Well-to-Wheel analysis of alternative drive train – technologies

In line with the wiba perspective studies for hydrogen energy economy the Research Institute for Energy Economy has analysed the production and usage of alternative drive trains compared to conventional technologies for automobiles. Thereby the cumulated energy input and the cumulated non-renewable energy input have been analysed.

Methodology:

A medium-sized car on the current state of the art which is driven by a direct–injection combustion engine resp. a turbo–diesel motor acted as reference vehicle. In addition to that, alternative power train – variations of bivalent natural gas and liquid petroleum gas drive, which were already disposed for the market, were analysed. Bio diesel as well as methanol reformed from biomass and natural gas respectively represented today’s alternative fuels. These technologies have been compared to an innovative drive-train with a PEM fuel cell and liquid hydrogen as fuel. Furthermore the prototype of an electric vehicle with a lithium–ion accumulator was studied.

The effect on the energy input of production was examined precisely for a lightweight construction, the use of the lithium ion battery in the electrical car and for the fuel cell system.

The study is completed by a short comparison of the current possible reduction of emission by alternative drives and fuels as well as an outlook on future primary–energetic reduction potentials of the different drive-train systems.

Associates of the project:

• Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology

Authors:

• Roger Corradini
• Alex Krimmer

The study is distributed byEnergie & Management – Verlagsgesellschaften mbH in Herrsching (phone 08152/ 93 11 – 0, website www.shop.emvg.de) for 30 €

Via "Produktsuche" with "wiba" as keyword this and other studies of the Bavarian Hydrogen Initiative can be found.