Every day public transport travels hundreds of kilometers and burns hundreds of liters of fuel. But with the growth of cities, the need for public transport is increasing, the load on the roads is growing, and along with this is the amount of exhaust gases, soot, dust and soot in the air. Drivers, passengers and pedestrians breathe all this. Probably, in every large city of Russia there is an urgent need for such a system of public transport, which caused minimal damage to the environment and met the environmental demands of our time.

While in Russia the problem is just beginning to become acute, a number of cities around the world have already taken the first steps to change the situation for the better. For example, in New York, the program of transferring urban transport to alternative energy sources has existed for more than 20 years. According to it, buses on liquefied gas run through the streets of the city, and old diesel buses must be replaced with newer ones, with additional filters.

A similar situation exists in the capital of Great Britain. In March 2006, hybrid buses appeared on the streets of London. All buses have been successfully tested. The city authorities, inspired by this, announced that in the near future all buses, without exception, will run on hybrid engines. More recently, Londoners have become participants in another experiment with public transport - 10 buses have appeared in the city, which are powered by fuel cells running on compressed hydrogen. Passengers have already appreciated their quietness and smooth running. At the same time, ecological buses develop a fairly serious speed - up to 80 km / h.

The capital of China, Beijing, now runs 1,000 hybrid buses. They only use 29.5 liters of gasoline per 100 km. This amount of fuel is used to generate electricity, which is needed to propel the bus. Environmentalists note a significant reduction in harmful emissions into the atmosphere and an improvement in the environmental situation in the city. The mayor of Beijing donated several of these buses to the Moscow government.

The situation is interesting in Hamburg, Germany, where the Clean Urban Transport for Europe program is being implemented quite successfully. As part of the program, 30 hydrogen-powered buses travel around the city. Hydrogen as a fuel is notable for the fact that when it is burned, water is formed. At the same time, no exhaust gases and combustion products are emitted into the atmosphere. The only difficulty is that the separation of pure hydrogen is a rather complicated and time-consuming process, but the Hamburg authorities hope to solve this problem soon.

In Russia, since 2010, ecobuses have been operating quite successfully in Krasnodar. It is noteworthy that all of them are the development of the Engels trolleybus plant. These buses run on natural gas and electricity. Like all vehicles powered by electricity, they are quiet. Eco-buses are quite friendly to the environment - the emission of harmful substances is significantly reduced.

Experiments on the introduction of eco-buses as public transport are now being carried out in many cities of Russia, including Moscow. Therefore, taking into account global trends, we can safely assume that the public transport systems of large cities in Russia may soon be revised in favor of the introduction of ecological buses.

"A new silent and environmentally friendly mode of transport - the electric bus - begins to operate in the capital" - informs mos.ru portal. Commissioning of electric buses on September 1-2 ended unsuccessfully: problems with recharging, inoperative air conditioning systems and other breakdowns.

On September 1, VDNKh hosted a presentation of the first electric bus, which was attended by the candidate for mayor of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin, as well as the head of the Department of Transport Maxim Liksutov.

M-24 posted news prepared in advance https://t.co/vwBv9u0qP0.

The founder of "City Projects" and urbanist Maxim Katz said on his Twitter that the first electric bus with Sobyanin on board traveled 500 meters and broke down. Subsequent starts ended disappointingly: charging problems, inoperative air conditioning, constant stops and breakdowns.

The Moscow City Hall and the media are silent about the current situation. Sergei Sobyanin expected the launch of electric buses to be significant will improve the ecological situation.

So, several times during the mayor's term, the launch of electric buses was announced and such a result is clearly not what S.S. expected to receive. Sobyanin a week before a single voting day.

In the environmental rating of the subjects of the Russian Federation of the All-Russian Public Organization "Green Patrol" Moscow took the fifth place, having risen by 9 positions over the year. Measures for the development of the urban transport system helped to improve the state of the environment in the capital.

The environmental rating of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation has been published since 2008 and is published four times a year: in winter, spring, summer and autumn. At the end of the winter 2016-2107, Moscow took 5th place. Last winter, the capital was ranked 14th. The basis for calculating the environmental rating is taken from operational data on environmentally significant events, incidents and problems. You can get acquainted with the calculation methodology on the Green Patrol website www.greenpatrol.ru/sites/default/files/_ppt_1_0_0.pdf

According to the rating, the environmental situation in Moscow was influenced by the transport decisions of recent years - the introduction of paid parking, the purchase of new rolling stock for public transport, the creation of pedestrian spaces and bike paths under the My Street program, regulation of truck traffic and other initiatives.

Public transport is one of the most environmentally friendly road users on the capital's roads. Since 2013, buses purchased in Moscow comply with the environmental class of the Euro-5 engine. The bus fleet of the carrier SUE "Mosgortrans" has been renewed by 95%. In 2016, 2,000 new environmentally friendly vehicles were launched on the routes thanks to the reform of urban land-based passenger transport. The average age of buses of commercial carriers is 1 year, and of Mosgortrans - 4.9 years.

In the next three years, 100 trams will be delivered to Moscow annually. Each modern three-section tram carries 30% more passengers than a conventional tram. In addition, a new Russian-made electric bus is being tested in the capital.

In 2016, the number of passengers in urban transport increased by 600 million compared to 2010. Muscovites have become wiser to use the car, giving preference to other ways of getting around the city. The launch of traffic on the Moscow Central Circle, as well as the introduction of the new Magistral route network in 2016, made urban transport more convenient and attracted new passengers. The growing popularity of Moscow taxis and car-sharing systems is also helping to reduce the number of private cars in the city and improve the road situation, which has a positive effect on the environmental situation in the city.

“The work of the Moscow Government, and in particular the Transport Complex, in the direction of the city reorganization allowed Moscow to enter the top 5 of the environmental friendliness rating. Moscow, almost one year earlier than other regions of Russia, adopted a law on the sale of Euro-5 fuel, which had a positive effect on air quality. The planting of trees, the introduction of paid parking lots, and the restriction of the entry of freight transport had a positive effect, ”said Andrey Nagibin, chairman of the All-Russian Public Organization“ Green Patrol ”.

“The construction of housing stock, population growth and an increase in the number of cars require new solutions from the Moscow Government to improve the state of urban ecology and improve the quality of life of citizens. In 2017, we will continue to purchase modern and environmentally friendly rolling stock, improve the route network, giving preference to public transport around the city, and also support the development of alternative transport - cycling, car sharing and electric vehicles, ”said the Deputy Mayor of Moscow, Head of the Department of Transport and Development road transport infrastructure in Moscow Maxim Liksutov.

“From January 1, 2017, trucks with engines below Euro-3 class cannot enter the Third Transport Ring (TTK) and within its limits, and trucks with engines below Euro-2 class cannot enter the Moscow Ring Road (MKAD) and its limits. About 30% of the exhaust gases that pollute the air in the area of ​​highways are emitted by trucks. The restrictions should stimulate transport companies to upgrade their fleet to a more modern one. We expect that the restriction on the entry of trucks into the central part of the city will reduce air pollution by 2-3%, which is essential for such a metropolis as Moscow. I think at the end of 2017 we will already be able to assess the effectiveness of this measure, ”said Anton Kulbachevsky, Head of the Department of Nature Management and Environmental Protection of the city of Moscow.

The problem of global warming caused by the growth of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere constantly resounds in the speeches of prominent figures and organizations dealing with the environment. Despite the fact that this idea is questioned, often quite reasonably, the presence of large-scale environmental pollution by various vehicles is very acute.

Yes, the facts say that the carbon dioxide produced by all industries and cars can only be estimated at a few percent of the damage caused by the eruption of an average volcano. But humanity cannot ignore the problem of other emissions. To reduce harm to nature, ecological transport is being developed that is convenient for people and safe for the ecosphere.

Modern engines can be called the top of environmental friendliness when compared with their predecessors half a century ago. The use of biodiesel, the constant reduction in the level of harmful substances in the exhaust, set by safety standards, has a positive effect on the atmosphere of cities.

However, the constant increase in the number of cars on the roads does not lead to a decrease in environmental harm. The most notable dangerous features of modern transportation include:

• the presence of carbon monoxide in the exhaust, which is fatal to humans and other living organisms;
• the presence of heavy metal salts deposited in the soil;
• the presence of active substances of acidic, alkaline groups, which, when dissolved in atmospheric precipitation, affect the soil, building structures, and pollute the groundwater.

Transport environmental issues are not limited to emissions and engine-related hazards. The area of ​​harmful effects includes oil leaks, fuel leaks, soot emissions, which are inevitable in diesel engines. Damage to nature is caused by the extraction of raw materials for the production of gasoline and diesel, as well as its processing.

What characterizes ecological transport

Eco-friendly cars minimize all emissions to the environment. Modern engineering ideas, realized "in metal" and used on the roads, are familiar to many, for example, in the form of public transport. Other eco-friendly cars either run on a hybrid principle, use less fuel, or are built without the use of internal combustion engines.

Public transport

Environmentally friendly modes of transport are familiar to everyone - public trolleybuses, trams, metro. This part of the infrastructure of cities, if you evaluate a specific means of transportation, seems to be ideal. No harmful substances are released into the air, there is no soot, there is no large-scale smoke of the atmosphere. The ecology of this type of transport is attractive, but somewhat controversial.

1. Public transport is used during the daytime.
2. The required capacity of the power grid is very high.
3. There are large energy leaks due to network failures, short circuits, and various emergencies.

As a result, there is an increase in the load on electricity producers. Thermal plants burn more fuel, increasing air emissions. It is very difficult to regulate the load according to the time of day using public electric transport. Therefore, humanity needs another way out.

Hybrid cars

Popular and familiar to all hybrids are a car in which the internal combustion engine operates in a stable, controlled mode. Part of the load is borne by the secondary electrical drive system. Ecological transport of this kind operates according to the following scheme:

• while driving on the highway at a cruising speed or with a small range of its change, the internal combustion engine operates;
• in city mode, when speed is not needed, but constant acceleration and deceleration are required, the car is driven by an electric motor;
• while in the city, the internal combustion engine provides only the operation of the air conditioner, as well as an electric generator that recharges the car's batteries.

Eco-friendly hybrid transport significantly reduces emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere. Total fuel consumption drops to 50% (for cars that mostly drive in the urban cycle). But on long journeys on the highway, the benefits of hybrids come to naught.

Battery electric vehicles

Electric vehicles powered only by a battery are recognized by many experts as the most convenient and rational solution. Today, a wide range of models is mass-produced - from pickups, for example, the Chevrolet trademark, which can travel up to 240 km with a single charge under load, to small cars for individual or family use. Such ecological modes of transport solve several problems at once:

• electric vehicles do not emit harmful substances into the atmosphere;
• the tactical and technical characteristics of engineering solutions are very attractive: models
• "Nissan", capable of charging even from the usual electrical network of an apartment, can travel up to 400 km from a single charge;
• battery capacities are restored at night, which makes it possible to balance the load on the electricity generation infrastructure.

It is becoming clear why more and more companies are offering their development of electric vehicles to the market. The distribution of this type of transport is limited - in some countries, systems of standards and laws governing taxation, rules for the use and maintenance of such individual vehicles have not been adopted.

But in a number of countries, the electric car has become a familiar form of transport, and even the infrastructure for fast charging of batteries from powerful energy sources is provided.

Solar powered and induction powered vehicles

The solar-powered car has long been featured in science fiction writings and various films about the future. This type of transport exists. Its development is still hampered by an undoubted drawback:

• the movement of the car can only occur during the day;
• Batteries capable of providing traction in the evening and at night make the engineering solution heavier, increase the cost of the car, and reduce the overall dynamics.

Solar powered personal vehicles are not available on the market. But public transport is already operational. Serial, existing and in-use solutions include solar-powered buses on routes in Australian cities.

Another example is mini-trains for tourists launched in Hungary. Implements solar-powered public transport projects in China and other countries with high industrial potential.

Another interesting type of eco-friendly vehicle is powered in the same way as smartphones with wireless charging. The energy source is a cable laid under the road. Through induction, electricity is transferred to the motors. Such buses run through the streets of Paris (Jeweline project), in parks in America and Japan.

Another scheme for using induction was found by Swedish engineers. Scania Citiwide buses are built as electric vehicles. They are rechargeable and move freely. Induction charging stations are located right in the bus stop areas of the public network. This gave the transport mobility and at the same time the ability to move as long as you like, without being tied to the power line laid under the road.

Non-battery induction buses offer another advantage. They don't need a driver. The route is well-defined, goes where the power cable is laid under the road. At the same time, the speed of the vehicle is easy to control, it is even possible to track the position of a specific vehicle on the way, organizing a safe mode.

But on a large city scale, where there are many road users, a tracking system is difficult to implement. Therefore, cable-powered buses move only in the zones of tourist routes in parks or clearly localized areas of cities.

The importance of transport for humanity can hardly be overestimated. From time immemorial, he played an important role, constantly developing and improving. The scientific and technological revolution that took place in the 20th century, population growth, urbanization and many other factors brought its development to a completely new level.

However, at the same time, a problem arose: a huge number of vehicles caused the deterioration of the ecological situation on a global scale. That is why more and more attention is being paid today to the development of ecological modes of transport.

Any transport for which the production of energy is not associated with the combustion of hydrocarbons can be called environmentally friendly. The exception is atomic reactions, which are not used in land transport. Biodiesel, an alcohol-fueled internal combustion engine also burn carbon, so they cannot be classified as environmentally friendly modes of transport. It is most correct to classify ecotransportation by engine type.

Electric drive

At the moment it is the fastest growing type of environmentally friendly transport. A great future is prescribed for him, and this has already been noticed by all major automotive concerns. Several thousand electric vehicles are already on the roads of the world. Moreover, the future electric car will not have such large dimensions and cost as the famous Tesla electric car. It will, rather, be a kind of rickshaw with a cab or with an ordinary car body made of plastic. On average, in order for an electric car to compete with a gasoline one, it needs to weigh four times less. There are similar examples in the automotive industry.

The main problem with electric vehicles is batteries. They are already the only limitation to the mass production of electric vehicles. All other technical limitations were overcome 50 and 100 years ago. The electric motor has more efficiency than gasoline. Its resource is much higher, and the complexity of manufacturing is small. In addition, he does not need a checkpoint. Most mass-produced electric vehicles are now manufactured with lithium batteries. They are very expensive. Sodium sulfide batteries have been proposed as an alternative. At the moment, stationary sodium sulfide storage stations with a capacity of more than 1 MW are used in Japan. Perhaps, in the future, they will appear on electric vehicles.

Hydrogen engines

Hydrogen is the most energy-intensive fuel in the world. The calorific value of one weight part of pure gaseous hydrogen is 2.5 times higher than that of gasoline. This means that the weight reserve of hydrogen in the cylinder can be as many times less. The combustion of hydrogen can take place in a conventional piston engine. At the same time, there are technological difficulties. Due to the high combustion temperature, it is necessary to reinforce the cylinder block with ceramics, which is very difficult and expensive.

For this reason, catalysts - installations for the flameless combustion of hydrogen - are of particular interest. However, they require bottled oxygen and the cost is also high. When hydrogen is oxidized in the catalyst, an electric current is generated. Such an installation works silently and with high efficiency. Unfortunately, the high price tag does not bode well for mainstream hydrogen cars. Nowadays, they also drive on the roads.

There are other solutions in the field of ecotransportation: pneumatic motors, chemical batteries (heat or current is released during metal oxidation), mechanical energy storage, a spring drive. While all of them are at the development stage, giving way to electric vehicles.

Air vehicle

Currently, air vehicles (pneumatic vehicles) are produced, the so-called vehicles that have a pneumatic engine, for the operation of which compressed air is used. The accumulation of energy occurs by pumping it into the cylinders. Then, passing through the distribution system, the compressed air enters the air motor, which drives the machine. Thus, when driving at low speed or a short distance, such a car uses only air, without harming the environment.

Segway

In a number of countries, postal workers, golfers, police officers and many other categories of citizens travel by means of transport such as segways. It is a self-balancing scooter with two wheels on either side of the rider. Segway balancing occurs automatically and depends on the position of the rider's body: when it is tilted back, the scooter slows down, stops or goes in reverse, and when leaning forward, it starts moving or accelerates. Each wheel of the Segway has its own electric motor, which reacts to the slightest changes in the balance of the vehicle. The engine is powered by lithium-ion batteries and recharges automatically when descending the mountain. A full charge is enough for 8 hours. You can also use a regular outlet - 15 minutes of charging is enough for about 1.6 kilometers.

Electric unicycle (segwile)

Monowheel (segwil) - an electric self-balancing scooter with only one wheel and footpegs located on either side of it, first appeared in 2012 in the United States. It is equipped with a powerful electric motor (250-2000 W) and gyroscopes for automatic balancing. When the power is on, the gyroscopes align the wheel with the axis, thus maintaining balance. The scooter also has accelerometers and various sensors.

The vehicle is controlled by changing the inclination of the body: when leaning back, the segvil brakes or changes direction, when the center of gravity is shifted forward, it accelerates. When the scooter stops, the rider must lean on his foot. This type of transport is most widespread in China.

Urban ecotransport

Probably, everyone knows such types of ecological transport as trolleybus and tram. They are both powered by electricity and are designed to carry passengers.

The tram is one of the first types of urban public transport, appeared at the beginning of the 19th century, then it was set in motion with the help of a horse-drawn carriage. The first electric tram appeared in 1881 in Germany.

The trolleybus appeared as the first experimental trolleybus line in 1882, also in Germany. Moreover, at first, trolleybuses were operated only as an additional transport to the tram. The first fully trolleybus line opened in 1933 in Moscow.

Bike and scooter

There is probably no person who would never try to ride a scooter or bicycle. These wheeled vehicles are propelled by the subject's muscular strength. In a bicycle, foot pedals are used for this purpose, and in a scooter, movement is ensured by repeatedly pushing the foot off the ground. On a bicycle, a person occupies a sitting position, while on a scooter he stands holding the handlebars. Scooters are now used not only for entertainment by children, but along with bicycles are also used by adults: postal workers, police and even ambulance workers.

Many people in Europe and America prefer to get to work on a bicycle, in Tokyo on a scooter, because, on the one hand, there is no need to stand in traffic jams, and on the other hand, due to physical activity, the body becomes healthier.

Every year the need to use ecological transport is growing, since the functioning of the current transport system with the release of pollutants into the air is increasingly degrading the ecosystem of our planet.