
How electric superchargers went from fantasy to feasibility - rmason
http://www.roadandtrack.com/voices/why-electric-superchargers-make-sense-now
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bluedino
There have been tests using a Valeo electric supercharger to augment the
existing traditional exhaust-driven turbocharger on a Ford Focus. The firm
Ricardo was able to increase gas mileage from 39 to 59mpg in European test
cycles.

It doesn't really result in an increase in real-world performance, since it
doesn't help the top end of the power curve, but gives a big jump to stop-and-
go performance.

[http://blog.caranddriver.com/blowing-your-way-to-savings-
how...](http://blog.caranddriver.com/blowing-your-way-to-savings-how-electric-
superchargers-boost-mpg/)

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dredmorbius
For the confused: this article is about electrically-driven pre-compressors
("turbochargers") rather than the Tesla electric battery fast-charge EV
station and service.

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bradleyland
The canonical use of the term "supercharger" in the automotive context is to
describe a compressor that is driven directly from a reciprocating engine's
drive output. They date back to the very late 1800s and early 1900s in various
applications on internal combustion engines, and made it in to production
automobile engines in the 20s.

A turbocharger, by contrast, uses waste exhaust energy to drive a compressor.
A turbocharger is actually considered a type of supercharger. The full name --
although rarely used -- is actually turbosupercharger.

Not to detract from your clarification, but I think it's important that any
interested readers understand that Tesla hijacked the term to describe their
electric charging stations.

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dghughes
Mercedes F1 uses a similar concept they separated the hot and cold parts of
the turbo and connected them with a long shaft. The vehicle is a hybrid and
uses the battery to spin up the turbine at low speeds when there is less
exhaust.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7MOlYhLZDY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7MOlYhLZDY)

~~~
bradleyland
This is very different than the systems used in an F1 car. Mercedes'
innovation of splitting the hod/cold parts of the turbo was ingenious, but it
really has nothing to do with Volvo's system.

In an F1 car, the system is far more advanced. The MGU-H is a combination
motor/generator that is attached to the primary shaft of the single
turbocharger used in the F1 engine system. This is the most direct way to use
electric power to assist in turbocharging, but my understanding is that the
MGU-H involves some pretty exotic construction in order to withstand the
environment in which it operates. Basically, they're far to expensive to use
in a road car.

Volvo's system is _entirely_ different. Volvo uses two normal turbochargers
that are attached to the engine's exhaust, just like you'd normally expect.
Based on the descriptions I've read, and details aren't exactly bountiful, the
Volvo system actually uses the electric supercharger to force air in to the
_turbine_ side of the turbochargers, not the compressor as I originally
expected.

This is in stark contrast to the F1 system where the electric motor/generator
is an integral part of the actual turbocharger. I'm pretty puzzled by Volvo's
system. I would have expected them to use the electric supercharger to
generate intake pressure directly, which would require the e-supercharger to
be plumbed in to the compressor circuit of the turbochargers.

The problem with this setup would be that it would create back pressure on the
compressors attached to the turbochargers, which isn't optimal. It's not the
end of the world, but it's counter productive, so Volvo's approach is pretty
inventive. I wonder how efficient it will be though. They're literally going
to use an e-supercharger to drive the turbochargers through the exhaust
circuit. Pretty nutty, but I like it!

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revelation
Or you save yourself the effort for all these widgets, use a proper battery
and purebred electric motors and get the fastest sedan in the world pretty
much effortlessly.

If theres one thing electric propulsion doesn't need then its all the nonsense
we put on top of combustion engines to smooth out their power curve.

~~~
nasalgoat
There's two camps when it comes to automotive performance - those who care
only about performance as a means to an end, and those who care about the
journey to performance.

For example, dual clutch automatics have been better than manual transmissions
for quite awhile now in terms of shift speeds, but those of us who still enjoy
the journey prefer manual shifting for the pure pleasure of being directly
connected to the car.

The same holds for internal combustion engines and that quality that several
thousands of explosions per second bring to the table. The almost-silent whine
of an electric motor may have an amazing torque curve but it will never invoke
the primal feeling of a revving V8.

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njharman
I'll take torque and actual performance over sound effects any day.

Also, real "journeyists", wouldn't settle for less than a v12 ;)

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nasalgoat
It's sound, it's smell, it's feel. It's more of an experience than some number
on a dial.

V12s sound good too.

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fit2rule
Meh, it all sounds like self-indulgent crap. I mean, I've always considered
things like the Harley Davidson nothing less than butt jewelry, and direct
A->B performance along an energy scale is pretty much all that matters to me.
Electric can be boring as hell for all I care; in fact, all transportation
'culture' should be eschewed, so we can finally just transpose our
civilizations away from the wasteful hedonism that is your modern auto-
industrial society.

Now, if you want to argue that it is an Art form, then yes, I'm all there. I'd
sure love to know what a 3D-printed Sportster rode, like ..

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TTPrograms
You make a good point in a society where you can dictate to everyone what they
buy.

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ethbro
OP sounds like the primary market for a hybrid Lada.

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butwhy
Oh, this article was about superchargers, not superchargers.

