hybrid go kart for school project

[IKE323]

hello i am going to be building a hybrid go kart for my school project this year and would like to know all the parts for the electrical side of the engine(from a-z) and then how i would combine it so it kicks in with the petrol engine or will it be easier to use one engine at a time running(keeping both on the kart). i am thinking of using a 6hp electrical engine with a 6-8hp petrol engine, and then would i need 1 12v car battery or 2x12v

 

[landuse]

Sheeesh, you are not asking much are you...

Welcome to the forum. What I would do is go around to the electrical section of the forum and do as much reading as possible. There is a nice sticky on motors as well.

 

[IKE323]

how do i go there?

 

[landuse]

Here you go

http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=15

 

[IKE323]

Why am I asking to much by the way?

 

[landuse]

I have moved this thread over to the electric section and I deleted the other duplicate thread you created.

Why am I asking to much by the way?

You were just asking us to explain everything to you at once

 

[IKE323]

Would you suggest I put suspension on or have no suspension on the kart I am going to build

 

[landuse]

Would you suggest I put suspension on or have no suspension on the kart I am going to build

That depends on where you are going to ride it, and if you think you have the capabilities to actually do it

 

[IKE323]

That depends on where you are going to ride it, and if you think you have the capabilities to actually do it

Well I will be using it for offroading do you perhaps know some links I could look at for basic suspension designs as I will have limited time in my school year to build the kart

I do have some experience of offroading when I lived in South Africa so I think I'll go with a suspension.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

If you're building with limited time and finance for school, and especially if this is your first build, I would suggest you avoid suspension. You've an uphill battle as it is, and you need to concentrate on that hybrid drive system.

To keep things simple as possible, I would suggest belt drives. On the gasoline side, you can tension the belt using a clutch pedal or hand lever, with a lock position to keep the belt slack when using the electric. On the electric side, you could either do something similar, or look into a regenerative system, so that when running on gas, the DC motor is being. Driven and recharging the batteries. Regenerative braking is an option, too.

 

[IKE323]

Ok so what you saying I must use a centrifugal clutch and a "homemade clutch" for a quick transition

 

[devino246]

I would strongly recommend that you steer away from a parallel hybrid drivetrain. Instead, i'd recommend a series hybrid setup, similar to that of a diesel-electric locomotive. Engine turns alternator, which drives electric motor. No batteries. Otherwise, you're way over your head.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

What would be the point, when you could use that very same gas engine to drive those very same wheels directly?

 

[devino246]

There really wouldn't be much of one, except that the engine could be mounted away from the drivetrain (like on the front of the kart, maybe?), and the potential to incorporate dynamic brakes.

Unless he wants to use a few toggle switches and do everything manually, he's gonna need some serious hardware and programming knowledge. There's a reason Priuses are 8-10k more than the comparable Corolla; it's not like Toyota just threw the Synergy drive system together in a few months.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

I would just see it as self-defeating to have an engine running a generator, running a motor. It can't possibly be all that efficient, and if you run out of gas, you're still hitching a ride.

From where I stand, I agree about the cost and complexity. The cleanest and simplest solution to having the dual drives (IMO) is a belt from the engine, a belt from the motor, and two tensioners. This does still require some effort to set up correctly, but will not require any fancy electronics or switchgear. No regenerative braking either, but time is tight and so is the budget, right?

 

[IKE323]

If you're building with limited time and finance for school, and especially if this is your first build, I would suggest you avoid suspension. You've an uphill battle as it is, and you need to concentrate on that hybrid drive system.

To keep things simple as possible, I would suggest belt drives. On the gasoline side, you can tension the belt using a clutch pedal or hand lever, with a lock position to keep the belt slack when using the electric. On the electric side, you could either do something similar, or look into a regenerative system, so that when running on gas, the DC motor is being. Driven and recharging the batteries. Regenerative braking is an option, too.

So what parts will I need

 

[IKE323]

I would like to chime in here, as I am a well versed Hybrid vehicle technician. I don't think you really understand the full concept of your original idea of doing a true hybrid kart. The control mechanism would be far more in depth and expensive than building 10 electric karts from scratch.

There is a reason for a lack of information on the web, and that is anything hybrid related has been deemed intellectual property by the manufacturer, even I get shut down when I ask for more info to properly diagnose a malfunctioning hybrid vehicle. Regenerative braking requires a control with programmed logic to know when and if to switch the electric motor to being a generator, and back.

Something I could suggest is using a smaller compact engine, possibly a 2 stroke trimmer engine, to drive a generator to supply power to an electric motor, that would drive the kart. Another suggestion, would be to forgo the battery idea, and instead use a large capacitor to save weight, and act as a load buffer, for acceleration and such. I think its a cool idea, but not very practical for real world use, other than maybe a science project.

TL;DR: Hybrid technology is far too new and cutting edge to reproduce without serious design, finances, and smarts. Stick to simpler design and tweak from there.

Ok thanks

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Guys- it's a go kart, nothing more. I fail to see why we must overcomplicate the concept. Unless I missed something here, I get the sense that all the OP wants to accomplish is the ability to alternate between fuel and battery. So-

Live axle, on one side- classic kart stuff- gas engine as usual. On the other, a DC motor, maybe stripped off a scooter or something. Both require clutching, but what else is new?

Wanna burn fossils? Start the engine, engage the clutch, and go. Wanna go green? Engage that clutch, and the DC motor takes you there.

Without any unneeded fancy gimmicks like regen braking, where is all the complexity? This is a little highschool project, not high-dollar MIT venture.

I agree that it has the POTENTIAL to be very complex, but it need not be. I think we are getting lost in the "hybrid" lingo. To switch from hydro to dino, the OP may have to pull over, throw a lever or two, get out and start the engine. And maybe in electric mode it only does 10MPH and the battery only lasts 5 minutes. So? Why is this not acceptable?

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Fair enough. Hey- how 'bout a gasoline generator running an AC motor?

 

[devino246]

Guys- it's a go kart, nothing more. I fail to see why we must overcomplicate the concept. Unless I missed something here, I get the sense that all the OP wants to accomplish is the ability to alternate between fuel and battery. So-

It must be because we both work for Toyota dealerships