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Re: interesting new engine design [message #67757 is a reply to message #67665]

Fri, 18 December 2009 09:55

Matt Colie

Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan

Karma:

Senior Member

For most of a decade, I worked in, ran or was building additions to an automotive centered test laboratory in Ann Arbor.
We did a lot of very special work for the big 3, as well as AMC/Jeep/Reault, VW of America, and a pot full of first tier (companies that supply directly to OE).

We also were one of the very few labs that an independent group couple buy test services. So, I got to test a number of different things that never saw the light of day. Some, because they flat assed didn't do anything that they promised and some because they just could not be produced effectively or were not economically viable.

I'm not an engineering cynic. But what that seems mean to many is that I can't wait to have the data before I say it doesn't work. I saw or maybe even tested at least four radically new designs for carburetors in the late 70's and early 80's most were presented with closed loop capability. Two of those were very impressive and produced results that at least as good as the designers had hoped.

Want to know what killed them all?
The production capability of first throttle body injection and the associated electronic controls. They were so much easier to calibrate than any carburetor ever (i.e. there is now only Dick Paterson that can reliably produce a GMC carb and then only from the correct castings). It is actually surprising that carburetted open loop engines were actually still available to 1987.

What happened to EV-1?
There were two production series and a yard full of mule level prototypes in the program.
The original series had lead acid batteries. That was the one where entire plant was sold out first and shut down by the new owners for:
A: lead handling issues and ongoing litigation
B: pollution source credits.
These combined to make operation of that group non-economic.
The second series for production had NiMH batteries that were supplied by Matsushita(Panasonic). There was one one actual fire reported, but they did melt the charging connector on more than a few.
My favorite was the one with the Williams APU in the trunk. There were several in this run of mules that had little diesels and SI engines as APU very much like the soon to be Volt. The entire collection was shreaded because GM was petrified of the possible litigation that might arise from a few privately held vehicles that had not been given the complete NHTSA validation. Some of that was because NHTSA could not supply test standards that were applicable to an electric vehicle.

What a Waste.

Matt

Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit

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[Message index]

		interesting new engine design By: fred v on Wed, 16 December 2009 21:34
		Re: interesting new engine design By: hertfordnc on Wed, 16 December 2009 22:29
		Re: interesting new engine design By: ljdavick on Wed, 16 December 2009 22:47
		Re: interesting new engine design By: Chr$ on Wed, 16 December 2009 22:43
		Re: [GMCnet] interesting new engine design By: Gary Casey on Thu, 17 December 2009 06:45
		Re: interesting new engine design By: fred v on Thu, 17 December 2009 07:44
		Re: [GMCnet] interesting new engine design By: GMC_LES on Thu, 17 December 2009 10:32
		Re: [GMCnet] interesting new engine design By: ljdavick on Thu, 17 December 2009 10:53
		Re: [GMCnet] interesting new engine design By: hertfordnc on Fri, 18 December 2009 06:16
		Re: [GMCnet] interesting new engine design By: mike miller on Fri, 18 December 2009 06:36
		Re: [GMCnet] interesting new engine design By: fred v on Fri, 18 December 2009 06:52
		Re: [GMCnet] interesting new engine design By: Gary Casey on Fri, 18 December 2009 07:11
		Re: [GMCnet] interesting new engine design By: USAussie on Fri, 18 December 2009 12:37
		Re: [GMCnet] interesting new engine design By: Steven Ferguson on Fri, 18 December 2009 08:18
		Re: [GMCnet] interesting new engine design By: GMC_LES on Fri, 18 December 2009 08:29
		Re: [GMCnet] interesting new engine design By: ljdavick on Fri, 18 December 2009 10:47
		Re: [GMCnet] interesting new engine design By: jhb1 on Fri, 18 December 2009 12:18
		Re: [GMCnet] interesting new engine design By: ljdavick on Fri, 18 December 2009 13:09
		Re: [GMCnet] interesting new engine design By: Matt Colie on Fri, 18 December 2009 16:55
		Re: [GMCnet] interesting new engine design By: ljdavick on Fri, 18 December 2009 19:07
		Re: [GMCnet] interesting new engine design By: Matt Colie on Sat, 19 December 2009 09:11
		Re: [GMCnet] interesting new engine design By: comcast on Sat, 19 December 2009 09:58
		Re: interesting new engine design By: Matt Colie on Thu, 17 December 2009 07:54
		Re: interesting new engine design By: Matt Colie on Fri, 18 December 2009 09:55
		Re: interesting new engine design By: fred v on Fri, 18 December 2009 12:53
		Re: interesting new engine design By: Bob de Kruyff on Fri, 18 December 2009 14:27
		Re: interesting new engine design By: Bob de Kruyff on Fri, 18 December 2009 19:48
		Re: interesting new engine design By: mdryan on Fri, 18 December 2009 10:03

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