Idea for the future of electric/hybrid cars.

PC Freak

Golden Member
Jan 20, 2000
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I'm not an electrical engineer by any stretch of the imagination, but after reading an artical about the future of electrical/hybrid cars I got to thinking.
They have cars now that charge the battery a bit when you press the brake.
Why can they not create a recharging system that's constant? As the drive axel turns, or each tire, within a copper coil it creates a constant charge that is used to recharge the batteries. The larger the coil the more the charge. I think i'm saying this correctly.
In my simple mind that would supply a constat charge to the batteries, combined with the current "brake recharging system".

Any ideas, or thoughts on this?
 

neonerd

Diamond Member
Apr 24, 2003
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Wait, the brake recharges the battery? :confused:

I think the system you're talking about is already in effect...that's how the battery gets charged if I'm not mistaken :confused:
 

Looney

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
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Why can they not create a recharging system that's constant? As the drive axel turns, or each tire, within a copper coil it creates a constant charge that is used to recharge the batteries. The larger the coil the more the charge. I think i'm saying this correctly.

I'm pretty sure that's how your current car battery gets recharged, so how do you know this isn't in place already?
 

Gibson486

Lifer
Aug 9, 2000
18,378
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but thety do have a charging system that is constant.....


While your motor runs, it recharges the battery.....
 

So

Lifer
Jul 2, 2001
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Yeah...you've descrived a hybrid...gas engine charges batteries when driving. At low speeds the electric motor take over, since when you idle you waste fuel.

Now, if you want to imagine a completely electric system....then you'd never get as much energy out as you put in, so...no.

<--EE
 

Gibson486

Lifer
Aug 9, 2000
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Originally posted by: neonerd
Wait, the brake recharges the battery? :confused:

I think the system you're talking about is already in effect...that's how the battery gets charged if I'm not mistaken :confused:


yes, when you press the brake, it recharges the battery by using the friction between the brake pads and what ever the pads hit (the wheel?, I have no idea). I am not sure it uses the heat or the friction itself though.....
 

Skiddex

Golden Member
May 17, 2001
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someone somewhere (vague, i know) brought up putting magnets on a axle and using that to create a current to charge a battery, but then we figured out those magnets would have to be huge to get any value...its the whole conservation of energy, you cant get more out than you put in...and most of the time you will get MUCH less out in the form that you need.
 

Gibson486

Lifer
Aug 9, 2000
18,378
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Originally posted by: So
Yeah...you've descrived a hybrid...gas engine charges batteries when driving. At low speeds the electric motor take over, since when you idle you waste fuel.

Now, if you want to imagine a completely electric system....then you'd never get as much energy out as you put in, so...no.

<--EE


exactly...this is also the biggest reason why we are having such trouble going to renewables....last i read, the higest conversion rate from power to power (whether it be dc or ac)it around 35%.
 

jds2006

Golden Member
Jun 12, 2005
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They should sell pink cars... I would buy one if they made those. But I never see pink cars being sold! >.<
 

freebee

Diamond Member
Dec 30, 2000
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My car has a coast down feature, you flip it to "recharge mode B" and it regenerates a little faster than when you let off the gas. It works great downhill, I can usually get 2-3 bars just from coasting a 1/2 mile or so.
 

PC Freak

Golden Member
Jan 20, 2000
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The idea in my head would use gasoline only while the car is idle and to start the car in motion. After that the car is recharged by creating a charge by the axil spinning around the copper coil. Constant charging while the car is in motion. And the faster the car is going the more of a charge is created.
 

m2kewl

Diamond Member
Oct 7, 2001
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Originally posted by: Gibson486
but thety do have a charging system that is constant.....


While your motor runs, it recharges the battery.....

called the alternator? ;)

automakers should move to the 42V system, and include a magneto ;)
 

Looney

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
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Originally posted by: PC_Freak
The idea in my head would use gasoline only while the car is idle and to start the car in motion. After that the car is recharged by creating a charge by the axil spinning around the copper coil. Constant charging while the car is in motion. And the faster the car is going the more of a charge is created.

So your idea is basically that energy would only be applied to begin the motion of the car, but after that, it would sustain itself? That's a perpetual motion machine, and it doesn't exist. The energy required to move a car is more than the energy that can be obtained from the motion. Only if there's a way to not only 100% capture the energy, but also increase the energy (since a car accelerates), would it be possible.
 

Gibson486

Lifer
Aug 9, 2000
18,378
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Originally posted by: PC_Freak
The idea in my head would use gasoline only while the car is idle and to start the car in motion. After that the car is recharged by creating a charge by the axil spinning around the copper coil. Constant charging while the car is in motion. And the faster the car is going the more of a charge is created.


well, right now, the hybrid uses energy only (no gas) when the car is idle, which is more ideal.....
 

Gibson486

Lifer
Aug 9, 2000
18,378
2
0
Originally posted by: m2kewl
Originally posted by: Gibson486
but thety do have a charging system that is constant.....


While your motor runs, it recharges the battery.....

called the alternator? ;)

automakers should move to the 42V system, and include a magneto ;)


is that what that thing does?;) I suck at naming parts in a car......as you can see;)
 

So

Lifer
Jul 2, 2001
25,923
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Originally posted by: PC_Freak
The idea in my head would use gasoline only while the car is idle and to start the car in motion. After that the car is recharged by creating a charge by the axil spinning around the copper coil. Constant charging while the car is in motion. And the faster the car is going the more of a charge is created.

Doesn't work that way...that's what I was trying to get at. If you are propelling the car with 100% electric power, and trying to charge the battery from the axle, all you will do is get slightly less energy into the battery than you took out and not actually accelerate the car.

Simple conservation of energy and newtonian motion:

Put energy into car to get it to speed X.
Assuming there is no friction, car would remain at speed X, but there is, so you need to continue to propel it to remain at speed X.

Now, let's say you use the electric motor to stay at speed X....
But, you try to charge the battery at the same time.
The only enery the battery can get out is the energy the motor drew from the battery to keep the car going. Thus, all you do is waste energy in losses, and you either have to dump energy until you drain the battery completely, or add no more energy and watch the car slowly roll to a stop. Either way, energy in == enegy out. If you can find a way to change that, you will be by far, the planet's wealthiest man. It's simply not possible to get even 1 microjoule of energy out over what you put in.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,574
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Originally posted by: pinkeywear
They should sell pink cars... I would buy one if they made those. But I never see pink cars being sold! >.<

My neighbor has a pink Cadillac.
 

Bootprint

Diamond Member
Jan 11, 2002
9,847
0
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Originally posted by: pinkeywear
They should sell pink cars... I would buy one if they made those. But I never see pink cars being sold! >.<

Start selling Mary Kay products, and in a few years, you can own a pink Caddy.