High Volt Alternator

Buick gets an electric boost

SAN FRANCISCO—The near- to medium-term future of passenger cars seems destined to involve electrification of some sort.

Pure electric cars? Despite the hype, despite insane government subsidies, despite (maybe because of) a century of broken promises by battery engineers, we’re really not much closer to a practical pure electric than the Baker company was in 1913.

Hybrids? A decade of messing around with these hasn’t been much more successful. They’ve captured, what, 3, 4 per cent of the market? Are you kidding me? Customers aren’t as easily fooled as some of the non-technical media. Related: Buick chases younger buyer

Unless you drive a lot of klicks in the city where hybrids can, in fact, save some fuel, you’ll never make up for the added up-front cost. And isn’t one of the main reasons for living in the city the fact that you don’t have to drive a lot?

Still, with something like 70 to 75 per cent of the energy in a litre of gasoline essentially being wasted as heat, engineers have to find some way to improve the overall efficiency of automobiles, yet at a reasonable initial cost.

General Motors has tried a couple of times with something technically called a “mild” hybrid — a system that recaptures kinetic energy for later use (often called “brake regeneration,” although the brakes aren’t really involved), and which enables engine shut-off at idle, which is really where hybrids gain most of their urban fuel consumption advantages.

The company is taking another shot with the Buick LaCrosse eAssist, which will be the only four-cylinder model in 2012. It goes on sale later this summer, with a list price of $35,415. A V6 engine option — 23 more horsepower than last year; same fuel economy — will remain, starting at $34,400.

Buick won’t be marketing the eAssist as a “hybrid,” perhaps cognizant of criticism GM’s earlier attempts received because the vehicles could not run on electricity alone.

The system consists of a direct injection 2.4-litre twin-cam four-cylinder engine combined with a liquid-cooled electric motor/generator, situated more-or-less where a conventional alternator would be.

It drives (or is driven by) the crankshaft via a seven-rib serpentine belt, designed not only to “pull” as conventional drive belts do, but “push” as well.

Best Price Windmax HY1000-5 1000 Watt Max 24-Volt 5-Blade ...

1,000 Watt Max 24-Volt 5-Blade Residential Wind Generator Kit is composed of high-quality die cast aluminum alloy from a precision casting process and has stainless steel components. Thus, it is lightweight yet extremely strong, with high reliability. Due to the precision casting process, Windmax HY1000-5 Wind turbine system has perfect shape. Moreover, the die cast aluminum alloy can work as a cooling system to the turbine because it transfers heat into wind passing through the turbine.

Power

Electricity, a popular electrical journal

Transactions of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers

Transactions

Proceedings of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers