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Dual Supercharger and compressor

Use supercharger to store compressed air
 
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Can you use a mechanical supercharger to compress and store air in a tank to 150psi?

The idea is that if I mount a supercharger to my diesel engine; and have a gate valve solonoid between the supercharger and the engine intake; that switches under braking or through manual switch at idle- simultaneously diverting the airflow from the supercharger to a tank to store, and opens another port to allow the engine to naturally aspirate. The gate valve solonoid could close under acceleration or manual switching so the engine could return to a charged intake. Would this work? It's for 4wd endurance remote application and not really for performance or power increases. It would eliminate the need for a seperate compressor to run air tools, shocks, air diff locks, re-inflate tyres etc.

Cheers, Glenn idriveakingswood@hotmail.com

idriveacruiser, Apr 24 2012

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       how much do superchargers charge ? I think it's 8psi, which isn't going to go a long way towards 150psi.   

       It used to be common'ish practice for to replumb an engine such that one of the cylinders was used to power an air-driven device or fill a tank. DD's are sorta famous for it; probably break a petrol engine doing that. Over 200psi easy.   

       (your e-mail can go on your account page... unless this is your only post it'll save typing. )   

       What's a kingswood ?
FlyingToaster, Apr 24 2012
  

       //how much do superchargers charge ? I think it's 8psi//
I assume that's atmospheric (14.7psi) + 8 psi?
If not, then superchargers suck.
TolpuddleSartre, Apr 24 2012
  

       My duece-anna-half has no supercharger (it has a turbo, tiny in comparison to its displacement), but it does have an integral compressor, run from the serpentine belt, that powers the air-over-hydro brakes (most big trucks do). I've modified it to charge an air tank I installed beneath the bed, which provides pressure for pnuematic tools and pressurizes a water tank. That's right, my duece has running water. I made my modification such that pressure for the onboard accessories is only drawn from the compressor when the parking brake is set.   

       Aftermarket add-ons exist for 4x4s that closely resemble my home-built system. I've been thinking about getting one for my Jeep.   

       In short, I'm not sure how this idea differs much from existing onboard compressors.   

       // superchargers suck //   

       Yes, that is, in fact, exactly what they do. Remember that 8 psi is a helluva lot of pressure when it's being rammed through a valve aperture.
Alterother, Apr 24 2012
  

       //I assume that's atmospheric (14.7psi) + 8 psi?// 8psia (absolute) + atmospheric pressure = 8psig (guage).   

       Your assumption would only be valid precisely at sea level. When not specified, psi(guage) is generally assumed, unless you're in a non-atmospheric environment.
lurch, Apr 24 2012
  

       This is a well-thought-out idea. After doing a little research, I'm not sure if you could work up 150psi by tapping your 'charger, and if you could it would mean running at sustained high revs. From one 4x4 nut to another, get yourself an aftermarket compressor. The mechanical ones that run off the belt are better than the electrics, but harder (read: more fun) to install.   

       Welcome to the HalBakery, [cruiser]. Hope you stick around. Don't worry, the insanity is infectious.
Alterother, Apr 24 2012
  

       A Kingswood is a 60-70's model Holden (GM) built in Australia. Mine died a long time ago but the email lives on... I know it's lost energy but i was hoping not to mess with the exhaust. What happens after the charged air reaches >8psi? Would the air blow back through the charger?
idriveacruiser, Apr 24 2012
  

       It would, as the 8psi would not open a non-return valve if the pressure downstream from the valve was greater than 8psi over atmospheric.   

       It might be possible to run one cylinder (of 6 or 8) as a compressor, using a Schrade (or similar) non- return valve in the plug port. Petrol engines usually run at 8-10 Bar maximum, though I'd be a little worried about blow-by through the piston rings. Diesel engine would do it much better, with compression reaching 25-40 Bar, in some engines.
UnaBubba, Apr 24 2012
  

       Technically you should be able to store air pressure using a forced air system. The problem lies in the complexity of a truck's air system that usually requires air compressor, dryer, governor, and air tanks. The governor determines the loaded/ unloaded cycles and basically switches the air compressor modes. You would still need a governor in your new arrangement, but that would take a bit of engineering to make work. You can't just have a turbo ramming air into a pressure vessel and rely on a purge valve to handle the excess. The other thing is that you wouldn't want to be messing with your turbo unless you really knew what you were doing. The engine still needs turbo injection for proper fuel mixture even at idle.   

       An alternative idea would be to completely remove your turbo and put in an air compressor system. Use the air system to inject clean dry cool air into the engine from the air tanks. Diesel engines gulp air, so that's going to be quite an air system.
rcarty, Apr 24 2012
  

       Or you could just mount an AC compressor, apparently they do quite nicely for providing large volumes of compressed air.
WcW, Apr 25 2012
  

       Well, yeah, but where's the excitement? I mean, that's almost never going to unexpectedly explode, is it?
Alterother, Apr 25 2012
  
      
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