Electric supercharger???

[Franky]

I was just browsing at superchargers on Ebay I came across this

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....557721674&rd=1

Being a total novice at this, i'm very skeptical at these things and don't like getting screwed by others praying on us noobs. Basically i'd just like to find out by you guys in the know if this is total BS or this thing will actually work. Looking at it now it doesn't sound like it's effective as the real thing and probably won't be worth the dosh but then again I have no idea what the hell i'm ranting on about :yeees:

One thing I did notice was that the bloke was more interested in telling us that it works and is fantastic but didn't mention the actual power increase

[Sylox]

Sounds a lot like a guy Casped Booted off the forums not long back lol

And no they arent worth you hard earned on

[stockstandard]

lol - i love these things. Always good for a laugh

[Franky]

ah yes I just read the small text bulls***ing about how this is a 1/15 of the price but offers about a 1/4 of the result which even if true is jack sh*t

[xr8ute]

I feel like vomiting when I see how many of those things he/she has sold in the last couple of months...poor suckers.

Curious too, the number of Etnies sneakers he/she has received as an "unwanted gift" in varying sizes _

[Franky]

Originally Posted by xr8ute

Curious too, the number of Etnies sneakers he/she has received as an "unwanted gift" in varying sizes _

Hahahaha classic

Maybe his family works in the factory :

[mik]

ill give ya 20 cents for it

[TheSneakiness]

Hopefully Casper doesn't see this... :

[Dave_au]

My engineer mates actually think it should work with some sort of gain in theory. But there is a lot of difference between theory and practice.

[merlin]

I havn't even bothered opening the ebay link so this comment DOES NOT relate to that particular product.

However...

For his final year project in mechanical engineering my mate built and tested an electric supercharger. Mule vehicles were his EB XR6 and funnily enough my BA XR6 was also involved in the development. In the end it did make a power boost to the engine and significantly reduced 0-100 times. Anyway the project was marked as a success and he graduated, now working for the RTA.

Once again though i am skeptical of anything sold on ebay just pointing out that the IDEA has merit.

[Dmax]

Electric superchargers do work. There are reputible models out there and are ideal for those with little to spend. The whole Idea is to get a standard motor working in positive pressure in the intake manifold and the standard electric SC gives around 2psi. This doesn't sound like a lot but concidering a standard motor runs in the negatives, say about -5 to -10psi, it is significant. The power increases aren't in the area of traditional SC's but power increases are not to be sneezed at. At the end of the day, if you can get a fan to push more air than the carb is rated, eg. 500cfm fan on a 350 holley, your laughing. Added beauty is the SC can be turned on and off at the flick of a switch, just like Mad Max. LOL. My only concern would be the life of the electric motor.

Check out the links

http://www.electricsupercharger.com/
http://www.turbomagazine.com/tech/0406tur_knight/
http://www.gaprojects.com/supercharger/supercharger.htm

[4.9 EF Futura]

Ahhh, this old chesnut

[xr8ute]

Originally Posted by Dmax

The whole Idea is to get a standard motor working in positive pressure in the intake manifold and the standard electric SC gives around 2psi.

I was going to say;

So it will always deliver "around 2psi"? How can you say that when psi is a measure of the restriction between the EC "supercharger" and the intake? Not all engines consume the same amount of air...

But then i thought better of it, decided to keep my mouth closed, and enjoy watching this thread from a distance :

[Mike Gayner]

How is the pressure a measure of the restriction between the supercharger and the intake? Boost pressure, in automotive terms, is a measure of air density when compared to atmospheric pressure.

[Dmax]

Originally Posted by xr8ute

I was going to say;

So it will always deliver "around 2psi"? How can you say that when psi is a measure of the restriction between the EC "supercharger" and the intake? Not all engines consume the same amount of air...

But then i thought better of it, decided to keep my mouth closed, and enjoy watching this thread from a distance :

I think what happens is the limiting factor for these SC's is the pressure. Under normal conditions the fan is actually pulled along but when switched on is capable of delivering the required cfm (depending on size of course). But the fan starts to find it hard when it's fighting a positive pressure. 1-2 psi isn't a lot of pressure but for a small fan it may labour at this pressure even though it may not have reached it's max cfm. Obviously it will be a lot harder to achieve 2psi at 800cfm than at 500 cfm. But a long as you have a fan that is rated at a greater cfm than your carb eg. 800cfm fan on a 650 Holley, you are guaranteed a positve boost pressure.

[shane3]

Just go and slap in the old lady's hair dryer with a micro switch under the pedal

[mcflux]

So it "provides" 500CFM of air... Well, he said 500cfm of COMPRESSED air (so what really is that?)

Devil Racer, avoid this at all costs!

[Franky]

Originally Posted by Ghia5L

Devil Racer, avoid this at all costs!

lol bugger that, i'f be labled as a tight ****.

With my car needing it's registration paid and some new tyres on the way it seems a supercharger is way off the list unfortuately. Maybe next year lol

[mcflux]

lol, realistic priorities can suck eh!

But yeah, the only electric superchargers that would actually work would probably cost more than a crank-driven one!

From a conventional supercharger, you'd need everything except the belt. In place of the belt, you'd need some uber grunty electric motor that's wired up to the dizzy/ignition so it knows how fast to spool up the blower. You'd then need a 2nd battery (batteries?) and another alternator so that the load from the electric motor doesn't impact on the rest of the car's electronics.

$$$$$$$$$$

-Dave-

[FUZMOBILE]

i agree with ghia5l, it is possible, but the costs involved to produce a electric charger that can be compared to a mechanical one, are not justifiable, and would require many more man hours of work to fit and get it running acceptably. bottom line, dont bother, there is nothing out there that is remotely good in the electric charger field. if you want a cheap charger buy a 5psi charger off a 1988 toyota crown, they run on a belt and can be switched on and off, by the flick of a switch they cost $395 and are readily available although installation costs are pricey, but they can be installed in place of the aircon unit and run on the same belt, but they need custom brackets made to fit.

[Lukeyson]

be useless to a Falcon, says its "proven to be suitable" up to 3 litre motors in a Ford.

[paulvdb]

Originally Posted by FUZMOBILE

i agree with ghia5l, it is possible, but the costs involved to produce a electric charger that can be compared to a mechanical one, are not justifiable, and would require many more man hours of work to fit and get it running acceptably. bottom line, dont bother, there is nothing out there that is remotely good in the electric charger field. if you want a cheap charger buy a 5psi charger off a 1988 toyota crown, they run on a belt and can be switched on and off, by the flick of a switch they cost $395 and are readily available although installation costs are pricey, but they can be installed in place of the aircon unit and run on the same belt, but they need custom brackets made to fit.

Not just the costs...

With my pseudo-engineering hat on... SURELY you would have a more efficient hair dryer running directly off the motor than using an electric one. I don't know the numbers but surely the loss in using a belt would only be a few percent whereas converting energy via the alternator (30% loss) and then back into the electric motor to run the blower (another 30% loss) means that this is simply not worth worrying about!!

I also agree about the CFM issue. The fan will have a maximum speed it can run and at that maximum speed there's a limit to how much air it can push. If the engine needs MORE air than the fan can provide then the fan will actually be a hindrance rather than a help - it may limit air flow.

[4.9 EF Futura]

Ive heard tales of some electric blowers which work by gradually building up charge in a massive capacitor... then when required, there is sufficient power to generate a couple of pounds +ve pressure for a second or two... kinda like a push-to-pass button i suppose... seems like a better way to do it... if you were running the fan 'unbuffered' off the car's power supply the load from altenator flux would negate much of the gain produced by the blower wouldnt it?

Just consider the logisitics of it tho... my PD blower basically uses a turbo-style compressor wheel and housing... with my current pulley setup, the impeller spins at about 39,000rpm at max engine RPM.. this creates about 7psi boost on a good day.... and the compressor AINT small... what im saying is you would need one HELL of an electric motor to generate static pressure in the intake of these large engines which are probably consuming 500cfm at high RPM

[Casper]

*yawn*
They dont work, simple as that. Physics will show its not possible.
Lets just take a simple idea. To build up even a small amout of boost it needs to be "compressed" air, not just capable of flowing cfm.

I cant be bothered explaining more, they just dont work.

[mcflux]

Originally Posted by Ghia5L

You'd then need a 2nd battery (batteries?) and another alternator so that the load from the electric motor doesn't impact on the rest of the car's electronics.

-Dave-

I am an idiot. :

[TuMor]

Heh, how bout having the supercheap compressor sittin in the back seat and having it pressurise the intake...push to pass.

*Puts on flame retardent suit*

[eb91xr6]

i feel sorry for any one who has purchest one, but i do laugh at them

[TuMor]

usually they are like a 800w motor, so thats 0.8kw its robbing to make 2psi boost at full power...!!
The ppl who buy those would have the f&f windscreen wipers, with a wing and fart cannon...lol