Alternative fuels...how much longer

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

Here's an idea I'm quite fond of:

 

Electric cars with "pancake motors", these motors which are shorter fore to aft but larger in diameter make gobs of torque (which contrary to popular belief is what gets you down the road.

Horse-power is the measure of how fast a force can accelerate a given weight, torque is the actual rotational force exerted and is usually measured in foot or inch pounds here in the states. Elsewhere I imagine they use grams and kilos)

 

Anywho more torque less gear = slower rotation & more efficiency therfore one would need fewer batteries, fewer fuel cells or both to go just as far. Of course fewer bateries and fuel cells means less weight meaning the motor can even more efficiently do it's job. Overal range for the same amount of power corespondingly should increase.

 

Add reasonably powerful magnetes to paved roadways and inductive pickups to the vehicle's undercariage and the vehicles range could be further increased even if the power generated is only enough to power it's lights, radio, wipers, and climate controll (less draw from the battery by accessories more juice for the motor)

 

In addition equipe the aforementioned vehicle with regenerative braking and every stop it makes or every incline it descends will put energy back into the batteries.

 

Heck take it ever further cover the hood, roof, and trunk with solar cells. I would be willing to bet that the combination of all of these technologies would result in a vehicle that woud very rarely require a plug in or refuel. (whjatever the case may be)

 

A little food for thought. A comercial electric golf cart is capable of speeds of 10mph towing 1200 lbs based on the one that I used in my landscaping business. without the extra weight it was capable of cruising at speeds in excess of 17mph. It had only one gear ratio imagine how fast it could go if it had four or five!

[arkain101]

Thats right.

 

With the larger diameter motors there is significant leverage gains on the torque of the drive shaft (not the same drive shaft as cars today from tranny to differential, but a shaft that drives).

Another thing with designing the electrical engines in this manner is you can set up the opposing magnetic forces so the each spin in opposite directions, but work together to spin the same with. This way the total mass of engine electric engine invovled is capable of building up rotational kinetic energy. And in hard acceleration only on half of the electric engine actually spins to add to acceleration performance.

 

Next as you say there is regenerative breaking.

 

There is also infact several other ways to generate power without drawing on the cars efficiency. In my soon to be patent there is a dozen other functions to create energy. So much so, that with the correct configuration one will rarely use the actual main electric source on consitant high speed driving conditions.

[P-man]

That's very interesting, how exactly do these work?

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

Personally I see no problem with regenerative braking. No matter where you are going you will eventually want to stop. Why not put all of that inertia to good use putting power back into the batteries instead of using traditional friction brakes which convert all of that good stuff to waste heat?

[arkain101]

There are alot of cars that have regenerative braking now.

 

There is also kits you can buy for regular cars to add regenerative brakes, which then takes that energy and puts it to use in some form, which I think is assisting motion. A moving vehicle carries alot of energy and when the brakes catch it and store it, it can suprisiingly go a long way.

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

I've heard Toyota's hybrid is equiped to recharge it's onboard NiMH

bateries during deceleration. Though I haven't heard of any other regular production vehicles equiped as such.

 

could you name some of the others? (just curious.)

[CraigD]

I've heard Toyota's hybrid is equiped to recharge it's onboard NiMH bateries during deceleration. Though I haven't heard of any other regular production vehicles equiped as such.

 

could you name some of the others? (just curious.)

Every hybrid auto I’ve heard of has this feature, known as “regenerative braking”. Nearly every pure electric vechicle, also. I recall this feature being available in electric cars in the US as early as the 1960s.

 

A reasonably up-to-date list of available hybrids can be found at the wikipedia article “hybrid vehicle”.

 

Currently, in the US, the most common hybrids are the Toyota Prius, the Honda Civic Hybrid, and the Honda Insight, all of which use regenerative braking.

[P-man]

The new Toyota Highlander hybrid has come out, I saw one here in Toronto the other day. It has regenerative braking.

[arkain101]

Another thing about electric motor application is that it is immensly more efficient than internal combustion power output through gears.

 

Why?

 

Well electric engines have the same torque (power) at any rpm, same in low rpm as they do at high rpms. When you hit the gas in an internal combusion engine, it has horrible efficiency, it crams tons of fuel and air into the cyclenders where much is not burned. The torque in an engine is also only good in generally high rpms and only peaks in the range of 2000rpm band. So having an engine that goes up and down in rpm .. to match the drivers needs is a horrible setup and should be left in the past. it is aslo heavy.

 

A better design, is to hook up a super low rpm internal combustion engine that developes good torque. This way it burns low fuel, and hook it up to an electrical generator. Then have electric engines directly contacted to the wheels. This way the electric engine will put out the same power from stopped posistion as they will at 100mph. Also there is no requirement for gears because electric engines have incredible rpm range. from say 100rpm to 10,000rpm.

Now this is part of my system for my pollution free self propelled vehicle design and it will be the future of vehicle transportation. I doubt im the first to think of this setup. But its the way to go.

 

Does anyone know a good place to get ahold of to talk about developing new inventions and getting them on the go? I need some assistance.

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/provapp.htm

http://www.uspto.gov

The above is very important reading.

[CraigD]

Does anyone know a good place to get ahold of to talk about developing new inventions and getting them on the go? I need some assistance.

First, I’d get familiar with some specialized internet forums on the subject of alternative vehicles – Hypography is a wonderful basic and applied Science forum, but not single-mindedly dedicated to engineering.

 

Medium term, I’d make an effort to participate in organizations actually designing and making prototype vechicles, such as The California Cars Initiative. Active work in such an org would likely require living where they live, which, unless you have secret financial resources, means gaining employment there.

 

Long term, I’d set my sights at reaching a senior position in the engineering division of a major manufacture: Ford, GM, etc.

 

While the image of the lone inventor is romantic, and such folk do occasionally make a lot of money from their intellectual properties, I think the best path to making a meaningful contribution to technology is through a career as an employee or contractor of various industry-leading companies. It’s almost certain this will require at least one college degree – increasingly, lack of formal education is a serious handicap in a technical career.

[arkain101]

Thank you for the contributions!

 

I agree.. I want to get a career, but that wont happen for a few years. In the meantime I was going to invest some side money into my inventions. Why ? well because so far to this date I think 5 of my many designs have shown up around the world and are really taking off on the market. I've been working with automotive modification and maintainance for quite some years. I wouldnt be getting carried away if I didnt happen to see so many of my designs and ideas showing up recently. Speed bump traffic generators, attrax snowbike system, mag lev train (yah I know long been around, but I do have a design), motorized wake/surf board, turbo generator..

Sorry but I get excited with ideas and the fact other people are getting my ideas going.

As far as I have researched my device designs are nowhere found in the automotive industry and especially not the concept, so I know it is the real deal. I am just tired of watching others go ahead with designs Ive long had hehe..

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

I too have designs that have found their way to reality by someone else's hands personally I think it sucks and is cool at the same time.

 

ex. In 1985 using the drafting table and equipment my father gave me for christmas I drew up a car (which still hangs on his office wall) that is strikingly

similar to the Dodge Viper. The prototype for the viper started life in'87.

 

But I wasn't the first to come up with those pretty lines...mine were based on the concept of modernising the 1957 v12 Ferrarie Testarosa GT 275.

 

From a later design vehicle Pontiac borrowed my three blade rims (It seems.)

 

They match my drawings exactly and they predate Pontiac's use of the rim by 4 years. Perhaps I shouldn't circulate my designs out of my household! (or at least should protect them first!)

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

I reeeeeeeeeeeeaalllllllllllllllllllly want an Escape hybrid!!!!

They remind me of my Bronco II and I love my lil Bronc!

 

No I'm not trying to advertise for Ford I have had several cars from them that were total crap. ((1) escort, (1) pinto, a 79, an 86, and a 90 LTD, (1) 85 mustang, also a 91 taurus which ate 3 transmissions.

 

But I've had great luck with their trucks. I've had a Ranger, a Bronco II, and an F-150 custom king cab and all have been good to me. Which brings me back to my beloved bronc.

 

I've had more fun with that rig than any other vehicle (not counting my 77 VW westy) I've ever owned muddin, rock crawlin, etc. It does have it's drawbacks though. It has terrible fuel economy (12 mpg at best), I've replaced the rear drive shaft twice (crapy cv joints), and more than once the transfer case refused to let me shift out of emergency low. (which makes for extremely slow goin and super terrible fuel economy as can be expected for 5000 rpm @35mph)

 

All in all though it's been a pretty good rig and I'm sure Ford never really intended for it to be fitted with oversized rubber and beat to a pulp off road.

And while I know that an Escape will never be half as tough it would be nice to have another little 4by that I can actually use (ie. actually afford to feed) for a dailly driver. (I'll probably get one someday... just as soon as they fit them with a diesel instead of the gas motor.)

[InfiniteNow]

Check out the following link for some interesting new info re: hydrogen.

 

 

New material brings hydrogen fuel, cheaper petrochemicals closer to reality

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

Wellp.. I said that I wasn't advo'ing for Ford so here' s more not so good pr for them. I dropped my F-150 off for the ol annual inspection and the news was awfull...total brake system overhaul, new exhaust, and new ball joints for both front wheels...total damage $1,000 (and thats just to pass inspection there were a number of other problems which will have to be delt with when money becomes available). To be fair though it is a 15 year old WORK truck, and by work I mean it actually works for it's existence. I use it to haul dirt, scrap metal, furnature, concrete, and landscaping materials dailly often with the cargo exceeding the 2200 payload limit of the truck.

[Biochemist]

...A better design, is to hook up a super low rpm internal combustion engine that developes good torque. This way it burns low fuel, and hook it up to an electrical generator. Then have electric engines directly contacted to the wheels. This way the electric engine will put out the same power from stopped posistion as they will at 100mph. Also there is no requirement for gears because electric engines have incredible rpm range. from say 100rpm to 10,000rpm....

I am not a mechanical engineer, but I am pretty sure this is how American diesel locomotives work. They are really efficient when they are huge (in terms of torque and Horespower). My understanding is that it is difficult to make these babies small enough to fit in a consumer vehicle.

 

Anyone corroborate?