07-12-2017, 10:01 PM | #11 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: [VE] Minimum battery capacity for internal combustion engine?
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07-13-2017, 06:21 AM | #12 |
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Re: [VE] Minimum battery capacity for internal combustion engine?
As I understand it, the amount of power used to cycle a starter motor is pretty low - it's all about getting enough voltage to turn the motor over and that only uses a tiny part of your battery capacity.
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07-13-2017, 11:45 AM | #13 |
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Republic of Texas; FOS
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Re: [VE] Minimum battery capacity for internal combustion engine?
Ignition system is included in the ICE power plant weight/size/cost. So sure, you could save 10lbs and 1cf by removing the battery and starting the engine remotely like a race car :)
Definitely a system inside the granularity of Vehicles.
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07-13-2017, 01:03 PM | #14 |
Join Date: Sep 2007
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Re: [VE] Minimum battery capacity for internal combustion engine?
Checking a few specs for current-day real-world starter motors, it seems they're usually around 1% of the ICE's rated max power. (The largest ones Mitsubishi Electric makes are 7 kW, and that includes their lines for 24v starters for buses and large trucks; 5.5 kW max in the 12v lineup. Typical values for smaller passenger cars in the compact / midsize range around around 1.4 - 1.6 kW.)
Starting generally takes under 5 seconds even for a diesel or high-compression engine, so the fuel use to recharge the battery is the equivalent of less than ten seconds of idle operation. (Of the ICE, that is; not all of that power is going into the alternator to recharge your battery, so I'm not saying your battery can be recharged in ten seconds flat.) The numbers seem small enough that I'd be willing to count it as just another piece that's already included in the ICE component. But it might be handy to have a ballpark figure for a rule-of-thumb in case someone needs to repurpose that piece or jury-rig something. |
07-13-2017, 01:30 PM | #15 | |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: [VE] Minimum battery capacity for internal combustion engine?
Quote:
As it is switching from uber common lead acid car battery to lithium ion could save weight that may matter when outrunning that lava flow, zombie cheetah, etc. But I agree that for most games, batteries are below the resolution of player concern.
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Tags |
automobile, battery, car, energy bank, vehicles |
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