DIY Hybrid

[drdavid831]

Has anyone heard of using a separate electric motor (powered by deepcycle batteries) to run all of the accesories ie: alternator, water pump, power steering and air conditioner. I thought I had seen an article byu a man named Butcher about that , but cant seem to find it.

Maybe with this idea use a rebenerative braking instead of alternator and solar panel bed cover. The vehicle is a 2002 Chevy Avalanche with a 5.3 currently getting 24 Hwy. Looking forward to the 2008 hybrid avalanche.
Thanks

[Snax]

Originally Posted by drdavid831

Has anyone heard of using a separate electric motor (powered by deepcycle batteries) to run all of the accesories ie: alternator, water pump, power steering and air conditioner. I thought I had seen an article byu a man named Butcher about that , but cant seem to find it.

Maybe with this idea use a rebenerative braking instead of alternator and solar panel bed cover. The vehicle is a 2002 Chevy Avalanche with a 5.3 currently getting 24 Hwy. Looking forward to the 2008 hybrid avalanche.
Thanks

The concept has been tossed around and employed to varying degrees by manufacturers, though using a battery to spin the alternator is pointless. Many cars now use electric power steering pumps. Electric water pumps are also apparently becoming more common.

It is certainly an idea that holds promise and has produced positive results for those who have experimented with it.

[GasSavers_Ryland]

the alternator isn't really an accesory, but MetroMPG did some testing as to what happens without an alternator belt, you can see those resultss at:
Alternator Belt Remove Test
For racing, you can get electric water pumps, altho they would put more drain on the battery, and if you disconnect your alternator that can creat a problem if you ever want to make a longer trip.
If you want to remove the belt from your A/C I say go for it! I removed the whole A/C unit from my car, and in the 100 degree, 95% humidity we had last week I was sweating a little, but it's good for you.
If you have a large vehicle, I would be hesitent to remove the power steering, because of the high vehicle weight, and absurdly wide tires they often put on those vehicles can make it nearly impossible to steer at low speeds without it, unlike a smaller vehicle like mine, where I can steer at a dead stop with my little finger.

I don't think they amarican car compenies are planing to truely make a hybrid, they are going to make a "mild hybrid" basicly a marking tool to sell more large vehicles that still get poor mileage, basicly make all the things like power steering, and A/C electric, so if you don't use them the vehicle gets slightly better mileage, and then have it turn off when it's sitting at a stop light, overall it will get better EPA numbers, but with how most amaricans drive, it's just a marketing tool.

[skewbe]

I'd like to see someone gomi up a little 4x4 into a hybrid, with gas going to one axle and the hydraulic/electric/flywheel/whatever on the other axle. And a much smaller engine too.

[varg]

I'd like to see someone attempt that too skewbe, maybe slapping an electric motor into the rear drivetrain of a little 4x4 and keeping the front wheels driven by the stock gas engine (maybe made more effecient by de-activating a couple of cylinders if possible). It may be possible to use the rear motor to charge it's batteries during acceleration and braking by just turning it off and using only the electric motor to cruise.

[88HF]

I like that idea, I wonder how viable it would be. I have the May 1985 issue of Car and Driver with the twin engine CRX article: "synchronicity". It still got 29 mpg with only the front engine on lugging the extra weight of the second.

[swng]

Originally Posted by Snax

............Many cars now use electric power steering pumps...........

True! My Yaris does have electric power steering, and that may be one of the reasons why it has good fuel economy.

[Bill in Houston]

Originally Posted by 88HF

I like that idea, I wonder how viable it would be. I have the May 1985 issue of Car and Driver with the twin engine CRX article: "synchronicity". It still got 29 mpg with only the front engine on lugging the extra weight of the second.

I think about that article a LOT when we are talking about hybrids here. I remember reading that in my high school library.

[88HF]

swng a number of of here don't even have power steering!

[swng]

Originally Posted by 88HF

swng a number of of here don't even have power steering!

And that is probably even better for fuel economy!
About hybridization, I think it would be a good idea to have a separate electric motor or another form of drive to move the wheels on one of the axles of a 4WD car as suggested by skewbe and Blue03Civic above. That would make a 4WD car a fuel economical one. I think Lexus has an SUV with that kind of design. But it is expensive. BTW, some members must have thought about installing a switch to disable some of the cylinders when the car is fast enough (but that would be off the topic of this thread of course).