Electric Supercharger?! (adaptable for fuel economy?)

[metromizer]

Originally Posted by some_other_dave

How about a belt-driven supercharger with something like an AC clutch on the pulley? I'm remembering the first "Mad Max" movie... If the draw from the belt and pulley when it was not engaged was low enough, it could serve as an on-demand system.

-soD

Yes Dave! When doing some research for a performance project several years ago, I stumbled across several Mercedes superchargers with electric couplings on their noses, as factory replacement parts: I did a search again this afternoon, and came up with several.

mercedes supercharger clutch | eBay

The blowers MB uses appear to be high-helix roots, different than the Eaton blowers used on T-birds and Grand Ams, which I think are scroll type.

Either way, with the electric coupling MB uses, what I don't know is how Mercedes re-routes the engine's incoming airflow when the blower is not turning. Some sort of pressure actuated flapper door?

[Frank Lee]

Supercharge - Chapter 9

[oil pan 4]

The MR2 also used a clutched supercharger system.
All factory street driven gasser superchargers these days are going to have a bypass system.

[freebeard]

Electric supercharger done right:
Beltless Blower: Electrifying the Supercharger

Oops, it's a turbocharger, never mind.
Will BMW’s electric turbocharger end turbo lag?

[oil pan 4]

VGT has done away with most turbo lag.

[freebeard]

Possibly, but VGT doesn't recover electricity from the exhaust gases when it's not in boost. And BMW apparently will use *3* turbos, big little and electric, instead. Maybe they don't have the patents.

[Xist]

I don't understand why electric super\turbochargers should be in the unicorn corral. Shouldn't this work?

Ryobi Lithium-ion 40-Volt 150 mph 150 CFM Cordless Electric Blower-RY40410B at The Home Depot

:P

[oil pan 4]

My diesel uses about that much air during fast idle.

[niky]

Speed is not the issue. Volume and pressure is. Typically, you want to spend 10-15 hp to make several psi for a small engine, and something like 25 hp for a bigger one.

Thomas Knight's E-Charger has a 15 hp triple electric motor.

One car magazine took two huge leaf blowers and mated them to a Vette and got around 6 psi, if I recall... on a big arse V8.

EDIT: found it. Fascinating read:
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/e...r/viewall.html


(two 470 CFM blowers. 25 hp gain... okay, I was wrong... it was ONE psi. )

150 cfm could probably net you 1 psi of boost on a small four-banger. At just above idle. Won't do much else. Maybe six of those would be enough to not be an intake restriction.

[Xist]

That was the most powerful electric cordless blower. One of the reviews said that it lasted about an hour. I actually got the idea from the Hot Rod article. I do not know how long a normal blower tank would last.

Anyway, thank you for your time.