Building an Electric supercharger
#1
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Thread Starter
Building an Electric supercharger
Most of you know me for doing the electric water pump conversion on my 944. Well needless to say I am at it again with my tinkering
Keep in mind I plan on building this from scratch. It will not be like the ebay ones that do not work where it is like computer fans installed in the intake. This will have a compressor designed to support 5 psi max. (I am not searching for tons of power just something fun and different)
Goal:
To get some more pop from my NA for not that much money (I know sounds too good to be true) I already have the batteries (free!) and that is the major cost.
Plans:
Have a separate battery bank that toggles charging through the alternator (for now). So I can shut off the load through the alternator when boosting. Boost around 3-4 psi with using a 36-48 volt system (not sure yet if I can find the proper electric components to support 48 volts). For the ESC (electric super charger) I will be trying to use everyday things you can find locally to reduce price of build.
If it works how to make it better:
If this thing actually works I will want to come up with a way to water cool the ESC so overheating will not be an issue on long use (So it can be used more for a track day than jsut drag runs) Come up with a way to allow the exhaust free flow while charging the batteries through the exhaust (yes I know like a turbo but energy losses etc.... but it is only one way to capture energy). Have Wind generators in ideal places to capture energy.
I welcome thoughts and opinions. I am very open minded and admit I do not know everything about engineering. But I am not asking if this will work I am going to try this out. I consider this a hobby so it isn't a waste of my time If any questions come up please ask because I may not have thought of everything quite yet. I should be "starting" this project this week while I am on spring break.
Keep in mind I plan on building this from scratch. It will not be like the ebay ones that do not work where it is like computer fans installed in the intake. This will have a compressor designed to support 5 psi max. (I am not searching for tons of power just something fun and different)
Goal:
To get some more pop from my NA for not that much money (I know sounds too good to be true) I already have the batteries (free!) and that is the major cost.
Plans:
Have a separate battery bank that toggles charging through the alternator (for now). So I can shut off the load through the alternator when boosting. Boost around 3-4 psi with using a 36-48 volt system (not sure yet if I can find the proper electric components to support 48 volts). For the ESC (electric super charger) I will be trying to use everyday things you can find locally to reduce price of build.
If it works how to make it better:
If this thing actually works I will want to come up with a way to water cool the ESC so overheating will not be an issue on long use (So it can be used more for a track day than jsut drag runs) Come up with a way to allow the exhaust free flow while charging the batteries through the exhaust (yes I know like a turbo but energy losses etc.... but it is only one way to capture energy). Have Wind generators in ideal places to capture energy.
I welcome thoughts and opinions. I am very open minded and admit I do not know everything about engineering. But I am not asking if this will work I am going to try this out. I consider this a hobby so it isn't a waste of my time If any questions come up please ask because I may not have thought of everything quite yet. I should be "starting" this project this week while I am on spring break.
#4
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if the supercharger is one speed, you'll get more boost at lower rpm then higher rpm so really you'll get more torque increase then hp.
the battery weight.. will that be more in weight then power? as in power to weight. good idea but i see flaws. if your added power and added weight is 1:1 well you didn't really get far. good luck thouh
the battery weight.. will that be more in weight then power? as in power to weight. good idea but i see flaws. if your added power and added weight is 1:1 well you didn't really get far. good luck thouh
#5
Rennlist Member
The existing proven solution on the market is essentially a starter motor connected to the cold side of a turbo. It's a simple solution that gives a significant boost to low end power/torque.
Probably a good starting point for the build.
Be aware that the downside to this style of build is it creates a drag on the intake pressures when the starter motor is not engaged.
An easy way around this problem is an A/C Clutch.
Probably a good starting point for the build.
Be aware that the downside to this style of build is it creates a drag on the intake pressures when the starter motor is not engaged.
An easy way around this problem is an A/C Clutch.
#6
Three Wheelin'
I don't understand why you would use an electric supercharger over a normal belt driven one. To get any sort of benefit you will need massive current. Your batteries won't last long, so really these things are almost one shot. If you leave it on your battery will be flat very quickly. Seems so complicated. There's a reason these things aren't more common.
#7
Three Wheelin'
Cool project!
Just to let you know, though: Any supercharger takes about 1/4 to 1/3 of the horsepower it liberates to drive. So if you want 50 hp increase, you will need an electric motor of 12-15hp. Basic rule of thumb.
15hp motor driven from 13.6V draws about 800-1000 amps. Or from 42V, say 300A. So for your application, you could expect to see a power increase of 1hp for every 6A your supercharger motor draws.
Cheers,
Mike
Just to let you know, though: Any supercharger takes about 1/4 to 1/3 of the horsepower it liberates to drive. So if you want 50 hp increase, you will need an electric motor of 12-15hp. Basic rule of thumb.
15hp motor driven from 13.6V draws about 800-1000 amps. Or from 42V, say 300A. So for your application, you could expect to see a power increase of 1hp for every 6A your supercharger motor draws.
Cheers,
Mike
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#8
Three Wheelin'
Forget about it
Batteries wont last more than one run, they will weigh more than they can produce, the compressor will create alot of drag when not in use. 5 psi is ****....at least for the trouble you're getting yourself into.
Do you want a minor power/tq increase for small amounts of money? get a hotter cam and move on.
Batteries wont last more than one run, they will weigh more than they can produce, the compressor will create alot of drag when not in use. 5 psi is ****....at least for the trouble you're getting yourself into.
Do you want a minor power/tq increase for small amounts of money? get a hotter cam and move on.
#10
2nd on the nitrous. It is the most logical solution to get to your goal. Electric supercharging does have some merit but is a long ways down the road to be efficient enough to make any sense.
#12
I think it could work, but would be a lot of work to make it work well. My approach would be a light weight battery pack as used on electric racebikes (there's a series for that now) and some efficient electric motor (maybe one from a smaller ebike). Then the question is charging the battery bank. The alternator will not come close to keeping up with the current draw for hard track driving. It might let you take off quickly a couple of times on a longer street drive. An exhaust turbine driven generator combined with regenerative braking could work out nicely. A turbo would probably work better, be cheaper and involve much less engineering.
#13
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There was a co. called Turbodyne Tech that was working on this very thing. I had invested some $$ in it around 2000, which I lost. I think they might still be trying and are located in Ca. Idea was a limited 8 sec boost at 6-8lb for cars and trucks. Biggest benefit would have been reduced emissions for diesel truck and busses,better performance for smaller engine cars. Honeywell had looked at them and then backed away.
#14
Good Battery tech just isnt there yet, Your weight to power will be way off, and your only looking at a short period of use, I've used nitrous on many cars, I love the stuff, its cheap, its good power and its easy to tune for. I say go nitrous