Electricity from suspension - Fuelly Forums

Click here to see important news regarding the aCar App

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 08-12-2016, 03:39 AM   #1
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,385
Country: United Kingdom
Location: Mid Wales
Electricity from suspension

This is clever stuff. Audi is developing a new suspension system that can recuperate energy which is otherwise lost. The 'eROT' set-up uses electro-mechanical rotary dampers in place of more conventional hydraulic ones, which not only allows the car's suspension to charge a battery but also offers a more comfortable ride.

Audi's idea is that, with increasing amounts of electrified components in cars and the development of mild hybrid, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure EVs, energy capture plays an increasingly important role.

- See more at: Audis prototype suspension generates electricity | Next Green Car
__________________

__________________



Please subscribe to my YouTube channel
Draigflag is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 04:00 AM   #2
Registered Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 464
Country: United Kingdom
Location: East Yorkshire
That sounds like a good idea!
__________________

__________________
benlovesgoddess is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2016, 01:23 PM   #3
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,264
Country: United States
Location: up nawth
WOW, now I can try to hit all the potholes. I read about this a few years ago. I think it will never be cost effective. BMW was supposed to use exhaust heat to generate electricity and that seems to have faded away. Considering two thirds of the potential heat energy in fuel is wasted, it seems like much lower hanging fruit, and I can keep dodging the potholes so my car will take longer to fall apart.
__________________
R.I.D.E. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-15-2016, 07:40 AM   #4
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 131
Country: Ireland
Location: Galway
The difference between generating electricity from the suspension or the exhaust is that it is fairly easy to convert the up/down motion of the suspension to a circular motion to generate electricity.

Trying to do the same from the exhaust where you are converting heat to circular motion is a lot more involved.

There is also the added bonus that your suspension is working all the time from the moment you start driving, even on smooth roads. Whereas the exhaust would have to heat up to a certain temperature before it could be used.

I can see this coming to a car near you in the not too distant future.

Oliver.
__________________
OliverGT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-15-2016, 10:21 AM   #5
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,385
Country: United Kingdom
Location: Mid Wales
I say why stop there, why not have a series of miniature fans underneath the car, that when driving at high speed, spool up like turbines and generate small currents. Or perhaps small "water wheels" concealed behind the A pillar, and C pillar for when rain running down the roof guttering channels away. Wind and water power go back thousands of years, I'm surprised we haven't used it in some form or another on vehicles.
__________________



Please subscribe to my YouTube channel
Draigflag is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-15-2016, 10:10 PM   #6
Registered Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 464
Country: United Kingdom
Location: East Yorkshire
What about mini propellers underneath, using all the free wind at speed to power electrical equipment and recharge batteries?...I'm sure many WW2 vintage aircraft used that method. We could just turn half your fans 90 degrees Paul.
__________________
benlovesgoddess is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-15-2016, 11:08 PM   #7
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,385
Country: United Kingdom
Location: Mid Wales
That's kind of what I meant, fans, propellers same difference to me lol. Remember back in the 90's you used to see those little vans with a tiny turbine on top, constantly rotating, even when stationary? Something like that.
__________________



Please subscribe to my YouTube channel
Draigflag is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-23-2016, 08:16 AM   #8
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,852
Country: United States
Location: north east PA
Jets liners still have those propellers for power. It's an emergency system for when all the engines are out. It creates drag, and slows the plane down, so it will reduce the time and distance a crippled plane will glide.

Exhaust heat for electricity involved using thermoelectric generators.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_generator
Those 12 volt coolers use a basic version of these generators; pumping electricity into the material chills it.
The hurdle for using it to power a car's accessories from exhaust heat is cost.
trollbait is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-23-2016, 01:25 PM   #9
Registered Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 464
Country: United Kingdom
Location: East Yorkshire
Weren't those on dog vans, police and security, to get air to their canine passengers?!
__________________
benlovesgoddess is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-24-2016, 06:23 AM   #10
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,852
Country: United States
Location: north east PA
There is likely a cost advantage to using rotary generators, but linear ones are possible. The shake flash light is the most basic example.
__________________

trollbait is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Fuelly iOS Apps
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 11:02 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.