No matter what voltage it runs at, it still takes the same amount of energy. You can't get extra work out of it just by changing voltage. You'd need a larger battery and/or a larger alternator to actually get more work done.

But we all agree that electric forced induction isn't the way to go with an S2000.


And Ek9, As Voltage goes up, available amperage goes down. Simply raising the voltage a system runs at doesn't get any more or less work done.

 

I believe Mike's answer to my question refered to the higher efficiency (i.e. smaller components) and reduced transmission losses provided by going to a higher voltage. In any event, my apologies to the OP if my question slightly derailed the thread.

 

I'll buy that, my point was that the whole car doesn't have to run at a higher voltage, just the sections where it is useful. We already upconvert to 50,000+ volts for the spark plugs. Transmittion loss isn't an issue in a vehical wiring harness, it's too short too worry. You could use smaller gage wire, but you would only need this in the supercharge wires, and maybe the starter motor wires.

On topic, you loose energy going from mechanical motion in the alternator, to electrical energy then back to mechanical energy in the throttle body. Which makes a standard supercharger a much better idea. Though this is an interesting way to get more low end power.

 

Yes, that's what's driving the proposed change (double pun intended).

I work for a certain large commercial airplane company making a new plane called the 787 Dreamliner. One of the revolutionary technologies of this airplane compared to older ones is that we eliminated the pneumatic bleed air. We replaced it all with electrical power.

Yes, you still need to take power from the engines, whether you take it as electrons, pressurized air, or direct belt drive. But by switching to all electrical power we are going to improve the overall efficiency of the airplane. It's not unreasonable that the same thing could be true for a car, but it would have to be something designed in to the very heart of the concept. (In fact, that's what a hybrid car is!) There is no way it would be effective as a bolt-on kit.

 

I've got a good idea which company it is.

 

electric airplane

 

Mike,
A couple of my best friends are contract engineers doing stress analysis on parts of the 787 that have been sub-contracted to us here in Dallas.
All I can say is this.... Be afraid, be very afraid.