Automobile safety

Automobile safety became a very important issue from the beginning of mechanized road vehicle development. The second steam-powered car created by Nicolas Cugnot in 1771 crashed into a wall during its demonstration run.

Automobile safety is the study and practice of design, construction, equipment and regulation to minimize the occurrence and consequences of automobile accidents. Improvements in roadway and automobile designs reduce injury and death rates.

There is active and passive safety. “Active safety” is used to prevent a crash and “passive safety” (airbags, seat belts and the physical structures of the vehicle) helps to protect occupants during a crash. Crash avoidance systems and devices help the driver to avoid a collision.

Driver assistance systems include Automatic Braking systems to prevent the severity of collision, adaptive headlamps which control the direction and range of the headlight beams, back up camera, anti-lock braking systems, emergency brake assist systems, automated parking system.

There are different systems and devices which prevent the severity of injuries when a crash happens.

Seatbelts limit the forward motion of an occupant. Airbags inflate to cushion the impact of a vehicle occupant with various parts of the vehicles interior. Crumple zones absorb and dissipate the force of a collision. There are also pedestrian protection systems. Cargo barriers are sometimes fitted to provide a physical barrier, between passenger and cargo compartments in vehicles such as station wagons and vans.

Vocabulary:

occurrence [q'kArqns] n.– происшествие, случай

consequence ['kPnsIkwqns] n.– последствие

injure ['InGq] v. – травмировать

headlamp ['hedlxmp] n.– фара

severity [sI'verqtI] n.– серьезность, опасность (травм)

airbag ['eqbxg] n. – подушка безопасности

crumple zone ['krAmpl 'zəun] – зона смятия

barrier['bxrIq] n.- перегородка

headlight beam['hedlaIt b°m] – луч света фар

Answer the following questions:

1. What became a very important issue from the beginning of mechanized road vehicle development?

2. What does automobile safety mean?

3. What reduces injuries and death rates?

4. What is the difference between active and passive safety?

5. Which systems and devices prevent the severity of injuries?

ТТП, ЭТМК, ПМХ (IV семестр)

Hybrid cars

Hybrid electric vehicle is a type of hybrid vehicle which combines a conventional internal combustion engine with an electric system. The aim of the electric powertrain is to achieve better fuel economy or better performance. There are many HEV types. Modern HEVs use improved technology which converts the vehicle’s kinetic energy into electric energy. Some HEVs use their internal combustion engine to generate electricity by spinning an electrical generator.

Many HEVs reduce idle emissions by shutting down the internal combustion engine at idle and restarting it when needed.

A hybrid-electric vehicle produces less emission than a pure-gasoline burning vehicle. Hybrid electric vehicle can be classified according to the way in which power is supplied to the drivetrain.

In parallel hybrids, the ICE and the electric motor are both connected to the mechanical transmission and can transmit power to drive the wheels.

In series hybrids only the electric motor drives the drivetrain, and the ICE works as a generator to power the electric motor. Power-split hybrids have the benefits of a combination of series and parallel types.

Hybrids can be classified by degree of hybridization. Full hybrid is a vehicle that runs only on just the engine, only on the batteries or combination of both. Mild hybrid is a vehicle that cannot be driven solely on its electric motor, because the electric motor does not have enough power to propel the vehicle on its own.