|
Hey fujioko,
I just picked up a cheap "WEN" 2000w generator, powered by an 80cc engine. While idling it in front of my house, I thought of this thread. Any feedback on potentially making a series hybrid?
The cost of a <10hp electric motor, ~1kwh battery, and controller would be relatively small, and might provide 6-12 miles of range. A generator might be sized to cover the average power consumption, or even some large fraction of that just to be a range extender.
This particular generator I picked up was the cheapest on the market. It's rated to run 6 hours at 50% load, on 1.19 gallons of gasoline. Some basic math:
1000w * 6 hours = 6kwh produced
33.7kwh/gallon * 1.19 gallons = 40.1kwh in the fuel
40.1 / 6 (I know I'm butchering significant figures) = ~15% efficient
At ~125wh/mile (pulled out of a hat), a gallon of gasoline could be expected to add 40 additional miles, or 47 miles per tank. Not as good as what you have! I'm certain efficiency would be higher at closer to 75% load, however.
Honda's 2200w EU2200ITA is rated for 3.2 hours @ 2200w using its 0.95 gallon tank. That's 7.4kwh per gallon, or 22% efficient, which (before conversion losses) would be closer to 59mpg. And you could size the electric motor however you wanted, so long as the battery + generator could support the peak draw.
Any interest?
If my second Insight didn't already have an obligation for where it was going, I'd be tempted to build this myself.
|