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      02-04-2014, 07:52 AM   #282
bradleyland
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Aust350z View Post
If Nissan is doing something like this now... I'm expecting something great from BMW in 2 years...

http://www.engineering.com/DesignerE...HP-Engine.aspx

3 cylinder
400bhp
40kg (88lbs)
88lbs

That is insane. One of the interesting things about EVs is that they can mask a lot of the unfavorable characteristics of wildly turbocharged, small displacement engines. If you've got a battery pack to fill in the gaps in output from your super-boosted, small-displacement engine, you can really focus on power output and efficiency in a very narrow range.

I found a Nissan News article that says the DIG-T R will rev to 7,500 RPM. It's pretty remarkable that it's making that kind of power at only 7,500 RPM. I would have expected it to turn greater than 10,000 RPM, just like boosted F1 power plants.

The whole thing reminds me of the railway's transition from steam motive power to diesel electric. A steam locomotive is a constant force engine, so the higher the RPM, the higher the power output. This is very similar to an ICE (internal combustion engine). The limits of power output are related to fluid dynamics; the flow of air/fuel through the engine. A diesel electric locomotive is a constant power engine. The diesel generator turns out a specified number of kW all the time.

With an engine like the DIG-T R, you have such a light weight engine, you could get away with coupling it to a genset and spinning it at 7,500 RPM all the time, maximizing power output. You'd never know it was gutless at the bottom end, because you'll never use it there.
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