Electric Supercharger... Any good? [Archive]

View Full Version : Electric Supercharger... Any good?

e34.535i.sport

10-20-2007, 02:29 PM

Milkboot

10-20-2007, 02:55 PM

Well it is cleaner looking then any other one i have seen before. but i still dont like the idea behind them. I am sure they help pump a little bit more air in. but enough to create enough power for you to notice it? no

bahnstormer

10-20-2007, 03:02 PM

i wouldn't be surprised if it strains your electrical system....
and it'll probably whine loudly =\ electrical sounds are not nice.

mikell

10-20-2007, 03:05 PM

This AGAIN? Please.
Better buy some fuel line magnets, too, while you're at it.

Jon K

10-20-2007, 03:37 PM

Your engine flows more CFM than that fan in a tube. You'd be hurting your engines performance. And, you'd probably suck that fan in you intake manifold at some point.

Qube

10-20-2007, 03:38 PM

Don't forget to grab a few oil magnets... and fuel magnets... and the turbonator... and a few resister chips as well.

e34.535i.sport

10-20-2007, 04:02 PM

Thanks Jon/Milkboot/bahnstormer for the useful comments, much appreciated. Just thought it may have been worth looking into but obviously not. Seriously considering Miller MAF conversion but exploring other avenues before I rush into anything.

Qube, Mikell, while i appreciate your comments less sarcasm and more constructive suggestions would be helpful.

pundit

10-20-2007, 04:19 PM

This AGAIN? Please.
Better buy some fuel line magnets, too, while you're at it.
Those magnets will also improve the sound of your hi-fi system too! ;)
Oh, and improve your sex life, enable you to eat twenty Big Macs a day while losing weight (without exercise), ensure you live to 165 years with the body of a 20 year old, prevent global warming and save millions in the third world from starvation.

Now let me see... did I miss anything? :p

dacoyote

10-20-2007, 04:19 PM

Somewhere online there is a video of a leafblower "turbo"

I think it was talked about on the forum at some point. I will look for it later tonight when I am at work.

What was intresting about it is that it did work. However something like you posted... Chances are good that it wouldn't move enough air, and even if it did, the increased drag on the alt would offset any gains.

[1990]525

10-20-2007, 04:44 PM

This is how it works
http://i6.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/b2/29/9a48_3.JPG

nuclearfusion

10-20-2007, 05:28 PM

What do you think of this, any good?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Electric-Supercharger-Turbo-BMW-316-318-320-325-328-I_W0QQitemZ220161557093QQihZ012QQcategoryZ36680QQs sPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Pro's and Con's?

Typically "looks too good to be true" usually is too good to be true.

You would need a large and powerful blower to create any appreciable pressure at the volumetric flow rate your engine requires anywhere in the powerband. This is additionally problematic because it would have require significant current at operating speed. This current draw would put a significant load on your electrical system when operating, hence create a large back-EMF in the alternator assembly which would have to be made up as a parasitic power loss from the crank. Unless electric blower technology gets much better very quickly it is not likely that any additional power output from the engine would make up for the alternator loss. Additional problems include plumbing it so as not to create a flow restriction when not in operation, etc.

If you could find a blower that would meet your flow, pressure and fitment requirements, not occlude the intake while not in operation and not put a drain on your alternator (perhaps by use of its' own dedicated battery supply, etc.) you might be onto something. Any performance improvements of such a system would also have to overcome the effect of additional mass due to the power supply, etc.

So far nobody has done this and although that doesn't strictly mean it's impossible, it certainly doesn't look like that particular batch of engineering challenges has a workable solution.

Enjoy!

Fusion

p.s. - this is why the typically preferred method of supercharging the engine has been by capturing energy from the exhaust gases. A traditional driven supercharger puts a large parasitic power drain on the engine (the air pump or blower is being driven by the crank) and thus needs to provide additional power advantages to overcome its' own power demands. So a supercharger that requires 20 hp to drive at full output has to provide more than a 20 hp advantage to make up the difference.

Supercharger technology does continue to improve and it seems that advances in supercharger drive schemes and blower geometry are making significant gains in improving the ratio of additional power delivered to power required. For example, see some interesting developments in hybrid supercharger geometries, planetary geartrains, upstream throttle valve assemblies, etc. such as found the nautilus unit developed by ASA/Infinitas in cooperation with Alpina for the new B5 and B7s. Some of these technologies are just recently finding their way into automotive applications.

Please note that this is intended to be just a brief explanation of supercharger and turbocharger efficiency vis a vis your original question about the electric supercharger, whose main weakness (if it could be made to work at all) would be its' energy efficiency. I don't want to run down your original question about the electric supercharger, nor superchargers in general, nor to inflate the benefits of turbocharging vs. supercharging, etc. There are plenty enough opinions about all of that out on the internet for you to read.

Macv

10-20-2007, 05:34 PM

Yuck, looks cheap.

Qube

10-20-2007, 11:31 PM

Qube, Mikell, while i appreciate your comments less sarcasm and more constructive suggestions would be helpful.

This is undoubtedly one of the most discussed eBay hacks... less the eBay 'chips'.

You were actually quite lucky to get a few that took you seriously... especially JonK :)

EG: http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=31906&highlight=electric+supercharger

94_e34_525i

10-20-2007, 11:40 PM

Oh lord......i think i can fart with more pressure then that thing.

e34.535i.sport

10-21-2007, 04:01 AM

Hey guys, thanks for the comments, obviously its a peice of sh*t. However a low price doesn't necessarily tell me its rubbish anymore, as i've heard a lot of really good things about the Miller MAF conversion and that works out as 250 (ish) GBP. For the apparent gains that is cheap.

Fusion, i appreciate the time you took in your post, very indepth. I understand the workings of a standard super-charger / turbo, but these are, if honest, out of my league in terms of fitment/cost at the moment. :(

Qube, i appreciate the useful comments this time, so thanks. :) I think JonK would rather help than hinder and he is the man to talk to for this sort of stuff as we all know, thats why he posted with a useful comment, so cheers Jon.

Thanks again guys. :D

Robert K

10-21-2007, 05:43 AM

After reading this post, I did a quick Google search. You aren't going to believe the video I found on the first try. This is hilarious! I'm going to Lowe's today!!!

http://videos.streetfire.net/Player.aspx?fileid=AB544E3B-5DFF-416D-9CFD-A1AD23CA9564&p=0

Grace and peace,

Robert K
1991 535i

e34.535i.sport

10-21-2007, 06:00 AM

bmwrp8

10-21-2007, 09:46 AM

Those magnets will also improve the sound of your hi-fi system too! ;)
Oh, and improve your sex life, enable you to eat twenty Big Macs a day while losing weight (without exercise), ensure you live to 165 years with the body of a 20 year old, prevent global warming and save millions in the third world from starvation.

Now let me see... did I miss anything? :p

WOW! how much is that?:p :D

bmwrp8

10-21-2007, 09:58 AM

Montreal525

10-21-2007, 10:32 AM

Awesome..... I want to get leaf blowned too..... :D

Jeff

DueyT

10-21-2007, 12:29 PM

30A draw at load? HF! Make sure your alternator has a new belt!

Sam-Son

10-21-2007, 03:31 PM

525']This is how it works
http://i6.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/b2/29/9a48_3.JPG
aah OK it's all clear now

Paul in NZ

10-21-2007, 04:03 PM

its quite simple when you just it back and think about what these things are supposed to do.They have to blow more air than you engine pumps.Your engine pumps its own capacity every 2 revolutions!do some sums and figure out how much air that blower has to actually move....

pingu

10-21-2007, 04:40 PM

Scott C

10-21-2007, 07:18 PM

That "supercharger" only takes 30 amps (quite a lot as far as the alternator is concerned) which comes to a little over 300 watts. That's less than half a horsepower. I bet that leafblower is more powerful.

So I could put 4 of these on my 525 and then blow Jon K's little turbo away - Cool!
I have to search ebay for more alternators
:p :) :D

Jon K

10-21-2007, 07:21 PM

Little turbo has been eating its wheaties :)

leicesterboy15

10-22-2007, 04:06 AM

What do you think of this, any good?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Electric-Super...QQcmdZViewItem

Pro's and Con's?

This guys feedback is quite big and seems like most of it is for the supercharger, all at 100% which surprised me given the comments on this board. Its only when you look at the feedback list that you realise all negative feedback (there were quite a few) has been mutually withdrawn!

One guy says it made his engine run rough at idle and another says it broke up and threw bits into the engine. I have to say it does look pretty feeble.

I understand the logic behind why this wouldn't work and the theory about how it could work but does engine size matter when it comes to air delivery? If 30a is 1/2 a hp then feeding a 1600cc with this thing is going to make no difference?

Omega

10-22-2007, 05:08 AM

And I quote: "it's research has developed several major equations"

How can you guys be so cynical? Don't you understand. They have developed several major equations. It must be good....

Also, from customer "Lee" - 'with this little puppy installed the pick up is superiorly increased…' See that. "Superiorly" increased. Not just improved, or better but superiorly. What more proof do you guys need?

Lee mentions that he "had a few little hic ups when first installed but spoke to E.T.S and they answered everything". What can go wrong? Red wire to live, black to earth and off you go.

Still if Lee recommends it, then put one in the post for me.....

:-)