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Bumping this. How hard would it be to put one of these into a battery electric vehicle already on the market? I suspect that the serial hybrid vehicle can be feasible and cost-effective without waiting for GM to roll out the niche-market volt. What engineering challenges are in the way?

Bumping this. How hard would it be to put one of these into a battery electric vehicle already on the market? I suspect that the serial hybrid vehicle can be feasible and cost-effective without waiting for GM to roll out the niche-market volt. What engineering challenges are in the way?

That's funny. I think that the original post was spam, but we're talking about it now. :p Anyway, these generators were built to power a (mostly) resistive load. If you try to just rectify the output and hook it up to a battery, then it will be unstable as it goes above and below the point at which the rectifiers conduct.

Joshua...

What's wrong with yer rectifier?






Oh...and congratulations on your 100th post. Yer a Senior Member now...I wish I was a Senior Member...:(

That's funny. I think that the original post was spam, but we're talking about it now. :p Anyway, these generators were built to power a (mostly) resistive load. If you try to just rectify the output and hook it up to a battery, then it will be unstable as it goes above and below the point at which the rectifiers conduct.

whoops I didn't check out that link before posting

So how much of a challenge was/is it for GM to put a range extending gas engine in the volt? From what I understand the engine only has to run at a constant rpm to recharge the batteries.

these generators were built to power a (mostly) resistive load. If you try to just rectify the output and hook it up to a battery, then it will be unstable as it goes above and below the point at which the rectifiers conduct.

RATS! I sure wish someone had told me 20 years ago that I could not charge batteries with a portable generator:eek:... That means that for the last 20 years my tractor battery must have just abosorbed radient energy from a tesla wireless power transmitter in Colorado Springs or something. :D

You see, I regularly start up my Honda generator, plug in my NAPA battery charger, and charge the old battery in my tractor when it goes dead. I could have saved some gasoline running that generator had I know it wouldn;t work.:rolleyes:

RATS! I sure wish someone had told me 20 years ago that I could not charge batteries with a portable generator:eek:... That means that for the last 20 years my tractor battery must have just abosorbed radient energy from a tesla wireless power transmitter in Colorado Springs or something. :D

You see, I regularly start up my Honda generator, plug in my NAPA battery charger, and charge the old battery in my tractor when it goes dead. I could have saved some gasoline running that generator had I know it wouldn;t work.:rolleyes:

Yes, this works because you have the all important "NAPA battery charger". This is a current source.

I don't believe anyone would foolish enough to attempt to connect a standard generator directly to batteries, even with rectification and filtering.

At least, I hope no one is that foolish. . .

I just want to know what it takes fit a gas generator into a battery electric car. It seems like GM has put a lot of energy into the software that controls the range extender, I guess mostly to maximize battery life. But what's stopping other companies from doing the same thing?

edit: http://www.gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1126 well what do we have here! Now all we need is for someone to make this happen in a small car that doesn't cost 80 grand :(

I just want to know what it takes fit a gas generator into a battery electric car. It seems like GM has put a lot of energy into the software that controls the range extender, I guess mostly to maximize battery life. But what's stopping other companies from doing the same thing?

edit: http://www.gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1126 well what do we have here! Now all we need is for someone to make this happen in a small car that doesn't cost 80 grand :(
All you have to do is rectify it, filter it and connect it to the regen braking shunt. Works like a charm.