How our supercharger works.
By GA Projects
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We didn’t set
out to build a supercharger but a simple humorous observation started us thinking
about one. Young Ryan (one of our technicians) had just built a proof of
concept model of a 600 mm (24”) radial compressor when he joked that it would
make a great supercharger for his bike. This sowed the seed of an idea that
eventually led us to build an electrically powered supercharger. Big G (our boss)
suggested we used an automotive heater fan to power the charger. Initially
this concept was greeted with howls of derision but when we began to think
about it the idea grew on us. What if we ran it at 24V or even 36V? And how
The electrical side
of things turned out to be easy even at the relatively high voltage/current
loads that are required and heater fan motors have generally proven to be
incredibly resilient. 24 and 36 volts are achieved by electrically switching
additional batteries into series with the superchargers motor. On
disengagement the auxiliary batteries are switched back into parallel with
your vehicles main battery for recharging. Note that the remainder of your
vehicles electrical system remains fully isolated from raised supercharger
voltages and cannot be harmed by them.
Our electric supercharger is engaged by a throttle body mounted switch
and does not operate at idle or light load. During development we had the
supercharger idling through a ballast resistor when not engaged to prevent
induction impedance. Further testing showed that this was not necessary as
the supercharger does not form a sufficient airflow barrier to justify
corrective action.
One difficulty
we had to overcome during development was insufficient volumetric efficiency.
To put it another way our early superchargers could develop pressure but did
not displace enough air to keep up with the engine. Mounting an impellor fan
in the superchargers inlet solved this problem. Designing a
casing for the supercharger is simplified by the fact that heater fans are
barrel shaped, we just had to work out what
materials to use and how to seal it. Naturally we don’t want to give too much information away or we won’t
have anything to sell. Full details
are available in our illustrated 27 page construction manual. |
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GA
Projects specialise
in designing low cost projects that any practical individual with basic
handyman tools and ability can build. We avoid the need for special machinery
or skills (e.g. welding) and ensure all our projects are made from readily
available parts and materials. All projects are easy to build and are carefully
scrutinised for quality and safety. We supply comprehensive, illustrated plans
and construction manuals to guide you through every step of the way.
You
can contact the GA Projects team at gapro@gaprojects.com
Or
view the GA Projects home page to see
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LINKS
GA
Projects links
Build a Solar Pool Heater
for under $100 The project that got us started.
Kids Electric Go Kart This project is a synch for the home
handyman or handywoman.
Discover electricity and
basic electronics Comprehensive
introduction to these subjects for just $6.99c
Build a Kids Ride On
Army Tank Easy to build and
cheap too, kids will love this one.
Recommended links to other
companies.
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