Topic: 75MPG Hybrid Electric Car powered by 5HP Lawnmower Engine??????

[Hope]

link: http://keelynet.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/75mpg-hybrid-electric-car-powered-by-5hp-lawnmower-engine/

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Green-Transportation/1979-07-01/An-Amazing-75-MPG-Hybrid-Electic-Car.aspx

“Dave’s Opel CT is a hybrid electric vehicle. That is, the car is driven by an electric motor . . . but that powerplant’s “juice” is generated with the help of an ordinary, fuel-stingy lawn-mower engine! Now the fact that the system works isn’t really surprising. What’s amazing is that the crossbreed hookup performs so well! According to David, the Opel has not only a virtually unlimited range (when driven prudently), but also a top speed of 90 miles per hour . . . and emits a minimum of pollutants as it tools along the highway. Better yet, the car can-if need be-run on its batteries alone for short in-town hops . . . and will never be “stranded” as long as there’s fuel in the “on board” generator! Mr. Arthurs is the first to admit that there’s nothing “new” to the system he’s developed . . . in fact, all the technology incorporated into his design has been available for about 35 years, just waiting for someone to put two and two together and make the whole thing work. In essence, David has utilized a small gas lawn-mower engine to drive a generator, which-in turn-supplies the vehicle’s drive motor with electricity. To do so, he first removed the Opel’s original power-plant and installed a 400-amp DC motor/ generator (actually a jet engine’s starting motor) in its place. (Since there’s no need for a clutch in Dave’s setup, the stock unit was pulled out and the main shaft of the drive motor was fastened directly to the input shaft of the car’s transmission.) Then, to provide a consistent source of power for this motor (and to supply an energy storage bank), the engineer installed four 12-volt, heavy-duty automobile batteries-in series-which are “fed” by a 100-amp generator that’s run off a 5-horsepower lawn-mower engine. Plans for the Hybrid car, item number 1764 are available for $25 at www.MotherEarthShopping.com or by calling 800-234-3368. / (Thanks to Glenn Watkins for this URL. - JWD)”






Can anyone see this car actually running on the streets?

[333]

Easily.  Considering that some of the very first cars were electric, it's very feasible.  I've thought(and I hope that I'm not the first) that one way to solve the issue of electric cars traveling on a long trip was some sort of generator on a trailer.

[DarkRider]

Now if someone were to combine this concept with a much lighter vehicle the range could be even better...

something like this perhaps?

http://rqriley.com/u-trike.htm

[oldbiker]

If you read this article carefully, they claim the generator gives 28.5 volts at 100 amps. This is 2.85 kilowatts.
Firstly  please tell me how to charge a 48 volt battery (4 twelves in series) from a 28.5 volt source.
2.85 kw is less than 4 hp (conversion losses from the 5hp briggs and stratton generator set up) and this would never be enough for the car to do 90mph.
Unless they have found some way to defy the laws of physics, this is a load of crap.
Basic law says that energy can be converted between different forms, ie. electrical to mechanical to heat to work etc but it can NEVER be destroyed or produced from thin air.
I see that they are selling plans for this at $25, so it must be a scam.

[Demon67]

Hope there is a web sight that you might want to google called Home Power magazine which used to have archives with all sorts of neat things like build your own generator and others.
Bill the demon.

[troppo]

If you read this article carefully, they claim the generator gives 28.5 volts at 100 amps. This is 2.85 kilowatts.
Firstly  please tell me how to charge a 48 volt battery (4 twelves in series) from a 28.5 volt source.
2.85 kw is less than 4 hp (conversion losses from the 5hp briggs and stratton generator set up) and this would never be enough for the car to do 90mph.
Unless they have found some way to defy the laws of physics, this is a load of crap.
Basic law says that energy can be converted between different forms, ie. electrical to mechanical to heat to work etc but it can NEVER be destroyed or produced from thin air.
I see that they are selling plans for this at $25, so it must be a scam.

I`m no auto electrician buttThe article in the first link makes it sound to me like it runs on the generator as the primary power source most of the time and only uses the batteries in emergencies

Better yet, the car can-if need be-run on its batteries alone for short in-town hops . . . and will never be “stranded” as long as there’s fuel in the “on board”

[bradweingartner]

The concept is that you have enough gas motor to sustain cruise to give you range, and use the batteries for momentary high power needs like accellerating.

But you need enough gas-power to sustain cruise, with most vehicles I believe it's more than 5hp, and given conversion losses from converting gas engine power -> battery energy -> electric motor you're going to be WAY below 5hp at the wheel.

So this design great because you'll run out of battery before you run out of gas which means sitting at a rest stop while your puny generator charges your batteries.

Getting 28 volts to charge 48 volts is easy with a buck regulator that boosts the voltage. Of course, If you double the voltage you're going to half the availible current. Plus again, losses in the conversion process.

The concept is sound, but he needs about 50 more horsepower in the gasoline engine and especially very fine tuning of the engine to find the most efficient and clean RPMs and loads to optimize the whole package.

[kirkn]

Man, you guys are being harsh on the poor guy. 

He's done it, it's there.  It may be improved upon, sure, tweaked, refined, improved, etc. but I'm sure that in the main, it did what he said.

Plus, on one of those links, there's a reference that this article was first published in July 1979!!  Kindof a long time ago, and lots of improved technology is available, if that's the case.

[gerhed]

Built my electric vehicle with a fork lift motor.
I charge my 48 volt pack with four 12 volt chargers.
Takes about 2 hours and then I'm
good for 10 more miles.
This thing was expensive and is quite heavy.-----fun though !
There's no free lunch anymore in transportation.