My million dollar idea!

[GH85Carrera]

The other post on modern cars got me to thinking. How can the average car on the road today get better mileage. My recent drive to Colorado got me thinking about air density.

All we need is a turbocharger to become a turbo-sucker. Imagine a turbocharger in reverse. Instead of making more horsepower it reduces it. The average vehicle on the road today has a lot more horsepower than the average driver ever needs on a daily basis. Imagine the driver of a full size pickup or SUV with a 250 to 300 HP engine in daily commuting traffic. If they get up to 40 MPH if they are lucky and often sit in slow moving traffic. They don’t need 250 to 300 HP for that. Cruising on the highway at 75 or 80 does not need 200 HP.

I imagine at some point you have driven at high altitude. With less air coming in the computer dials back the fuel to keep the ratio in range. The power is reduced and gas mileage goes up. That is what I want to happen at normal elevations. I would think a supercharger would be a better solution rather than turbochargers for the very slow speed commute. I imagine a knob that is the reverse of a boost knob. If the driver pulls up behind a several mile long parking lot the knob can be cranked up to max. If they are in average slow moving city traffic that gets only up to 40 or 50 the knob can be dialed back a little.

If the driver of a pickup is hooking up a trailer or a big load the knob can be set to off. Some electric clutch like an A/C clutch would bypass the supercharger and the engine gets 100% normal power. For the upgrade version several years later would be a mode that turns the super-sucker into a supercharger so the driver would have the option of more or less horsepower than stock, or just stock HP.

If someone builds it please name it after me

[stomachmonkey]

Been around for decades.

8 cylinder engines that automatically disable/enable cylinders depending on conditions.

[cashflyer]

Leaning out the burn only works so far before combustion temps become critical, and dialing back the whole mix can only be brought down a certain amount before the combustion is too small to turn over the reciprocating mass.

But what if we had a way to turn off some of the cylinders when the extra power is unnecessary? Say, make a V8 function as a V6 or V4 in low demand situations such as commuter traffic. The computer could sense demand and make it a seamless function that the driver isn't even aware of.



http://tinyurl.com/variable-cylinder-system
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/7210464.html

[Gogar]

You could call it a "Green Diverter Valve."

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Been around for decades.

8 cylinder engines that automatically disable/enable cylinders depending on conditions.

That can't be retro fitted to an existing car. Imagine an aftermarket turbo charger bolt on unit kit. Something that can modify the cars on the road now.

[rouxroux]

Wanna' buy a generator?

[jyl]

We do have engines that vary the number of cylinders firing.

Look up "variable displacement". http://www.jdpower.com/autos/articles/Engine-Cylinder-Deactivation-Saves-Fuel

I don't know how much this actually helps mpg - anyone know?

Seems to me even if only 2 cylinders of your V8 are firing, you still have the friction, weight, and bulk of the other 6 cylinders, plus isn't balance now wrong?

[ckissick]

I have a good idea. Program a GPS navigater system to suggest the route with the most downhill.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by cashflyer

Leaning out the burn only works so far before combustion temps become critical, and dialing back the whole mix can only be brought down a certain amount before the combustion is too small to turn over the reciprocating mass.

But what if we had a way to turn off some of the cylinders when the extra power is unnecessary? Say, make a V8 function as a V6 or V4 in low demand situations such as commuter traffic. The computer could sense demand and make it a seamless function that the driver isn't even aware of.



http://tinyurl.com/variable-cylinder-system
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/7210464.html

With the turbo-sucker it does not go lean, the air-fuel ratio would remain the same. It just get less air & fuel. Less fuel is better gas mileage with less power. Drive thru the Rock Mtns national park at 11,900 ft. You will notice a real loss of power unless you have a turbo charged car.

[The Gaijin]

Once up to speed, it does not take much horsepower to drive your car down the road. That is the idea behind the more basic gasoline/electric hybrids.

The gas motor is enough to run the car down the highway and slowly recharge the battery with a relatively small and efficient motor. The electric motor kicks in while accelerating or going up a hill..

[MotoSook]

Your sucker is over complicated. If the fuel injectors are capable of runnning on the low end, then all you need is a variable intake restrictor to reduce intake charge thus reducing the amount of fuel needed for stoichiometric combustion. There are other issues that would need to be addressed but just focusing on you theory, that's the simple solution.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Soukus

Your sucker is over complicated. If the fuel injectors are capable of runnning on the low end, then all you need is a variable intake restrictor to reduce intake charge thus reducing the amount of fuel needed for stoichiometric combustion. There are other issues that would need to be addressed but just focusing on you theory, that's the simple solution.

I guess if the restrictor was variable that might be simpler than the turbo-sucker. I do know that while I was driving in Colorado my gas mileage was much improved. The power was MUCH reduced.

[cashflyer]

What if we divert a portion of the exhaust back into the intake, thus reducing the available oxygen. The O2 sensor will signal the computer to compensate by reducing the amount of fuel going in.

An exhaust mod is all that is required, but could only be used on cars with computer controls.

[looneybin]

Originally Posted by cashflyer

What if we divert a portion of the exhaust back into the intake, thus reducing the available oxygen. The O2 sensor will signal the computer to compensate by reducing the amount of fuel going in.

An exhaust mod is all that is required, but could only be used on cars with computer controls.

you could call it an "EGR" valve

[svandamme]

Turbo sucking, i don't see the point. If you need less air and fuel in the combustion chamber, just go off the throttle, so the valve in the TB is closed, voila, instant less air , instant less fuel, instant less power....

See it's not necessary to make it so complex, you don't need to fiddle with leaning out anything, it's the foot on the throttle that sends the commands to the ECU.

They just need to control/manipulate the pedal to ECU signal

Like my temp company car i had, it had cruise control, and cruise limit

the control i hate, because i don't like taking my foot of the pedal, to boring, and in case of trouble i fear it takes away response time.

But the cruise limit was brilliant

You floor the pedal
and set the max speed on the cruise limiter

Whatever you do, the engine just runs for that speed

you want to overtake : fine, punch the pedal beyond the first stop, and you over take
then release, and go back to cruise limit.. it's like a kickdown on old automatics.

The net result is your fuel economy goes up like nothing, because you don't have the constant variation on the pedal causing the engine to go outside the ideal cruise revs..


They can take this a lot further...
Like having a "sports" button on sports car, where it stiffens up suspension and improves hp/throttle response...
They could easily add a "eco-cruise" option to regular cars, when enabled, it will reduce throttle response, and optimize engine management for cruising at an optimal speed

Might even take out cylinders when on in eco cruise mode...

The car will do 130kph for 80mpg...
Modern diesels cars can get there today with the above stuff worked out a bit more...
They will drive like a pig though when in that mode... throttle response will be nothing to get exited about, you won't be overtaking anybody, but it will get you 80mpg and more...

The mpg barrier is mostly human at this time, in every sense (consumer expectation, driver mentality, lead feet)

[MotoSook]

The throttle is a variable intake restrictor but I assumed most drivers need to feel they can floor it while
a separate governor ( the GH85-variable restrictor) limits max engine power.

[svandamme]

It's the same thing isn't it.
eco button on the dash, when enabled, you can floor the pedal all you want , and it won't have the power to respond to it... no sucking required, electronics can do everything you want on a modern drive by wire car..

hell, they can even program it to go full WOT when the pedal is released, and slow down if you floor the pedal... it's digital, the ECU and TB don't care bout the pedal, they just care about the input signal...

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

The other post on modern cars got me to thinking. How can the average car on the road today get better mileage. My recent drive to Colorado got me thinking about air density.

All we need is a turbocharger to become a turbo-sucker. Imagine a turbocharger in reverse. Instead of making more horsepower it reduces it. The average vehicle on the road today has a lot more horsepower than the average driver ever needs on a daily basis. Imagine the driver of a full size pickup or SUV with a 250 to 300 HP engine in daily commuting traffic. If they get up to 40 MPH if they are lucky and often sit in slow moving traffic. They don’t need 250 to 300 HP for that. Cruising on the highway at 75 or 80 does not need 200 HP.

I imagine at some point you have driven at high altitude. With less air coming in the computer dials back the fuel to keep the ratio in range. The power is reduced and gas mileage goes up. That is what I want to happen at normal elevations. I would think a supercharger would be a better solution rather than turbochargers for the very slow speed commute. I imagine a knob that is the reverse of a boost knob. If the driver pulls up behind a several mile long parking lot the knob can be cranked up to max. If they are in average slow moving city traffic that gets only up to 40 or 50 the knob can be dialed back a little.

If the driver of a pickup is hooking up a trailer or a big load the knob can be set to off. Some electric clutch like an A/C clutch would bypass the supercharger and the engine gets 100% normal power. For the upgrade version several years later would be a mode that turns the super-sucker into a supercharger so the driver would have the option of more or less horsepower than stock, or just stock HP.

If someone builds it please name it after me

They already exist. It is called a THROTTLE

[Superman]

I'm waiting for Dylithium Crystal Flux Capacitor (DCFC) technology to develop.

[porsche4life]

Don't quit your dayjob just yet guys....