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Electric Supercar Concept Uses Small Turbine Engine To Boost Range Page 2

 
5,378 views Nov 30, 2009
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Ford S-Max electric van with Capstone microturbine engine, from Langford Performance Engineering

Ford S-Max electric van with Capstone microturbine engine, from Langford Performance Engineering

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Buses to minivans to cars

Capstone was founded in 1988, and its first microturbines were meant for automotive use. But the company found few takers, so it turned to stationary applications, including auxiliary power generation for buildings, landfills, water treatment plants, and farms. It has sold more than 5,000 turbines with outputs from 30 kilowatts to 5 megawatts.

The first electric vehicles to run with 30-kilowatt turbines powering their generators were transit buses and trolleys, which are now in service in New York, Baltimore, and Charlotte, as well as London, Paris, Rome, Tokyo, and Auckland, New Zealand.

Earlier this year, Langford Performance Engineering integrated a C30 microturbine into an electrically powered Ford S-Max people carrier in the United Kingdom.

GTM kit-car coupe

Capstone's CMT-380 concept mounts its innovative powertrain in a sleek GTM coupe body from Factory Five Racing. The company offers the vehicle as a kit car, perfect for experimenting with radical new drivetrains--even if they use something like a jet engine.

The mid-engine GTM kit car incorporates GM Performance engine and suspension parts, including some from the C5 Chevrolet Corvette, with the transaxle from a Porsche 911 accepting power from whatever engine or motor is mounted amidships.

The CMT-380 concept car will debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, which opens to the public on Friday, December 4.

Limited production possible

Capstone said it has no intention of manufacturing cars, but the sleek, swift CMT-380 supercar concept clearly gives some sex appeal to a showcase for this otherwise hidden technology.

The car is in "final conceptual design and first testing stage," says Darren Jamison, Capstone's CEO. Based on public reaction at the LA Auto Show, the company may consider putting it into limited production.






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Comments (3)

  1. By Richard Bunce Posted: 11/30/2009 8:49am PST

    Technically I believe the vehicle is a serial hybrid and if the generator is powerful enough to power the drive motor by itself then it would be a strong serial hybrid. The engine does not have to be able to drive the wheels directly to be a hyrbrid, just a parallel hybrid.
     
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  2. By Bill Posted: 11/30/2009 9:05am PST

    This actually makes sense.
    I dislike small gas turbines since their specific fuel consumption (SFC = Pounds of fuel per HP per Hr.) is poor. But, if you don't use them often, that's less of a concern.
    Of more concern is a "range extenders" dead weight. Hauling an inert, heavy IC engine around with battery power, a la Volt, is problematic.
    For a 500 mile trip the "mission weight" (MW)of turbine + fuel is probably not that different from an IC engine MW but for city driving the car would be driven with nearly empty tanks which would only be filled for long trips.
    The "light turbine + large ,heavy fuel tank" vs. "Heavy IC engine + light fuel tank" comes down in favor of the turbine for city driving - which for most people is most of their driving.
     
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  3. By Richard Bunce Posted: 11/30/2009 9:53am PST

    Perhaps a battery electric auto with a trailer hitch and electrical connection for hauling a streamlined trailer with an engine generator and perhaps additional electrical storage. Rent them at U-Haul for extended trips, turn them in at the destination, rent another for the return trip. Units could be sized for medium and longer trips.
     
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