Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Th!nk (Think)
Dean Kamen's Stirling car is an old Ford Th!nk
Click above for more shots of the new Th!nk Ox and City
The other day, we touched on the Stirling engine that Segway-inventor Dean Kamen was working on for a hybrid car. Kamen has now displayed his prototype, based on an old Ford Th!nk, to the media. Called the 2008 DEKA Revolt, the prototype can apparently go about 60 miles on a full charge of the li-ion batteries. Not a huge deal, that. Instead, the news is that there is a Stirling engine involved. It seems, though, that this extra power source is more back-up than game-changer.
The Stirling engine "powers the features that would normally drain huge power from the battery, notably the defroster and heater," according to the Union Leader. The battery drives the car, but "if the battery does run low, the Stirling can recharge it." Per our readers' discussion on this topic the other day, it look's like Kamen hasn't limited what his Stirling engine can burn. The Union Leader says, "It can use any fuel, from biodiesel to natural gas." There's a lot more to learn about this little invention, so keep your eyes peeled. Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
Gallery: Geneva 2008: Th!nk Ox and City
[Source: Union Leader, FOX News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Rob O. 11:29AM (11/10/2008)
Kamen (and the team of wizards behind him) is simply incredible! I'm always anxious to see what happens when a problem hits his radar.
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Noz 12:35PM (11/10/2008)
Excellent!
This is why Ford and GM must die and make way. These fools can't even be bothered to make a car that offers 40 miles EV...this car, essentially a garage job but better, can muster 60 miles.
Good bye Ford, GM, Chrysler...GOOD RIDDANCE.
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why not the LS2LS7? 5:00PM (11/10/2008)
Of course they can go farther than 40mi. They just can't make it affordable. And neither can Kamen.
Noz 1:46AM (11/11/2008)
Yeah they can.....they just don't want to. I'll bet Fisker does it before they do...you can rest-assure on that.
Raoul 12:36PM (11/10/2008)
GE financials invest in the Th!nk pehaps the only good thing to see project on the road for the most of us...
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Greg 2:31PM (11/10/2008)
Love this topic can't wait to read more on this and any other topics.My feelings are mixed so far. This site is well put together and easy to nav. Let me read on and will comment myself.
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larry 9:56PM (11/10/2008)
WOW! What a joke! The more I hear about Dean Kamen, the more I think he's just a government project shakedown artist. That's why he puts out this PR trash. Let me get this straight: He had added a very expensive heavy component to an electric car with it's only purpose being to power the heat and air conditioning? Hey Dean, I can put in an alcohol heater and window cranks and my car will go many miles further and cost a lot less. I'm a genius!
Seriously though, Alcohol heaters may well be the best solution for the problem of electric cars in the northern climes. Or does anyone know if cabin heat can be drawn off the Zebra battery without affecting performance?
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Chris M 12:26AM (11/11/2008)
Considering that you don't know the cost or the weight of the Stirling engine used, your statement is a bit presumptuous.
A Stirling engine can run on a variety of heat sources, it could even use burning alcohol. The advantage over a simple alcohol fueled heater is that it can also extract useful power from it as well.
No, it would not do to draw heat from a Zebra battery. If the temperature drops below a certain point, it stops working. The high operating temperature and low power output limits the usefulness of Zebra batteries.