Yeah -- same reason that independent suspension handles better than solid axles I guess -- because you've got less unsprung weight.
How about a single motor built onto a differential, driving two drive axles out to the wheels. Same concept as a regular front wheel drive vehical, but without the transmission part. Actually, I think that's what the OEM electric pickups that Ford and GM made used. Those handled amazingly for a pickup truck, but I think that was because they actually had weight on the rear wheels from the battery pack - nothing to do with the electric drive. On 5/8/07, Joe Street <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Problem with wheel motors is the mass. It makes for poor handling because when the wheel encounters bumps or a sudden drop in road height it takes too long for the spring to push it back in contact with the pavement. The suspension can only have so much preload with a given chassis weight. Better to have a heavier chassis and very light weight suspension. As always the rule is reduce moving mass. Doesn't matter if you are talking about pistons, valves or supension components, increasing the mass of the moving part is not a good idea. The advantages of wheel motors are pretty sweet though, but overall I wonder how the vehicle would handle. Joe Zeke Yewdall wrote: Interesting idea. I only remember the CV transmissions from the subaru justy's, which had somewhat limited lifespan. The idea of hub motors is apparently not new -- porsche was doing it in the 30's, and the hybrid military humvee-like-vehical prototype had them too. google hub motor porshe, or hub motor humvee, for some interesting stuff -- unfortuneatly I couldn't find anything very technical on what the power to weight ratio was for them. On 5/4/07, Jason& Katie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > what about the new(ish) continuous drive transmission toyota is using? > i'm not entirely sure five big magnet and/or coil sets would be any less > weight than a single front drive transmission. there would have to be > some colossal energy density to get small enough motors tough enough move a > car and yet fit inside the wheel, (although it does make for some > interesting controlled braking possibilities, especially for cross country > races). > > on a side note: > is there any way to use CO2 pulled from the air for a materials carbon > supply? > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Zeke Yewdall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > *To:* biofuel@sustainablelists.org > *Sent:* Friday, May 04, 2007 9:49 AM > *Subject:* Re: [Biofuel] Biofuels Report: How Green is my Tank? (The > Ecologist) > > 2500 lbs seems a bit heavy. My old pickup truck only weighs in at > 2,600 lbs, empty. With fiberglass and carbon fiber, it should be possible > to make one that's closer to 1,500lbs or less including engine, > everything. Wonder if it might be less weight to do a series electric > drive system and get rid of the transmission entirely. A high frequency > high efficiency generator would operate from a fixed RPM operation of the > diesel engine, and a variable frequency drive would directly drive each > wheel. No axles, driveshafts, differential, gearbox, etc. And the engine > is still always operated at the highest kWh/grams point. > > Z > > On 5/2/07, Jason& Katie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > i propose a new fuel economy goal. 100mpg @ 100mph! > > > > any design ideas? i'm thinking a 4cyl UHC diesel engine with at least > > 10 > > forward gears in a vehicle body weighing no more than 2500lbs. > > > > > > > > -- > > No virus found in this outgoing message. > > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > > Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.6.2/784 - Release Date: > > 5/1/2007 2:57 PM > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Biofuel mailing list > > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org > > > > > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 > > messages): > > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > > > > ------------------------------ > _______________________________________________ > Biofuel mailing list > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 > messages): > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > ------------------------------ > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.6.2/787 - Release Date: 5/3/2007 > 2:11 PM > > > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.6.2/787 - Release Date: 5/3/2007 > 2:11 PM > > _______________________________________________ > Biofuel mailing list > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 > messages): > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > > ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED]://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever:http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages):http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
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