This might be a dumb question, but i was wondering if these "electric superchargers" that you find on ebay will actually do anything? Or are they a complete joke? I wouldnt expect huge gains from them or anything, but how come i never hear of people sticking these on the end of their cold air intakes?
They sell those things because the profit margin is high, and uninformed dipsticks buy them.
If I didn't have at least *some* morals I'd be a zillionare by now selling such trinkets.
Though last week, I welded together a pair of fart pipes for some neighborhood kid and hit him for $200. One of them is functional, the other sits on the driver's side as a "poser" fart pipe.
Ya know there is no reason that an electric supercharger wouldn't work. But the direct drive super doesn't lose power by transfering over to electric and then electric back to propeller. It drives the propeller directly off the crankshaft.
I'm wondering how big of a electric motor and how many amps it would draw in order to create something like 6 psi in a v10. How big of an alternator would be required and how many Horsepower would it take off the engine. Of course their would be some way of reducing the electric motors speed to account for engine RPM's and this would be as instantaneous as direct belt drive.
Ya know there is no reason that an electric supercharger wouldn't work
They work - just no where near as well as a normal supercharger...
For 1. you would have HUGE current draw, a supercharger will draw propably about 1/4 (just a rough estimation) of the net power it creates straight from the crankshaft...
You are converting rotary power - electricity, back to rotary power. Much more efficient if you get it in its original form.
The long and the short of it. No thanks
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Yes, hmmmm well, I think... belt/direct drive would be most efficient. But I havn't seen anyactual studis on it. I don't think It needs studied really. But there are some alternators and electric motors boasting 85-90 % efficiencies.
But obviously, direct drive is close to 100% efficient with allowances for any belt slippage or belt/cog tension.
These electric supers that are sold on EBay would probably only work on 1.6-2.0 liter engines. And I dont' know if they can obtain the rpms needed to get to create enough boost to make any real difference.
But, I'm wondering how much energy (and how many alternators and batteries) would be needed to make it work.
Tony
I have heard that on a top fuel dragster the parasitic losses in one of their blowers is in the neighborhood of 750 HP. On a street car I'm sure it would be a lot less, more along the lines of 60 HP.
Also just a note here, in order to be called a supercharger a blower has to raise the manifold pressure to above 7 PSIG.
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2002 F350 7.3 Ltr. 6sp.DRW 170K miles, 13' service body W/2200 # Venco hoist, Air compressor,10KW welder/generator, Air Horns, ceiling mtd CB W/250W Amp, Exhaust brake, Aux. Idle Control and Vac. operated hot water control.
1952 F1 flathead Project Truck
(It's got eight cylinders and I use them all )
I have heard that on a top fuel dragster the parasitic losses in one of their blowers is in the neighborhood of 750 HP. On a street car I'm sure it would be a lot less, more along the lines of 60 HP.
750hp is about right. But remember, the engine is producing 8000+ HP with 500cid. So 750HP "spent" is well worth it.
Same for consumer grade stuff... spend 60HP, get 200HP (or so).
Also just a note here, in order to be called a supercharger a blower has to raise the manifold pressure to above 7 PSIG.
So what is a pump called if it doesn't meet that 7psig threshold??? Many of the aftermarket kits designed for stock internals for Ford mod motors are limited to 6psig or less. The H-D supercharger setup on F150s in '02-'03 was a 6psig setup, based on the Lightnings kit with a smaller pulley set. Was Ford wrong in calling it a supercharger? Or is this a rule from dragracing? My impression is that if it uses the power off the crank and gives a positive pressure gain, it's a supercharger.
These electric motors are nothing more than expensive fans.
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