Enhancing the Efficiency of Gasoline Engines using Solar Powered Supercharger

Abstract

The world presently depends heavily on non-renewable sources of energy like crude oils. These conventional energy sources have certain limitations, that is, they will eventually run out, fuel prices can rise without warning and most importantly growing environmental concerns over the climate change associated with the release of CO2 on burning fossil fuels[1]. Renewable energy is the key to a clean energy future. In the last few decades, solar energy is the fastest growing renewable energy source[2]. We can harness this energy of the sun in increasing the efficiency of our automobiles. Forced induction system (supercharger and turbocharger) in automobiles helps in the improvement of the efficiency of internal combustion engines by pushing extra atmospheric air into the cylinder which results in the proper combustion of fuel and thus reducing the smoke from the exhaust gas. Conventional Supercharger draws power from the engine and though the overall mechanical efficiency is increased but some energy is lost in powering the supercharger. The main purpose of this paper is to develop a solar-powered supercharger which will not consume extra power from the engine and thus increase the overall efficiency of the engine along with a reduction in CO2 emission.