Bolt-on kit could halve fuel consumption (Video)

[MindMover]

A cheap bolt-on kit will one day be able to turn most ordinary cars into fuel-sipping plug-in hybrids, US researchers say.

Engineering technology students at the Middle Tennessee State University have fitted a 20-year-old Honda Accord wagon with a retrofit plug-in hybrid system that powers the front wheels using the conventional petrol engine, and a pair of electric hub motors hidden inside the rear wheels.

Users are then able to plug the hybrid car into an ordinary power point to charge up a set of lithium-ion batteries mounted in the wagon’s load space.

The batteries in turn feed electricity into the hub motors to provide low-speed power that is able to help the conventional petrol engine accelerate - the most fuel-hungry part of driving.

The bolt-on kit was developed in recognition of the fact that many drivers in the US only travelled about 70 kilometres a day at speeds below about 70kmh.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/7371166/Bolt-on-kit-could-halve-fuel-consumption

[Riftaxe]

1. I do believe that infringes on my patent

for a perpetual motion machine....

[Mopar151]

2. How does it switch between modes?

Does it rely on a stock starter?

[AtheistCrusader]

4. I like the cut of your jib.

[Fumesucker]

5. They did say it was a bolt on kit..

Which leads me to think the starter is stock, to do anything else would be beyond my understanding of "bolt on"..

Spoofing the ECU to do what you want shouldn't be that hard to do (in terms of the level of effort in developing a kit like this), people do it all the time for hot rodding purposes, same or similar techniques could be used to hybridize an IC only vehicle..

As with any bolt on kit this thing will have to be model specific.

[Rincewind]

3. What if you need

to carry something in the load space?

[Fumesucker]

6. Take the suitcase sized battery out and drive on gas power only..

[Gregorian]

7. Key words- "petrol engine"

Need one say more?

[Igel]

8. No. Less.

Yank student, Yank college, Yank car.

Kiwi newspaper.

[IDemo]

9. If they're looking for a business partner as the article says,

They might want to verify that their invention hasn't already been patented:

http://www.poulsenhybrid.com/PoulsenHybrid.php

The Poulsen Hybrid was designed based on the observation that only 10-15 horsepower is required to propel a compact or mid-size automobile along a level road at a steady 50 to 60 mph leading to the conclusion that this relatively small amount of electric power would be able to cope with 70-85% of normal driving, only aided by the combustion engine during start up and when extra energy is required for acceleration and hill climbing.

The patented system incorporates powerful electric motors which are mounted externally on the rear wheels of a conventional car. It works equally well with rear and all wheel drive vehicles, and gasoline, diesel, or natural gas fuels.

The Poulsen Hybrid system utilizes brushless permanent magnet motors. This style motor came into being with the development of extremely high-energy, rare earth permanent magnets and has found use in aerospace and advanced vehicles including a record winning solar powered racecar. They feature high power and torque within a compact, lightweight disk shape and are ideally suited for direct drive road vehicle applications.

[Fumesucker]

10. The system in the OP is underneath the wheels rather than external to them..

I thought about the Poulsen system also but there are some significant differences in the two, perhaps enough that the OP system does not infringe..

[IDemo]

11. I don't know enough about patent law or the specifics of the OP design

I don't think you can merely move part A to position B and claim a completely original design, but if the Poulsen patent description doesn't include that configuration, maybe.

I emailed Poulsen several years ago about the possibility of becoming an installation point for these but he replied that only existing auto dealers would qualify.

[Fumesucker]

12. Has anything actually come of the Poulsen system?

By which I mean are they installing systems in client's cars yet?

[IDemo]

13. I'm not seeing anything to indicate that they are

The site says "We are addressing the issue of DOT approvals and expect that it will not present a problem since the Poulsen Hybrid does not affect brakes, steering, suspension or any original safety systems." There is no list of approved vehicles or installation centers. The cost appears to have taken a big leap from below $4000 to $8600; not sure if that was due to lithium-ion batteries or not.