# Anyone have any experience with a turbine generator in car?



## major (Apr 4, 2008)

TurbineJusty said:


> I was thinking of using a dual mode hybrid for my senior project.... small APU powering a generator to recharge the batteries....
> 
> Anyone have any experience in this? I guess I'm trying to feel out how much work is instore for me.


So, in other words, a series hybrid? An EV with a generator on-board which can run on battery alone (mode 1) or on battery supplemented with the generator (mode 2)?

A few diy guys have done similar things. Some put the generator in a trailer. I've seen a couple guys put a generator in the bed of an EV pick-up truck. I don't know if anyone of those will chime in. I worked on a series hybrid bus, intended to use a turbine driven generator. But the turbine vendor backed out and we went to a conventional engine driven generator.

How much work? As much as you want. You can buy an existing EV and simply add a engine gen set with a battery charger. Or go ground up. Depends completely on you, your talents and your budget.

Regards,

major


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## F16bmathis (Jun 6, 2008)

Can you connect a Manzanita 20 to a generator and charge while driving, or does that blow something up? I really want to try it, but don't want to kill my truck to test it.


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## major (Apr 4, 2008)

F16bmathis said:


> Can you connect a Manzanita 20 to a generator and charge while driving, or does that blow something up? I really want to try it, but don't want to kill my truck to test it.


Hi F16,

Probably a lot of factors to look at. Will it exceed the voltage limits on components like your motor controller when charging? And, I'd check with the Manzanita factory. See if they have any issues.

I know of some non-EV applications where battery chargers are left on the batteries permanently even as the batteries are being discharged. But this powers non-sensitive loads, like non-controller driven pump motors.

Wouldn't want to see you blow up your equipment there. Check it out first.

Regards,

major


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## TurbineJusty (Apr 8, 2009)

Good point... I have a friend who is interested in joining... and he recommended a small diesel (to run biodiesel) generator.... Looks like we can jiggerrig one in from ebay for around a G.... which is better than 4ish for the turbine and 1g for the generator.... and heat up and cool down times etc


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## F16bmathis (Jun 6, 2008)

Called them, They say they are surprised I didn't blow it up just charging using the generator. The Manzanita needs a pure sine wave and a steady voltage coming in. It hates spikes. But he said definetly don't try using the generator and charging while driving. I might try buffering the voltage, use a pure sine wave inverter.....


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## speculawyer (Feb 10, 2009)

GM had experience using a Turbine to create four person series-hybrid car. They did this back in the 1990's. Perhaps if they had not abandoned such good technology, they would not be staring at bankruptcy. 

http://www.autoworld.com/news/GMC/Series_Hybrid.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_EV1#EV1_series_hybrid

They are now rushing to get their 'Volt' to market . . . basically the same thing but some 10+ years later. Gee . . . dontcha wish you didn't waste all that money on that Hydrogen crap?


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