Quote:
Originally Posted by Hugh Jim Bissel
Sounds like a properly sized (ie 20-30 HP) one could be good for an electric car as a built in range extender or on a pusher trailer. Electric only for around town and getting up to speed on the highway, then if it's too long of a trip for the batteries, fire up the turbine till it's time to get off the highway.
I wonder what sort of efficiency that would have compared to a similar sized (HP/torque) piston engine?
Sorry if this is taking this off-topic thread too far off-topic 
Since you do claim this is "not FE friendly" to stay on topic I'll have it on the record that I agree with theunchosen: |
lol, as a rule of thumb I don't mind if it gets a little off-topic because its sometimes inconvenient to direct people away from something they are talking about somewhere else.
Actually the EV1 had a turbine in it. If the batteries drooped in charge the turbine kicked on to full operating power(I don't know what the optimum rate of that turbine was but each has one and away from that the efficiency is not pretty but on that its not bad and P-W wise its pretty darn good).
With the advancements in microturbines its kind of the way of the future for ranged EVs. Its nice to think one day we will be able to go 600 miles, but for the next 15-20 years it looks like micros might be the answer for hybrids(straight gas will just become more aero and GDI ultra-lean burn). Their P-W ratio makes them ideal since the motor doesn't run all the time and you want peak HP/(Fuel* weight) and turbines can do that for you since they can achieve 1.5 HP/lb relatively easily(high-high end diesels pump 1.101 hp/lb and at peak performance overtake turbines on power-fuel consumption, but that extra weight for the HP kills it.)
Basically my beef with the GTR is they are dumping an extravagently complex engine into a heavy chassis in the name of performance when in every metric an in house built 600 lb turboshaft would devour it or a 300 lb turboshaft would compete evenly up to 100mph and then it would devour it, with no technological advances in the drive train.