Split-cycle engine

[Isphius]

standard engines are only about 20 something % efficient at capturing the energy of combustion. The rest is wasted as heat, noise, friction, etc. A good brushless electric motor is about 90% efficient IIRC, rivaling living organisms. So keep that in mind too! I believe electric conversions and kits and batteries are going to start getting a lot cheaper. Plus they have one moving part, need almost no maintenance, and they make peak torque at 0 rpms. There was also something interesting i saw about a jet engine hybrid i believe, called the rosenthal motor or something? was several years ago and they never got it work right as far as i know but seems like a good idea

 

[Poodles]

standard engines are only about 20 something % efficient at capturing the energy of combustion. The rest is wasted as heat, noise, friction, etc. A good brushless electric motor is about 90% efficient IIRC, rivaling living organisms. So keep that in mind too! I believe electric conversions and kits and batteries are going to start getting a lot cheaper. Plus they have one moving part, need almost no maintenance, and they make peak torque at 0 rpms. There was also something interesting i saw about a jet engine hybrid i believe, called the rosenthal motor or something? was several years ago and they never got it work right as far as i know but seems like a good idea

Motors are good at stop and go, but have terrible efficency at higher speeds (like highway driving).

Motors are cheap to make, and haven't changed much since they where invented. batteries on the other hand are expensive to make, not counting the environmental impact of most of them.

 

[Figit090]

I would guess that there would be a much better volumetric efficiency as well, as you're feeding super-compressed air/fuel into the 2nd cylinder for ignition.

Makes sense... sounds better to me now. Still want to see an actual model though, however fun it may be to speculate.:biglaugh:

A good brushless electric motor is about 90% efficient IIRC, rivaling living organisms. So keep that in mind too!

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Motors are good at stop and go, but have terrible efficency at higher speeds (like highway driving).

Now...why is it that electric motors cannot be connected to shiftable or variable-speed transmissions like gas engines can? I vaguely remember there being a reason... but if you dont want high drain at high RPM's... gear it down at speed.... I'm farily certain there's a problem with that but I dont have the faintest idea what or why.
I just remember thinking of the possibility for RC cars, but its not feasable for those because those motors spin up and provide insane amounts of power and speed for what they are installed in, so trannys aren't needed nor cared for... so could a full-scale car use an electic motor tranny?

 

[yamichi]

The Tesla has a 2-speed transmission... and I know the electric motor in the prius is inline with the transmission as well.
I don't think motors can't be connected to transmissions, I think it's that in most apps, they don't need to.

I think a diesel/electric hybrid with the six-stroke design would make for pretty amazing efficiency. I could be wrong but it sounds like a good option.

 

[Isphius]

Most electric car kits come with an adapter to the factory manual trans. I would build one out of a geo metro or ford festiva.