WRX Electric turbo

[Neilus]

I think this will be very interesting, could this be the next colt car in 2013?
If nothing else it will be quick.


http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/e...430-1xuo6.html

[ft86Fan]

Its coming out the end of next year? I thought they are coming the end of this year.

[Neilus]

Originally Posted by ft86Fan

Its coming out the end of next year? I thought they are coming the end of this year.

According to this article its next year... but hey if it turns out this year great!

[denkigrve]

Originally Posted by Neilus

According to this article its next year... but hey if it turns out this year great!

The dates are wrong. The WRX refresh is for 2014 MY or so the NASIOC community has posted about many times already. 2013 MY is supposed to carry over the 2012 MY style and have only minor mechanical bumps. 2014MY is supposed to be the WRX to watch out for.

I also read 2015, which would also make sense, but we'll see.

(This part is all my opinion, don't get offended and rage out because I don't like something you like) They've slowly been taking their designs in an awful direction. They destroyed the Legacy. 2005 2.5 GT wagon/sedan was such an awesome car. 2004-2005 WRX, 2006 WRX all pretty nice. Then the hatchback happened. It's gotten more "subaru-like" since then, but the rest of their line has been starting to take a devastatingly ugly path. The BRZ is a welcome design change for them though.

I imagine that by the fall we'll know more about the WRX refresh. I'm curious to see if they'll handle two rumors:

1) This one, the electric Turbo
2) Using the BRZ frame as the basis for the redesign of the chassis.

[speedrye]

If it's electrically powered, what differentiates a turbo from a supercharger? I'm used to turbos being exhaust driven and superchargers being belt or gear driven. Someone educate me please.

[denkigrve]

Originally Posted by speedrye

If it's electrically powered, what differentiates a turbo from a supercharger? I'm used to turbos being exhaust driven and superchargers being belt or gear driven. Someone educate me please.

I'm sort of wondering the same thing. I think because it's still exhaust driven, just uses the exhaust to charge a generator vs spin a fan.

[kidgogeta]

seems like a lot of new cars are using electric engines as ways to get more power,

new bmw, rumor about the new gtr

[fatoni]

it says electrically powered turbo which doesnt make sense but if it was a turbo powered electric motor...

[Kage]

Heres my understanding of the electric powered turbo...which im about 90% sure is correct...

Okay so normally a turbo setup takes the exhaust to spin the turbine, then the tubine blows/compresses air into the engine.

With the electric turbo what happens is there is one turbo and an electric motor. The electric motor blows air into the engine instead of a turbo. But of course that takes electricity. Here comes the turbo, it's still hooked up to the exhaust but instead somehow is modified to generate electricity. The electricity is fed into the battery to make up for the electricity used to power the electric motor.

The benefit of this setup is that the electric motor isn't connected to the turbo. The motor doesn't have to wait for exhaust gasses to build so there is pretty much no turbo lag. Also the electric motor is suppose to make the power much more efficiently. The back pressure is also suppose to be electrically controlled so it's always optimized.

Sounds interesting to me.

[old greg]

Originally Posted by speedrye

If it's electrically powered, what differentiates a turbo from a supercharger?

Absolutely nothing.

The full, proper, scientific name for a turbo is a "turbosupercharger". That is to say that it's a turbine driven supercharger. If the turbine and compressor aren't on a common shaft then it's no longer actually a turbocharger. In that case what you would have is an electrically driven supercharger (electrocharger anyone?) and a turbogenerator.

[Calum]

Or, possibly a turbo alternator, aka T.A. Which brings back all kinds of horrible memories of my last job setting up instrumentation on a steam propulsion plant including T.A.'s.

But I digress, this all gonna get buried when it gets moved to the correct sub forum.

[Matador]

Originally Posted by Kage

Heres my understanding of the electric powered turbo...which im about 90% sure is correct...

Okay so normally a turbo setup takes the exhaust to spin the turbine, then the tubine blows/compresses air into the engine.

With the electric turbo what happens is there is one turbo and an electric motor. The electric motor blows air into the engine instead of a turbo. But of course that takes electricity. Here comes the turbo, it's still hooked up to the exhaust but instead somehow is modified to generate electricity. The electricity is fed into the battery to make up for the electricity used to power the electric motor.

The benefit of this setup is that the electric motor isn't connected to the turbo. The motor doesn't have to wait for exhaust gasses to build so there is pretty much no turbo lag. Also the electric motor is suppose to make the power much more efficiently. The back pressure is also suppose to be electrically controlled so it's always optimized.

Sounds interesting to me.

That design makes no sense whatsoever.

[Bristecom]

Yeah, I read this on MotorTrend a while back. I think in the coming years we are finally going to get some innovation with turbochargers to minimize turbo lag and maximize efficiency. With nearly every form of racing, even F1, going to turbochargers, there's bound to be some neat new techniques coming that can be used on road cars.

[Genomaxter]

I read up on how BMW plans to do an electric turbo and here is what I know from a year ago. You have a regular turbo setup. Everything is piped the same. The difference is the turbo housing has an electric motor built onto it. At low rpms and off boost, and electric motor will spin the compressor. Once pressure builds, a clutch will disengage the motor and let the turbo run normally from the exhaust gasses. That's it.

This deal looks more like an electric generator in the exhaust system used to provide power to an electric centrifugal compressor, basically an electric supercharger.

If I had to have one or the other, I'd like the BMW method proposed.

To me, this isn't a turbo Subaru wants. But, I like the idea for a different reason. If they can generate a great deal of electric power efficiently, then they could theoretically get rid of the alternator and keep the car battery and electric supercharger run by this system. You get rid of a heavy part, reduce engine load, and open up space in the engine bay for the supercharger.