Background: October 4th 2004. The Ansari X PRIZE successfully challenged contenders to build private spaceships to open the space frontier. Burt Rutan and Microsoft founder Paul Allen successfully won the 10 million dollar Ansari X PRIZE.
Automotive X Prize: To build a practical and clean car that will achieve 100 MPG or its equivalent.
Goal: “To inspire a new generation of super efficient vehicles to help break our addiction to oil and to stem the effects of climate change.”
Lydell Industries LLC vehicle plan:
Taking on the best; the car companies (updated 3/08)
It is no easy task to do what car companies do and return 2-3 times better mileage. The automobile companies build the best of what we want to buy. Don’t underestimate how much research, engineering and prototyping auto companies invest in every car model. We could all drive small underpowered vehicles and realize 5-10 more miles per gallon, but that is not what mainstream America wants.
Fuel enhancing widgets:
When it comes to widgets that claim to increase mileage, I’ve found none that actually work and I’ve tried a bunch. From high mileage carburetors to “free hydrogen” created by excess energy from a vehicle’s alternator, to magnets on the fuel line, to name a few. It’s tough to get something for nothing. |
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Strategy for a more efficient automobile:
If you’re paying attention to new inventions in the automotive efficiency world, there are many. There is a new wave of gas hybrids, plug in gas hybrids, with the same for new clean diesel’s. There are hydrogen fuel cell electrics and hydrogen internal combustion engines along with compressed natural gas (CNG) and propane powered vehicles. There are micro cars and three wheeled cars, and of coarse the all electric car, with or without a range extender.
Advanced automobiles all have a place in the market and in our driveways, but they come with a premium price tag. It costs automobile manufactures hundreds of millions of dollars to develop new high tech automobiles and those additional costs are passed on to us.
Our car, (the hybrid’s hybrid):
There are three focus areas that can enhance the efficiency of traditional automobiles. The motive force (the engine), transforming the force into movement (the drive train), and the resistance to the movement. (Aerodynamics, rolling resistance and the weight of the vehicle) It will require significant enhancements in each of these areas to obtain 100 mpg from a traditional vehicle.
Our engine is of our own design where we have successfully incorporated our patent pending combustion chamber quenching minimization technology and advanced exhaust energy reclamation system which defines our third stroke engine. We have built and are currently testing our 15th prototype engine with an average of a 45% increase in efficiency. (That’s good, but only 70mpg, not 100)
Our drive train is comprised of our own combination of today’s hybrid technology together with our own engine and electric plug in options. Current high mileage hybrids basically utilize a 100-150 hp 4 cylinder engine and a 30-70hp motor (or two), depending on the size and weight of the hybrid. (Engines use gas and motors use electricity) But, the average 3000lb semi-aerodynamic car requires only10-14hp to maintain 60mph. (Our target is to modify an existing automobile to require 8hp@60mph) A smaller displacement engine working at higher output is more efficient than a larger displacement engine at part throttle. (That’s why accelerate then coast hyper milers get better mileage than the rest of us, it minimizes the engine pumping losses) Our vehicle utilizes our own, one liter, 3 cylinder, turbocharged, 40hp engine. (2 cylinders use gasoline and one cylinder for exhaust heat reclamation) This engine is direct coupled to a 15KW (20HP) generator/motor, then coupled to a mechanical VSD transmission unit via an internal clutch, and then connected to the drive wheels. A second 22.5 KW (30HP) motor/generator is configured on the opposite side of the VSD and connected directly to the VSD input mechanism. A third motor (50HP DC traction motor) is direct coupled to the drive wheels via a 4 to 1 reduction. This arrangement allows for a total of 140 hp with surprisingly high torque ratings and power options. Also included is a medium sized relatively low cost battery pack that has the option to be, or not to be, plugged into the grid, based on your daily driving distance, your availability to a power source and your utility cost.
City driving is a smog reducing electric only via the 30HP AC motor/generator through the VSD and the 50HP traction motor as needed. The electric only city range is 30 miles. Regenerative braking is via the same 30HP (22.5KW) motor/generator in conjunction with the VSD for effective regenerative braking across the whole speed spectrum.
By utilizing electric only during city driving, there is no typical hybrid engine deactivation/battery charge depleting engine restarting every time the car comes to a stop/start scenario. Additionally, by using an electric motor drive, you use only the energy the vehicle requires as opposed to a gas engine that continues to run and use gas even when you are coasting, slowing down or stopping. Also, the engine/generator can recharge the batteries if necessary.
Highway driving is primarily by the gas engine, with options. The power can be mechanically coupled to the wheels, i.e. engine/motor, VSD, wheels, or electrically coupled, i.e. engine/generator, battery, electric motors, wheels, or, with the VSD, any combination of the above i.e. 20% electric, 80% mechanical.
The vehicle can average up to 80mph on gas engine alone, maintain 70 MPH average on the motor/generator powered by the battery/ gas engine/generator and obtain 110 mph combined.
Battery recharging happens via deceleration, stopping, engine motor/generator and plug in.
* Operating a vehicle on plug in electric only is about half the fuel cost of a fossil fuel car.
* Recharging batteries from even the most efficient traditional gas generator costs 3 times more than your house electric rate.
* Operating our vehicle on gas is the same cost per mile as a plug-in all electric.
Utilizing plug in power from utility companies steers us away from NOX producing internal combustion engines (ICE’s) and more toward common emissions point stationary electric power generating stations where it is easer to treat CO2 and other pollution problems. (Vehicle NOX comes from high compression and high combustion temp. Fuel fired electric power plants do not use this combustion technology.)
Aerodynamics and weight savings is just as important as the engine and drive train strategy and probably offers a more doable opportunity for increased vehicle efficiency than the engine or drive train. Because we want our car to target mainstream America and meet the qualifications for the mainstream contest category, we’re using an existing 5 star crash rated, aerodynamic production model vehicle with specific aerodynamic and weight saving modifications.
Summary: Our vision is that with the option of an all electric drive and/or a smaller robust Lydell third cycle engine/generator running at low RPM and at high loads as necessary, effective regenerative braking along with plug in savings and aerodynamic enhancements will yield the best overall efficiency. While Hydrogen and high tech batteries are on the horizon, the overall cradle to grave cycle cost and well to wheels ROI is not here yet. We believe that while researching additional new technology implementation potential is important, that for this contest, we will utilize technology we have developed in house.
Current hybrids have got us to 50mpg, but to achieve even higher mileage than that, with current size and weight vehicles, we need to utilize plug in efficiency for commutes and a higher efficiency internal combustion engine for longer drives.
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