VOL. 3, NO. 3, Mar-April 2013 ISSN 2222-9833 ARPN Journal of Systems and Software ©2009-2013 AJSS Journal. All rights reserved http://www.scientific-journals.org 31 Advances in Solar and Thermal Energy for Hybrid Vehicles: A Patent Trend Analysis 1 Marisela Rodriguez Salvador, 2 Daniel Esquivel Navarrete 1 Titular Professor, Center of Quality and Manufacturing, Tec de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey 2 Research Assistance, Center of Quality and Manufacturing, Tec de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey ABSTRACT Major changes are happening recently on our environment due to pollution caused by transportation vehicles. Global warming is one of the most important challenge people and society has been increasingly facing, therefore an efficient solution is urged. The following research is an effort from Tec de Monterrey to contribute to the identification of advances on vehicle transportation for its students. In particular, this paper is focused on the use and storage of renewable energy sources such as solar and thermal energy for transportation. This research can be helpful to identify new applications and recent inventions with the purpose of contributing to the research on the area. Competitive Technical Intelligence methodology was carried out along with patent analysis. Technology trends, most recent inventors, organizations involved, and main areas of research were identified from previous years. Keywords: solar energy, thermal energy, stirling engine, usage, storage, hybrid vehicle, International Patent Classification, Competitive Technical Intelligence, patent analysis. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background The battle for satisfying the population’s specific needs has forced industries to meet the customers’ expectations whatever the cost may be; even when these industrial activities excessively contaminate the environment we live in; particularly through the transportation energy usage. Indeed, crude oil reserves have been diminishing; while transportation has been growing day by day worldwide [1]. This substantial increase of crude oil usage has caused several damages on our global ecosystem; bringing up questions about what alternatives we can have in order to solve this situation. If our current and future generations’ lifestyle wants to be kept and not be threatened by pollution issues, this problem must be solved from the root. Certainly, pollution issues will be more complex to solve in the upcoming future if we ignore them. Air pollution, oil pollution, lead / acid battery pollution are just some few problems originated by the high usage of fuel oil variants; such as gasoline and diesel, which are mainly most of the transportation energy sources nowadays. Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are the most prominent gasses that are emitted by motor vehicles. Indeed, more than 60% of U.S. transportation emissions come from cars and light trucks [2]. While 10 years ago motor vehicles emitted over 900 million metric tons of CO2 each year (those emissions were about 15% of global fossil fuel CO2 released) [3]; this percentage has unquestionably increased at the present time by the greater transportation demand. Nowadays, fossil fuel represents about 80% of the global fuel usage [4]. The rising of these gasses emissions has enlarged global warming effects on our ecosystems and affecting somehow human lifestyle little by little. Not only do vehicle motors pollute the air by their gasses emissions; but also oil pollution is generated by the immeasurable use of them. We can see how oil usage contaminate our ecosystem directly, for instance oil spills damage the whole wildlife catastrophically; that is from marine to aerial life and from flora to fauna life. Birds, fishes, plants, corals, etc., they all get intoxicated whenever oil gets spilled in the ocean, not to mention the water pollution effects that are brought along. Gasoline and diesel are both powered by fuel oil that generates oil pollution which can cause environmental and social disasters [5] and produces chemicals and toxic compounds on soil; radioactive materials; and disease causing agents that impact negatively animal and human health; besides plant growth [6]. Tec de Monterrey; one of the best private universities in Latin-America [7] has joined efforts along with researchers for developing a hybrid vehicle for student transportation as a support to face this problem. Tec de Monterrey has 31 national campuses, and currently it has approximately 8,831 professors and 104,048 students in its 60 undergraduates’, 41 masters’ and 12 doctoral programs [8]; being distinguished by its training and consulting services; and strong relationship with local and international industry. At the main campus located in Monterrey, Mexico, Tec de Monterrey has a Competitive Technical Intelligence unit at the Center of Quality and Manufacturing that counts with specialized researchers who are involved in developing a hybrid vehicle prototype for student transportation. The Competitive Technical Intelligence Unit promotes training, consultancy, academic and research activities within the field. 1.2 Antecedents General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda and Nissan; produced about 5,000 electric vehicles around 1990 [9] and nowadays most of these firms (and also others) have strengthened their efforts to commercialize electric vehicles. One of the most important mechanisms that is being used recently through different applications such as converting heat into mechanical work is based on