Posted on 03/31/2007 5:38:49 PM PDT by Red Badger
That reminds me of something I was wondering--could one improve the efficiency of an engine running at less than WOT by adding a turbine on the air intake and harnessing the energy therefrom (for WOT operation use a bypass valve)? From my understanding, the throttle concerts a significant amount of energy into heat which is transferred into the intake air, a spot where it is worse than useless. A turbine which simply dissipated energy elsewhere would be an improvement, and one which could actually capture some of the energy would be an even bigger improvement.
Do you know if anyone does anything like that? Would there be any practical way to design an electric supercharger turbine to work that way (so that when something stronger than WOT was needed, it could would add energy to the airflow, but when more constricted operation was needed it could take energy from it)?
Plus you will have to buy a reverse-torx thin-wall socket to do it.
That's the turbocharger intercooler.
Thanks.
"Aside from the expense of diesel, I hate the noise and vibration"
Those are the ones from the early 1980s. I can assure you that a modern TDI is smoother than the engine of your Honda and delivers much better performance with similar MPG or much better gas mileage with similar performance. There are several diesels that can do 130 mph+ while getting better gas mileage than your much slower civic.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.