Electric Supercharger

[Russ]

Why didn't anyone think of this before now?

Electric Supercharger Boosts Torque 50% and Reduces CO2 by 20% : TreeHugger

As is always the case with my posts, I'm curious what those wiser than me think.

I know it's not Fossil Fuel Free, but I only frequent this part of the forum. Please feel free to re-post this more appropriately if need be.

I love Torque!

[Daox]

Why use electric power to blow more air into the engine when you could use the motor to directly power the car? You're just introducing more efficiency losses into the system. Plus, if you couple it to the drive train you can use it for regenerative braking.

[TomO]

350 Amps draw while accelerating?!!? Wow, that is just about the same amounts of amps that the starter draws on a cooler day.

Good implementation of product and they have some good ideas for other things on thier website.

I bet it's going to be pricey though

[Russ]

I guess the most obvious question for me is if this can be cheaply retrofitted to existing cars?

Burning less Fossil Fuel is a step on the path to Fossil Fuel free.
All the better if it's a cheap step.

[Daox]

How does an electric supercharger that forces more air into the engine burn less fuel?

[cfg83]

TomO -

Originally Posted by TomO

350 Amps draw while accelerating?!!? Wow, that is just about the same amounts of amps that the starter draws on a cooler day.

Good implementation of product and they have some good ideas for other things on thier website.

I bet it's going to be pricey though

I looked at the 220 Amps steady-state. I think my alternator is rated at 90 Amps on my 1.9L engine. I think they are hoping to target larger displacement engines :

Additionally, >90% of the available torque is delivered in 1s thus enabling installation into larger, heavier vehicles with a CO2 reduction potential > 20%

A solution for truckers?

CarloSW2

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by Russ

I guess the most obvious question for me is if this can be cheaply retrofitted to existing cars?

I'm gonna play along for a second and assume it does work.

The "CO and fe gains" come from downsizing the engine i.e. put in a 1.0 where a 1.6 used to be, so no, slapping one on your wheels won't help unless you downsize the engine too.

At this point I fail to see how this offers an advantage over a turbo. Yeah, they had their pretty graph, but properly sized turbos work over different rpm ranges.

[roflwaffle]

Originally Posted by Daox

How does an electric supercharger that forces more air into the engine burn less fuel?

In the context of vehicle design, given the same power output, it allows a manufacturer to downsize the engine and improve average efficiency.

[roflwaffle]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

At this point I fail to see how this offers an advantage over a turbo. Yeah, they had their pretty graph, but properly sized turbos work over different rpm ranges.

You just mentioned how it provides an advantage. Unless the turbo is designed to operate a low loads/speeds, and in that context limits power output, adding this, just like adding a conventional supercharger, can greatly improve low speed torque.

[Daox]

Originally Posted by roflwaffle

In the context of vehicle design, given the same power output, it allows a manufacturer to downsize the engine and improve average efficiency.

I understand that, but he was talking about bolt on things that help FE. At least thats the way I read it.