Content deleted Content added
Wtshymanski (talk | contribs) |
|||
| (17 intermediate revisions by 16 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{Short description|Power in cars}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2021}}
[[Image:Energy flows in car.svg|thumb|right|450px|Example energy flows for a late-model midsize passenger car: (a) urban driving; (b) highway driving. Source: U.S. Department of Energy [http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/atv.shtml/]]]
'''Automobile accessory power''' can be transferred by several different means. However, it is always ultimately derived from the [[automobile]]'s [[engine|internal combustion engine]], battery, or other "prime mover" source of energy. The advent of high-powered batteries in hybrid and all-electrical vehicles is shifting the balance of technologies even further in the direction of electrically powered accessories.
Line 10 ⟶ 11:
==Electrical==
Early automobiles used a [[
The first electrical accessory connection was supplied by a [[Direct current|DC]] [[Electrical generator|generator]]. Voltage varied with engine speed and because of technological limitations, complicated mechanical devices were used to regulate it. Even so, voltage at idle was too low to be useful. A lead-acid [[Battery (electricity)|battery]] was used to provide proper voltage when the generator could not, and was recharged at higher engine speed or lower electrical load. The [[automobile self starter]] was an early engine system to use this.
Line 18 ⟶ 19:
Early systems used 6 volts, but 12 volts became the standard because it provided greater power with less current. The original DC generator was replaced by an [[alternator (auto)|alternator]] controlled by a [[voltage regulator]].<ref>first introduced on the 1960 [[Plymouth Valiant]]</ref> Due to mechanical and electrical properties, it is more efficient to first produce [[alternating current]] and then immediately convert it to direct current. By regulating the current sent to the alternator's rotor and thus the strength of the magnetic field, a stable voltage can be produced over a wider range of engine speeds.
Starting, lighting and ignition systems of most gasoline-powered vehicles remain as 12 volt systems. Diesel-powered vehicles, including mobile construction equipment and heavy trucks use 24 volt electrical systems, as do many military vehicles. Research is ongoing into adopting a [[42-volt electrical system]] standard for automotive electricity, but the entire electrical system will have to be redesigned and new components manufactured to work with the higher voltage. The main advantage of higher voltage is that electrical components can be made with less metal, saving weight and cost, and improving [[Efficient energy use|energy efficiency]]. As such an [[48-volt electrical system]] has been introduced.
Most modern systems, such as [[power window]]s, [[power seat]]s, and [[power door locks]], are electrically powered. Electrically driven [[power steering]] systems have been developed and are used in numerous models. High-efficiency all-electric refrigerant compressors for air conditioning are starting to be used, especially in hybrid or all-electric vehicles.
Line 27 ⟶ 28:
The engine generally has a hydraulic pump mechanically driven by the engine, but there may also be electrically driven pumps.
In passenger cars, the most common use of hydraulic power has been the [[power steering|steering system]]. [[Convertible (car)|Convertible]] tops may be raised and lowered using hydraulics. [[Windshield wiper]]s were sometimes hydraulically driven, although this use mostly ceased after the late 1960s. On vehicles with little or no engine vacuum, hydraulic systems are generally adopted in place of vacuum systems.
The French company [[Citroën]] devised a high-pressure hydraulics system for cars which was used for all manner of systems, even power-adjustable seats.
The
In vehicles such as heavy [[truck]]s and [[tractor]]s, hydraulic systems are much more common. [[Hydraulic ram]]s are used for accessories such as dump truck beds, cranes, loaders, and [[three-point hitch]]es.
Line 66 ⟶ 67:
Larger vehicles often use [[air brake (road vehicle)|air brakes]] and the pressure may be used to drive other systems. Windshield wipers, automatic gear boxes, and other common hydraulic or vacuum powered accessories are often adapted. On buses where the engine is often at the rear of the vehicle, compressed air may be used for the throttle and clutch.
[[Bus doors]] are typically air powered, as well as the steps and the [[suspension (vehicle)|suspension]], allowing the bus to lower itself or "kneel" at stops to allow passengers on or off.
==References==
Line 74 ⟶ 75:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Automobile Accessory Power}}
[[Category:Automotive
| |||