|
In the article they show a high and low pressure accumulator, which is a good indication of a closed system, which typically operates with an inert gas. Using air brings on the potential for an explosion, combining air with any trace of a combustible liquid or gas such as any lubricant could create the same process as a diesel engine, especially when you consider 3k PSI pressures which are many times greater than the general 400 PSI compression pressures of a diesel engine before the mixture is ignited. An inert gas eliminates that possibility.
The issue with accumulators being used as structural components would be the fact that there are dimensional differences between an accumulator at a low state of charge and a high state of charge, which requires the accumulator to be insulated from structural components. Basically the answer is yes for low pressure accumulators and no for high pressure accumulators. Tubular frame components might be used for fluid transfer, but the same expansion issues would exist in that application.
Since you are building a vehicle that is subject to catastrophic collisions then potential catastrophic leakage must be considered.
This is why they positioned the high pressure accumulator in the "transmission" tunnel, which is one of the safest places for survival in accidents. Safety must come first in a vehicle design.
When Va Tech looked at my design they calculated the power of each wheel drive at 35HP and 385 pounds feet of torque at 0 speed, which when you consider 4 separate drives means 140 HP and 1540 pounds feet of torque which would provide more than adequate performance in a Dodge (Mercedes) Sprinter size vehicle. Abs and traction control functions would be incorporated into the designs by variable stroke position control at each wheel individually.
regards
Mech
|