I really don't see the point of this thread unless it either affects your next car purpose or you are speaking based on hybrids you have driven (and not discussed). It seems very strange for one to start this topic that is totally disinterested in mentioning their hybrid (present or future).
As I said before, I want a series hybrid but nobody sells them here. It seems that they are sold in China - http://www.fevehicle.com/services.html - I know very well that there is no marketing, economic, or technical reason that they are not ubiquitous. They are not available due to the devious, despicable acts of a variety of vested interests, mostly Big Oil and their political cronies, who could give a damm about the environment, or consumer choice, or consumers who can't afford $200/month for their gasoline, or the ten's of thousands who die due to the effects of smog - they only want to fill their pockets.
It's amazing that while we have Bill Gates & Warren Buffet spending their wealth for the benefit of humanity, and Richard Branson recently dedicating all of his profits (some $3 billion) to research on improving the environment and reducing greenhouse gases, and on the other hand we have demons like Chevron, who are actively supported by our politicians, who are not only doing nothing to help humanity, they are using the most evil and detestable means to force people to burn copious quantities of their unsavory gasoline to the disadvantage of the environment, and the consumer.
As I said before, I want a series hybrid but nobody sells them here. . . .
You seem to have a grasp of the technology, so buy the parts and build your own.
There are thousands of homebuilt airplanes put together by folks who got tired of waiting for someone else to build the plane they want. There are thousands of homebuilt boats and kit cars assembled for the same reasons. Heck, I added a 1 kW inverter to my Prius rather than wait for an option that isn't there, yet.
Do the design, do the engineering and build it yourself.
...You seem to have a grasp of the technology, so buy the parts and build your own. ...Do the design, do the engineering and build it yourself...
An excellent idea, and I have thought of the same. The big problem with building a series hybrid is the unavailability of generators suitable for automotive applications. Automotive diesels, are efficient and compact but run in the 50-150 hp range. You want a diesel of about 15 hp. Typical home generators are built excessively big (I think they deliberately make them big because the consumer thinks the bigger they are - the better they are). About the most suitable size diesels I've seen are the Yanmar outboard motor diesels at 27 hp weighs 192 lbs including prop & shaft. Compare this with a 30 hp diesel genset which weighs typically around 1000 lbs. The generators are also lowsy for battery charging. The only good ones are the Honda Inverter types, but only on gas generators maximum 6.5 kw. The ideal generator for a series hybrid would be a 3 phase brushless multi-pole with about a 400 hz output at full speed. The whole package of 15 hp engine & generator could easily be made about 100-150 lbs, but without demand its not being done.
An excellent idea, and I have thought of the same. The big problem with building a series hybrid is the unavailability of generators suitable for automotive applications. Automotive diesels, are efficient and compact but run in the 50-150 hp range. You want a diesel of about 15 hp. Typical home generators are built excessively big (I think they deliberately make them big because the consumer thinks the bigger they are - the better they are). About the most suitable size diesels I've seen are the Yanmar outboard motor diesels at 27 hp weighs 192 lbs including prop & shaft. Compare this with a 30 hp diesel genset which weighs typically around 1000 lbs. The generators are also lowsy for battery charging. The only good ones are the Honda Inverter types, but only on gas generators maximum 6.5 kw. The ideal generator for a series hybrid would be a 3 phase brushless multi-pole with about a 400 hz output at full speed. The whole package of 15 hp engine & generator could easily be made about 100-150 lbs, but without demand its not being done.
A used Prius has both a 24 HP motor generator and a 40 hp motor generator. As pointed out before, you could easily decouple the planetary gear from the ring gear and instantly have a series hybrid. If you want more motor power, put a second Prius transaxle in the rear and operate MG1 and MG2 in parallel for a total of 104 hp to the wheels, 40 hp front and 64 hp rear.
As for batteries, Pruis battery packs are also available. You'll need a bunch if you add a second transaxle since a single pack ordinarily only has 26 hp of power output (Toyota 20 kw operation limit.) Put in four and you've got enough for the 104 hp to the wheels or three and use the 24 hp from the front engine generator.
If you don't like the Prius 1500 Atkinson ICE, replace it with one of your own design. Engine technologies are well known, pick your poison and make it happen. For example, put slieves in the existing ICE for undersized pistons and mill a head for a 20:1 compression ratio, it already has a 13:1 ratio. Just make sure the total piston area is reduced 13:20 to keep the connecting rod and crankshaft stresses in the same order of magnitude. Add injectors and you're ready to go.
My point is 90% of what you need for a series hybrid is already in used Prius. The salvage title vehicles go for reasonable numbers. Start small with just one and then add the additional capabilities as you have time and budget. Best of all, the problem is solved.
The Prius is definitely the best vehicle to use, for hobbyists who want to make an efficient EV or Hybrid or any concoction that they might dream up, unless you have $100,000 to spend on a Tesla and are ready to sit on a waiting list likely until 2009.
Myself, I'm still more in imagination mode: imagine what it should be, and wish it would appear. Besides, where I live, I think there is one Prius in town, and no junkers.
Good point, I wasn't aware any batteries are rated that way. I can see that would be relevant for high current drain applications, such as HEV's. I suspect it's a somewhat fudgy rating - mainly due to excessive current drains would reduce the life of the battery, or possibly even damage it. It doesn't effect the peak power, or acceleration power of a EV though, as that energy would likely be taken off of Capacitors on the DC bus. For sustained energy consumption, like supplying the hill climbing energy of a Series Hybrid, the rating would be significant. So using their specs, a 5 kwh battery bank would have a 141 kw rating, which is substantially more than the 20-80 kw you would need to climb a hill at speed.
What's The Point of This?
Re: What's The Point of This?
