A quick follow-up to Mark's note - lots of nice links - thanks! Diesel hybrid systems for city buses do operate the diesel engine at peak power production - essentially running continuously or near continuously at a constant rpm to maximize efficiency. There are several such buses in the Portland, OR fleet (TriMet). The diesel engine is connected to a generator that only feeds the battery pack - i.e., it is completely out of the drive train. The bus is driven by an electric system that is fed by the battery pack. In the case of the TriMet buses, the batteries are located on the roof. This arrangement allows for a much smaller diesel engine, reduced maintenance, increased engine life, reduced emissions, etc. Above is a link to company with a promising rotary diesel engine design: 40+ HP in a 6" x 6" package. The claim is the design is easily scalable. One of the applications papers on the site describes the type of hybrid system above that could be adapted to passenger vehicles owing to the small size of their diesel design.
Ron Johnson Portland, OR '91 Weekender '04 Prius (& former '01 Insight owner) |
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