[font=Comic Sans MS:7bf85ead25]Here's an article about a new motor design that could revolutionize hybrids. They claim 400% more torque! Who wants to make this power mod?[/font:7bf85ead25]
A smaller, lighter Synergy Drive that gets to the 100MPG milestone, a really potent hybrid or a combination of both. I like these options.
The only problem with the motor from what I can guess from the docs is the motor can't be used as a generator because there are no permanent magnets. But you could replace the ICE with it. Of course it would need a slightly bigger battery. It would make for a heck of a series hybrid, though. The CIA must be drooling over this. Would make a great stealth UAV.
Just because it doesn't have a permanent magnet doesn't mean it can't be a generator. Car alternators don't have permenant magnets either. Instead they have a field coil.
You are correct. I believe they use the regulator to create an electromagnetic effect (correct me if I'm wrong as I'm no motor man) to force a field across the rotor. But they also aren't used lower than 800rpms nor are they asked to charge 500V (I believe if the rectifier was eliminated alternators might produce 40V). For Hybrid or EV use, they would have to find a way keep the RPMs up for it to remain efficient like the permanent magnet (PM) motors in the Prius. If they were that efficient they would be using AC induction motors instead of the PM motors in the Prius.
Now if they only used a bio diesel ICE,that would ROCK. Making your own fuel for dirt cheap and using it in a hybrid! BIO DIESEL PRIUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DanMan32\";p=\"96053)</div> That's why if an older car with a "traditional" three-wire alternator and a clutch is completely dead, you can't pop-start it. A generator is "self exciting" and a three-wire alternator requires sense/charge wire to "turn on." A "self exciting" alternator or a "one wire" alternator takes advantage of the residual magnetism in the alternator fields. Once a certain RPM is exceeded, the charge circuit allows charge. A lot of old tractors with generators have been converted to one-wire alternators, also a lot of hot rods. A disadvantage of the one-wire setup is that on a slow-running motor, you must really rev up the motor before you get any battery charging. As far as this "new" motor design, once I start seeing it in widespread industrial use, I'll believe in it. At least in the industrial process control side of things, you can achieve many of the claimed benefits of this new motor by using a corona-resistant Premium-E three phase electric motor, and a Variable Frequency Drive with good software, such as Reliance or Baldor.
