They call it an electric turbocharger
It sure seems to have a lot more in common with a supercharger. What do you think? 50 years ago I tried a similar project on my Briggs and Stratton home built mini bike. I never did get all t...
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For being not up to date, you're pretty up to date Ben! :B
About the only nit I can pick is this: The word "supercharger" is all inclusive. IOW's, it's just an air pump to pump air into an engine. The mode of drive is not listed. Could be exhaust, could be gilmer belt, could be V belt, could be chain or could be direct drive or any other drive man can think up.
A turbocharger or turbo is more specific. It's gas driven. A supercharger might be a turbocharger, (gas driven) but supercharger that is mechanically linked to the engine (even with electricity) should not be called a turbocharger. :h
In any event an electric supercharger has two BIG problems.
#1. Duty cycle. As was pointed out above the energy has to come from somewhere and in this case the last link is the battery. Batteries just don't hold that much power. So if you want a little boost in power for a few seconds at a time it would work. If you want one in a tow vehicle, you're going to have BIG problems.
#2. Power. It takes HUGE amounts of power to compress air in an engine. And I do mean HUGE. 10's of HP to well over 100 HP at low street boost levels. Ever see what a 100 HP electric motor looks like in size or what it weighs or how many amps it sucks up? :E That's why battery powered drag cars have HUGE battery packs and can only make one run on a charge. They just can't hold that much energy.
If one is going to try and compress air with a non positive displacement pump (centrifugal pump) you're going to have to spin that sucker really, really, really fast; and that takes, lots and lots and lots of energy. Not to mention the fact that you will lose even more energy going from one type of energy (belt drive pump) to an electric pump.
About the only nit I can pick is this: The word "supercharger" is all inclusive. IOW's, it's just an air pump to pump air into an engine. The mode of drive is not listed. Could be exhaust, could be gilmer belt, could be V belt, could be chain or could be direct drive or any other drive man can think up.
A turbocharger or turbo is more specific. It's gas driven. A supercharger might be a turbocharger, (gas driven) but supercharger that is mechanically linked to the engine (even with electricity) should not be called a turbocharger. :h
In any event an electric supercharger has two BIG problems.
#1. Duty cycle. As was pointed out above the energy has to come from somewhere and in this case the last link is the battery. Batteries just don't hold that much power. So if you want a little boost in power for a few seconds at a time it would work. If you want one in a tow vehicle, you're going to have BIG problems.
#2. Power. It takes HUGE amounts of power to compress air in an engine. And I do mean HUGE. 10's of HP to well over 100 HP at low street boost levels. Ever see what a 100 HP electric motor looks like in size or what it weighs or how many amps it sucks up? :E That's why battery powered drag cars have HUGE battery packs and can only make one run on a charge. They just can't hold that much energy.
If one is going to try and compress air with a non positive displacement pump (centrifugal pump) you're going to have to spin that sucker really, really, really fast; and that takes, lots and lots and lots of energy. Not to mention the fact that you will lose even more energy going from one type of energy (belt drive pump) to an electric pump.
