Our Crowdfunding Groups
The hybrid car is a vehicle that is powered by both electricity and fossil fuels. Hybrid cars are an important component in the fight against fossil fuel usage. However, some commuters continue to avoid hybrid cars due to the unattractive stigma, such as short range of battery, poor acceleration, and aesthetic appeal that comes with buying a hybrid. This means that in order to properly fight against fossil fuel usage, the image of the hybrid car must be reinvented.
In the fight against foreign oil dependency, it is critical that the scope of hybrid vehicles be expanded. Rear wheel drive (RWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) automobiles serve as potential candidates for the expansion of hybrid technology in the form of regenerative braking. The team will focus on researching the effects of implementing a regenerative braking system in the form of an alternator along the drive shaft, a component in the drive train system of RWD and AWD vehicles.
Currently, regenerative breaking components are used in the axles of vehicles. Considering energy can be harvested and collected from numerous locations on a car, the drive shaft presents an alternative source of recapturing energy. Therefore, Team DRIVE’s solution to expanding the scope of hybrid vehicles will be to model the implementation of an alternator and regenerative braking system on the drivetrains of RWD and AWD cars, specifically with a focus on the drive shaft. If successful, the team’s design can be used in further testing simulations that can lead to an eventual system integration for those vehicles. As a result, Team DRIVE will have created an improved self-recharging hybrid in an effort to reduce air pollution and foreign oil dependency.
For more information on our project please visit: http://teamdrive18.wixsite.com/home
Gifts in support of the University of Maryland are accepted and managed by the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, Inc., an affiliated 501(c)(3) organization authorized by the Board of Regents. Contributions to the University of Maryland are tax deductible as allowed by law. Please see your tax advisor for details.
This donation will help us purchase shaft collars and stock material for constructing the power train of the test rig. For this donation, you will receive a personalized email. Thank you!
With this donation we will be able to purchase pulleys, sprockets, and belts for the gear system of our test rig. For this donation, you will receive a social media shout out from our Facebook page. Thank you!
With this donation we will be able to purchase stock material for our rotor prototypes, along with refurbished alternators. For this donation, you will receive a signed handwritten thank you note. Thank you!
With this donation we will be able to purchase higher quality alternators. For this contribution you will receive a custom Team DRIVE bumper sticker. Thank you!
With this donation we will be able to work towards purchasing a torque transducer for our test rig. For this donation, you will receive acknowledgement in all of our future presentations. Thank you!
With this donation we will be able to work towards purchasing a torque transducer for our test rig. For this donation, you will receive a signed copy of our final thesis when we graduate in May 2018. Thanks a truckload!