Recent Comments:
Ford expands fuel cell test fleet tests by two years {Autoblog Green}
Aug 19th 2008 7:29PM @ Meme you forgot to mention the two recent upgrades.
First all the window glass has been made completely transparent so that you can now see through it.
Second the judicious placement of a tire at each corner of the vehicle for added stability.
T2
Toyota wants hybrids across the board, remains dubious of plug-ins {Autoblog Green}
Aug 18th 2008 3:30PM Meme Followed the link
This is a one-sided view from the position of the power company.
I would think they have more important things to get excited over.
Nothing about east/west links to boost supplies to those areas undergoing morning and afternoon peaks nor even about fixed rates. I'm convinced if everyone paid at the same rate for a non-renewable resource, some profligate uses would disappear.
The study naturally assumes the continuation of the quasi-monopolistic central electricity generating utilities. No mention of residential electric power generation from a natural gas fired genset in place of an open flame gas heater. Why not charge a PHEV at the same time. This Co-Gen model would be particularly useful in the colder climes for space heating.
Whereas these megascale power plants release 65% of their energy to the atmosphere via lakes, rivers or cooling towers.
Generally the study is not concerned for the country but for the power industry maximising its resources and this new PHEV client with his own $16,000 storage container may be a way to do that. He will be given his white meter and be invited to savor his new lower 'privileged' rates. Again, everything that's wrong with America
T2
Toyota wants hybrids across the board, remains dubious of plug-ins {Autoblog Green}
Aug 18th 2008 9:21AM There are now two threads here. It started with the economics of optioning the Prius by increasing the size of its POWER battery with more of the same chemistry until it becomes predominantly an ENERGY storage battery instead. Toyota maintains that this exhorbitant cost is not justified for the performance gain (in mileage).
Accordingly Posters have introduced the BIG PICTURE of grid tied loads.
First, I think I can speak for every one here that the electric motor powertrain is the way to go. Control of large amounts of electrical power using a solid state three phase inverter to drive an induction motor coupled with a fixed gear is both a scalable, and cheap technological solution. That is, when compared to stepped transmissions, auto or otherwise, with all the engine tricks necessary to deliver variable torque efficiently over as broad an engine speed range as possible. We should all be on board with this.
If so, the contention is simply whether the source of that power should come from a downsized motor generator running on gasoline or from a "stinking" coal plant as someone wrote.
Hmm.... have we seen yet how small a genset can be if POWER is the only criterion ? I don't think so. The averse-to-risk manufacturers are still installing what are in essence automobile engines into hybrid cars and buses.
Then, coal plant's are going to be here until other megascale options are in place. Question is they run 10% efficiency by night and perhaps 33% by day.
Will night time charging improve that ? More pollution total but a lot more kwhrs ?
How many VOLTS will it take to do that ? Let's see.....
Residential consumption is said to be about 30% total. If a residential average base load is 16kwhrs then we have to assume that 32kwhrs is the corresponding industrial portion. This portion will be mostly consumed in the 12 daytime hours. So we need to move an extra 32kwhr to night time charging in order to attain the 33% coal plant efficiency. The 32kwhrs required by two VOLTS per household will do this if they start fully depleted, and that is a big IF. Clearly as much as one VOLT car in ten households will not make a dent here.
Time-of-use metering is not going to be the answer either. The investment in new meter heads with telemetry will be activated here in SW Ont. from November. Rates of 2.7cents/Kwh off peak,7.3c/Kwh mid peak, and 9.3c/Kwh on peak will be instituted at that time. Residential users who might install a timer (with overide) on the domestic electric water heater could move perhaps at least 3Kwh to off-peak and that would reduce the need for gas turbine peak lopping plants during the day but more coal would need be burned at night.
Active power management of A/C units and other loads to be controlled from the power company. You sign up, they come install some equipment and you get a rebate. A rolling blackout on these may marginally impair quality of life, but could be used to keep the load factor close to 100%. Again it may keep peak lopping units out of regular service. Still won't avoid coal pollution.
The more I think about it, the inflexibility of coal power cannot be solved by the automobile industry. They should be keeping their own house in order, although I think that benevolent rates to industries because they are buying in bulk should cease. If residential usage is 1/3 of the power generated but burdened with 2/3 the cost, then something's wrong. The consumer is not the party that should be expected to reduce pollution with CFLs etc. Industry savings with smaller investments could be huge once they have the same "incentive" the rest of us have.
If the object is to reduce the petrodollars going overseas the way to do that is to enact the correct taxation policies on engines. Policies which do not corner engineering design into the unexpected consequences of weird science.
Since fresh air is for the taking by some individuals, a carbon tax that goes by gms/mile at 60mph would seem to be the most fair since it penalises on vehicle aerodynamics as well.
However I am of the opinion that the engine capacity taxation rules recently introduced by China may be ill-advised. Liters equate to torque; not the best metric to limit power and therefore consumption. Limits on literage encourage multicylinder engines to gain increased bore area for the same volume without the need to go too oversquare. Race cars go to V10's for that same reason. Not good.
Engine taxation on the bore area itself has been tried in England, I believe, at a time when advanced alloys had yet to be developed to support high piston speeds. I am not sure why but the net result was to encourage heavy, long stroke, low rpm engines.
Taxation on the actual number of bores sounds promising. Since every additional cylinder provides yet another site to burn fuel it follows that limiting the number of sites will save fuel. It may encourage optimal design for each cylinder. Fiat have twin cylinders in the Topolino and soon to be Panda's and the '500' with turbo option, which then begs the question where is the D3's two cylinder development ?
Finally forget lithium ion batteries and PHEVs, shouldn't we be seeing a twin cylinder in the Prius as well ? There is a whole bunch who hypermile this vehicle. They should welcome a twin. The Toyota HSD demonstrates what a 76Hp 4-cyl can do in a midsize hatch, a 65Hp 2-cyl with that system would be even more interesting. Let's see it.
T2
Subaru WRX STI getting ECU reflash for combustion issues {Autoblog}
Aug 16th 2008 9:17PM Anyone know bore and stroke ?
Be interesting to know piston speed @6700rpm
T2
Paris 2008 Preview: Citroen to bring back the 2CV? {Autoblog}
Aug 9th 2008 6:15PM - Colin
I stand corrected. Yes, indeed, the 2CV is a front wheel drive vehicle.
Is there no one interested in debating the technicality of the flat twin in a modern context or is it because the blog structure at ABG is not conducive to advertising the history of recent topics ?
Wiki has links to tuner sites which depict this engine in different stages of decay. Generally tuner sites will display engine bay images similar to how they would have looked in the showroom. The 2CV engine images I viewed looked like a study in dereliction.
It is clear that the centrally mounted carb feeds the center of the inlet manifold pipe which feeds the cylinders on either side. However, I noticed a second pipe parallel to this (and discolored by heat) which seemed to link the exhaust manifolds also.
I would expect there to be two exhaust pipes (hidden from view)that combine towards the rear of the car. Then what does this other connecting pipe that runs across the top of the engine do ?
Anyway a second look tells me that this appears a far more expensive way to go than with a parallel twin that would have just the one cylinder head. On that subject it would of course be possible to mount a parallel twin in a transverse manner so that each cylinder would have equal access to incoming air with possibly the assist of an ac fan to cool the cylinder fins under lethargic traffic conditions in hot weather. A balancer shaft would be necessary also.
Mechanical efficiency would be improved as well by the transverse engine mounting, obviating the need for that 90 degree bevel gear on the differential.
T2
Design student creates new diesel hybrid Datsun 240Z concept {Autoblog Green}
Aug 8th 2008 12:32AM Diesel hybrid powertrain in a car - stupid idea.
Endangered Species: Europe's sportscar makers worried about the future {Autoblog}
Aug 6th 2008 12:59PM There's nothing wrong with four inboard motors. The car will need a good wide stance since there's not much space for two induction motors with integral planetary reducers between wheels. The GM's Impact did however manage it with twin 57Hps to get 8 sec to 60mph. A four wheel drive version could possibly garner a 4 second ramp.
Or how about a two motor setup ? Each axle with a combined reducer differerential unit Tesla style for both front and rear.
It might even obviate the need for Trac control.
I agree that we have to somehow quell the feeling by every person on the planet that fresh air is just for the taking and curtail the production of these large internal combustion engines wherever it is justifiable.
To allow these non commercial conveyances on the road, whether by the Uber rich or not, cannot be condoned any longer.
Sure there'll be a ruckus. It raised a ruckus here when they started to ban smoking in bars, not even the smoking of just one cigarette was allowed. Now most agree it was a good thing and business has not suffered.
Hybridisation - Toyota has shown that supercars can take advantage of the HSD - could be the way of the future.
Otherwise I am going to bring back Steam ! Yes ! And with real coal !
It'll be "Er yes Officer I do have a particulate filter on this"
T2
Paris 2008 Preview: Citroen to bring back the 2CV? {Autoblog}
Aug 5th 2008 5:04PM The 2CV (1963), for those not familiar, is powered by a 602cc aircooled boxer. It has similar rear engine architecture to a Beetle but with a twin instead of a 4-cyl.
Series production ran 1948-1991. When I first saw one in the mid sixties, I remember thinking what an ugly french car it was. Mainly because I didn't know the back story of the vehicle at the time.
Compared to the 4-cyl the twin avoids the overheating that could occur in both the rear cylinders of the Beetle under extreme temperature conditions.
For the NEW 2CV the engine would no doubt be upgraded with 4 valves per cylinder plus fuel injection and oxygen sensor etc. It would also be time for those two cylinders to get some liquid cooling. I am merely speculating here of course, but some enthusiasts out there have already made the switch to fuel injection.
These changes will be more expensive with two cylinder heads. Fiat's parallel 900cc is the less expensive way to go. However, since this happens to be an iconic engine, the additional cost could be acceptable, plus those separated cylinders could dissipate a lot more heat if turbocharging is anticipated later on.
Now with 60Hp plus on tap the NEW 2CV starts to look a more worthy beast.
The gearbox transmits to the differential through a 90 degree bevel gear with some 70% efficiency. OK in the forties but avoided today with transverse engines on most front wheel drives.
My suggestion would be to turn this engine through 90 degrees for a transverse mount.
Liquid cooling facilitates this option otherwise thermal limitations would possibly make this prohibitive with air cooled cylinders - with the rear cylinder made less accessible to cooling. It has the disadvantage of a departure from the original orientation which may turn off some buyers. It can mean different things to different buyers. For instance I am sure many previous owners, like myself, wanted to see an air cooled engine in the NEW Beetle not something retrofitted from the Golf powertrain. It will be interesting to see what Citroen conjures up.
That aside, since I began reading about 2CVs about a year ago it seems they would make an ideal series hybrid retrofit. The generator that stares you in the face when you open the access cover could be replaced with a robotic servo. These devices make excellent generators since they run mostly 1500-2000rpm but at 5000rpm they should be capable of 500v with a 30 second 300% current rating. Under those circumstances that's perfect for a 50kw inverter. Azure Dynamics has a FWD 10:1 ratio gearbox with integral differential to feed the half shafts. Motor and controller supplied separately.
T2
GM's Larry Nitz confirms Volt will use 1.4L four cylinder, talks Two-Mode {Autoblog Green}
Aug 1st 2008 10:17AM @ Serge I agree
@ Bill yes indeed it will cost, but everything else costs as well
The fact is that Fiat felt it important enough to design a two cyl for the Panda and Fiat 500. The turbo makes 105Hp.
GM should have a two cyl in its own portfolio
If Cerberus in talks with Fiat brings that "500" to market it will become a must have it car.Trust me
105Hp is NOT NEV my Echo 5-spd 1NZ-FE stock engine 108Hp 105lbs-ft makes 60 in 8.5secs. That's only 0.2 secs slower than an ES300 which I also have
@erik Yes I bet those marketing/engineering meetings must be something else ! Someone says that a 1.4L is offensive in a series hybrid. Well yes, if you've larded up the car with a 16.8kwh battery but if the vehicle is configured as a batteryfree or virtual battery then you've got my vote. I'll have something that will have better mileage and performance than Prius with no battery or HSD headaches to worry about. And Honda has signalled they are staying with their IMA. The door is wide open. It's a no lose situation. Yeah for 100+Hp there are better ways eg Fiat engines but for V1.0) bring them on.
GM's Larry Nitz confirms Volt will use 1.4L four cylinder, talks Two-Mode {Autoblog Green}
Jul 31st 2008 10:44AM @Bill
at level 301 the advantage of the series hybrid is that you should be able to run a rectangular rather than triangular power profile. This automatically makes a 700cc twin behave like a 1.4L 4 cyl. EVEN in the absence of those 'boutique' energy sources that people like so much.
at level 101 trying to please 100% of the population is desirable but not if YOU will make it unaffordable for 95% of the population.
T2
