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Angela Zhang
Professor Eser
EGEE 101H
19 March 2015
Reflective Essay: Efficiency
Efficiency of energy conversion from one form to another can be surprisingly low. For
example, the automobile engine has an efficiency of only 14% to 30%, depositing its unusable
heat into the atmosphere (Where the Energy Goes: Gasoline Vehicles). The second law of
thermodynamics explains this through the concept of entropy, the tendency towards disorder and
ultimately heat death within a closed system (which has an absence of an external source of
energy) (Smil 5). That is why not all the energy inputted, such as the chemical energy of
gasoline, goes towards the desired mechanical energy, with much of it becoming unusable
thermal waste. Understanding efficiency of widespread technologies such as that of automobiles
is significant because it encourages awareness of the efficacy of technologies in which we invest.
This also informs future generations on where we need improvement in the way we implement
our resources, or perhaps even encourage the introduction of a new technology to pave the way
for more suitable systems where energy is used more efficiently.
As an individual concerned about the environmental effects of greenhouses gases and
pollutants in Earths atmosphere, the extremely low efficiency of the automobile -- a widely used
technology -- is appalling. Especially where in the United States about one-third of energy is
dedicated to transportation, moreover where less than 5% of the world population uses one-third
of the worlds automobiles, this low efficiency appears even more staggering (How We Use
Energy, Transportation).

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Not only does low efficiency waste fuel and further adversely affects the environment,
but it also harms the availability of resources as well as energy security (especially with regards
to foreign imports). Currently the use of alternative fuel automobiles have not penetrated the
mainstream. In fact, the EIA predicts that in 2035, 99% of light as well as heavy duty vehicles
sold will continue to retain internal combustion engines (Advanced Combustion Engines),
while the number of miles driven is expected to increase in the next twenty years (How We Use
Energy, Transportation). Yet with improvements, our reliance on foreign crude oil imports can
decrease and they have since the peak in 2005. Concretely, improvements in efficiency,
increase in domestic crude oil, and the use of ethanol and biodiesel make up some of the reasons
for the decrease in imports (Energy in Brief).
The last reason listed intrigues me because if we are able to rely more on renewable
resources, we can use less non-renewable ones like petroleum. However because the conversion
from raw material such as corn to its final form also requires energy, the net energy may not
actually be as optimistic a number as it appears face value. Other alternatives include natural gas,
propane, electricity, and hydrogen (Alternative Fuels). Yet as I do not know how petroleum
preferences will give way to these other fuel sources, I speculate if improving efficiencies on
petroleum-based cars and continuing with hybrids is the only viable option at the time.
While petroleum has readily seen negative effects on the environment, alternatives
continue to be tested. This discussion on one of the transportation sectors main technologies
automobiles ultimately circles back to the way basic issues of efficiency and entropy affect our
energy-driven society. It reveals the intricacies, as well as complexities, of energy usage.

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Works Cited
Advanced Combustion Engines. US Department of Energy. DOE, 2015. Web. 19 Mar. 2015.
Alternative Fuels. Fuel Economy. Fuel Economy, 2015. Web. 19 Mar. 2015.
Energy in Brief. Energy Information Administration. EIA, 10 May 2013. Web. 19 Mar. 2015.
How We Use Energy, Transportation. The National Academy of Sciences. NAS, 2015. Web. 19
Mar. 2015.
Smil, Vaclav. Energy | A Beginners Guide. Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 2006. Print.
Where the Energy Goes: Gasoline Vehicles. Fuel Economy. Fuel Economy, 2015. Web. 19
Mar. 2015.