INTRODUCTION:
Most of the world's energy comes from fossil fuels which includes coal, oil and natural gas. The depleting fossil fuel reserves and ever-increasing level of pollution had led to the rise of research in alternative methods of energy. The hybrid electric vehicle is one of these alternative energy saving methods which has been recently introduced in the industry. The Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) Program officially began in 1993. The program was developed as a five-year cost-shared program that was a partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the three largest American auto manufacturers: General Motors, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler. Even though there are significant achievements in this field in the past decade, the hybrid electric vehicle is still dependent on battery for most of its power. Short life-span and quick discharge of these batteries have considerably hindered the progress of the hybrid electric vehicle. The recent research in the field of ultra-capacitors has opened up an entire new outlook for supplying power to the hybrid electric vehicle. Ultra-capacitors are one of the latest technological breakthroughs in the electrical industry. Up until very recently capacitors had a maximum capacitance of roughly one or two farads. Recently, several companies like Maxwell Inc. and Matsushita Electric Inc. have released devices that have capacitances in the kilofarad range. Such products can store an enormous amount of electrical energy in a fairly compact space (see Figure 1 below).

Figure 1

OBJECTIVE:

The goal of the IPRO-314 team is to replace the traditional battery in a hybrid electric vehicle with the combination of an ultra-capacitor and a battery. The team aims at achieving an upgrade in the field of power supply to the hybrid electric vehicle through various improvements like longer life-span, faster charge and discharge rates, higher thermal threshold, increased power outputs and an overall enhancement in its efficiency.
The future prospects also include the replacement of the lead-acid battery with the lithium-ion battery to amplify the performance of the hybrid electric vehicle.

METHODLOGY:

The team plans to introduce a circuit consisting of two main components, the battery and the ultra-capacitor (see figure 2 below). The circuit will undergo various tests to present the performing capabilities of the battery under various conditions like the increase and decrease of temperature gradient, changes in voltage and resistance.

Figure 2

EXPECTED RESULTS:

The team expects an increase in the performance of the battery's life and power output through these experiments and a successful addition of the ultra-capacitor to the battery of a hybrid electric vehicle.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

There are numerous scheduled tasks that are due during the course of the semester. The following are the tasks and due dates:
Project Plan Jan 30,2003
Midterm Progress Report Mar 6,2003
Abstract Apr 30,2003
Professional-Style Poster May 2,2003
Web Site May 2,2003
Oral Presentation May 2,2003
Final Report May 9,2003

ASSIGNED RESPONSIBILITIES:

Each team member has been assigned or has volunteered to do their part to help the team accomplish its ultimate objective as stated above. The list below entails the details of all the responsibilities and tasks, along with responsible team member(s).

Facilitator Toh Chu Lee
Schedule(Calendar) All
Project Plan Saurav Batra& Israel Gonzalez
Mid Term Progress Report & Oral Review Saurav Batra& Israel Gonzalez
Web Site Karen Stone & Benito Lugo
Final Oral Presentation All
Professional Style Poster Rafael Tudor & Ima Ufot
One Page Abstract Luke Radwanski & Jeffrey Stano
Final Project Report Ima Ufot
Team Minutes & Inter-professional Perspectives Rafael Tudor
Team Member Journal Individual (All)


The division of tasks makes possible the recognition of each team member's unique talent and area of expertise that will be integrated and shared to make this team effort successful, and the project an exciting and interesting learning experience.