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Panther140 · 08-01-2017, 02:05 PM

Scroll down to the large font if you want to cut to the chase.

I have an idea that I wish to use to reduce load on my engine. This is to allow the engine to stay in V4 mode longer. Its a 2007 Silverado 1500 5.3L Crew cab pickup truck. I recently got a new job, and I have to drive 60 miles round trip of interstate every day. (I may not be at this job location long enough to see any ROI from buying a commuter car.)

I'm going to paint a mental picture for you about my idea, so just play along: Picture a V8 engine with a centrifugal supercharger mounted somewhere under the hood. See that supercharger pulley that is driven by a belt? That belt is being driven by the crankshaft, which has a pulley mounted on it.

Now, leave everything exactly the same, but swap the supercharger out for an electric motor. So you have an electric motor that is mounted in the exact location and basic pulley configuration as a centrifugal supercharger, but it delivers torque to the crankshaft, rather than receiving it from the crankshaft.

The controls do not have to be complex. This is not supposed to be a significant amount of torque being delivered. It would be nice if it could have regenerative braking capability, however. Any time the engine slows down, I want the motor to salvage its inertial torque and decelerate it faster than parasitics would decelerate the engine. I'd also like to use a motor's regenerative capability in conjunction with engine braking. I'd size the pulleys so that the electric motor can deliver torque to the crankshaft in the vehicle's main operating range.

Does anybody have any information about whether or not this has been tried before on a research level or a DIY level? I'd love to hear any information or answer any questions that you guys might have for me.

I haven't decided which motor would be optimal to use. I have plenty of room in my truck's bed for a small battery bank. I'd really like suggestions on motor selection and sizing. Keep in mind that the point of this is to save money. I'm not going to spend thousands of dollars to gain 2mpg on an old truck like mine.

The benefits to this idea are that it is non-intrusive, and potentially budget friendly. There is no need to remove or significantly alter any drivetrain components when building this. There is no sacrifice in performance of the vehicle, and the motor could potentially be used to augment the engine's torque when accelerating if you chose to.

08-01-2017, 02:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
Panther140 Panther140 Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 48 Thanks: 20 Thanked 8 Times in 5 Posts	Electric Motor Mounted Like Supercharger -- Electric assisted engine Scroll down to the large font if you want to cut to the chase. I have an idea that I wish to use to reduce load on my engine. This is to allow the engine to stay in V4 mode longer. Its a 2007 Silverado 1500 5.3L Crew cab pickup truck. I recently got a new job, and I have to drive 60 miles round trip of interstate every day. (I may not be at this job location long enough to see any ROI from buying a commuter car.) I'm going to paint a mental picture for you about my idea, so just play along: Picture a V8 engine with a centrifugal supercharger mounted somewhere under the hood. See that supercharger pulley that is driven by a belt? That belt is being driven by the crankshaft, which has a pulley mounted on it. Now, leave everything exactly the same, but swap the supercharger out for an electric motor. So you have an electric motor that is mounted in the exact location and basic pulley configuration as a centrifugal supercharger, but it delivers torque to the crankshaft, rather than receiving it from the crankshaft. The controls do not have to be complex. This is not supposed to be a significant amount of torque being delivered. It would be nice if it could have regenerative braking capability, however. Any time the engine slows down, I want the motor to salvage its inertial torque and decelerate it faster than parasitics would decelerate the engine. I'd also like to use a motor's regenerative capability in conjunction with engine braking. I'd size the pulleys so that the electric motor can deliver torque to the crankshaft in the vehicle's main operating range. Does anybody have any information about whether or not this has been tried before on a research level or a DIY level? I'd love to hear any information or answer any questions that you guys might have for me. I haven't decided which motor would be optimal to use. I have plenty of room in my truck's bed for a small battery bank. I'd really like suggestions on motor selection and sizing. Keep in mind that the point of this is to save money. I'm not going to spend thousands of dollars to gain 2mpg on an old truck like mine. The benefits to this idea are that it is non-intrusive, and potentially budget friendly. There is no need to remove or significantly alter any drivetrain components when building this. There is no sacrifice in performance of the vehicle, and the motor could potentially be used to augment the engine's torque when accelerating if you chose to. __________________ 2007 Silverado 1500 2wd flex fuel with active fuel management. 33" Nitto Terra Grappler tires. 2.5" motofab front end leveling kit. Last edited by Panther140; 08-01-2017 at 02:18 PM..