Electric Superchargers

[Daf-T]

Can anyone tell me if there are any electric superchargers on the market worth buying? I've had negative views on the subject so far.

I've seen the eRam, Force Flow and NE Performance Inc Electric Charger on the net. All operate at around 1 - 2 psi, 30 - 45 amps and 800 - 1000 CFM.

Are any of them worth trying, or are all electric superchargers of this type useless?

I look forward to your sollective insights on the matter.
Thank you.
Regards,
Dave G.

 

[obi_waynne]

Hi Dave, They are all pretty useless. They have a minor impact at full throttle (WOT) and really are more trouble than they are worth. Sorry to be so down on them the concept is good but in practice it is a whole different story!

 

[Freddie]

I agree with Wayne, the theory is right, but in reality, with fuelling and ignition taken into consideration they just don't work.

 

[fingers]

I wouldnt touch one of these with a barge pole, they are utter poo. A leaf blower would have more effect. :wink:

 

[Freddie]

Don't joke, I've seen a video of some big american trusck on the rollers.. First they put a leaf blower on the inlet.. And then they did it with a leaf blower and then sprayed NOS over the leaf blowers inlet, so that it sucked it in and blew it into the cars inlet.. The results were actually *#*#*#*#*#*#*# surpising..

 

[fingers]

Yeah I seen that too. If memory serves me well they did it to a car too. Awsome results.

 

[obi_waynne]

I'm just off to B&Q to get a 12V leafblower

 

[ziggos]

hmm seems you havent done your research

 

[c130fxr]

one word >>>JUNK!<<<<

 

[ziggos]

Junk hey, 1600cfm from (X4 force-flow)a electric fan, i think thats pretty impressive, there is also a 3000 cfm version now (x8 force-flow) .... which converts to roughly 6lbs minus the -1.2psi at the throttlebody is close to 4.8lbs boost for under $1000, seems you dont know what you are talking about(c130fxr)

 

[claymore]

If it's such easy power why don't car manufacturers use them? with the power needed to run that motor the alternator would stall.

 

[obi_waynne]

I just saw a tiny dyno graph on a company from Australia selling them. The example given was on a Probe. Both graphs looked identical upto around 5000rpm and then, wait for it there was a peak gain of 8bhp so power was upto a heady 108bhp! They are selling these for as$500, surely a cam would give bigger and better power gians for the money.

Good point claymore they would all be looking for a cheap way to hike power and economy.

 

[turbonutter69]

What car would it be going on?

 

[Munday]

the eBay specials will loose you power and act as a restriction. Think how fast a turbo spins! 100,000 rpm to produce positive boost.

Don't get me wrong you can get electric ones that work...if you want to run 7 alternators to produce the current to run one!

Total waste of money and time...tried tested and proven. Dyno graphs can be easily manipulated or afftected by extraneous variables

 

[HDi fun]

It's not the airflow that's the problem. It's compressing the air that is. Hence turbochargers spin anywhere up to 300,000 rpm.

 

[pgarner]

Junk hey, 1600cfm from (X4 force-flow)a electric fan, i think thats pretty impressive, there is also a 3000 cfm version now (x8 force-flow) .... which converts to roughly 6lbs minus the -1.2psi at the throttlebody is close to 4.8lbs boost for under $1000, seems you dont know what you are talking about(c130fxr)

what size are these your fans your on about, father in law borrowed an indusdrial fan to dry out his mothers when it was flooded last year

12" (300mm) fan running around 400w and it could only move 1250 CFM.
sorry but i can see how a lets say 3" fan (76mm), size of an average intake, could move enough air without burning itself out or draining the altinator of everything it could.

 

[Chris Green]

I'd have thought that a direct mechanical supercharger straight off the engine would be more efficient since any electric motor and/or generator cannot be 100% efficient. As there are two of the blighters needed for an electric supercharger, at say 70%* efficiency each, you're only going to get 70% of 70% (say 49%) of the power drain on the engine caused by the alternator turned into supercharging.

The only advantage I can see is that you'd be able to switch it off, whereas a mechanical supercharger runs whether you like it or not.

*(Just guessing but you get the picture)

 

[HDi fun]

The cubic feet per minute is of no consequence. A desk fan can shift hundreds of cubic feet prt minute. What it CANNOT do is compress air as it is not a positive displacement device.

Shifting 20 cubic feet and cramming that mass of air into eight cubic feet, for example, is what superchargers (whether directly driven mechanically or the more common exhaust driven type, turbochargers) do.

An electric fan supercharger is not going to work. It would be like trying to inflate a balloon by holding the open neck in front of a desk fan.

 

[old-git]

An electric fan supercharger is not going to work. It would be like trying to inflate a balloon by holding the open neck in front of a desk fan.

Now, that is the best explanation I have heard. Good one, HD.

 

[stamford]

The 'VECTIS' system ("volumetric efficiency correcting tuned induction system") would give more gains and true 'ram air' flows than those so-called hairdryers.

Take a childs hand held windmill for instance, it will rotate according to wind speed when static. Take the same windmill and stick it to a car, as the speed increase so too will the windmills revolutions until it can't take anymore and resonate.

Take said electric supercharger and place in engne bay infront of throttle body. In a static load it will rotate as per the maximum rpm it is designed for sucking in ambient air.

When at speed what is it doing now? Probably throwing a wobbly as the air speed is probably trying to up the turbines rpm more than it can handle and strip the drive or better still slowing the air speed down as the rate coming in is not equal or more when passing the charger in question. .

 

[pgarner]

When at speed what is it doing now? Probably throwing a wobbly as the air speed is probably trying to up the turbines rpm more than it can handle and strip the drive or better still slowing the air speed down as the rate coming in is not equal or more when passing the charger in question. .

and thats why just about all these electric chargers have failed, they end up burning themselves out.

 

[HDi fun]

Or they disintegrate under manifold vacuum and scatter bits of metal and plastic into the engine

 

[Hig]

12 Volt Fan