Hey gang,
It has been a little while since I have last posted so I figured it's not a bad time for an update.
What you guys are looking at in the pics is an intercooled Electric Lysholm Supercharger. This is not one of those silly E-Ram Electric superchargers that produce 1 hp
This is a very efficient supercharger that is setup for 10psi of boost via a Sprag Clutch and when desired can be electrically boosted via the 35lb ME0709 Brushed DC motor to upwards of 20psi of Boost. Due to the design the electric motor when the electric boost is not engaged pulls double duty and works as the cars alternator providing all the necessary 12V accessory power for onboard components. We will also be running a small water methanol injection system. This will help us build power, Help control Exhaust Gas Temps, and Keep the Engine steam cleaned.
These components were chosen due to the fact they were inexpensive yet easily obtained. The Supercharger my friend had lying around and thought it would be the perfect Supercharger to test out on the Centurion so he sold it to me for $200. At first we were going to use an Eaton M45 because he had one of those also but later decided to go with a Lysholm found in the Mazda Millenia S cars. This Supercharger is around 75% efficient and can provide upwards of 18psi of boost before it starts loosing efficiency. These are far more efficient than the Eaton units especially when you are running over 7psi.
Once we decided on the Lysholm Supercharger we needed to find a robust E-motor that could cram a lot of air into it. It did not take me long to find a solid candidate. I found the ME0709 on Ebay for $220. The motor had been lightly used and met my power requirements and it happened to be brushed. This greatly simplified the control of the E-motor as I could use a simple low cost contactor instead of having to purchase a high cost controller. The motor peaks at 19hp and 72V.
We are expecting some pretty serious torque and HP gains across the entire power curve with this setup. While we don't know for sure how much power increases we will see it is fair to say the gains should put the Z482 up over 20HP pretty easily.
These Power gains however come at a cost. That cost is in the form of added weight. When its all said and done the complete system will probably weigh in at around 125lbs. This is a lot of added weight but if done properly the Electric Supercharger can add some really great unique characteristics to the Centurion that will give it greater appeal and performance potential. People might ask why I just didn't use a bigger engine to begin with adding all this weight and complexity. My reason is I get the fuel sipping economy advantage using the 2 cylinder 482cc engine yet with the Electric Supercharger we get the power of a D1105 and quite possibly upwards of what you might see in the D1105-T models. The Supercharger allows us to boost our low end torque which we need since we are using a taller overdrive with the Volvo unit and a smaller engine with the Z482 than what the original plans call for. Boosting low end torque enables us to get into overdrive quicker and stay in the tallest gear for longer thus increasing our fuel economy potential.
These were my main reasons for wanting to implement an electric supercharger into the design. Also I just always wanted to test one out and since I have a friend who knows everything there is to know about them I figured why not I am in good hands. Plus its just plain super cool to say your car is Electric Supercharged
Not many people can say that and as far as I know this will be a first for a Centurion.
One thing that Mr. Riley has mentioned before and quote " Jerry, A few posts back you asked if I had any input that might help others. There's no sliver bullet, but if I had to pick one thing, it would be to recommend that folks stick with a diesel and install a turbocharger. Both the Centurion and the new XR3 are naturally aspirated diesels. But diesels love turbochargers. A turbocharger will increase power output and reduce fuel consumption too (improve bsfc - make the engine more efficient)."
I have nothing against Turbo charging and in the right application Turbo charging is the better choice over the Supercharger. However in this application with a very small diesel the Supercharger wins hands down and by adding electric on demand boost we expand what is possible and create a car that has a system similar to cars with NOS except ours costs much less to operate and lasts much longer
Once I get everything cleaned up, painted and mounted I will update with some better pics.
GH