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An H3 that gets 60 mpg and does 0-60 in 5 seconds?

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
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i'd like to see independent verification of his claims. in particular i'd like to see more than a back of napkin estimate on how many BTUs are in X kg of vegetable oil, what the efficiency of a turbine/capacitor/electric motor system is, and how this compares to his claimed mileage figures.

also note that 60 mpg is his guess for what this H3 will do...
 

JustMtnB44

Monkey
Sep 13, 2006
840
113
Pittsburgh, PA
That is an interesting article, but I agree with Toshi that it is really only his claims at this point. Much of it is feasible, but the results seem somewhat exaggerated.

Then there is quotes like this:
I can go next door to Ace Hardware and buy a DC electric motor, go out to my four-wheel-drive truck, remove the transmission and engine, bolt the electric motor onto the back of the transfer case, put a series of lead-acid batteries up to 240 volts in the back of the bed, and we're good to go. I guarantee you I could drive all around town and do whatever I need, go home at night, and hook up a couple of battery chargers, plug one into an outlet, and be good to go the next day.
I'm not sure if that was a serious statement because it is just to ridiculous to even be realistic.

Still, if his work at least inspires Detroit to make some changes than that's cool since they really need a big kick in the ass right about now.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,931
13,129
Portland, OR
The Patriot had a similar setup, only without batteries. It almost worked.



Chrysler announced the Patriot in 1993 and development begun in earnest later that year and into 1994. The Patriot chassis was designed and built by now defunct race car manufacturer Reynard to the rules of the World Sports Car class and was intended to run at Le Mans beginning in 1995.

The Patriot was intended to have a natural gas-fueled two-stage turbine driving a pair of alternators providing juice to a 525V AC induction motor making this essentially a series hybrid.

The turbines could provide decent power from compact package but didn't really have the transient response needed for this type of application. Unlike the current series hybrids from Ford and General Motors, the Patriot was not designed to use a battery for storing energy since no practical type was available for a racing application at that time.

Instead, Chrysler wanted to use a flywheel to store energy that would be available for bursts of power for acceleration when needed. The flywheel system was designed to spin at 58,000 rpm in a vacuum housing made of carbon fiber. Unfortunately, dynamometer testing of the system proved it to be unworkable for an automotive application. After two catastrophic failures of the flywheel they decided they could adequately shield the driver and canceled the project.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
jimmydean, that article indicates that the flywheels were the point of failure. since this guy is (claims to be) using capacitors it may have more of a fighting chance.

incidentally, turbines and cars have had a long history. back in the 1960s one of the big 3 made a prototype. i remember reading an article about it in one of the print car mags...

http://www.turbinecar.com/sia/sia57.htm

there we go. chrysler, 1955.
 

Red Rabbit

Picky Pooper
Jan 27, 2007
2,715
0
Colorado
jimmydean, that article indicates that the flywheels were the point of failure. since this guy is (claims to be) using capacitors it may have more of a fighting chance.

incidentally, turbines and cars have had a long history. back in the 1960s one of the big 3 made a prototype. i remember reading an article about it in one of the print car mags...

http://www.turbinecar.com/sia/sia57.htm

there we go. chrysler, 1955.
I read about that a few years ago. I think this system could work with a bank of batteries.

Also, why not put a pancake motor on each wheel?

Save weight and gain clearance hight.
 

Barbaton

Turbo Monkey
May 11, 2002
1,477
0
suburban hell
jimmydean, that article indicates that the flywheels were the point of failure. since this guy is (claims to be) using capacitors it may have more of a fighting chance.

incidentally, turbines and cars have had a long history. back in the 1960s one of the big 3 made a prototype. i remember reading an article about it in one of the print car mags...

http://www.turbinecar.com/sia/sia57.htm

there we go. chrysler, 1955.
Yeah, my great-uncle had one. He was an engineer and they made several. Not sure how he got one. The car's long departed, unfortunately...
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,931
13,129
Portland, OR
jimmydean, that article indicates that the flywheels were the point of failure. since this guy is (claims to be) using capacitors it may have more of a fighting chance.

incidentally, turbines and cars have had a long history. back in the 1960s one of the big 3 made a prototype. i remember reading an article about it in one of the print car mags...

http://www.turbinecar.com/sia/sia57.htm

there we go. chrysler, 1955.
Yes, but the flywheel is what allowed the Patriot to have the acceleration for racing. I remember the car raced well enough to be competitive, but it was also the failure point.

Using caps would store the energy, but I don't think it would provide the same punch. It is, however a brick.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549