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Old 01-29-2010, 05:51 PM   #18 (permalink)
ai4kk
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So in keeping with the theme of reusing as much as possible from the original donor vehicles (VW Fox diesel and electric forklift), if the combination of the VW 1.6l diesel (tuned perhaps to operate more efficiently at a lower RPM) and the large motor from the Frankenswift forklift, what effect would a lower duty cycle have on overall efficiency? Would keeping the ICE warm enough be a problem? How much power would it take to spin an electric motor like that at max reliable/efficient RPM with a sizable load (charging and propulsion) on it?

It seems that if the generator combo is too big, reducing the duty cycle would solve that....kind of like pulse and coast. Run it till it's charged, then turn it off till the voltage drops a certain amount. I don't think physical size and weight would be too big of an issue considering that an automotive diesel is pretty compact to start with compared to an industrial diesel.....and the 1.6 is about as small as we can easily find over here in a car. If someone knows of a suitable alternative, that would be great, but I bet it won't be as cheap as the engine that came in the car.
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