MTSU Students Retrofit Hub Motors (Converting an Accord into a plug-in Hybrid)

[dremd]

As a note on why regular cars don't use air ride.
Initial Expense, short service life (they Last about as long as tires and cost about the same).
Many cars came with them from the factory, easiest way to pick them out is to look for the cars that are now way low out back.
Few off top of head ls400 optional, Lincoln mk8, Lincoln navigator, and many Cadillacs.

Long ago at fords booth at SEMA I saw a converted f-150 with in board brakes, I asks an engineer about them, his answer was to comply with sregulations requiring friction brakes at all 4 corners, may be different now, but they went through great lengths back then

[freebeard]

Anybody here have insight to share about how well air shocks/springs work, their merits and demerits?

It's considered 'settled art' in some circles: Airkewld

[cfg83]

Otto -

Originally Posted by Otto

...

What about air shocks and springs? I was at a tire shop today and noticed air bladder shocks/springs used for auxiliary dampening on trucks, etc.. Why couldn't the conventional metal spring/shock/strut assembly be replaced by an air shock/spring? Lighter, never wears out since it's just air inside, and adjustable via internal pressure. Anybody here have insight to share about how well air shocks/springs work, their merits and demerits?

Combined with lighter wheel motors, air shocks/springs could mean major reductions in weight.

Thoughts?

Air bag suspension kits are available :

Air Suspension Pros | Find Quality Suspension Lowering & Lift Kits

Here is one classic hot rod kit for $1000 :

Factory Suspension on Hotrods and Muscle Cars

You start with our Basic Kit, which is not so basic at all. This is everything you need, but not maybe everything you want. So we offer an array of option UPGRADES to build your kit any way you want by adding Pre-Set Ride Controllers, Stainless Steel Chromed tanks, 2"Taller De Nominator-II bags, Air-Engine Manifold Pre-wired, Pre-plumbed Valving Systems, and Plug & Play

CarloSW2

[bertb]

Id volunteer my Civic for Beta testing!

[Diesel_Dave]

Like most of these things, I'm not sure it's all its being made out to be, but it's an interesting concept nonetheless.

Tennessee researcher changing the face of fuel economy | Fox News

A group of Tennessee researchers and graduate students are changing the face of fuel economy. They are designing a unique, plug-in hybrid retrofit kit that works on any vehicle on the road, potentially saving those who make the investment 50-100 percent on in town fuel costs.

The system is compact using electromagnets which fit between the back wheels and the brakes. Dr. Charles Perry at Middle Tennessee State University has built a prototype from a decade-old Honda Accord which he has converted to a fuel-efficient hybrid vehicle.

“It's a relatively low powered solution -- just for use in town” Perry said. “Low power means lower cost, lower components and batteries that don't have to be as big. The controllers don't have to be so robust -- all of that gives us low cost and simplicity which we think will give us an edge in the market.”

Perry says other inventors have come up with similar solutions but they’ve been expensive and force mechanics to alter the car. His solution is completely unique. It doesn’t change anything about the vehicle. The electromagnetic magnets are placed in the brake system and the battery pack sits in the trunk of the car. It’s the first of a kind.

The gas mileage while driving below 40 mph could improve by 50-100 percent and Perry is aiming for a price of about $3,000.

This technology could have a drastic effect on the pressure folks are feeling at the pump. For years, hybrid technology has only been found in new vehicles. Car owners, who had older gas-powered cars, didn’t have the option of retrofitting to hybrid technology.

Brent Brubaker is an MTSU graduate student and is also the lead electrical engineer on the project. He thinks the design could be on the roadway in the next year or two and will be welcome relief for a lot of drivers.

“The good thing about it is, it can apply to everybody,” Brubaker said. “You can fit this on any car with no modifications and you don't have to weld anything. You just get longer bolts and stick it on. It's universally adaptable and can charge it on the wall socket at home.”

Dr. Charles Perry’s team is not the only one hard at work on a retrofit hybrid solution. Protean Electric, a company based in Michigan, is working on developing similar technology.

But Perry says his prototype would be relatively inexpensive and transparent -- meaning it won’t affect the car’s performance. And his invention is part of an emerging trend bridging the gap between gas and diesel powered vehicle to hybrid technology.

“It's a transition,” Perry said. “Ten years from now so many cars will come from the manufacturer with plug in hybrid; you won't want a retro fit. So in the mean time this gives people an opportunity to take advantage of the plug-in hybrid approach without buying a new car.”

Video with more technical details here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOA_i2qAQq0

[Diesel_Dave]

Sorry, didn't see we already had a thread on this:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...nto-22746.html

[GRU]

I would love it if i could get this kit for my car for $3000

[RobertISaar]

yeah..... i may be in the minority on this forum, but i'm more interested in being able to tweak the controller to my purposes.... namely converting a FWD vehicle to what is basically AWD and adding a nice bump of torque. the MPG benefit is just a bonus.

[serialk11r]

Originally Posted by RobertISaar

yeah..... i may be in the minority on this forum, but i'm more interested in being able to tweak the controller to my purposes.... namely converting a FWD vehicle to what is basically AWD and adding a nice bump of torque. the MPG benefit is just a bonus.

I've played around with this idea in my head for a light RWD car though (it's really the same thing), the best method of control I could come up with is a hand "throttle" on the left side of the steering column that you pull with the left hand, and regen activated by brake pedal (my brake pedal has a few mm of play that could be taken advantage of for that, though admittedly the brake light turns on with surprisingly little brake force).

One neat feature that would be easy to integrate into this is a primitive electric motor torque vectoring. Say you have one motor for each side, then you use 2 controllers, and a single paddle throttle that is spring loaded at 2 attachment points connected to the "throttles". If your steering wheel is turned to the right in a right turn, then your left hand will be at a higher position, and pulling the paddle would result in a greater input to the controller for the left motor, and thus more torque to the left wheel. To get full output from both motors you pull at the center.