Hybrid Fifth Wheel add-on?

[Safety Guy]

Okay, here's another crackpot idea for ya'll:

Get a generator capable electric motor for regen mode and install it on a trailer hitch. In the city, it will be on the ground and provide acceleration as well as regen charging of your battery pack inside the car. Before going on a longer (freeway) trip, you manually lift the fifth wheel off the ground and it has no contact with the road. It is thus either "stowed" in the up position, or "deployed" on the road for hybrid work.

Forget pricey hub motors. You'd hook up a motorcycle wheel to a regular old generator motor.

Here is an interesting site on induction gen motors you may already have:

http://www.qsl.net/ns8o/Induction_Generator.html

Unfortunately, they would be too small.

This looks nice, but no indication of weight:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Club-Car-48-Volt-IQ-Regen-High-Speed-Admiral-Golf-Cart_W0QQitemZ160307581618QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

I'm simply trying to get regen electric capability with acceleration assist in town, to approximate a hybrid car. Cheap and add-on.

Comments, as usual...

Karl

[Evan80]

I believe this has already been done in some capacity with a Prius to hypermile. I'll have to google around later today (time permitted here at work ) and if I find what I'm looking for I'll post up links here.

[CharlieZ]

Always fun to think outside the box.

How about a 10 HP DC brush motor. 10 HP continuous and up to 28 HP for a 45 second burst. Brush motors are *somewhat* simpler to control than brushless.

http://www.hydrogenappliances.com/manta.html

[Safety Guy]

Hot diggity darn! Thanks Charlie! That looks exactly like what I want (or presently think I want). Only 28 pounds. With three 12 V batteries and that simple speed controller, I could get three speed levels for acceleration. None of which should last longer than ten or fifteen seconds (let alone 2 minutes or whatever limit was on the higher voltage).

Plus regen capability.

Can this thing freewheel while on the road, or will I have to make an auto unit lifter to remove contact when I just want to drive on ICE or coast without regen?

Again, for highway use I'd have a "stowed" position off the ground.

Later on I could use this for a windmill.

Or buy two, but they're a bit pricey.

Karl

[Evan80]

Check out ecomodder.com they've got a coupla threads concerning this subject. Also, check out this guy's 5th wheel insight

http://www.99mpg.com/Projectcars/mikesinsight/

[Pu241]

Evan80, great find!
That Mike dude is leading edge.
Would love to talk with him over a beer!

[Evan80]

Also, you might wanna take a look at the youtube vid here w/ Mike Drabowski (the inventor of the MIMA 5th wheel I posted earlier). Apparently he sells a kit but I think it's only for Insights/Prii (or Priuses?) Probably doesn't help much but it's still pretty neat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL7JfG8PaFc

[Safety Guy]

The undercar position is what I decided upon last night. Simpler than trying an "outboard engine" type of install, but I'll probably need to cut on my spare tire well.

I like his pneumatic wheel deployment system!

Use this to accel up to around 30mph. I suppose if I dedicated a car to "town use" I could keep the fifth wheel on the road and not have to design a lift method. Commuter car! I'm guessing I could go from around 30mpg up to 40mpg city driving by having an electric boost.

Maybe this is do-able!

Karl

[Evan80]

Also, you might wanna take a look at the youtube vid here w/ Mike Drabowski (the inventor of the MIMA 5th wheel I posted earlier). Apparently he sells a kit but I think it's only for Insights/Prii (or Priuses?) Probably doesn't help much but it's still pretty neat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL7JfG8PaFc