New Hybrid Tahoe gets 26MPG

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I'm not buying it.

There must be someone, somewhere, who's found an axle ratio, manual transmission, and ideal cruise speed for perfect MPG. This Two Mode deal, no matter what ratio it winds up with, won't make miracles happen.

The cylinder cutoff deal works, a little. Look at the Hemi for proof.
 
The idea of a hybrid vehicle that uses something besides a battery is interesting. I remember that a big flywheel spinning in a vacuum was very effective in storing energy and giving it back when needed. The tests were done with transit busses but the money ran out. One report stated that it would not be worth the expense until diesel fuel shot up to a dollar a gallon, or so, but we know that will never happen in our lifetime.
 
I am liking what I read about these two vehicles.
But what about the price? $$$$$$$$$
If they can make a full size 4 wheel drive get even 30mpg on the highway. I am all for it.
 
Less pollution can be had from a simple air pressure storage than making/using/recycling hybrid batteries. Why no compressed air hybrids?

I like to see the steam engine come back. All that heat out of the exhaust and radiator can be used to produce power.

Sad that the automakers only look for the most complex way of doing things.
 
quote:

Originally posted by unDummy:
Less pollution can be had from a simple air pressure storage than making/using/recycling hybrid batteries. Why no compressed air hybrids?

I like to see the steam engine come back. All that heat out of the exhaust and radiator can be used to produce power.

Sad that the automakers only look for the most complex way of doing things.


If you could just store heat - like in a "heat battery" what would the possibilities be then
confused.gif
 
heck with the number of people that has a hard time checking their oil and other stuff. thats all they need is a steam engine car. you would see cars blowing up left and right.
 
LarryL, the flywheel does not just work well in a vacuum. It has many good applications already. There are high grade UPS/surge protectors that utilize the fly wheel design. You can hit their incoming conductors with direct lightning strikes and the electrical service on the other side doesn't see a thing. The surge is shielded back by the inertia of the fly wheel. Also, the flywheel acts like a UPS when there is a power dip. THe momentum of the flywheel releases its stored energy back into the system. They are wonderful pieces of engineering.

There have also been flywheel auotomotive designs. These designs are very practical, too. The only problem is if there is a wreck, you could have a wound up flywheel rotating at something like 1million RPMs go flying out of a vehicle and cause unpredictable damage.
 
^ the gyro effect of a huge flywheel must be fun when you try to take a corner too.
smile.gif
 
The 60 mpg Ford F150 hybrid is a pressurized hydraulic system. Same concept as pressurized air but better. Actually, when compressed enough, air will become a liquid and thus becomes hydraulic. So Ford took your idea.

quote:

Originally posted by unDummy:
Less pollution can be had from a simple air pressure storage than making/using/recycling hybrid batteries. Why no compressed air hybrids?

I like to see the steam engine come back. All that heat out of the exhaust and radiator can be used to produce power.

Sad that the automakers only look for the most complex way of doing things.


 
quote:

Originally posted by eljefino:
^ the gyro effect of a huge flywheel must be fun when you try to take a corner too.
smile.gif


If it's parallel to the ground, it wouldn't affect turning and could reduce body roll on hard corners and transitions.
 
quote:

Originally posted by eljefino:
^ the gyro effect of a huge flywheel must be fun when you try to take a corner too.
smile.gif


But, what happens if the magnetic poles reverse, as has happened numerous times in the past?

Will the vehicle flip over onto its roof?
 
How efficient would using an air compressor to recover energy during braking and give it back when needed?
 
quote:

quote:

Use counter rotating flywheels

quote:


But, what happens if the magnetic poles reverse, as has happened numerous times in the past?

Will the vehicle flip over onto its roof?

What has the earths' magnetic field got to do with a flywheel?

...and how would TWO flywheels be better than one?

doc.
 
The only benefit of two flywheels would be to counteract the gyro effect of the first one. Whether or not that is needed, i don't know for sure.
 
quote:

Originally posted by badtlc:
LarryL, the flywheel does not just work well in a vacuum.

There have also been flywheel auotomotive designs. These designs are very practical, too. The only problem is if there is a wreck, you could have a wound up flywheel rotating at something like 1million RPMs go flying out of a vehicle and cause unpredictable damage.


I liked the fact that you could draw any amount of power out of these carbon fiber flywheel batteries. ie: 1kw over an hour, 60kw over a minute, etc, from a 1kw battery.

You are correct in that containment is the issue in all applications, especially vehicles. Last I checked they were running in the 200k rpm range. Imagen the energy release in a microsecond from a 1kw flywheel. 3.6tw!!!!
 
Quote -The only benefit of two flywheels would be to counteract the gyro effect of the first one.

(Obviously the physics of a gyroscope are lost on more than one poster)...doc
 
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