[ausev] Series hybrids

[Carey King]

Does anyone have a basic Pro and Con description/comparison of parallel 
versus series hybrids?

I kind of thought myself that the reason Chevy Volt is going for the 
series is that Toyota must hold most of the patents on the parallel 
versions, not that the series is inherently any better. But I really 
don't know of the advantages and disadvantages of each.

carey

John Penry at Texrocks wrote:
> Somehow, GM thinks that they can produce a series hybrid in the Volt.  Maybe 
> the Volt is what the software industry calls "Vaporware"????  So far, the 
> youtube videos show it to be smoke and mirrors.
>
> I have run across many stories of people who have created "home made" series 
> hybrids -- such as the one about using a turbine engine to power a Hummer, 
> and getting 60 to 80 mpg.
>
> With a 72 mile round trip daily, and no way to charge up, it looks like I 
> may have to keep my 31 mpg Honda.
>
> If someone can build a series hybrid, I would buy it.  i think they would 
> easily get 60 to 80 mpg, and could even be powered by renewable fuels.
>
> John in Seguin
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Christopher Robison" <chris at ohmbre.org>
> To: <ausev at austinev.org>
> Sent: Monday, December 03, 2007 5:54 PM
> Subject: Re: [ausev] Series hybrids
>
>
>   
>> On Mon, 2007-12-03 at 17:26 -0600, John Penry at Texrocks wrote:
>>     
>>> Thanks for the information.  I have a 36 mile trip each way to work, and 
>>> no
>>> way to plug in while at work.
>>> I was thinking that creating a series hybrid similar to the GM Volt, 
>>> would
>>> be easier to do using a pickup, and I had thought that the engine
>>> compartment could be used to place a motor from a motorcycle, snowmobile, 
>>> or
>>> small diesel.  After going by and taking a look at the Ford Rangers on
>>> display this weekend, I'm beginning to wonder where all that electronic
>>> stuff is going to go.
>>>
>>> I have read the work on the AC Propulsion Long Ranger, and thought that 
>>> it
>>> could go under the hood, and the batteries - only needing a 40 mile range
>>> there would be a savings in weight and space required for the batteries, 
>>> and
>>> that could be used for the generator.  Maybe I'll have to wait for some 
>>> of
>>> the electronics to get miniaturized.
>>>       
>> The electronics are not really your problem. Based on lead-acid, a
>> typical conversion filled with batteries with no space for a generator,
>> usually gets about 35-40 miles.
>>
>> Using lithium (at 10 times the price for the same energy capacity)
>> reduces required volume for the same energy by at least half, and weight
>> by a factor of 4 or more. This would allow room for the generator, but
>> probably not one large enough to allow arbitrary range (just guessing
>> here) if you're limited to options available off the shelf today.
>>
>> The only way to do this in a small/light enough package is with a small
>> engine running at very high RPMs (as the Long Ranger did) and a
>> generator head capable of generating the appropriate voltage at that
>> speed. As I understand ACP used their (very expensive) AC150 motor for
>> that purpose. I have no idea what the Long Ranger sounded like, but I'm
>> going to bet that it screamed, and would not last long in normal use.
>> High power density in a generator is a pretty tough nut to crack. That
>> Ossa manages it with diesel in under 600 pounds is pretty impressive in
>> my opinion, but that's still over 15 cubic feet.
>>
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Christopher Robison
>> chris at ohmbre.org
>> http://ohmbre.org          <-- 1999 Isuzu Hombre + Z2K + Warp13!
>>
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>>     
>
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