Electric Superchargers

[mjadair]

I know that most (nearly all) electric super chargers are a waste of time/money. that being said does anyone have experience or knowlege of Thomas Knight electric super chargers? I am thinking about installing on my 944 S2.

Thomas Knight

I have seen the normal supercharger here, but it sure looks like A LOT of work. Not that I'm lazy, but just not that motivated

[krystar]

but all that money and effort into a system...wouldn't u want to just get a normal supercharger? heh

[mjadair]

I think this supercharger requires a bit less effort.

[9FF]

I think this supercharger requires a bit less effort.

Thomas Knight is the most respected in this field but it still has a lot of limitations. For example it only works in short periods like nitrous and you still need to manage the boost somehow.

Actual fitment of a regular supercharger or one of these electric superchargers is relatively easy. It's programing the engine management, fuel, timing, knock, etc that is the hard part. This is far from a bolt-on kit, rather a universal solution that requires a lot of extra work to produce power.

[Tervuren]

It would seem to me, that a mechanical would be easier to install than an electric???

Electric, you have to increase electrical power generation substantially, make a form of transmission, and probably storage too, then hook it up to an electrical motor that spins a compressor, and then feed the intake.

Mechanical, add a pulley for the compressor into the system, get belts to accommodate, hook the compressor up to the intake - done.

Not to mention, mechanical -> mechanical losses are a whole lot less, than Mechanical -> Electrical -> Chemical -> Electrical -> Mechanical that takes place from using a battery powered supercharger. If you wanted selectivity, a magnetic clutch could be part of the supercharger's pulley, similar to what is used on the car's AC compressor.(A lot more $$$ though)

[9FF]

Thinking outside the box here but if you could make that electric motor into an alternator instead, mount it to where the stock alternator mounts, wouldn't that drive the supercharger without any extra power requirements...or am I just totally wrong.

[Eric_Oz_S2]

Don't do it - all electric superchargers are crap. Get a real one.

[flash968]

pretty pricey considering that you need to add all of the brackets and such, the tuning, and a bank of batteries to run it (it doesn't run off of the alternator)

and it only runs until the batteries run down. then you have to turn it off.

[mjadair]

I was basing my opinion for ease of installation on Eric's 944S2 Supercharger Build Thread. I think his installation is first rate. However, I don't want to engineer a solution, I would rather buy a pre-engineered product/kit. Does anyone know of a supercharger kit for the S2?

Eric, I think the only electric supercharger that is worth anything is the Thomas knight version and is not in the same class as the Electric Supercharger Kits Turbo Super Charger Bolt On Superchargers junk.

[Cocacolakidd]

Seems like carrying around that extra weight of a heavy bank batteries is in the opposite direction of a race car. So when the Supercharger does come on for a brief period it has to over come all the extra weight to begin with. Whereas a belt is much lighter.

[krystar]

thomas knight should really put a different spin on the product. and design an addon: regenerative braking.

then basically u'll have a variant of KERS

[Eric_Oz_S2]

There just doesn't seem to be a point to an electric supercharger. An electric motor as per the 918- yes. But that is something beyond any kit manufacturer.

[Dave Colangelo]

Buy a 944 turbo if you want the extra power. Electric super chargers are IMO silly. As an electrical engineer it just does not seem right. I have never dealt with them for good reasons. This is how i look at it. Car companies have spent enough time playing around with what is out there that at this point in history, they have figured out what works and what does not. If it is not available in any production car out there it is most likely not worth it.

Regards
Dave