What car would you CREATE?

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by sidecar

What you need to be careful of is how it reacts to resin, where its probable that epoxy will show some risks, polyester is more forgiving. I guess silk would come up with some attractive numbers, perhaps hemp too (No pun intended).

Reference manila rope for which hemp was widely used during WW2. Hemp cloth is quite widely researched and likely available as a product. I believe silk was investigated for composites in the 90s.

I was actually considering to use sisal, which is quite popular in Northeast Brazil. As far as Manila rope goes, I'm aware it didn't have real hemp fibers on it, being actually made out of a plant from the same genre of banana trees (Musa). BTW banana tree fiber has already been used here in Brazil on at least one prototype car in the '80s, the Manacá, made by alumni of a military academy.

Im not really understanding this, since a turbocharger already has its hot side and cold side occupied. Perhaps what you are looking for is an exhaust driven alternator, or do you mean something rather smaller than existing APU?

I was considering something similar to the generator fitted to jet-powered aircraft, coupled to the high-pressure shaft by gears. In a turbocharger, that could be coupled to the shaft at the intermediary section.

[freebeard]

Basalt fiber has less embodied energy than glass or carbon, not sure how it compares with hemp.

Electric turbo:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ger-26232.html
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...r-33630-4.html
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...y-22763-8.html

The issue is that the alternator/generator doesn't like heat.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by freebeard

The issue is that the alternator/generator doesn't like heat.

The shafts from the turbo and the starter-generator could be geared in angle, allowing it to be set a little further enought to easily heat-shield it. Anyway, probably a water-cooled turbo would also make it safer, and it may also be a good excuse to try ceramic coatings (or even a fully-ceramic housing) to decrease heat irradiation that could eventually be detrimental to the starter-generator.

[freebeard]

I want to put a Buick water-cooled alternator in my Dasher, as a KERS, driven by a serpentine belt.

[sidecar]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

I was considering something similar to the generator fitted to jet-powered aircraft, coupled to the high-pressure shaft by gears. In a turbocharger, that could be coupled to the shaft at the intermediary section.

ok ok
thing 1, APU are usually centrifugal gas turbines, turbos are a drive mechanism to compress air fuel mix. In some ways quite similar yes, the same no.

APU do use large gear reductions but they are blessed with usually larger diameter Centrifugal compressors, which turn slower than even higher RPM ridiculous speed turbos. Key point, diameter matters.

Numerous problems circulating around heat. Back to basics, it isnt usual for energy to come for free, therefore expect some pitfalls dependent on your expectations of energy supply.

Not sure if turbo manufacturers are that into airbearings but they should be, because slight deviations due to bearing wear will kill your power generation. Which as I understand turbos bearing wear is exceptionally high, due to massive high RPM. They probably arent because unlike larger compressors they dont have the gas flow to spare, again its that diameter thing.

Heat in circuitry reduces efficiency markedly. Anything you do on that same shaft will transmit heat, and the heat in this case is extreme. There are technologies which could help, like magnetic drives which will separate the physical connection, which will help. Likewise water injection will help. Still, those things glow cherry red when on song, I dont fancy the chances.

Dont like to kill the idea, just trying to illustrate how difficult this task will be. On the other hand if it could be made to work, it has numerous worthwhile applications.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Sure it's difficult, no wonder I would rather try it if I could do it with more advanced materials that could reduce the heat radiation to the generator. But anyway, since BMW had been looking at developing a similar setup, it may be worth a try.