[michelealexander1991]

Hello,
I was wondering if I could just add an alternator to an ev and get a range extender. The alternator seems like a good idea, even an industrial one, now... I have no knowledge in this area whatsoever, so would anyone enlighten me?

{Note From The Administrators: This has now become the official thread for all questions relating to using alternators/generators WITHOUT AN EXTERNAL POWER SOURCE. Call it free energy/perpetual motion/ over-unity or whatever you will. If you have a question about a series hybrid or range extender (with an ICE engine) then feel free to ask start a new thread, if you want to know about the other kind then please read this thread and the wiki first before asking questions. Cheers, mattW}

[ga2500ev]

An alternator need to be driven to produce energy. Also like any other energy conversion technology, it needs more energy coming in than it will produce.

So where is this energy coming from? I hope not from the battery pack. Since it'll take more energy than it produces, it'll run that battry pack down faster than if you didn't have it at all.

Gas or diesel? Now you're getting somewhere. A series hybrid is essentially this type of system. A diesel genset generates power that drives the electric motor or charges the batteries.

ga2500ev

[momono]

Hey, apparently alot of people bring up this idea about some kind of alternator or generation system to take advantage of the car's forward movement in order to extend the range. I should know, I'm one of those people lol. It would be great, but the general consensus is that the actual generation of electricity, the movement of electrons in the coils, basically creates an electromagnet that makes drag, effectively making it harder to move the generator the more power you're generating.

Here's the thread I started - http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums...ons-13043.html - These guys are really smart and have helped me think this through, but basically my thought is that if you changed the curve of your generation coils to maximize your capture of the spinning magnetic field, it might also eliminate that radial drag factor and even get it to move faster per power drain instead of the other way around. It would be like a figure-8 circuit, with one set of magnets effectively repelling the other by-proxy of your coiling. There's alot of mights there, so I've got plans and parts to build the thing and I'll be keeping people updated. But until that happens, I'd listen to the conventional wisdom of these guys.

[dfwheelman]

Well, I have been considering the "micro diesel" approach that would run off of waste vege oil or biodiesel. This would power A/C, PS, and alternator to charge may be 12 v system and provide current to 144v system, not sure about dc-dc conversions though. This would greatly extend the range of the vehicle (depending on the fuel tank and engine size). there are small diesel generators that you could rob the engine from. Also diesels on mowers as well.

[KiwiEV]

Originally Posted by dfwheelman

Well, I have been considering the "micro diesel" approach that would run off of waste vege oil or biodiesel. This would power A/C, PS, and alternator to charge may be 12 v system and provide current to 144v system, not sure about dc-dc conversions though. This would greatly extend the range of the vehicle (depending on the fuel tank and engine size). there are small diesel generators that you could rob the engine from. Also diesels on mowers as well.

A diesel lawn mower? That would be the perfect engine to harvest and turn into a generator. Good idea. The only mowers I know of in NZ are 2 and 4 stroke petrol engines unfortunately.

[dfwheelman]

Originally Posted by KiwiEV

A diesel lawn mower? That would be the perfect engine to harvest and turn into a generator. Good idea. The only mowers I know of in NZ are 2 and 4 stroke petrol engines unfortunately.

Yes, I saw one at an auction here and I was REALLY tempted to snap it up, but didn't have a project for it. Now, I have a project and no engine

I have also seen small diesel generators that would work great.

BTW great work on the videos. I enjoyed them!

Mark

[dfwheelman]

Here's a picture of the mower

afterthought, it might be a tad big for my application... not "micro" sized, although I have seen some that are.

[popeye2008]

Newbie here but wanting to learn so here goes. Probable been talked about before but couldn't we hook up a modified alternator (with magnets) or very small generator to a dual shaft DC traction motor and have the output to the batteries controlled via a electrically controlled disconnect or maybe an electrically controlled clutch like that on a AC compressor between the generator and the DC. traction motor. The generator could be activated by the brake switch and/or electronically, say when the speed of the vehicle was above a certain speed and no juice was being sent to the traction motor? I've read that regen is difficult but not impossible with DC setups this would be a poor mans version, if you will, of regen. Well just some thoughts, curious of what others with knowledge might think.

Thanks

[3dplane]

popeye2008!
Welcome! Regen is only challenging with series wound dc motors because of the optimum brush timing.If its advanced to be a "good" motor it will likely not be a great generator. Other types of motors (sepex,pm,ac) don't have an issue if their controller is setup for regen.(to my knowledge)Your idea would work no doubt,if someone wants to go through the work involved.(for regen) Barna

[3dplane]

Norm!
Could you explain that experiment with the magnets in detail(instead of one holds up the other).If you do I'm willing to test it for you.I happen to have a few neodymium magnets of various sizes laying around (from motor and generator building experiments) and been playing with them maybe a little more than I should,but I can say as much as when you hold two of the larger ones in your fist (one in each hand) and you move your hands close if they are facing to repell one will turn around in your fist in an eye blink unless you are godzilla.This is in response to your comparison with a relay or transistor.Like I said I'm open for testing.If you google "museum of unworkable devices" and scroll down to magnet motors all the pictures you see will make you go why didn't I think of that? then read the explanations and it will(should) make sense why they don't work.Barna