EGEE 101
Energy and the Environment

Lesson 5: Transportation

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Overview

Freedom and liberty - the flag, the Bald Eagle, the almighty dollar, Elvis, free speech, the Wild West, monster trucks, a passion of American life and our ongoing love affair with the cars and trucks we drive.

The ability to move about freely is deeply woven into the fabric of the American lifestyle, and so it is natural that Americans commit a significant percentage of time, money, energy, and emotion into their vehicles. At the same time, our quality of life has become highly dependent upon transportation, as so many of the materials, products, and goods are delivered to us via a massive and highly intricate transportation system. The energy to fuel all of this activity is available whenever we need it - although this has not always been the case.

This lesson is about the many ways in which people and products endlessly move about, the energy/fuel that it takes, and the environmental consequences. Like Lesson 1 on Electricity, this lesson is designed as an opportunity to connect the topic to your own personal experiences and to see yourself as a component of a larger system. But like Lesson 1, "the times they are a-changin." Watch the following (:56) video below.

The picturesque, and increasingly busy, Mount Nittany Expressway - a hub for the transportation of people, goods, and services into and out of central Pennsylvania. It is much busier now.
Click for a transcript.

[Dr. Mathews is standing off of a highway with vehicles passing by periodically.] Dr. Mathews: Today's lecture is all about transportation. I am standing out here at 322 it is the Mt. Nittany Expressway. Lots of people (goods and services) come up and down this route. When you think about it, think about all the things that move around. We have to have gasoline, crude oil transported. We have to have frozen vegetables. We have to have exotic fruits moved around. Not to mention moving people. I have flown from Europe to America and back again many times. I have been to Australia, China, New Zealand, etc. I have even traveled via canoe, boat, train, and air. I have even ridden my bicycle every once in a while. All of these things require energy and each of these things will have its own impact on the environment around us. [A loud truck drives by] [Video fades out]

Dr. Jonathan Mathews

Lesson Objectives

Success in this lesson will be based on:

  • Describe how engines (diesel, gasoline, electric, fuel cells, and hybrid) function
  • Explain the function of a catalytic converter
  • Relatie vehicle changes to efficiency improvements and pollution reduction
  • Discuss alternative fuel and engine approaches

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