So I was reading this Wikipedia article on a hybrid turbo... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_turbocharger

This seems like a really neat idea. But here's my thought. Would it be possible to eliminate the exhaust turbine and simply run the electric motor off our trucks 24v system? The motor could be wired to the TPS to respond immediately to your foot. The result would be no more turbo lag, no restrictive exhaust manifolds (you could run some sort of header), no up pipes, no exhaust turbine, and no down pipe. It sounds sweet, but is there an electric motor that can handle these kinds of rpms off of a 24v system? BTW, does anyone know exactly what rpms our turbo runs?

So, could this be done or is this just a crazy thought? Let's hear what you have to say!

 

Yes, It can be done. In fact some of the Ford probes built in the late 80's and early 90's had this technology. Technically, it is an electric supercharger, and not a turbo. But yes the technology exists. Heat is an issue as I understand it and a much easier solution would be to put a belt drive supercharger on the engine if you wanted to get away from the turbo. There is a lot of pretty technical discussion that could be had about the merits of different systems of forced induction.

HERE is a link if you want to do some reading on the subject.

And FWIW, I believe our turbos can reach speeds north of 150,000 RPM!

 

By the way, the link in your post above, doesn't lead to the right article. I assume THIS is the one you intended to include.

It seems like a viable system to me, but I would be concerned about longevity of the system at the heat levels seen in these types of applications.

It's a fascinating idea though.

 

Fixed! Thanks for catching that. I think the benefits of a system like this would be awesome, but can the obstacles be overcome easily enough to make it practical?

 

I think I would be concerned about the cost of the system as compared to the traditional approach to the turbo, and again the longevity of the electric motor. It would be another step forward in the way of advancement of technology, but with the variable vane and twin setups on newer diesel engines, I'm not sure the benefits would outweigh the costs and reliability issues.

Check out the variable geometry turbo designs HERE. This is another big step forward in technology that really makes sense.

The only benefit that the electric setup would have over this type of a setup in my opinion would be the heat generated by the exhaust side of the turbo. with the electric setup, there is no heat transferred into the intake side of the system, so there is no need for an inter-cooler.

 

These trucks have a 12 volt system, not 24 volt. And yes, I know they have two batteries. They are wired in parallel, not in series.