Using hybrid batteries and motors to electrically supercharge the engine?

[niky]

Yeah, well, F1 turbines aren't electrically powered. The turbos are used as generators. While the electric generator can be reversed to spin the turbo, this is used as an anti-lag measure, not a power-boosting measure... to keep the turbo "spooled" while off-throttle, so you don't have to wait for the boost to come back when you get on the gas again.

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An actual belt driven supercharger doesn't have lag issues. And on a street car, converting mechanical drive into electricity by connecting the alternator to the crank pulley, then back into mechanical drive, by sending electricity to the supercharger, is rather pointless, when you can simply connect the supercharger straight to the crank pulley, in the first place.

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A compound hybrid turbo as on F1 cars, on the other hand, makes more sense. You're still recovering waste heat and using that to spool the turbo, but you're also using excess exhaust energy to generate electricity. No need for a wastegate... the electric generator acts as a brake, slowing down the turbine and converting excess boost into electricity, instead. Then you use that electricity to prevent lag (not to generate steady boost, per se) and perhaps to power other accessories.

[wagonef8]

Well if you get rid of the lag it boost power on low end

[serialk11r]

The main issue that I see with this is that it's going to be a huge pain in the ass to actually do. The F1 engines were designed with an electric-turbo in mind, a Prius doesn't have any form of forced induction. There are electric superchargers around that can be powered with 36V batteries that aren't too expensive that give you a solid 10% boost, but you'll need to figure out the tuning, the plumbing changes (EGR, PCV, etc.), where to put the thing, etc. The only effort you save is that you can pull energy directly from the Prius battery instead of installing a drive belt or secondary battery system.

[wagonef8]

It would be neat just to run a turbine just to charge batteries

[Cobb]

I got it. How about a kers system that is activated by a push to pass button?