Fuel saver system

            The proposed fuel saver system uses radio frequency transmitting and receiving techniques to communicate messages which decide whether a vehicle’s engine should be turned ON or OFF in traffic signals, thereby optimizing fuel consumption and also at the same time reducing pollution (air and noise pollution). The system is fully automated.

Introduction

The industrial revolution brought a number of developments, innovations & inventions at a very high & fast rate. The changes led to the super-fast growth of industrial townships, new means of communication, new methods of transportation & the discovery of machines for a total impact on human development. This led to exploring newer forms of energy sources like fossil fuels. The exploration & use of fossil fuel on a larger scale led to high rate of industrialization and development. But unfortunately, under the influence of this development, a human being totally forgot that fossil fuels are non-renewable. Looking the way in which these fossil fuels are being used, that day is not far away when nothing would be left to be utilized.

The fuel resources which are non-renewable and presently available can last only for about 50 years. Being aware of this rapidly exhaustible resource serious thought needs to be given for its conservation. The most vulnerable resource is crude oil which is a source for most utilized oils like Petrol, Diesel, and Kerosene. The increase in number of automobiles is multiplying every year leading to the use of fuel to a larger extent. The fastest resource that is getting exhausted is fuel resource, hence there is an urgent need to conserve fuel resources. The common place where the engines of vehicles are not switched off when the traffic is halting. Studying the impact of keeping the engines switched on during traffic halts at signals is of prime importance.

Implementation

The implementations require every vehicle to be fitted with the RF receiver and a microcontroller and also each lane leading to the traffic signal should have a pole with a micro-controller and a transmitter circuit, to transmit the lane id, then lastly at each traffic signal, we again need a micro-controller and a transmitter circuit to send the lane IDs sequentially for 30 seconds each.

Working

Firstly, the vehicle when it enters the lane which leads to a traffic signal, it will receive a lane ID which becomes the identity of all the vehicles belonging to that lane, the lane id received by the vehicle receiver is stored by the microcontroller present in the vehicle. When the vehicle stops at the traffic signal, the receiver located in the vehicle receives the lane ID transmitted by the signal transmitter. The vehicle’s microcontroller then matches this lane ID received, with the stored lane id which was stored when the vehicle entered the lane leading to the traffic signal. Now, if the lane IDs match, then the vehicle’s microcontroller sends a START engine command, which starts the engine in case if it is in a stopped state. Contrarily if the lane ids do not match then the vehicle micro-controller sends an OFF engine command, which will turn the vehicle engine OFF.

Hardware and Software  Interfaces

Hardware interfaces:

1) 89s5x trainer kit

Software interfaces:

1. Kiel tool
2. SPG burner

User Interfaces

• Absolutely no user interfaces. It is a fully automated system.
• The only administrator is provided with privileges to reprogram the system whenever necessary.

Implementation Constraints

1. The signal is not strong and may not travel long distances.
2. Heavy motor vehicles may block the propagation of the signal.
3. Limited memory of the microcontroller restricts from addition of sophisticated features.

Present Scope

• The Project has a wider scope, it can be used in almost all places where there is a traffic signal.
• It can work in places where the temperature ranges between -55oC to 125oC.
• It is a fully automated system (no user interfaces) hence anybody who owns a vehicle can use it without the requirement of any knowledge about it.

Advantages

1. Reduction in Air and Noise Pollution
2. Optimization of Fossil fuel usage
3. Better implementation of traffic rules
4. The system could be set up in any vehicle in any part of the world

Disadvantages

1. All vehicles have to be fitted with this additional kit and radio signal transmitters and other external circuitry should be set up at strategic points where needed by the system.
2. Proper encryption methods should be used for the signals (signals between vehicles and signals between the vehicles and environment) employed

Future Scope:

1. Semi-Automated Drive system: A drive system that would automatically take care of few parameters of the vehicle (Speed limit, No honking zones, no parking zones etc) and reduce the number of parameters for the driver to consider. Thus, allowing him/her to concentrate more on the road and less on other things.
2. To regulate fuel usage in all kinds of engines: This system could be fit into a vehicle running on nonconventional fuels (hydrogen fuel, solar powered etc) to regulate the fuel usage for optimization.
3. Regulate vehicles to run at optimum speed: the system would assist the driver to drive at an optimum speed ( the speed at which the output power of the vehicle is high considering low emissions by the vehicle), keeping road conditions and vehicle model in mind etc.
4. Driving assistance in hilly sections: due to narrow roads, only one vehicle would be capable of negotiating a turn at once. When two vehicles approach from both sides, a signaling point could be set up at the turn and the vehicles could communicate with each other through the signal.  Thereby assisting each other to safely negotiate the turn.
5. Intelligent Braking System: if a vehicle moving ahead applies brakes suddenly, the driver of the vehicle behind will have very less time to react to it. To minimize the effects, signals can be sent to the vehicles behind and they would get some time to think and take necessary actions

Conclusion

Though the initial one-time setup charges do apply, the system can be easily affordable at a low cost for the complete module. The long-term benefits are very high. The system is highly reliable and does not need any maintenance. Hence, once the module is installed, it can be used to save a large amount of fuel, which not only reduces fuel consumption but also reduces the air pollution which in turn reduces global warming, and the chain goes on.