civic has all of these and that’s why it is become a car which all car lovers talking about.

 

• Value for the Money

Among the giants in the automobile industry, there are number of names which are considered as branded and excellent products.  But with their price and actual value of the product it is a doubt is the product worth for that price. There are number of products which are not value for the money.  Those companies make value on their name but not on the specification and the features of the product. But few car produces value the product as it really values. Honda Civic is one among them. The cars with those features and facilities value more than this. This is one good reason to love Honda Civic.

• Impression

Impression is one of an essential requirement of the car which gain value to your life. No doubt BMW, Mercedes Bens has that value, it looks professional and powerful. But as a car lover it is very much essential to have a sporty look with the professional look. Place your eyes on the road which cars has that impression, If you didn’t found that value in the Honda Civic surely it is a problem of your sight. Honda Civic has wonderful sporty look which you can’t see in any other. It has its own look that feels Civic has the power to chase the racers.  And as a youth it is the best fit for your professional life also.

• Durability

Consider the vehicle made in 1990’s which are still in the road, You may noticed there are few models, but you may noticed there are several Honda Civics among those models. It shows the durability of Honda Civic. There is some Civics made before 1990’s which is on driving condition and pass the emission test also. It explains how a durable car it is.

• Power and driving feel

Honda Civic is a powerful road runner which gives wonderful driving feel that is because of its variation and the driving support which is designed to given when in driving.  It has its own driving power which can trill the driver and make him the feel of  a excellent driving condition, that makes feel  on Civic users  to not to change the car. That kind of a excellent drive feeling cannot be gain from any other car which is in the road.

• Variation makes good choses

The Civic is designed with number of various versions like Sedan, Couple, Hybrid, Type R, HF and a natural gas version.  Those variations have several differences with the Civic identity.  It makes chooses which any driver can be satisfied.

• Do you need a luxury car?

Honda Civic is a car which is considered as luxury car.  Actually as a road car it is one of a luxury car. You cannot but this much of a luxury car in the price of a civic. It has several features which makes the comfort on the passengers. I’m not saying it is the most luxurious car in the road, but it one among them in that price.

• Parts and after services

Honda gives any part which is essential for your car, than that you can by any modification part from the market. It can be modified to superb view if you have good artistic eye. You can buy any kind of a parts for your Civic. 

 

Google self-driven car

In the field of automobile industry this is one of a giant invention which was considered as a task that can never be able to achieve. The experiment is done by Google which is never heard in automobile field. The experiment was a secret in the past but now it is well-known project which is among number of success projects done by Google. Toyota prius is the vehicle which is used in the experiment.  This is one of a brilliant intelligent system developed in the world history.  Unfortunately it was faced to the first accident in few days ago, but actually it was happened due to the fault of the other driver who is involved in the crash.  But before that it has driven more than 160,000 miles without an accident, for this distance they used several different types of roads like highways, busy (city) streets, mountainous roads. It is really excellent achievement. Anyhow this post is for describe the technology of the car. 

Google Autonomous prious

The major difficulties in the project are to get the idea of the distance of the obstacles and understand all those obstacles to avoid accident and drive very carefully. When driving in the real environment it is huge challenge, considered to the specially designed environment.  Because there are number of moving obstacles in several distance with several speeds. The challenge is to collect all those detail and synchronize with those details (obstacles). Google autonomous car is designed to overcome those problems. For that is has several sensors and algorithms. 

Sensor system of the car

• Laser range finder

This is mounted in the roof of the car and using this laser ranger car understands the range of the obstacles in the road which the vehicle is driven in. This range finder uses laser rays to create obstacle map in every single location and get the idea of all the moving and stable obstacles in the current path. As Google engineer Chris Urmson said it is the heart of the vehicle and by processing all those details taken from the laser range finder.

• Four radars

These radars are mounted in the front and rear bumpers of the car. These radars help to get the idea about quickly and instantly moving objects which is very important in the driving. So using this car can get the idea about pedestrians and bicycles and all those quickly moving objects.  These radars are help to avoid the accidents happened due to quick moving.

•  Video camera

This camera is mounted near the rear view camera, to detect all the traffic light signals. By using the camera it gets all the traffic light systems and understands the traffic lights which are suitable for the way vehicle is driven.

•  GPS system

This is also mounted in the roof of the vehicle and, by using this GPS device vehicle understands the initial location of the vehicle. This is the most accurate way to understand the location of the vehicle.

•  Position estimator

This is mounted in the rear wheel of the car and understands the movement of the car. This is a simple sensor that detects rotation of the wheel. This is very essential for breaking and determines the speed of the vehicle.

Anyhow Google achieve the great task in the automobile industry.  Before publicly (commercially) use the car there are many features to upgrade and added to ensure the safety and increase the efficiency. It is always consider about the security and efficiency, In junction even though light signal allow the vehicle to move forward and to turn any side if there are people crossing the road vehicle is waiting until the last person cross the road. The car is that much advanced. 

Finally it will become very advanced technology but there is an issue, even though it makes people to move without driving. It is in future people will lose their driving capabilities and it will reduce the adventure of driving. It is not a bullshit in future drivers will lose their jobs and people who enjoys from driving loss their fun.

The most Powerful Diesel engine

In the history of automobile technology people invented number of miracles which were very important to human activities. In the field of engine, it is really a vast area which is full of advanced and high-tech inventories. Among those there are several advanced designs; The Wärtsilä-Sulzer RTA96-C is considered as the most powerful diesel engine ever builds.  Basically the engine is turbo charged two stock diesel engines which contains 6 to 14 cylinders. The engine is designed for huge container carriers (ships).

 

Technical details:

Engine type:                       turbocharged two-stroke diesel straight engine, 6 to 14 cylinders

Cylinder bore:                     960 mm

Piston stroke:                      2500 mm

Engine displacement:           1820 litres per cylinder

Engine speed:                      92–102 revolutions per minute

Engine length:                     89 feet

Engine Height:                    44 feet

Torque:                              7,603,850 newton metres@ 102 rpm

Mean effective pressure:     1.96 MPa@full load, 1.37 MPa@maximum efficiency (85% loads)

Mean piston speed:             8.5 metre per second

Specific fuel consumption:  171 g/(kW·h) (126 g/(bhp·h), approx. 3.80 litres per second) @ full load

Power:                              up to 5720 kW per cylinder

Power density:                   29.6 to 34.8 kW per tonne, 2300 tonnes for the 14 cylinder version

Amount of fuel injected in a single cycle of single piston: ~160 g (about 6.5 ounces) @ full load

Crankshaft weight:             300 tons

The usage of the engine is for huge container ships which needed high power single engines. The engine is available with 6 to 14 cylinders as the user needs. There are specially designed oil pumps and injectors for keep the engine cooled. It was a new design that is not usually using in the industry.

Hybrid Synergy Drive

Hybrid Synergy Drive is a most advanced technology of developing hybrid cars. The owner of the technology is Toyota Automobiles. The key technology of hybrid synergy drive is planetary gear. With the planetary gear Hybrid synergy drive technology is developed. But it has other highly intelligent driving technologies also. It has a computer that control engine rpm motors generators and all the units in the hybrid synergy drive.  The main task to do in hybrid system is to synchronize 4 units.

1.   Gasoline Engine 
2.   Electric Motor/ Generator (MG1)
3.   Electric Motor/ Generator(MG2
4. Axel for the wheel drive.

To join all those parts it is needed to having a planetary gear system. In the planetary gear system there are 3 main units.

• Sun Gear

Sun Gear is the middle gear of planetary system. When the sun gear is drive it can drive planet carrier or ring gear or both planet carrier and ring gear. So there are 3 possible outcomes when drive the sun gear. In the below of the article I will explain the advantage of this 3 possible movements.

• Planet Carrier

Planet carrier is the middle gear set of the planetary gear system. When planet carrier drives it also has 3 possible outcomes. Those are, Drive the sun gear or Drive the ring gear or drive both sun gear and ring gear. All those Possibilities have special advantages for the Hybrid synergy drive.

• Ring Gear

This is the outer gear of the planetary gear system. When this gear drives it also has 3 possible outcomes. Those are Drive planetary carrier or drive sun gear or drive both sun gear and planetary carrier.

But there is a way to drive all those gears. All the 3 gears are in one assembled unit. So those gears cannot drive as it needed. Gears should drive with the synchronized way. However there are only 4 possible ways to drive the gears. 

 

• Sun gear and Planetary carrier
• Sun gear and Ring gear
• Ring gear and planetary carrier
• All three gears.

In the Hybrid Synergy drive system all those units are combined with the advanced manner. In the planetary gear system itself connected as follow

• Internal combustion engine (ICE)– Planetary carrier
• Electric Motor/Generator  MG1 – Sun Gear
• Electric Motor/Generator MG2 and driving wheel – Ring Gear

This planetary system is called as Power Splitting Device in the Hybrid Synergy Drive. Than that this unit it has 

• High Voltage battery case and wiring
• Ac/Dc Converter
• Hybrid Synergy Drive Control unit

In the hybrid synergy drive it has several phases of driving. Here is the description of those states.

·         Ready mode – ICE is not started MG1 is not started. But in the ready mode ICE and MG1 also can start. In that case ICE generates the power and MG1 start to generate the electricity and charge the batteries.

• Engine Start – In the ready mode or when in the driving engine can be started. It is happen by MG1 act as a motor and start the engine. In the hybrid synergy drive engine starting also done by the MG1 not a standard starter motor.

•  Run Low gear - In this state engine runs with the speed but toque is not sufficient to move then MG1 act as a generator and it powers to the MG2 when the toque is enough vehicle start to run.

• Runs High Gear – In this state Engine is up and run the toque is enough but the speed is not. Then The MG2 acts as a motor and speedup the vehicle. If this speed is also not enough then MG1 is also acts as a motor and then speedup the vehicle.

•  Silent mode (Stealth mode) – In this mode Engine is fully stopped and Batteries supply power to MG2 to run the vehicle and MG1 is decoupled and allow to run freely. In this mode no any sound is emitting and vehicle can drive even without gasoline.

• Reversing – In this gear system it hasn’t a reverse gear as well as conventional gear box but it powers the MG2 to negative voltage to reverse the engine and allow MG1 to free. But if the power is not enough to reverse the vehicle then it powers to MG1 and then it can reverse. If the battery is not enough to power all those then engine starts and MG1 generate the power as a generator and vehicle starts to drive to the reverse side.

• Neutral – When the vehicle needs to state in neutral then it is decouple the MG1 and then wheels can move freely.

• Regenerating Breaks – In this state when the driver breaks Engine cut the power and it is started to generate the power by MG2 as acting a generator. That is how it regenerates the power by using the deceleration.

• Engine Break – In this state MG2 cut of the generating power because it will overcharge the battery (This state is happen only when the battery is fully charged) and then engine reduce the speed of the vehicle. When a engine drive with closed valves it can harm the energy reduce the speed of the vehicle.

• Battery Charging – This can be happen when in the engine is run and but vehicle is in not moving state. 

Those are the different states of running in Hybrid Synergy Drive. That is the hybrid technology invented by Toyota Automobiles.   

Hybrid vehicles

What is called hybrid?

Consider about the simple definition Hybrid is a technology that can use two or more power sources with synchronized way to generate the power. For example a moped is a kind of a hybrid vehicle. Because it uses engine power as well as man power. Likewise hybrids use two or more power sources to gain the maximum efficiency at the driving. Today it is become a fashion to have a hybrid car. This is about brief description of how hybrid works. Today all most all of the hybrid cars are developed using gasoline and electric power sources. Synchronization of those power sources makes good efficient product. 

When driving a vehicle there are several driving states are happening. Basically those are as follow

1. Start the engine and not to start driving
2. Start driving with the acceleration
3. Driving with constant speed on a low land
4. Driving with deceleration
5.  Driving on the highland
6.  Stop driving but not the engine
7.  Break suddenly in any driving state.

As you know when the condition is changed the fuel consumption is totally different. That’s why in the carburetor it designed with 4 different fuel supplying capabilities and in the EFI or GDI it designed with several combinations of mixing and fuel injection for those different driving states. In normal vehicle when the engine is started and not driving (engine idle state) it burns the fuel but nothing is doing. That really makes fuel wasting. If we can charge a battery by using that energy, then it is a gain and a kind of power saving. And when driver breaks the vehicle it wastes more energy by converting the kinetic energy to heat. When driving on the city most of the time engine is starting and no movement because of the traffic signals. When it happens energy is wasting and no use can be gain from that. If a vehicle can manage the energy well and good manner by considering all those states then it makes more efficient vehicle. All the hybrids are doing that thing in several ways and several levels of success. If that management is fully success then it is called real economy vehicle. 

 The main parts of the hybrid vehicle

In the hybrid vehicles there are several states of running. When the vehicle is start it is not start the engine. It is in a ready state to drive. When the driver removes his leg on brake pads and adds press on the accelerator paddle then vehicle starts to run by using the power gained by the batteries. But if the driver needs more acceleration and then engine automatically stars and power up the vehicle. Those processes can save more fuel by considering other vehicles. When the vehicle breaks then its breaking system will not waste the energy as heat, but it is converted to electricity by using special generator. When vehicle is stopped in the traffic signal its engine is not up and run but vehicle is in a ready state. When the driver needs to run the vehicle it is automatically change to run state from the ready state. When the vehicle is in deceleration or going down the mountain kind of a state it charges the batteries by using generator. 

So hybrid always run with advanced intelligent power management system. Toyota called this Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD), it is so advanced technology. Honda called this Integrated Motor Assistant (IMA) it is also most likely to HSD but there are several differences are there. Nissan also use Toyota hybrid system. Likewise different companies call it different names. 

Toyota prius 2010 version

Advantages in hybrids

1.   More fuel efficient and have good mileage.(it can run about double than other cars)
2.   More comfortable and have a sophisticated driving power
3.   Less sound emission because engine is fully optimized
4.   Less gas emission and because of that it makes less pollution
5.   It is a help to green concept of the world
6.   So advanced technologies are added to the vehicle and it makes happy driving

 Honda Insight

Disadvantages in hybrids

1.    Batteries and spare parts are so expensive.
2.    Batteries should be changed time to time.
3.    So advanced technologies makes troubles sometimes.
4.   Driver losses his manual control over the vehicle(powerful pickups drive with chosen gear kind of)
5.   Need high technological people to repair the vehicle.
6.   Power lines carry high voltage when in the accidents it may cause problems.

Most popular hybrid cars

•        Toyota prius (51MPG (City), 55MPG (combined))
•        Toyota Highlander (27MPG (City), 30MPG (combined))
•        Toyota Camry Hybrid (40MPG (City), 38MPG (combined))
•        Toyota Crown
•        Lexus HS 250h
•        Lexus RX 400h
•        Lexus GS 450h
•        Toyota Estima
•       Mazda Demio
•     Cadillac Escalade
•     Chevrolet Tahoe
•    Chevrolet Silverado
•    GMC Sierra
•    GMC Yukon
•     BMW X6 ActiveHybrid
•     Honda civic Hybrid (44MPG (City), 44MPG (combined))
•     Honda Insight (40MPG (City), 38MPG (combined))
•     Honda Accord Hybrid
•     Ford Escape Hybrid
•     Hyundai Elantra LPI Hybrid

Anyhow Hybrid systems are more advanced technologies and it can help a green world.

Gas Turbine Engines

Considering about the automobile industry this is one of an advanced engine module that is designed to get huge power in small area. But these kinds of engines take more and more fuel to generate the power. Gas turbine engines are mostly used in aircrafts. Basically there are four kinds of gas turbine engines. They are divided by the way they generate the power. 

•       Turbofan engine
•       Turbo shaft engine
•        Turbo propeller engine
•        Turbo jet engine 

The gas turbine engine has 3 major units called  

• Compressor
• Combustion chamber
•  Turbine

Compressor

The task of the compressor is to compress the air that takes into the engine. In this unit it has several layers of compressing fans. In each layer it compresses the air that is taken into the engine.  The shape of the outer chamber and the shape of the inner fan layer help to make the successful compression of gas. When the engine start working this compressor is also started to rotate and compress the air. 

Combustion Chamber

This is the unit that fuel is taken place to burn and makes the energy.  In this chamber there are several fuel nozzles and those nozzles inject the fuel directly into the chamber. This is the place that makes the energy and because of that the temperature is increasing so much. So the materials should bare that temperature so it uses very tough materials. 

Turbine

This is the last unit of the gas turbine engine. In this unit energy of the burned air is converted to kinetic energy. Using several layers of turbine sets it is converted to the kinetic energy. After going through the turbine the burned air is exist to the atmosphere. All those three units are connected together by using a special rod.

How it works?

The first step needs external power and by using that external power the engine should rotate. For that engine has a starter motor which can start the rotation of the whole unit. When start the rotation compressor compress the air and intake is happening. Then the fuel nozzles start to inject the fuel to the chamber.  Then spark plugs are starting to make sparks. The specialty of this spark is it sparks continuously about few seconds (about 8 sec) and never sparks for the whole engine running state. Consider about the normal gasoline internal combustion engine it always spark frequently according to the timing that is adjusted. But this spark is only one time for the whole stating state.  But the fuel injectors are always injecting the fuel to the combustion chamber, not as in the gasoline internal combustion engine.  So it needs more and more fuel to keep the continuous running state.  Then the flame continuously burn and gas go through the turbine. When the burning is start the speed of the gas is increased to hundreds of miles per hour and that gas needs to flow out. The only way to flow out is to going through turbine. Then gas goes through the turbine and it makes kinetic energy on the turbine and it is rotating because of that energy. Now it can rotate the rotating units in combustion chamber and the compressor because all those units are connected through the rod.  Then the external power is no more needed and engine starts to self run.  That is how the gas turbine engine works. The way of energy that is taken out from the engine makes the difference of the engine type.  

Turbojet Engine

In this engine it makes power by thrusting the compressed air to the atmosphere. These kinds of engines are usually used in supersonic jets.  Because it needs thrusting power to push the vehicle.

Turbofan engine

In this engine the shaft itself rotate another fan that makes thrusts on the air. This is very advanced engine. Because very short type of engine makes so much thrusting power. These kinds of engines are used in the passenger aircraft.

Turbo propeller engine

In this engine the shaft itself rotate the propeller that that thrust the air to backside. Now a day’s these types of engines are not much popular.  These engines are used in a small personal kind of aircrafts.

Turbo shaft engine

In these types of engine the shaft is taken out to the engine. This shaft can be used to rotate any kind of machinery. Normally these types of engines are used in helicopters.

That is how this turbo engines are working on. Those are the basic functions of the turbo engines and the basic concepts of turbo engine.