Duryea Technologies develops electric supercharger
27 January 2016
Duryea Technologies (founded in 1996 under the name “eCycle” with the objective of commercializing hybrid and electric motorcycles) has developed an electric supercharger for use in the consumer and commercial vehicle markets.
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Superchargers compress the intake charge to increase the amount of air delivered to an engine, which results in combustion that is more complete, and therefore of greater power.
Conventional superchargers are gear- or belt-driven by the engine, and output is limited by engine speed. Unlike a conventional supercharger, electric superchargers are powered by a battery. Duryea Technologies says this allows its supercharger to take full advantage of enhanced combustion to improve performance and fuel economy at low engine speeds, where mechanically driven superchargers and exhaust driven turbochargers are ineffective.
The electric supercharger can increase low-end torque by up to 100% for rapid acceleration.
Duryea’s electric superchargers consist of a SolidSlot brushless motor/generator and a centrifugal blower; the supercharger spends 7kW to get 40 kW of engine performance.
A 100% torque increase should allow a substantial cut in engine displacement, conversion from Otto to Atkinson (Miller) cycle, or both.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 27 January 2016 at 05:52 AM
Are they saying the ~ 6 X return 40/7 is a KW figure.
What then is the fuel efficiency benefit across the useful range.
A modern e start two cylinder EFI mcycle needs only 350W generator. Reference to 7 KW is alarming.Quite enough to drive the cycle as primary motive power!
Led headlights etc. Simplicity is a benefit more weight is not helpful.
Many modern cycles can obtain a 'governed' .76 KW/KG so not sure of application except heavy tourers. By then the resistance high cd precludes fuel efficiency.
Posted by: Arnold | 27 January 2016 at 02:15 PM
7 kW is less than 10 horsepower, not even enough for a car to cruise at highway speed let alone accelerate or climb. Using 7 kW of electric power to increase engine output by 40 kW without increasing cruising losses or fuel consumption is a huge gain for performance; the off-the-line performance which once required a 100 kW engine could be done with a 70 kW engine, saving cost and weight as well as fuel.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 27 January 2016 at 06:46 PM
@E.P.
Yes if there is no substantial cost to fuel efficiency.
The supercharged Mercedes have very impressive fuel economy.
But the article and your comment refer to m/cycles? a particular passion of mine to the extent that they are a big boys toy.
Its funny how people focus in on different aspects of such as this article.
You would be very correct for lightweight downsized heavy duty engines in 4 wheeled vehicles, also applied to industrial earthmoving equipment would kick ass.
I shudder to think it would be applied to two wheelers.
Something similar is also seen as an option for H2 fueled engines incl F.C.
Posted by: Arnold | 28 January 2016 at 12:36 AM
Nothing in the article says that the supercharger is intended for motorcycles. That's just where the company got started in electric motors.
tl;dr you need to read more carefully.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 28 January 2016 at 06:48 AM
My Mercedes C230 Kompressor has 190 hp and 200 foot pounds of torque from a 1.8l, it gets 20 mpg city 32 mpg highway and goes like a rocket. Forced induction works.
Posted by: SJC | 29 January 2016 at 01:16 PM