Bringing it to the masses

[R.I.D.E.]

Actually it does not require any specific engine. The design is the powertrain. I uses a hydraulic accumulator and separate infinitely variable rotary piston drives in each wheel where the brakes would normally be. The drives actually replace the brake components.

There was a very similar system posted on Green Car Congress on April 17th 2009. You can see all their hydraulic hybrid articles by going from the home page, to the topics page and searching the powertrain section, specifically hydraulic hybrids.

I also have an engine design that could be utilized as both primary power and storage, in place of the accumulator.

The core basis of the design is to make a car that is substantially simpler than anything currently available. Most current systems are still fairly bulky, but my design could be built small enough to be installed on a bicycle.

Both the engine and in wheel drives are based on the old WW1 era rotary aircraft engine, but with significant changes. You can view an animation of the Gnome rotary aircraft engine by googling "animated engines gnome". The animation is by a gent named Mat Keveney.

My design reverses the pistons and cylinders, and eliminates the connecting rods. The pistons act directly on the outer rim of the housing and RPM is the same as the RPM of the wheels in a car, about 800 RPM at 60 MPH, depending on tire diameter. The cylinders and pistons rotate around an adjustable journal that sits in an offset position in the axle hub. Adjusting the journal from the other side of the hub changes the stroke of the rotating cylinders and provides foreward, neutral and reverse, by changing the stroke from positive, to 0, to negative. This provides 100% regenerative braking by converting vehicle inertia into accumulator pressure.

The real advantage is the engine (electric, diesel, gasoline, whatever) only has to recharge the accumulator when its storage level drops to a minimum amount, and only bring it to a maximum amount. All drive forces to the wheels are provided by the accumulator to all 4 wheels, or 2 wheels depending on the amount of acceleration or braking desired. Any individual wheel can be disconnected from the powertrain by simply positioning the normally offset journal in the neutral, or no stroke position.

Blistering acceleration. 100% regeneration at all 4 wheels, and a system that can not be driven wrong. The vehicle hypermiles itself with no driver controlled strategies necessary.

No matter how hard you accelerate or brake, as long as you keep the tires traction intact, the efficiency is within a few percentage points of the same.

Hyppermiling is transformed from a driver controlled imput to a basic design parameter of the vehicle itself.

Tech will have the first functional prototype running in a couple of weeks. Some people are starting to think of investing. The last question is how good is it. I am hoping for better than 95%. Current designs are past 90% but fall of at higher speeds. I want 95% at 70 MPH and 97% at 45 or less. The current EPA configuration uses the pump driving through a conventional differential which means the pump has to spin as high as 3000 RPM or more.

By eliminating the differential, and using a unit at each wheel we keep rpm below 1000 (about 100 MPH) where efficiencies are much better.

regards
gary

[GasSavers_BEEF]

RIDE,

my bad explination of your design was more meant to show that it isn't the snake oil that so many other people are trying to pour down our throats.

when you have updates about it, let us know. I actually don't live that far away from VA tech (a couple hours drive). I wouldn't mild seeing this thing. I don't have thousands of dollars to invest. heck, I don't have hundreds of dollars to invest. that is a big reason I hope that one of the manufacturers will pick it up. even a small manufacturer that makes specialty vehicles would be fine with me. I like it a lot.

keep us posted.

[R.I.D.E.]

Beef, any attempted explanation, is exponentially better than no explanation that perpetuates ignorance. Maybe I should apologize to you.

I asked the students at Tech after looking at this for months, if they could explain the drive system to someone without any pictures or an animation.

Without hesitation the response was it would be very difficult unless the person had a significant understanding of physics. That was the reason I built the model. Once you see it in motion the next question is usually, why didn't someone think of that before.

Its almost a simple as a water wheel, which was a very efficient means of converting available water power to rotational force.

I always admired the simplicity of the Ford Model T and the Volkswagen, cars that changed the world, because they were available to people who were not really wealthy or priviledged. It's easy to make a highly efficient car for the elite, without regards to cost, But a car like the T or VW, can change the planet.

I guess I dream differently. I like the idea of a car that is also an exercise machine, where you work out and store the energy, and use that same energy to help you get to work in the morning. If you need a little more range you toss in a battery pack, even more range a small engine module. I am talking about cars that weigh 1000 pounds and make fuel consumption insignificant, and change the environment of this planet.

As important as actually making this type of car practical, is making people realize that this is no pipe dream, or something that will take decades.

Its possible right now, and if people would simply refuse to accept the same old designs, then those who supply us with transportation would be forced to innovate, instead of progressing at the current snails pace they seem to want us to accept.

Maybe the current sales slump is actually the beginning of a customer revolution, a demand for innovation before it is too late to reverse the global effects of our gluttony.

I don't like the label conservative or liberal, they are divisive. I like the term "Conservator". Is that not the true responsibility of the strong, to preserve and protect this planet for those to young to act responsibly.

regards
gary

[GasSavers_BEEF]

the reason I was told about this site is because I was looking for my next vehicle and I wanted something way out there. something that got 50+ mpg and I didn't like the hybrids.

hopefully, I am the new car shopper. the one that wants a better, more efficient car. my priorities have changed a lot in the past year. I am a father so I have to think of what is best for the entire family and not just me. I was on the list for the smart and would have gotten it if my daughter wasn't here.

the hope for me is that a design like yours (or something else innovative) will be available that gets awesome mileage and is reasonably priced in the future. I am cheap so reasonable to me is much less than most peoples reasonable.

I have high hopes for your design. it is one of the few that I have heard that makes sense. everyone is trying to make money off of crap that they are selling. too many people are coming on here with promises of great mileage and a web address where you can BUY NOW. your design has been a breath of fresh air. a design that is being professionally developed. not in someones back yard with some chemicals and some tubing.

[Minicity]

Originally Posted by R.I.D.E.

Its possible right now, and if people would simply refuse to accept the same old designs, then those who supply us with transportation would be forced to innovate, instead of progressing at the current snails pace they seem to want us to accept.

This is one of my reasons for not wanting buying a new vehicle. Bells and whistles are nice, but where is the real inovation. (the other is robot overlords, but thats another topic) I would love to see this type of drive system a little more mainstream. I would rather keep driving my old 86 nissan, until something like this is available. Or if it were a kit of some sort, put it in my mini rebuild.