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GreenHornet 03-05-2013 01:37 AM

TIGON Diesel Hybrid
 
Hey Gang,

I thought I would open up a build thread for my new project so others can follow until I finish with my website!

Here is a brief rundown of the project:

The vehicle is a 3 wheeled reverse trike with a diesel electric hybrid powertrain. The hybrid design is a parallel configuration allowing the diesel engine and electric motor to run in tandem when desired. The diesel engine is a 2 cylinder V Twin .79L 19hp naturally aspirated water cooled engine. The electric motor is a Permanent Magnet Alternating Current (PMAC) design. Batteries are a Lithium Iron Supercapacitor Hybrid rated at 40ah with a 5.76kw adjustable capacity battery bank. Vehicle has regenerative braking capability and has plug in ability. The estimated battery only range is between 30-40mi on a single charge at an 80% discharge depth. Hybrid batteries can be charged to 80% max with in a 30min period of time.

The prototype vehicle is being built as an hybrid but can also be configured as either a diesel only or an EV only vehicle. The vehicle will be built in stages to demonstrate the various configuration possibilities with the platform. The goal for this vehicle is a freeway capable long range cruiser. Everything on this vehicle is being optimized for range. However I estimate the top speed to be near the 90MPH area or better depending on how the final gear ratios are adjusted. With the hybrid design the vehicle should have great acceleration and top end speed. The diesel only vehicle will not have comparable acceleration or top end speed that the hybrid will enjoy, but will still be quite capable on the freeway and can be had for far less initial cost!


I decided to take on this project some time ago because I was mainly disappointed with the fuel economy and price of current vehicle selections. I also always wanted to have a reverse trike but again disappointed with the selections available. It seemed as though most of the trikes were designed for the sport performance enthusiasts rather than the eco friendly guy like me! I wanted a trike that is fully enclosed and fully capable in all driving conditions that is freeway capable and gets above 100mpg. After determining my wants and needs I looked at the DIY plans and concept vehicles past and present, I researched them for years until I came up with a suitable game plan.

The game plan that I came up with is called TIGON and is a conglomeration of many different vehicle designs all under one hood! Some of my inspirations include the 1954 Fiat Turbina, Quincy-Lynn Urba Centurion, Volkswagen L1 series of prototypes, and the 2002 Opel eco-speedster. I incorporated many design features and elements from these vehicles into the Tigon. While the Tigon is very much still a work in progress the building phase has begun and I thought it would be a good time to share it with the world and get some initial feedback underway.

I hope you all will be able to find some good use out of this thread for your own personal builds as well as find enjoyment in learning how to build a diesel electric hybrid trike from the ground up.

Best wishes,

GreenHornet...

GreenHornet 03-05-2013 02:03 AM

1 Attachment(s)
Here is my initial sketch and specs sheet for the TIGON. Hopefully soon I will be able to model it up into a 3D program that is the goal anyways. I am currently tweaking the clay model so once that is done I will most likely start playing with the 3d computer applications. If anyone has experience with 3d design feel free to chime in on your experiences and any advice into which programs would be a good one to start off on.

Enjoy gang,

GreenHornet..

GreenHornet 03-05-2013 03:53 PM

Hey gang,

Today I took the chassis over to the shop for blasting so by the end of the day it will be all rust proofed and ready to start bolting on the front end parts!

I will post some pics later this evening of the before and after shots!

NeilBlanchard 03-05-2013 05:40 PM

Do you intend to have it be a "pure" parallel hybrid? I.E. the diesel will not be able to charge the batteries and you will have to be able to power it with the diesel alone if the battery discharges fully.

Will the electric motor and the diesel power the same wheel(s) together, or will they power separate wheels? What is your planned layout for the drivetrain? Will it carry just the driver, or two people?

Are the front wheels separate and covered with their own fairings, or is the body all in one shape? A Cd of 0.13 is pretty ambitious, especially if the wheels are separate.

GreenHornet 03-05-2013 06:53 PM

Hi Niel,

So the initial prototype will have a hybrid layout similar to what you would find in the Honda Insights. In other words it has the engine flywheel replaced with the electric motor.

So it looks like this = Diesel Engine-Electric Motor-CVT-GL1800 drive shaft and final drive ratio.

This set up works better in the urban environment where I am located than the series hybrid designs. This set up also costs less than the series architecture. However this vehicle platform could easily support a series hybrid design as well and would be easier to set up actually since the diesel engine and electric motor could be completely independent. It would just cost more money since you would need an added motor/controller and larger battery bank.

Since the diesel engine and electric motor are on the same shaft they can be used in tandem or separately to propel the vehicle. The electric motor has the ability to start the diesel so no need for a separate starter or alternator or extra electric motor/controller. You also have the ability for regenerative braking as well as plug in charging if desired.

The vehicle will be powered by the single rear wheel. The front wheels are not powered in this vehicle they are only used for steering. The Triumph GT6 front suspension and steering components are retained. The GT6 was a front engine rear wheel drive car. It has unequal double wishbone suspension up front with rack and pinion steering. The week points of the GT6 and Spitfires were the rear suspension and differentials. So I eliminated this by going with the single rear wheel along with the added weight of the GT6 rear end components.

The vehicle will retain the seating capacity of the original GT6 which was a 2 seat side by side arrangement.

The body retains the GT6 style bonnet which was all one piece and flipped forward for easy access to the engine bay. The bonnet will cover the front wheels for better aerodynamics. The front grill will be controlled not only at point of access but also at the point of release.

The front and mid body design is being modeled after the Fiat Turbina with some key changes. The front grill entry and nose shape is being more aerodynamically shaped and controlled. The wheel wells are being smoothed out a little bit for better airflow. The height of the roof will be smoothed out as well for better aerodynamics. The Fiat Turbina had a height of 49" and the GT6 had a height of 47" respectively. The Tigon will have a finished height of 42"

The Fiat Turbina had a cd of 0.14 and held the record for some 30 years, which for a 1954 vehicle was pretty amazing and still is for today's cars. The front track of the Turbina was 51" which is exactly the same as the GT6. The width of the Turbina was 63" and the GT6 was 56-57" depending on which model. The similarities between the two cars is one of the reasons I went with the GT6 chassis platform! Another reason is the GT6 chassis is a backbone design that is lightweight and strong good for 2 seaters. This chassis allows me to build a lightweight composite body shell that is completely modular. GT6 composite body shells of fiberglass reinforced composite weigh roughly 100lbs to give you an idea.

I think by reshaping the front, controlling the front grill airflow, reducing height, and tapering the back just right in more of a tadpole design this should yield some pretty good results. I think 0.13 is in the realm of real possibility although very ambitious in deed.

I apologize for the lengthy post here.

Talk to you later,

GreenHornet

NeilBlanchard 03-05-2013 11:35 PM

Can you post a picture of the Turbina? I've not seen that one, or at least I don't recognize the name.

iveyjh 03-05-2013 11:51 PM

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...at_Turbina.jpg

cRiPpLe_rOoStEr 03-06-2013 01:37 AM

Interesting project. But have you never considered to turbocharge the engine?


Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenHornet (Post 359604)
Some of my inspirations include the 1954 Fiat Turbina, Quincy-Lynn Urba Centurion, Volkswagen L1 series of prototypes, and the 2002 Opel eco-speedster.

:thumbup:

I like the Opel Eco-Speedster (and also the regular Speedster) too. Someday I'll still build a replica of it...

GreenHornet 03-06-2013 01:52 AM

4 Attachment(s)
Most people are not familiar with the Fiat Turbina it is one of those rare gems. Here are some drawings of it so that you can see its aerodynamic profile. At first glance it is not what you might expect from a car that is world famous for its cd of 0.14 during its time. I have made modifications to these drawings as you will see a little resemblance to the Tigon sketch I initially provided.

The aerodynamics and weight are the two areas I am focusing much of my attention on as I see these areas as critical to the overall success of the vehicle.You can put whatever engine and electric motor in it you want and as many batteries as it can hold but its all for nothing unless you get the aerodynamics correct and are able to keep the weight low.

GreenHornet 03-06-2013 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr (Post 359802)
Interesting project. But have you never considered to turbocharge the engine?




:thumbup:

I like the Opel Eco-Speedster (and also the regular Speedster) too. Someday I'll still build a replica of it...

Sure I have turbocharged small diesel engines before with success. I have also used water/methanol injection on them. Both work well and do help reduce pollutants. I will most likely do it with this vehicle as well however this is not my first objective. This will most likely come last as the vehicle has been completed and tested.

I hope you or somebody makes an Eco-Speedster replica that is one awesome car. It is funny you brought that up because my friend still has a VW 3 cylinder 1.4L TDI waiting for me if I want it. I thought this would be the perfect motor to use as a reproduction eco-speedster build. This was the direction I was going to initially go but then decided to go with a hybrid design which now that I am immersed in I could have saved myself much money just going with the TDI!

Oh well besides there are currently so many cars that can go fast why add another LOL. I think it would be equally spectacular to design and build a vehicle that has incredible range that is quite capable at freeway speeds as well. Truth be told I rarely get over 80mph last time was months ago in fact. Range is much more useful to me and many others I do believe. So range is at the heart of the project Tigon and that will be my focus for this hybrid.

GreenHornet


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