Gas turbine engine for car use?

[ghosthunter]

A few decades ago, the gas turbine car was an interesting idea. Basically it was a jet engine modified to drive the car's wheels.

(And to those wondering, yes I have been watching a bit too much of the History Channel & Turbo on cable.)

I was wondering if it can be revived to a more modern adaptation? The main drawback of the old turbine car was the slow acceleration. The positive sides of the engine were that it was smooth (no vibration) and it would burn anything as fuel as along as the liquid will burn.

I was thinking to connect the turbine engine to a generator so there is no direct mechanical drive from the engine to the wheels. The wheels would be connected to electric motors. There would also be some batteries onboard so the engine can be shut-down during short-trips. Since there is no mechanical link to the wheels, the turbine engine can be operated at it's most efficient rpm to maximize power at minimum fuel consumption and emissions.

Given the turbine engine can burn anything, the owner would have the choice of whatever fuels he wishes to use like gasoline, diesel, kerosene, paint thinner and even vodka.

What do you think?

[kinyo]

for good efficiency, a small turbine engine would have to turn 100,000 rpm and really hot exhaust at 1000F ... it is not safe in a car driven by mortals

i think the limiting factor is the property of air at ground level which we cannot change ... i mean, if only the property of air is different, the required rpm and temperature could be brought down to a safe level

its 4am, i must be babbling nonsense ... let's wait for inputs from a real jet engine expert

[badkuk]

di ba gas turbine engine ang power plant ng ung M1A1 Abrams tank? no idea about the mechanical specifics, but the thing does move pretty fast and has an unbelievably high FC

[ghosthunter]

for good efficiency, a small turbine engine would have to turn 100,000 rpm and really hot exhaust at 1000F ... it is not safe in a car driven by mortals

i think the limiting factor is the property of air at ground level which we cannot change ... i mean, if only the property of air is different, the required rpm and temperature could be brought down to a safe level

its 4am, i must be babbling nonsense ... let's wait for inputs from a real jet engine expert

Before you babble about nonsence and shooting off your mouth ... kindly read the links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Turbine_Car
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_...Turbine_Hybrid
http://www.speedace.info/automotive_directory/rover.htm
http://www.channel4.com/4car/gl/gallery/gallery/632/7


It has been done before in the 1960s. Given the development of technology between the 1960s and today, I would think it would be possible to harness the advantages of the gas turbine engine today.

[ghosthunter]

di ba gas turbine engine ang power plant ng ung M1A1 Abrams tank? no idea about the mechanical specifics, but the thing does move pretty fast and has an unbelievably high FC

Hey, if your vehicle weights several tonnes and moves at 60 mph, it would have really high FC.

[s_quilicot]

Hey, if your vehicle weights several tonnes and moves at 60 mph, it would have really high FC.

I think there is a motorcycle powered by a gas trbune engine. Y2K ata pangalan and owned by John Leno(?)

i think the prob is the Exhaust gas. I even remember he said that one time it accidentaly melts/deformed the fron bumper of the car behind him

[ghosthunter]

I think there is a motorcycle powered by a gas trbune engine. Y2K ata pangalan and owned by John Leno(?)

i think the prob is the Exhaust gas. I even remember he said that one time it accidentaly melts/deformed the fron bumper of the car behind him

For the jetbike, yes it melted the car's bumper simply because the jetbike was too small for an effective heat defuser and the engine was mechanically linked to the wheels.

For my proposed design, the turbine engine is only linked to a generator so no need to rev it any higher than the generator's and engine's most efficient RPM.

[s_quilicot]

For the jetbike, yes it melted the car's bumper simply because the jetbike was too small for an effective heat defuser and the engine was mechanically linked to the wheels.

For my proposed design, the turbine engine is only linked to a generator so no need to rev it any higher than the generator's and engine's most efficient RPM.

ah. I get your idea GH.

Q is, does the GT's most effiecient RPM is much more effecient than a conventional piston engine?

OT: how does a gas turbine engine start? may mga primer?

[ghosthunter]

Q is, does the GT's most effiecient RPM is much more effecient than a conventional piston engine?

A turbine engine is more efficient than a piston engine because it only has ONE moving part. No vibrations, minimal friction (no sliding parts). That is compared to the over two dozen essential moving parts in a typical 4 cylinder 4 stroke engine.

Although I have no real numbers, past automotive turbine engines run at 30,000 to 60,000 rpms.

OT: how does a gas turbine engine start? may mga primer?

Typically you would have an electric motor to start rotating the turbine's rotor. When the minimum RPM is reached, fuel is injected and ignited. Once operating temperature is reached, the engine can be throttled up to normal operating speed.

http://www.allpar.com/mopar/turbine.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_turbine
http://www.mtu.de/en/take-off/how_engines_work/

[kinyo]

past automotive turbine engines run at 30,000 to 60,000 rpms.

how efficient are they?

[s_quilicot]

A turbine engine is more efficient than a piston engine because it only has ONE moving part. No vibrations, minimal friction (no sliding parts). That is compared to the over two dozen essential moving parts in a typical 4 cylinder 4 stroke engine.

Although I have no real numbers, past automotive turbine engines run at 30,000 to 60,000 rpms.




Typically you would have an electric motor to start rotating the turbine's rotor. When the minimum RPM is reached, fuel is injected and ignited. Once operating temperature is reached, the engine can be throttled up to normal operating speed.

http://www.allpar.com/mopar/turbine.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_turbine
http://www.mtu.de/en/take-off/how_engines_work/

GH. what kind GT engine? Turbo Fan or Turbo jet?

[roberto_minosa]

So basically the plan is to use the gas turbine engine as a generator??? Nice. Non-nuke powered aircraft carriers and other ships use that kind of engines for drive and/or electricity. Given that it turns crazy rpm's, wouldn't that be good for power generation to charge electric cars??? If only we could make one that doesn't burn too much fuel, and doesn't make too much power. The turbine engine on the Y2K jet bike has something like 400HP. I heard it came from a Bell Jet Ranger helicopter.

[ghosthunter]

So basically the plan is to use the gas turbine engine as a generator??? Nice. Non-nuke powered aircraft carriers and other ships use that kind of engines for drive and/or electricity.

Compared to nuke power, turbines are still expensive in terms of fuel requirement. NUke power is still better for carrier or submarine.

But gas turbine engines have advantages when compared to traditional diesel engines for heavy vehicles because the engine itself is lightweight and produces lots of power. Applications would include fast naval patrol boats, medium class tanks for quick engagements, etc.

Given that it turns crazy rpm's, wouldn't that be good for power generation to charge electric cars???

Depends. We already have gas turbine power generators. They are relatively lightweight enough to be movable (on barges or flatbed trucks) but they consume a lot of expensive fuel.

If only we could make one that doesn't burn too much fuel, and doesn't make too much power. The turbine engine on the Y2K jet bike has something like 400HP. I heard it came from a Bell Jet Ranger helicopter.

There are gas turbine engines as small as a microchip.

There are also small ones that goes into model jet planes.



http://www.amtjets.com/

But what I am referring more into is the exact engine Chrysler used for their turbine car project.





Interestingly Chrysler's turbine car project was only stopped in the 80s jsut before they went into production.

[ghosthunter]

GH. what kind GT engine? Turbo Fan or Turbo jet?

It would be more similar to a turbo jet because the turbine part of the rotor should be big enough to convert the thrust to mechanical rotary power. This is pretty much what modern fast patrol boats use today.

Turbo fan engines use a large air by-pass ducting to channel air around the engine and into the exhaust for additional thrust, similar to what modern jumbo jets use today.

[ghosthunter]

Video Link

http://allpar.powertvonline.com/video/2175

[ghosthunter]

Click the link for more info:

http://www.allpar.com/mopar/turbine-photos.html