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Re: [Phys-l] Hybrid mileage

My prius mileage is not close to advertised and drops substantially in the winter. I think it is mostly due to what Rick mentions below. I only have less than a half mile commute to work; so a lot of my miles are never out of the initial engine warming up stages at high revs.


_________________________

Joel Rauber, Ph.D 
Professor and Head of Physics
Department of Physics
South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD 57007
Joel.Rauber@sdstate.edu
605.688.5428 (w)
605.688.5878 (fax)

-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [mailto:phys-l-
bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of Richard Tarara
Sent: Tuesday, January 05, 2010 6:15 PM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Hybrid mileage

I have noticed that the engine seems to be reving higher, at least for
the
first ten minutes or so--guess I could check the Tach, but with an
automatic
I never paid much attention this summer (new car) so I don't have a
reference point.

Rick

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Shapiro, Mark" <mshapiro@Exchange.FULLERTON.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, January 05, 2010 4:44 PM
To: "Forum for Physics Educators" <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Hybrid mileage

In order to meet emission requirements the cc has to be at a certain
minimum temperature. A sensor monitors the cc temp and tells the
car's
computer to run the engine at high enough rpms to bring the cc up to
temp.
For a hybrid that may mean going from zero rpms to finite rpms. For
a
non-hybrid that may mean increasing the idle speed.

(These days you don't "drive" a car, you just point it. The computer
drives it!)

Mark
________________________________________


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