Help! w/New C-Max Hybrid

[fbov]

...you want to avoid electricity for acceleration from a stop, which wastes a ton of battery energy.

 

What has worked well for me is use electric from a stop but max of 2 bars up to about 20 mph....

Got to love conflicting advice! Adrian's on the right track but Taz method will improve fuel economy.

 

Adrian's right that you can consume a lot of battery charge to accelerate. But the amount of energy needed varies with speed. It's that pesky exponent in the kinetic energy calculation. Energy depends on the speed squared, so 0-30MPH uses 1/4 the energy of 30-60MPH.

 

And that's where Taz hit the nail on the head. Use EV from a stop, but only to get rolling. 20MPH is a guide.

 

The other really good trick is counter-intuitive: run the ICE slower but longer to increase EV miles.

 

As noted, HVB charge comes from running the ICE. Your throttle position varies both engine speed (output power) and the power split between drive and charge. Backing off throttle may not slow the engine RPM, but rather alter the split between drive and charge. That's what you want.

 

The idea is to run the engine slower for a longer period of time. You use the same amount of fuel, but spend more time charging the HVB, so the resulting EV glides can be longer.

 

Yes, traffic behind you will not know what to do about the slowpoke in front of them, but remember, they're in 1st gear with a 15:1 torque multiplication off their overly large engines. After a few feet, they'll shift to 2nd, then 3rd, reducing available torque dramatically.

 

But the slowpoke keeps accelerating, long after following traffic has hit top gear and stopped accelerating, so the final situation is one of a line of traffic traveling at normal speed and spacing.

 

Have fun,

Frank, whose just playing the hybrid game.

[revanoff2]

MG1 is connected to the sun gear at the center of the planetary gear pack.  The ICE is connected to the planet carrier which is connected to the planet gears at the center ring of the planetary gear pack.  MG2 is connected to the outer ring gear and in turn the outer ring gear is connected to the wheels through the final drive.  The only motive device which is actually connected to the wheels of the vehicle is MG2.  MG1 and the ICE cannot independantly motate the vehicle unless MG2 is instructed to move the vehicle by the onboard computers.

 

 

I need this clarified. Based on my interpretation, the only item driving the wheels is MG2... which I don't think is correct. The electric motor itself is rated for 36 hp (?)  and the engine is capable of 152 hp (?), and there are times when the ICE seems to be the only item propelling the vehicle.

 

Can you explain?

 

Thanks!  ;)

[fbov]

Have you ever played with a power-split simulator?

http://eahart.com/prius/psd/

 

The simulator shows your road speed as a function of the speed of the other three elements. The ICE only rotates in one direction, while both motor/generators rotate both directions, as needed. (AC has no polarity.)

 

Have fun,

Frank

[raadsel]

Have you ever played with a power-split simulator?

http://eahart.com/prius/psd/

 

The simulator shows your road speed as a function of the speed of the other three elements. The ICE only rotates in one direction, while both motor/generators rotate both directions, as needed. (AC has no polarity.)

 

Have fun,

Frank

 

I think that my mind has been blown. I followed some of his links, after I didn't quite understand MG1 turning backwards at some speeds, when it seemed like it should be going forward. It turns out there are different ideas, but I have now been introduced to "heretical mode." It is very interesting to understand just how the power train works.