Urba Centurion #4

[Xist]

Are normal steering wheels fifteen inches?

[GreenHornet]

Originally Posted by Xist

Are normal steering wheels fifteen inches?

I have had quite a few Triumph Spitfire and GT6 cars over the years and all of them with the exception of one GT6 had 15" steering wheels. The GT6 had a 14" wheel. So I think the 15" size is by far the most common at least from my experience.

Another reason I would like to have a smaller steering wheel besides giving more room is turning effort lock to lock. Not that it will take much in the Centurion but the smaller the wheel the quicker your steering input. However there is two sides to this coin. By reducing wheel size your turning effort lock to lock is minimized as you do not need as much input to reach full lock. The turning effort however is increased as you have less leverage turning the wheel. So it is a trade off.

Ok Frank that makes much more sense LOL

Utilizing the smaller 2 cylinder Kubota also plays into this because I will have the advantage of sitting it back behind the axle line as well as sitting it lower in the engine compartment. This transforms Centurion #4 from a front engine rear wheel drive car into an front mid engine rear wheel drive (FMR). These types of cars are not as common but do exhibit quite a few advantages over the far more common front engine front wheel drive vehicles we see today. In general this modification will help the handling by keeping the engine lower which lowers the cars center of gravity. Less steering effort will be needed because the mass is centrally located rather than at the ends of the car over the driving wheels. Overall car handling will be improved also because again you are moving the majority of the weight to the middle of the car.

Here is a link that discusses mid engine design = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-engine_design

Here is a link that shows the Honda S2000 engine compartment which is similar to what the Centurion #4 will be like = Quick & Dirty: Understanding Powertrain Configurations - The Modified Lifestyle | Revvolution

[Frank Lee]

Another reason I would like to have a smaller steering wheel besides giving more room is turning effort. Not that it will take much in the Centurion but the smaller the wheel the easier the effort in general.

That there is bass-ackwards.

[GreenHornet]

I should have emphasized lock to lock turning effort. I think by having the smaller engine behind the axle line the reduced leverage of the smaller steering wheel will not be a big deal in slow speed scenarios. The gamble is that I will strike a good balance between lock to lock effort and overall effort. I would like to have more of s sports car feel with better steering input hopefully I can strike the balance. If the smaller steering wheel does not do the trick by itself there are other options.

[GreenHornet]

I have been looking into the AC option and there are tons of potential units. I think for me the big thing is size and efficiency. I feel like I can get away with less output since I will be cutting the cooling area down to only the immediate cabin. I want something pretty compact as this will take up some of the space in the rear hatch of the Centurion. The more compact unit I can get the less intrusive it will be which will help me to preserve the space for other needs. However for me I would be willing to compromise a little size for better efficiency.

Currently I have my eyes on the Frigidaire FFRE0533Q1 for an all around unit. It is not the lightest, most compact or the most cost effective but it is extremely efficient. The unit only draws 3.9 Amps and uses 446 Watts and has a very respectable SEER rating of 11.2 The unit puts out 124 CFM which is pretty good for the 5,000 BTU classification. Best of all it has a remote I love those things LOL So I am going to try to find the best deal I can on this AC unit then start my AC system design.

GH..

[GreenHornet]

Here are the general specs of the Frigidaire AC unit that I am going to get. One thing to note is the depth at 15 1/4. The Centurions have a shelf right behind the seats of roughly 9" depth and 13" height. This shelf acts as the rear bulkhead for the seats to back up to and also houses the Triumph Spitfire fuel cell. So if used unmodified the unit will work but will protrude into the hatch storage space 6 inches. This is not necessarily a game changer but if I can modify it a little bit to take advantage of the length of the shelf this would be more beneficial for me I think.

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

Warranty: 1 Year Full/5 Year Sealed System
Refrigerant: R410a
Window Height (Min.): 13"
Window Width Min. (Max.): 23" - 36"
Product Weight (lbs): 42
Shipping Weight (lbs): 47
Power Type: Electric
Size: N/A
Installation Type: Window Mounted
Collection: Frigidaire
AC SPECIFICATIONS

Fan Speeds (Cool): 2
Fan Speed (Fan): 2
Low Voltage Start-Up: Yes
Energy Saver: Yes
Filter Check: Yes
Clean Air Ionizer: No
Remote Control: Full Function
Air CFM (High): 124
Motor RPM (High): 1,380
Motor RPM (Low): 1,268
Air Direction Control: 4-Way
Noise Level dB (High): 57.0
Noise Level dB (Low): 53.0
Fresh Air: No
Exhaust Vent: No
Vents Closed: Yes
Filter Access: Side Slide-Out
Slide-Out Chassis: No
Cabinet Louvers: Yes
Window Mounting Kit: Pleated Quick Mount
Charge (ozs): 11.1
PERFORMANCE

BTU (Cool): 5,000
Dehumidification (Pints/Hour): 1.1
Cool Area (Sq. Ft.): 150
Energy Efficiency Ratio: 11.2
Performance Certification: AHAM
EXTERIOR SPECIFICATIONS

Height: 12"
Width: 16"
Depth: 15-1/4"
ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Voltage Rating: 115V, 60Hz
Amps (Cool): 3.9
Watts (Cool): 446
Horsepower (Cool): 0.60
Power Cord Length: 6' (6-1/2')
Plug Type: LCDI 5-15P
CERTIFICATIONS & APPROVALS

ENERGY STAR® Certified: Yes
Safety Certification: UL/CUL (SA11087

[GreenHornet]

Another component that will need to be purchased in order to get the AC window unit to work in the car will be an inverter. The inverter transforms the cars 12V DC power source into AC. This component will allow us to plug in our AC Unit and run it care free. One major consideration that has to be understood before selecting the inverter is how many watts your AC unit is pulling continuously and at start up. Typically your start up wattage needs is 3-4 times that of the continuous rating. So for example the Frigidaire unit I am in the market for has an continuous output of 446 watts. The estimated start up wattage at 3X is equal to 1,338 Watts.

Knowing these figures we can now select an appropriately sized inverter that will be reliable in continuous operation during extended periods. This is one area I think overkill is probably justified. Here is a unit that would not have a problem running this AC Unit =http://www.invertersrus.com/pwrb1250.html
The Aims unit is priced at $99 and has a surge wattage of 3,500 along with a continuous wattage of 1,250. There are many inverters available for under $100 that would do the trick.

The good thing about my AC design strategy is it caters to the window units design. They are made to go into windows or walls. Since I will be building a wall separating the rear hatch from the cockpit the window AC unit is a no brainer for inexpensive AC for the Centurion. A big advantage here is that the electric AC can run even while the Kubota diesel is off Another advantage is that we can come up with a solar power design that can help supplement the needed power for the AC.

Another major consideration will be venting the unit. This should not prove to difficult as we can take a similar approach to cars with rear mid engines like in the VW XL1.

[elhigh]

Originally Posted by GreenHornet

The Aims unit is priced at $99 and has a surge wattage of 3,500 along with a continuous wattage of 1,250. There are many inverters available for under $100 that would do the trick.

Just make sure the AC unit isn't demanding too clean a wave of power. Cheap inverters make do with a so-called "modified sine" output wave, which is to say it sort-of approximates clean alternating current with stepped voltages. The earliest inverters provided square wave output, which could be hell on electronics like TVs and stereos, though motors didn't mind it much.

The quality of the power shouldn't affect your AC unit too badly but it may play up your control electronics. If your AC unit is using mechanical controls, all is well. Otherwise you may need to consider other options.

That Cool Blue thing, with the inverter the manufacturer recommended, may be a better bet since they seem to have already determined the inverter choice is a good one.

[samwichse]

Also: If you can get an AC with a linear compressor, the start-up wattage issue goes away. As their compressed volume is essentially continuously variable, they can start and run with a constant draw and a variable output (ie, the compressor strokes will be shorter until the startup surge is overcome).

Unfortunately, I'm not seeing anything but split units with that tech in them ATM.

Sam

[GreenHornet]

Another component that I am seeing electric vehicle owners buying are hard start kits for their AC units. This is basically another capacitor that is wired in series with the existing capacitor to help it start up quicker. This basically buffers the battery from the initial power spike at start up. A simple strategy would be to have some solar panels on the back hatch keep the cars capacitor banks topped off and trickle charge any excess to the lithium bank.

Here is a link where you can purchase them on Amazon = Compressor Saver CSR U1 Hard Start Capacitor - Hvac Controls - Amazon.com