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Range Extender
 

Innovative Range Extender for Electric Cars

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The idea

The car of the future is electric. There is no doubt about that. But the question arises:
How can today's driving comfort be maintained in the future?

  • Unrestricted
  • Boundless
  • Available
  • Affordable

These are all typical connections in terms of modern mobility, but not for purely battery-powered vehicles. These are neither unlimited, affordable nor limitlessly available for movement. Regardless of the expansion of the charging infrastructure and the technological development of various battery concepts, a range extender for electric vehicles is an important component in the concept of the car of the future. This is the only way to achieve limitless, affordable and sustainable mobility.

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The somewhat DIFFERENT concept

The so-called "range extender" is of course not a new concept. However, up to now the PS traction engines, which have been highly developed over decades, have been forced into this corset. Obviously. A little modification here, some optimization there and there you go.
So why this effort?

  • Heavy
  • Large
  • Expensive

Tomorrow's electric vehicles will be equipped with a battery that allows 90 % of all daily trips to be made purely electrically before they have to be plugged back in. An internal combustion engine that is large, heavy, expensive and requires a lot of maintenance? Rather absurd.
For this reason, we have developed a concept that is small, light, low-maintenance and inexpensive to implement.
A concept especially designed for this application.

Micro-Turbine Range Extender

The Micro-Turbine Range Extender

The mechanical power is defined as P = M x n. Where M is the torque and n is the speed of a driven shaft. If one wants to achieve a high power, both the torque and the rotational speed can be increased. The increase of the torque is always accompanied by an increase of the diameter ∅ and thus an increase of the dimensions and weight.
For this reason we have decided to increase the speed.

Micro-turbines are operated at very high speeds but relatively low torques, so a compact design can be achieved. There are also a number of other advantages over conventional internal combustion engines.

  • Clean, continuous combustion
  • Possibility of burning all liquid fuels
  • Direct availability of warm air
  • Just one rotating shaft
  • Simple performance "up-scaling"
  • Small number of components
  • Reduced maintenance effort

TECHNICAL DATA

Nominal power: 25 kW
Nominal speed: 105,000 rpm
Dimensions: ∅ = 350 mm
L = 460 mm
Weight: 45 kg (prototype)
30 kg
Generator type: Switched Reluctance
Generator phases: 3
DC link: 120 V
Cooling: Water

Article published online in Logistik Journal

(https://www.logistik-journal.de/mikroturbine-verlaengert-reichweite-von-e-fahrzeugen-81790)
Unfortunately no longer available online from the publisher. Translation provided by Matuschek Messtechnik GmbH. For the original text in German see the german version of this page.)

quoting icon Microturbine extends range of e-vehicles

Over 200 inventions expected at Innovation Day for small and medium-sized businesses in Berlin

An ultra-compact micro-turbine for extending the range of electric cars is one of the 200 inventions to be presented at the Innovation Day for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi) in Berlin on May 9, 2019...

With the micro-turbine developed by Matuschek Messtechnik GmbH in Alsdorf (North Rhine-Westphalia) as a ZIM individual project, the battery charging in e-vehicles is improved considerably. Up to now, electric vehicles with moderate battery range are additionally equipped with conventional combustion engines for battery charging or direct drive. This method is cost-intensive and associated with high weight. In the new ultra-compact and ultra-light turbine, the air is compressed in a compressor, mixed with a gaseous or liquid fuel and ignited. The high thermal energies drive the micro-turbine. In the generator, the mechanical energy of the turbine is transformed into electrical energy. In addition, a heat exchanger is integrated, which uses the high temperatures of the turbine exhaust gases to preheat the compressed combustion air. This reduces the amount of heat required in the combustion chamber and part of the energy used is recovered. The company sees good market opportunities for the micro-turbine among new e-car manufacturers.
"The not bureaucratic project support by the ZIM program was very helpful", says CEO Axel Heinemann. quoting icon

testbench

Image 1: Range-Extender on the test bench. © Matuschek Messtechnik GmbH, 2019

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