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Will we hate our engines?


o_teunico

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This week the electric forklift that we have at work has been out of order and we have been forced to use the Clark diesel one that we have as back-up.

It's dirty, noisy and lacks of smoothness when compared with the electric one. Refuelling speed is it's only advantage over the electric.

Maybe in a few years all of us will be driving electric landies and we will think that previous engines were shlt!

And because all my posts must have some "vapour" content...

-Take a LT230 equipped landy

-Install in the wrong way a 4x2/4x4 kit, giving you either front or all wheel drive. Freewheeling hubs at front.

-Install a drop box at rear diff, driving an electric motor instead of a third axle.

With transfer box in 4x2 mode and free hubs at front no wheel will be connected to engine or box movement. Activate drop box and you will have and electric 4x2 Land Rover. Move selector to 4x4 and you will have a diesel/petrol RWD. Lock front hubs and enjoy 4x4.

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What about putting a motor on the back of the transfer-box in the same place as you'd fit an overdrive? Then you could have:

Transfer-box in neutral, main gearbox in 'drive': engine runs to turn motor as a generator to charge batteries.

Transfer-box in gear, main gearbox in neutral, engine off: motor runs off batteries to propel car.

Transfer-box in gear, main gearbox in "drive"; engine running: both motor and engine drive vehicle; motor takes any excess power and provides overrun braking to charge batteries.

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Electric motors are superior in almost every way to an internal combustion engine.

Flat torque response. Max torque from 0 rpm, size, weight, complexity, cost. In a lot of cases, you don't even need a gearbox.

The only issue is storing the power.

If we were all interested in what was superior, I doubt this forum would exist.

For me it's all about character, an electric motor has none.

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Land Rover/MoD made a Series III with an electric motor in the PTO. PTO running with engine on mean that motor was used as dinamo for chrging batteries. Engine of, main box in neutral and PTO was "Power Take IN" and the vehicle was moved with the electric motor and transfer box´s two speeds.

That particular vehicle lives now at Dunsfold.

Problem with this setup is that it´s not clear if the PTO dog clutch of the LT will be strong enough, as was discussed in various 6X6 threads.

When I was a child the data was stored in computers with those big 5 1/4 diskettes with extramly low capacity. Now we have cheap mini USB sticks. That same evolution in batteries will be great! LiFePo4 batteries are now becoming popular.

Disco_5.25.JPG

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To realise how far we have still to go have a look at the hybrid busses , the space left by the removal of the gearbox , and an engine half the size , is more than taken up by the control units and the battery pack , which has to replaced every few years , most of the battery packs arent even owned by the bus companies , they lease them !! I think a similar situation when you by a nissan leaf ?

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Electrickary and me have a hate/hate relationship, so I don't know much about the torque characteristics of electric motors.

What I do know however is that there are difficult offroad situations where full torque at zero rpm is not necessarily desirable, and may be downright dangerous. So my question is, can torque output on leccy motor be made progressive without risk of burnout ?

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All these battery electric cars are a total gimmick, they need days to charge, and have a range of 20ft, water kills them, and the more gadgets you use the less distance you can go. Even these hybrids are a gimmick, as they carry large batteries, and this kills everything. And not forget the electric crisis we have now, as coal fired stations are closing down, there is no real desire for nuclear, and the associated costs of building new. Look at your utility bills now, then imagine how they would be if you have to charge 1-3 cars from your mains, let alone the added costs from new power plants. We are running a reserve of around 5% capacity now, add everyone coming home and charging their electric "Eco Car" the grid will fail, lights will go out, and the 1970's 3-day week will be back (already talk of manufacturing plants adjusting working hours to work around potential lack of supply).

Why the Hydrogen fuel cell cars haven't been made more of is only the work of the fuel producing companies. Its the real future.
I mean you can have the electric motors, and without the weight of the batteries, so range is further, handling is better, and costs are lower.
You could drive across europe and assuming the petrol stations sell liquid hydrogen (as they do with LPG), you could fuel up in say 5-10 mins and drive as normal again. I remember a guy from Honda saying that the Hydrogen fuel cell was so efficient that you could run your house off it, and drive to work for that week, and use the same volume hydrogen.

So imagine living with a car that can power your house, that produces water and oxygen as byproducts, that uses hydrogen that is created from hydro-electric power. For me these electric cars are a waste of time and money, and I want them to hurry up and make the Hydrogen fuel cell cars, so that we can finally live greenly. And then all this suddenly available petrol that there is little use for can be used in my Series V8 and Impreza Turbo :D

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Tax on solar in Spain?

I think you will find that Spain's over investment in useless solar to provide baseload electricity is the main reason for Spain's economy being the basket case it is now! Britain is going much the same way with wind turbines.

Until something more sensible comes along I will continue to perfect my patented 'air,water,grass and Kangaroo droppings brew',perhaps with sawdust and ground Eucalyptus leaves as an added booster.

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There are plenty of snakes out where you are Bill, couldn't you also add some snake oil? ;)

Good idea, but they are a bit hard to catch and when cornered are much more aggressive and dangerous than Kangaroo droppings and eucalyptus trees.

Snake oil seems very effective at powering Al Gores personal economic engine though !

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