KERS for 4X4s

[stanz]

I have an idea for owners of 4X4 trucks, I own three so it hits home.

Since it's spring and I don't need 4X4 my thought was this:

1) Disconnect the shaft from the transfer case to the front axle.

2) Connect a forklift motor to the transfer case.

3) Get some cheap batteries or an ultra-capacitor.

4) Wire up a button on the steering wheel to engage full power, no control, just power. KISS

5) Wire up a relay to the brake pedal to provide charging for the storage.

That's it, again KISS.

Oh, for those of you that don't know, KERS is Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems

[theunchosen]

sounds good but ultra-capacitors are irrelevant at this point in technology. People go gaga over them but honestly this technology is probably a long ways off. The companies that are researching them are only touting the fact that they have promising leads for results. not promising results.

A capacitor the size of a old roll top desk provides enough power to move your car slowly one city block. chemical reactions are far more compact. The ultimate logical next step is a nuclear isotope battery(satelites). But they are kind of dangerous so its only safe to put them thousands of miles away from people and where if something goes wrong it gets disintegrated into powder so fine SELs are needed to observe them.

Go with the batteries. Golf cart used batteries are the best cheap place to start( I got a couple off of a summer camp I used to work for(the one with the electric tram and a substantial supply of golf carts)

[Big Dave]

No modulation of front drive power? Should make for some interesting corners.

[theunchosen]

Originally Posted by Big Dave

No modulation of front drive power? Should make for some interesting corners.

I think he means of the e motor, otherwise it sounds pretty suicidal on the mpg.

Full throttle would destroy mpg if that was your P&G technique, but the electric motor probably wouldn't generate enough extra force for it to be. . .crazy?

Could always cut it off once you clear the speed limit and then back on when you get where you want to be.

[stanz]

Originally Posted by Big Dave

No modulation of front drive power? Should make for some interesting corners.

I assume it takes a lot of power to move my F150, maybe I'll just use the boost on straights! That's why I suggest using a button to engage the power. If I find it's manageable maybe it could be used all the time. The F1 drivers tend to drain it on every lap. They start the race with it charged and then recharge via braking. Sort of a limited plug-in hybrid, REALLY limited. I think they get around 80 horsepower and they run the batteries hot to the point its dangerous.

[almightybmw]

Interesting. I'd like to do something like this, but instead I want a motor mounted to each tire via a reduction gear with a beefy generator supplementing power from the batteries. Ultimate rock crawler, no diffs to catch, no axles to rub. Never have figured out why HMMVs are one of the few that use gearing at the wheel to gain clearance. Cheap no, but extremely effective.

KERS would be pretty awesome, but when I need 4x4, I tend to need it, so using it for short stints like a race car wouldn't work.

[theunchosen]

Originally Posted by almightybmw

Interesting. I'd like to do something like this, but instead I want a motor mounted to each tire via a reduction gear with a beefy generator supplementing power from the batteries. Ultimate rock crawler, no diffs to catch, no axles to rub. Never have figured out why HMMVs are one of the few that use gearing at the wheel to gain clearance. Cheap no, but extremely effective.

KERS would be pretty awesome, but when I need 4x4, I tend to need it, so using it for short stints like a race car wouldn't work.

HMMWV High Mobility multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle. . .dropped the important part. . .the wheels lol.

Yeah I had considered this as well. You could achieve way more traction on unsteady terrain than through a standard differential because an on-board computer could quickly determine if the wheel is getting purchase or not and then redirect power off it completely to the other tires, or even undergo "rocking" procedures that NASA used on. . .crap can't remember the name of the lander sent to take a peak not at olympus mons but the other landing site. ITs where the wheels push and pull in different patterns to get the the sand to form a smoother slope by rocking back and then bumping the direction to shake sand down and then rock back and do it again.

[stanz]

I just realized you guys have my idea reversed.

The motor connects to the transfer case NOT the front axle. The transfer case is switched to 4X4 high and then the motor assists the rear wheel drive.

The truck is converted into a rear wheel drive parallel hybrid sort of thing.

[theunchosen]

so you run power on the front from the engine and the back from the engine and run the electric motor at full power on the rear?

[almightybmw]

well that changes things. I'd have to disconnect the front diff vacuum because of how S10's front ends work. The only issue I could see is the ICE to the EM. If 300fts kicks in it'll easily over power the motor, and transmission. Considering I only have 5500rpm to work with, it'd be most useful when in 3rd or 4th, idle rpms, and accelerate with little effort. But I still see issues with stripping gears because of how the shock load on the gears. I know GM has found a solution since a few of the Yukons have an EM built into the transmission.

so yeah. Use the front diff output as an input to mimic the hybrid system GM uses on their fullsizes. A worth project for someone with skills.