Alternator with magnetic coupling?

[PowerPiston]

Originally Posted by mechman600

The best would be like what Mazda is doing soon. The alternator charges when decelerating and turns off when accelerating, and charges a large capacitor to keep the charging system happy all the time. Maybe someone needs to invent a DIY version.

Supercaps/Goldcaps/Ultracaps are very expensiv.
Or a two opposite free wheel storage.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

One feature from the motorcycles that I like is the mounting of the magneto right in the same axis of the crankshaft, so no belts, no pulleys. In a no-frills car it can also work decently, I've already seen it done into some Volkswagen air-cooled engines, but since their alternator (or dynamo in older ones) is usually bolted to the engine-cooling fan it ended up requiring a different fan setup.

[mechman600]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

One feature from the motorcycles that I like is the mounting of the magneto right in the same axis of the crankshaft, so no belts, no pulleys.

+1.
Except my ZX-7R gear drives the alternator off the clutch gear. I guess they did that to make the engine as narrow as possible.

[oil pan 4]

Ultracaps are expensive, a less expensive option would be to use LiFePO4 batteries.
A 53ah pack like I use will have no problem taking a charge at a rate of well over 150 amps.

Also if you don't like the idea of an engine driven alternator there is an alternator relocation you can do that moves the alternator to the drive shaft. Hot rod guys do it to just to clean up their rods engine bay or if they don't have room for an alt under the hood. With something like this you could charge the batteries as needed like during EOC, but it only will work on RWD and 4wd vehicles.

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by PowerPiston

the friction of the alternators is not to be underestimated

Not friction so much as load when it is working hard.

When not charging there will be some belt drive loss as noted; the alternator fan requires a bit of power too but not enough to mention.

There are some slight bearing losses, also not enough to really have an impact.

Instead of an alt delete I did a alt slowdown; that cuts down on all those micro-losses and I believe also puts the alternator in a more efficient operating rpm and load than stock for the way I drive.

[pete c]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Not friction so much as load when it is working hard.

When not charging there will be some belt drive loss as noted; the alternator fan requires a bit of power too but not enough to mention.

There are some slight bearing losses, also not enough to really have an impact.

Instead of an alt delete I did a alt slowdown; that cuts down on all those micro-losses and I believe also puts the alternator in a more efficient operating rpm and load than stock for the way I drive.

Yup. What we have here is someone coming up with a complex expensive solution to a problem that is pretty much non-existent.

Sounds like the mech. engineer I work with. Dude pretty much looks at the world like a big rube goldberg competition.

[pete c]

Originally Posted by mechman600

+1.
Except my ZX-7R gear drives the alternator off the clutch gear. I guess they did that to make the engine as narrow as possible.

The jap in line 4 sport bikes all got away from hanging the alternator off the end of the crank back in the early 80s. It made the engine noticably narrower which helped, particularly with all the plastic they started wrapping them in at the time.

[gone-ot]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

One feature from the motorcycles that I like is the mounting of the magneto right in the same axis of the crankshaft, so no belts, no pulleys. In a no-frills car it can also work decently, I've already seen it done into some Volkswagen air-cooled engines, but since their alternator (or dynamo in older ones) is usually bolted to the engine-cooling fan it ended up requiring a different fan setup.

...the original Ford Model A worked that way too as I vaguely recall...generator integrated into the flywheel.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

...the original Ford Model A worked that way too as I vaguely recall...generator integrated into the flywheel.

The A or the T? Maybe both?

Well, considering that finding alternator belts wasn't something easy back in their days, that was quite a must to ensure reliability