Toyota range extender
Discussion
This looks like an interesting, super simple (superficially, at least) compact range extender from Toyota:
http://www.carscoops.com/2014/05/toyota-shows-new-...
For an 'appliance manufacturer' Toyota seem quite adept at coming up with innovative engineering solutions. I wonder what the tricky things to get right are in this concept?
http://www.carscoops.com/2014/05/toyota-shows-new-...
For an 'appliance manufacturer' Toyota seem quite adept at coming up with innovative engineering solutions. I wonder what the tricky things to get right are in this concept?
That is very, very cool.
Presumably you could run as many of these as you want in parallel, since there is no common crankshaft and hence no need to balance the cylinders or have any particular configuration. You could install as many as required in order to generate enough power to keep the electric drivetrain fed, and arrange them to meet packaging and NVH constraints.
So Yaris = 2 engines
and Lexus LS9000000h = 50 engines
And since they are all independent, presumably you wouldn't need to take apart the entire engine bay to replace or service one of them.
I wonder how you start the engine. I wonder if you can effectively reverse the system and apply an EMF to the coils to accelerate the piston towards the chamber thus giving the first compression stroke. If so, then you don't need any starter motor.
If I understand correctly, because there is no crankshaft or con rods, there is a need for a gas chamber behind the piston in order to allow it to return after the expansion stroke so as to start the next compression stroke. Is that right? That will need to be pretty robust I guess. If it leaks over time then you lose compression and power output goes down.
I think that this is the beginning of the end of internal combustion engines in passenger cars.
Presumably you could run as many of these as you want in parallel, since there is no common crankshaft and hence no need to balance the cylinders or have any particular configuration. You could install as many as required in order to generate enough power to keep the electric drivetrain fed, and arrange them to meet packaging and NVH constraints.
So Yaris = 2 engines
and Lexus LS9000000h = 50 engines
And since they are all independent, presumably you wouldn't need to take apart the entire engine bay to replace or service one of them.
I wonder how you start the engine. I wonder if you can effectively reverse the system and apply an EMF to the coils to accelerate the piston towards the chamber thus giving the first compression stroke. If so, then you don't need any starter motor.
If I understand correctly, because there is no crankshaft or con rods, there is a need for a gas chamber behind the piston in order to allow it to return after the expansion stroke so as to start the next compression stroke. Is that right? That will need to be pretty robust I guess. If it leaks over time then you lose compression and power output goes down.
I think that this is the beginning of the end of internal combustion engines in passenger cars.
I meant "conventional internal combustion engines"Gassing Station | EV and Alternative Fuels | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff