I'm sorry I have to do this... This poor site has half a million turbocharger ideas, but I can't resist but to add one more.

My idea starts with a hydraulic accumulator capable of holding hydraulic fluid at pressures of about 3000-5000 PSI (these are baked).

You can use this pressure to assist the spool-up of a slightly modified turbocharger incorporating a small turbine on the coupling shaft. Some jet engines use a hydraulic starter in a similar fashion.

This idea seems like it would work well, for a few times at least. What happens when the pressure is gone? There in lies the beauty of the system. The car's movement over bumpy terrain would cause the shocks to generate the pressure needed. Using a series of check valves the flow of hydraulic fluid leaving the turbo would enter the shock absorber and then be pumped under pressure back into the accumulator.

A computer could add a level of control to the system to regulate when the pressure is used, and dampening control for the shocks. A system of valves would control all the operating functions.

This system would mostly be useful for something like a rally car. Perhaps if the road was bumpy enough pressure could be supplied continously, and higher amounts of turbocharger boosting could be attained without causing unnecessary backpressure to the engine.

As far as I can tell, the primary factors holding this idea back would be weight and complexity, but perhaps the benefits would outweigh the costs.
-- KLRico, Nov 03 2003

You're right -- the "reducing turbo lag" ideas are becoming quite cliche' here ... but I like this idea ... perhapse have pressurized fluid "pre-spinning" your turbocharger from a tank, or other high-pressure resivior as to reduce size ... pack it on my friend's '86 GSXR 1100 dragbike, or other small, short-term use application
-- Letsbuildafort, Nov 03 2003


My proffered method of overcoming turbo lag is a poorly executed neutral drop.
-- Laughs Last, Nov 03 2003


This would effect the ride (and handling) of the car, and I imagine it would take quite a few bumpy roads to get back up to pressure, but it's original.

I don't want to know what those shock cost (and stand back if you bust a hose!).
-- phoenix, Nov 03 2003


That's pretty neat
-- hlfbkr23, Nov 03 2003


[phoenix], My guess is that a well designed computer control system is capable of providing nearly instantaneous control over the ride. I've seen shocks that have a magnetic control system, maybe they could further help the control of the system. Your probably right about needing a bumpy road... My theory is that a large quantity of small shock movements could sufficiently pressurize the volume needed for occasional boost-assist in daily driving. And watching the wild antics of those Baha trucks and rally cars, I really think that they could provide a continuous level of assistance. In a Baha racing truck for example, four shocks moving over a distance of a foot or two continously almost definately could provide the energy.

I don't think that the shocks would have to cost a whole lot more, hydraulic systems are pretty well baked... These don't have to be any more complex, aside from the control system. I would have to agree about the hose though, busting one would definately put an end to the fun.
-- KLRico, Nov 04 2003


This is a good idea that could work in bigger applications such as large turbo-diesel engines in trains and the like. Even a small gain in efficiency is worth a lot of complexity if you scale it up. There is also a ready made supply of shocks from the track!
-- bs0u0155, Apr 28 2004


no. You can not pressurize something using the shocks' compression. The shock needs that energy to return to its uncompressed position quickly. In other words, I don't believe this is energy is available to pressurise your system.
-- tito, Apr 28 2004


I heard Citroen tried using hydraulic suspension in there Paris-Dakar rally cars back in the '80's-'90's. The amount of movement in each wheel caused the fluid to heat up to such a point that it became thinner, therefore losing pressure. The suspension control became very erratic and unpreditable. Not what you want on a rally car. They tried various methods to counter this but the problem was too complex. Different terrain causing different levels of heat build up etc... If you try to incorporate this into a Turbo as well then there are the obvious issues of heat as well as working the suspension consistently. I think this is probably a great idea in theory but impossible to work out in practice. In cars at least.
-- toadinthehole, Apr 28 2004



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