Road Transportation Vehicles

Abstract

In many industrial countries, road transportation accounts for a significant portion of the country's energy consumption. In developing countries, the use of energy for transportation is on the rise. The recent increase in petroleum prices, expanding world economic prosperity, the probable peaking of conventional petroleum production in the coming decades, and concerns about global climate changes require efforts to increase the efficiency of the use of, and develop alternatives for, petroleum-based fuels used in road transportation. The energy efficiency of a vehicle could be improved in several ways: lightweighting the vehicle structure and powertrain using advanced materials and designs, improving the efficiency of the internal combustion engine, reducing tire rolling resistance, and hybridization. Each of these efforts will require improvements in materials and processes.

How America Can Look Within to Achieve Energy Security and Reduce Global Warming

“…Lightweight Materials: Replacing steel with aluminum can reduce a vehicle's weight by 40 to 60 percent. Magnesium as a replacement has a 60 to 75 percent benefit, and graphite fiber reinforced polymer composites, a 50 to 60 percent benefit [Carpenter et al 2008]. The barrier to such replacements is simply the price tag.…”

“…For example, replacing steel with aluminum can reduce a vehicle's weight by 40 to 60 percent. Magnesium is even better, offering a 60 to 75 percent reduction, and graphite fiber reinforced polymer composites offer a 50 to 60 percent reduction [Carpenter et al, 2008].…”

How America can look within to achieve energy security and reduce global warming

“…For example, replacing steel with aluminum can reduce av ehicle'sw eight by 40 to 60 percent. Magnesium is even better,offering a60to75percent reduction, and graphite fiber reinforced polymer composites offer a50to60percent reduction [Carpenter et al, 2008].…”

“…Lightweight Materials: Replacing steel with aluminum can reduceav ehicle'sw eight by 40 to 60 percent. Magnesium as areplacement has a60to75percent benefit,and graphite fiber reinforced polymer composites, a50to60percent benefit [Carpenter et al 2008]. The barrier to such replacements is simplythe price tag.…”

Low‐Density High‐Strength Bulk Metallic Glasses and Their Composites: A Review

“…The desire for low‐density engineering materials is primarily driven by reducing energy consumption, which simultaneously reduces operational cost. Identifying novel low‐density metals and composites, especially those with advantageous mechanical and physical properties, continues to be a major component of materials science research . Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) are a relatively new class of metal alloys that have many interesting properties that make them potentially desirable for integration into these high‐performance industries, including high yield strengths, 2% elastic limits, high hardness, and processability similar to thermoplastics.…”