DIY Electric Turbo: Sledgehammer - First Boost!

[@der_pinguin44]

I wait with bated breath. This has been, by far, the most thorough series covering electric forced induction. Thank you.

[@vrm86gt]

agreed!

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thank you. I just wish I could devote more time to it so the videos would be released quicker. I'm working on that.

[@der_pinguin44]

​@@AlexLTDLX Dude, I hear you. I'm currently stagnated on my Isuzus as I'm transitioning careers, and I'd love to get on top of showing off the VehiCROSS, I-Mark, and Axiom.

[@vrm86gt]

@@AlexLTDLX no problem, your doing great with it!

[@steven44799]

Have you considered using a digital potentiometer to set the motor amperage? that way you can electronically ramp the motor up/down to tweak it for traction/how aggressively it comes on. Could have multiple boost/ramp profiles programmed into an arduino with a rotary switch to select which map to use on the console during testing etc.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Yeah - actually the arduino has code to do that. You could even go nuts and have a speed sensor on a front wheel and one on a rear wheel, and when the e-turbo's on, if there's a difference in wheel speed beyond a certain margin of error, you could have it automatically provide less boost until the wheel speeds match again - basically, traction control.

[@imestia7911]

@@AlexLTDLX do you plan on doing it?

[@doaSkid69]

That's a great idea

[@shaner.5]

What about using a throttle position sensor so even at idle you have some air flow instead of the -1psi restriction say 0-6psi at 0-100% throttle linear. Is that the end game maybe I understand testing is continuous or is it power capacity? If just daily driving how long would a system last with two or so squirts a day amphour or capacity. maybe a better question is theoretically how long could you boost?

[@AlexLTDLX]

Honestly, probably not. This car pulled the front wheels off the ground on a transbrake launch at the track with slicks when it had the Whipple on it. I expect it to do the same with this thing. Also, software isn't really my thing - I'm not particularly good at it and I find it frustrating. But it could certainly be done; the mechanics and electronics are easy; the code - again, not my wheelhouse. But maybe as a youtube exercise....

[@B0RN2RACE100]

Cant wait to see the dyno update.

[@mrgreenswelding2853]

Awesome video. Keep up the great and interested work. Looking forward to the journey from here on.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thank you! Will do!

[@robbioe]

had to come back to watch this again to see how awesome this is

[@gedavids84]

Best hybrid ever! I only found this a few days ago, but I love your engineering.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks!

[@802Garage]

Great first test! Cool to see how you dig into the data. Clearly you're just grazing the surface.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks - sometimes going too far into the weeds loses viewers - but I think a lot of people really into this project find it interesting. The possibilities are pretty vast.

[@802Garage]

@@AlexLTDLX Didn't go too far for me. 😁

[@derekmaxwell8164]

@@AlexLTDLX would be awesome if you sold kits lol

[@Longbowgun]

The wattage displayed at 10:35 is how much horsepower saved by electrically boosting. Granted there's a little more weight. But, the power added (and NOT lost to parasitic mechanical driven boost) compared to the weight added is a net bonus.

[@knation92]

You should invest in some good seats to help keep you from being thrown around as bad, not sure what the steering is like or suspension but I would start with seats. Other than that this is pretty awesome, I've been keeping up and I like it more every time I see it. I'm waiting for when you get it dialed in and max it out.

[@ttzfer]

Awesome Alex! I know the Dyno is next but I'm really looking forward to the track results! 😎

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks. I still need to replace those slicks I wasted last March in the burnout :)

[@ct1977]

Just wondering if you had an update, badass!

[@OctaneFever]

Great update and video like always. Looking forward to the dyno, hoping you push it hard on the dyno to get the max out of it. Also looking forward to seeing the P2 supercharger in action aswell.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks. The P2 is still very much alive; I promise I will get back to it soon.

[@wtfdadduorp4619]

Awesome I can't wait for your next video keep up the good work every time I see your videos pop up its the 1st thing I watch, I love your detailed explanations. Keep up the good work.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks. I'm always on the fence about going into detail - some people like it, some people don't care (or understand). But either way, it's something I do anyway, so I figured why not share it? Thanks again for watching and commenting.

[@MJPilote]

Very interesting stuff, that is mind blowing when you consider the fact that you don’t get parasitic engine power losses from the boosting device. Like nitrous but instead of filling gas bottles you charge with a wall socket. People don’t consider impeller blade angle and blade area vs rpm when looking at “turbo” looking compressor. Just the rpm, but not how many cfm per revolution is moved by the blades. Of course it’s not positive displacement compressor but still impeller geometry and size should ring some bells.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Before this I ran almost exclusively positive displacement blowers on this car - two Eatons and a Whipple over the years. I can tell you with absolute certainty that this setup makes more than twice the rwhp per psi than even the Whipple did. I think a TVS would do better, but still not even close to this thing. The possibilities are certainly exciting. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@ShaneCranor]

This thing is sick!!

[@RANDOMNATION907]

This channel keeps popping up and I think I watched a very early e-turbo video a good 8-10 months ago. Anyway , that's a pretty slick setup. Now I'm genuinely intrigued. Subbed. Gonna go back to the beginning to see what it took to get it this far. Very cool, Bro. Cheers from Alaska. "Never let yer meat loaf"

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thank you sir. And thanks for subscribing!

[@allYou.Be1]

Great results for Great effort done , well deserved , sir 😌

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks. And thanks for commenting and subscribing.

[@Tex777_]

I'm REALLY excited to see this project in action. I'm also really shocked by the IATs and the efficiency. Apologies if this has been answered before but I've only come across your videos fairly recently, any plans to have the batteries charge off of the alternator, and are there any technical challenges to that? I ask because it's always been a pipe dream of mine to have an electric supercharger setup for more of a street or road course use that's also completely reversible.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks for taking the time to comment and subscribe. And to answer your question, yes, the control box has a charger built into it. I go through it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGjKnYt-jph0mKs

[@chrishenniker5944]

How about some mountain and towing settings for the electro-supercharger? If you’re driving in the mountains, you can set it up for continuous operation from tickover, just to make up for lost power and torque.

[@AlexLTDLX]

I can see that in OEM-type applications, certainly. I think we'll be seeing more and more of these in OEM applications (Audi's had one for a few years, Mercedes has one as well; Suzuki's putting one on a motorcycle) as technology continues to improve.

[@lancemenke2728]

J had to stop video @9:00 to make this comment" as you drive the time a car is getting to speed is significantly less than steady pace that is the boost feature of electric enhancement. In steady state the car can accumulate and store the energy for the short term boost at a much greater rate of consumption. F1 Cars are a extreme cost no option car and from the fuel consumed 50% energy conversion raw fuel content at the same time. They use multiple units for recovering. storing and reusing to get the best conversion of fuel to kinetic that delivers to finish line results. Say if a person with the will and tech can build his way to something that functions then optimise results that's pretty kool thanks for sharing the journey. Soon as my rc hobby exposed me to the high power high rpm of brushless motors few years back "I though these motors could have potential to supercharge an engine on demand. I set up the items todo preliminary evaluation and found that the turbine of a turbo really produces large amount of power in small form factor and the motors and esc are expensive or custom. Progress has made for greater options and this is a working example of bolt it on at the track and go faster package potential. once all the development is done very kewl no doubt!!.

[@stevenoe6395]

Cant wait to see it on the track good job man!!!!!!

[@juiceyou321]

I just want to take a second to appreciate those awesome air temps. Gotta love the water/meth inj.

[@AlexLTDLX]

:) Well, the meth isn't installed yet. This is just how efficient an electric supercharger can be. I compared it to the Whipple in another video - and to be honest, there's no comparison. I am getting ready to install the meth injection now though - it'll be on for our next dyno session. Here's the comparison video if you haven't seen it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lWjFhWuJmKtlrqs

[@juiceyou321]

@@AlexLTDLX Oh wow! That's even more impressive. I guess not having a hot side of the turbo really helps things too. Really impressed with your work, makes me want to explore this as well. Love your content, right up my alley.

[@nrs91]

Loving this project! I would try 2 things: A volvo Penta "flapper" bypass so the engine can run freely N/A before the electric supercharger starts adding positive pressure. Bring the turbo in sooner but with a more gradual ramp up so you stay hooked up. Keep up the good work!

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks. The controller can ramp based on whatever inputs you give it (or what you program it for). But since in my case, we're most interested in max power and dragstrip performance, it's really not necessary. Just put the slicks back on it, and leave off the transbrake. As for the bypass, that is a good idea, but in my case, not necessary. The engine makes almost exactly 500 hp naturally aspirated, and the e turbo only provides a restriction of about 1 psi of boost loss. So you still have about 465 hp to play with. And in most driving situations, it's not even close to noticeable. But for smaller or different applications, it would certainly be worth considering. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@mikelmarion]

@@AlexLTDLXif the engine makes 500 naturally, how much is this electric turbo adding to that Hp/tq wise? 50hp/tq? 100hp/tq or more? Could you use 2?

[@AlexLTDLX]

A lot more than that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGrHZqusbq6Bo9ksi=kt39TWB_zKI8jVrb @@mikelmarion

[@taylorboultinghouse8296]

Hell Yeah, you've got a killer build Alex! I've enjoyed watching your journey. It's wild how much power you are able to ramp up to the impeller attached to that motor. That 0.75 delay before reaching target amperage is pretty damn quick. Rooting for your to succeed and have a blast doing it.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thank you. The guys at MGM have told me I can ramp in at 1.5 seconds for better response. But for what I'm doing, it doesn't matter much. But ultimately, it would be cool to have traction control - if there's tire slip, the e turbo slow down automatically. And thanks for watching, commenting and most importantly - subscribing!

[@josephfranzen5626]

You’re a wizard man. Full stop. That’s all there is to it.

[@AlexLTDLX]

:) - Thanks for the kind words. And "Mr. Wizard" was one of my college nicknames, for real. Another one was "Master Packer" - because I could pack more beers into a dorm fridge than anyone else. That last nickname didn't age well...

[@josephfranzen5626]

@@AlexLTDLX Hahahha!! Awesome man!

[@brentonk461]

Have you tried a 6-71, 8-71 or with your electric motor to drive it? Wth carburettors above it, and the throttles closed, they spin the rotors without any power input, if the belt drive is disconnected. this may help with getting the rotors to spool. Since they don't need to spin anywhere near as fast, to pass large amounts of air, you could change drive gear ratio to better make use of the power the electric motor has and adjust the max power amps accorrding to the boost load. just a thought.

[@AlexLTDLX]

I've done a lot of positive displacement setups over the years. The problem here would be sheer size both of the blower and the motor necessary to drive it (less rpm, more torque, some power in the system = much bigger stuff needed) and the mass of the rotors. Though to point you bring up about the rotors spinning is valid. Years ago I posted a video using a shop vac to spin an Eaton blower (still on my channel somewhere in the way-back machine). Thanks for posting and taking the time to comment!

[@5150gino]

Great work mate. Can’t wait for next video 👍

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks 👍

[@davidresar8256]

Here is a thought when you take it to the track wire the transbrake so when it releases to have the megasquirt and electric turbo to ramp. Possibilities!!! Can't wait for the next video...

[@AlexLTDLX]

That is an idea. Though I think the car could still hook leaving on full boost with slicks. If you haven't seen it, this is what it ran like at the track with the Whipple: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGm2f6JtoNWWrtk

[@davidresar8256]

@@AlexLTDLX Nice!

[@MrChris7582]

This is awesome you got it working! Real world test matters most. All the actions is from 0 - 120 that's the most important part in my opinion having it running 2-3 mins straight is beyond ridiculous. You don't need boost to maintain a high speed just using it to get there is all you need. 1\4 mile if your cars fast 12 seconds or less hopefully as close to 7 seconds as possible.

[@AlexLTDLX]

That's true. I'm pretty confident we'll get this version into the 9's. If you haven't seen it, this was our first drag test: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4CvZISvmN-nabs

[@MrChris7582]

@@AlexLTDLX yeah I saw that video a while back. a 9 second car is fast by any standard. that is always a hell of an achievement on any car. with 5lbs of boost and no lag or parasitic loss you should get some pretty good runs. how heavy is all the batteries? thats the only slight draw back I could see using a system like this. how ever thats not to say anyother boosted system doesnt add weight as well. tubing intercooler the actual turbo or centrifugal super charger and pulley ect. could end up being some what same as those. doesnt look like you went for much weight reduction anyways with the full interior of that car being still in the car. either way this is interesting in that its different than the other set ups other people are doing. but I do think electric super chargers will be more and more common place. some OEM cars have them now even if just to reduce turbo lag of the exhaust driven turbo. I think the market will open up even more people being able to some what "turbo" their cars in a kit of some sort a company could have basically a box with batteries capacitors and some type of computer to map it and some type of cooling. then its basically hook up a few wires and hook it up to an intake. I think we will see this happen soon if it already isnt happening some where.

[@AlexLTDLX]

The current battery packs weigh right at 60 lbs. However, if you went with LiPo instead of LTO cells (LTO is safer); you could easily get the pack weight down to 20 lbs for the same performance. I just went with LTO cells because of the safety issue - we've got enough stuff blowing up and exploding while figuring this mess out. The entire setup (with batteries, e turbo and long, heavy cables) is right around 100 lbs - more than half of which is right over the rear axle; but that total weight could be as little as 60 lbs total. The previous Whipple setup, with A/W intercooler was right around 120-140 lbs, depending on how much ice and water I had on board. And most of that weight was at the front.

[@MrChris7582]

@@AlexLTDLX yeah that's good to know. my current setup is a procharger centrifugal super charger and with the intercooler and everything weighs in at around 110 lbs for everything. for only 6lbs of boost. but thats not to say if you go with the electric turbo you might still need the intercooler depending on your particular set up. I use it because I am at 9:5:1 compression. if I was 9:1:1 i would probably not have the whole intercooler set up. I mean its way more complicated than just a compression ratio but I just mean with my particular set up. but with out the parasitic loss of the pulley probably I could probably get away with 5lbs of boost and no intercooler. too to cut down on weight. that would actually be pretty sick to see.

[@kitchenininja]

I'm new to the concept of using electric. But is there a way to use the wind and generate static charge without turbine? Maybe a antenna setup in reverse to absorb as it drags current?

[@AlexLTDLX]

I don't know. I can tell you, it would take a lot of power to do that. But the control box in the trunk does have a charger built into it.

[@billtruett8593]

Am a new subscriber so take what I say with a grain of salt I noticed in your set up that I’ve been catching up on. by the way great build, have you ever considered a turbo smart “e” waste gate? I think that would be a great addition. Like I said take what I say with a grain of salt you have a really cool set up. Looking forward to your dyno video.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks for the kind words. I don't how you'd use a waste gate here - a waste gate bypasses the exhaust gasses around the turbine side of a turbo - something that's not at play here. The blowoff valve I show isn't really necessary, but it does prevent some mechanical shock to the impeller/motor.

[@jpabon18]

Great job Alex!!! I’ve been following you for a while now! I’ve had this same idea for a long time. Never had the time or the means to make it happen, but I greatly appreciate your talent!!! I wish I could have worked on it with you… I could talk for days about the entire build… lol Great work. Love the car, love the build, love your style! Best wishes, and I cannot wait to see it at its peak! Sorry for all the exclamation… 🤣 I’m super happy and excited for you!!!!!!!!! Best wishes, can’t wait for more…… 👊🏼

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks for the kind words and enthusiasm. I can honestly say that going into even a short test like this, I get really anxious. Just ask my daughter - lol.

[@3dw3dw]

Comment for algorithm. Can't wait to see more.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks.

[@gerr35]

Hi Gary Treadway here I'm a customer of mcnews and I love ray he is a genius on that Dyno he did my 2014 ram 1500 and got great power out of it with nitrous set up but I would love to do your sledge hammer could you tell me what a complete setup would run and who I could get to install it thanks Gary

[@ts302]

Great work Alex! Due to the power cable lengths, have you measured for voltage drop (controller to the motor)? I respect the fact that you don't want to cut up the LTD for a remote (trunk) mount setup, however, from what I can see from the video, running the discharge tube through the interior may just require the rear seat to be modified (or delete it), assuming you have deleted the heater and running through the rear seat/trunk sheet metal webbing. The gearhead in me is always looking for efficiencies with any setup-weight distribution, heat issues, safety (please protect the cables when passing through sheet metal openings)..... Good luck on dyno day!!!!!!!!

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks! Another person commented that a small pickup - like an S10 - would be ideal for this sort of thing. I tend to agree. Certainly better than a sedan with a 105" wheelbase. But it's what I've got. As for the voltage drop question; I've run the numbers - it looks to be about 3 volts at 500 amps. We dropped 7 volts in total - so about half the drop was from battery sag, the other from cables. Heavier cables aren't really practical, and I cut maybe cut a couple of feet out of it still, that wouldn't make that much difference. Putting the e turbo in the bed of a small pickup would be the ticket to ride - good thought!

[@machineinmotion3028]

I enjoy your content man. This is awesome. I was wondering though if you thought about testing somehow mounting the electric motor directly to the drive train. Maybe you would have to use some gear reduction or such to make use of the electric motor efficiently. In order to compare results between driving a turbine or directly driving the drive train. I am assuming the math is there that you might see more efficiency directly driving the drive train, but am curious if that is what a real test would show.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Watch the dyno video (if you haven't seen it) - that puts it into perspective: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpuye4hmZ6t8fdk 1 hp = 746 watts; if you could directly drive the wheels with the electric motor (no transmission losses), you'd pick up 47 hp at the wheels at the most. Using that same 47 hp to drive the electric turbo, we picked up 147 hp - so three times more power (of course, more fuel is used to make that additional power, but overall it's still way ahead of the game). Another way to look at it is that we expended 35,000 watts to gain 109,662 watts (with the additional energy coming from the additional fuel we were able to burn). The real win, from an efficiency perspective, is you can get by with a smaller (more efficient) engine, and only use the electric turbo when needed. Same reason why OEMs are moving to smaller turbocharged engines - better gas mileage overall, yet still big engine power when needed. But this is even more efficient than a conventional turbo; the packs could be recharged through regenerative braking like a "conventional" hybrid.

[@mrgreenswelding2853]

2 speed power glide is the great drag racers use.

[@MatthewMenze]

You mention the restriction of the electric turbo. I was wondering, is there a reason you don't use a vacuum actuated compressor bypass valve like many superchargers have? Does it cause some tuning headache or something?

[@AlexLTDLX]

Yeah - it's just not necessary on this car. Even sucking through the electric turbo (i.e. not running) it still makes about 470hp.

[@mbreinin]

You are a modern day Smokey Yunick, dude. This is going to make 8 psi at least. With the amount of air this moves, 9 second passes are in your future.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks Mike. I think we'll hit 9's certainly; will we beat the previous best of 9.83 @ 140? Dunno. I think eventually if this channel keeps growing, I'll have this thing in the 8s...

[@Rob94hawk]

It never occurred to me that you would get almost instantaneous boost and cooling with electric! Makes perfect sense! With regards to the graph at the end of the vid, will the capacitors have enough voltage for a full 1/4 mile run?

[@AlexLTDLX]

They're not capacitors they're lithium titanate oxide batteries. Capacitors have a linear voltage discharge, lto cells are pretty flat. But to answer your question, in theory you should be able to make 50 to 100 quarter mile passes before the batteries are drained but in reality it's probably about six or so until you start seeing a drop off in performance. That's just a guess right now.

[@craigreustle2192]

Now that you know the tires lose traction under these conditions what are you going to do about it? New tires? Start at higher speed? Ramp up the boost? I think your car would have lost traction even N/A here.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Put slicks on it and hit the dragstrip. Watch the beginning of this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGm2f6JtoNWWrtk

[@T-bird_Johnny]

Some of this is a little beyond my understanding but very very cool😎 amazing build dude 🤙

[@AlexLTDLX]

Awesome, thank you!

[@archive3do769]

Would there be a way to lighten the brake on an alternator, modify it, and use car rpm to drive the motor? Making it act more similar to a traditional turbo? I'm not exactly sure how this type of setup would even work, but just kinda thinking out loud and wondering what other alternatives you brain stormed. As I'm sure there's a good reason you settled on this battery pack system. Extremely interesting watching you make the current setup.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks. I've pretty much accepted that an alternator isn't going to work for direct power. We're running 60 volts and have so far pulled a max of 678 amps. Fully spooled on this engine, we'll be at 500-550 amps in all likelihood. Even with voltage sag, you're still looking at close to 30kW. An alternator running at 13.8 volts would need to put out about 2,200 amps to keep up. But it can certainly charge the packs when not in boost.

[@archive3do769]

@@AlexLTDLX ah yeah that makes sense. Only mentioned it because my alternator went bad on my car and started putting out insane voltages at 3k+ rpm. Wasn't sure how far you could mod one to squeeze large readings from them. I caught a fair amount of those numbers during your explanations in the videos, but got lost in the sauce. The results regarding temps and psi are insane. Didn't expect the air to be so lossless in this setup honestly, I knew they'd perform better than a normal manifold setup, but damn it's uncanny.

[@reed-young]

So many cables! I'm not a mechanic, so please forgive my ignorance, but I'm surprised it's so complicated. Conceptually, it seems to me that you want the current to the electric motor to be proportional to the throttle, so why can't you do something simpler, along the lines of taking your Megasquirt's throttle signal, splice it and send the second wire to an appropriately chosen op-amp whose output increases to the right level at your maximum RPM? Alternatively, a very bare bones computer could count RPMs and increase current to the electric motor when the time between revolutions gets shorter, and vice-versa. Or have you already simplified the wiring after getting all your measurements and tuning your electric turbo just right? I haven't watched many of your videos yet. Either way, brilliant idea! Like you say, this way there are no parasitic losses to a belt and no lag while you wait for a regular turbo to get enough exhaust gas.

[@AlexLTDLX]

You're on to what has become the next challenge - controlling it in as universal manner as possible. For OBD II cars, it's pretty straight forward - in most cases, I'll make the argument that you don't need a TPS signal, but a load (MAP) signal. But to make boost proportional, then yes, you'd have to include the TPS signal, particularly in lower-power applications. Even without a TPS signal, you could modulate the electric supercharger based on available traction, read from the car's ABS signal. You'd still need an RPM signal, at least to keep it from turning on at too low of an RPM, which would shove the torque through the roof and potentially cause engine damage. This is just the tip of the control iceberg - once you really start thinking about it, it runs very deep...

[@reed-young]

@@AlexLTDLX Cool! I look forward to seeing that, especially using ABS to modulate boost.

[@reed-young]

I'm just beginning to consider a less aggressive electric turbo and my first question is, why run separate batteries instead of a DC-DC transformer to step up the car's regular battery to whatever DC voltage your electric motor rquires? (That's 48V if I remember right, but if it's something else that should be possible for essentially whatever voltage you need, provided the battery's maximum output in Watts (W = V*I) is greater than what the electric motor spinning the turbo plus the ICE and its regular electrical components combined, require.) I would assume you tried that first because it would be so much simpler, so did it kill the car battery or what? With the additional batteries as shown in this video, are those wired to the alternator to keep them charged, or do you just have to replace them often, or what?

[@TurboHEMI_426]

It would be dope to see some regen! Thought about it?

[@AlexLTDLX]

Well, the control box does have a charger built into it - so you can recharge it while driving or actually, (since the 12 volt battery is a 100aH LiFePo4) you can recharge it from the car's battery a few times after quarter mile passes before it won't have enough juice to start the car.

[@MrPizzaman09]

I'm assuming you have a set of stickier tires than that. Though I guess at a certain power level, it just doesn't matter. The world of 200 tread wear tires is pretty nuts these days with everyone trying to make the fastest track day tire and autocross tire while still being considered a "street tire". I personally run the Falken RT660's since they are cheap and at the top in terms of performance.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Yes. I run Hoosier 26x8.5 stiff sidewall "outlaw" slicks at the track. It hooks hard enough to pull the front wheels (low 1.4x 60' times); at least with the Whipple I had on it before. At the beginning of this video are a bunch of timeslips and a race at a dragstrip against a crotch rocket (this was with the Whipple): kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGm2f6JtoNWWrtk A wise man once said, "Racing on street tires is like wiping your a$$ with a turd." I agree. These are just my street tires. I put far more miles on slicks. Though to get the epic burnout at the beginning of this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4CvZISvmN-nabs, I destroyed my last set of slicks. Got to get new ones before the next track outing.

[@vrm86gt]

looking forward to the dyno results!

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks - you and me both!

[@vrm86gt]

@@AlexLTDLX Alex, you have taken these electric turbo / super chargers to another level! Kudo's!

[@abundantharmony]

A glimpse into the future is what this is.

[@AlexLTDLX]

I tend to agree with you. Especially as the technology gets more mature, compact and affordable.

[@abundantharmony]

​@@AlexLTDLX Potentially limitless boost on super tap. A wonderful marriage of brushless electric, and combustion. This is just the beginning.

[@boostedbiker3878]

Since I've seen your first video I can't help but to think, can I fit something similar on my Hayabusa and fatboy 🤔

[@AlexLTDLX]

Depending on your hp goals, it actually shouldn't be difficult. You won't have long cables, and could probably use a much more compact unit.

[@MrLunithy]

I'm thinking ride on lawn mower........ you know for the harder sections 🤠

[@zqzj]

Small engines (lower CFM intake) benefit a lot more from electric powered boost. You should give it a go.

[@TheFARM2019]

Ooo you coming to the texas mile in beeville… youll be pretty close to my neck of the woods… altho down here we dont have woods, its more brush

[@AlexLTDLX]

Lol. I just hired somebody to start clearing brush out.

[@MrLunithy]

Nice holding it with that axle tramp and great to see it working👍.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks 👍

[@scottc78]

That's some scary torque on those street tires! Once you're on a prepped track, slicks, dialed in from the dyno, it's gonna be bye-bye Tesla Plaid. There can only be one electric king ;)

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks for watching and commenting. I don't know if we'll hit 9.2's in the quarter - but I'm pretty confident we'll get solid 9's. But maybe if we compound two of these; or even this one and the smaller unit...

[@scottc78]

@@AlexLTDLX I like that you have plenty of future options even while you're still working on this setup. Anything in the 9s is already ridiculous.

[@gymratt88]

you flipped that switch on the control panel and I expected to see "NOV 05 1955"

[@AlexLTDLX]

lol

[@JayRussellDuramax]

The fact that you have to explain why a 2-speed PowerGlide transmission isn't awful makes me very sad... It's a shame how all of these vehicles with umpteen speed transmissions have caused everyone to think that fewer gears is just bad in every way. I bet that PowerGlide is TINY and LIGHT compared to transmissions with more speeds - and I bet it can hold WAY more power! Also, would it be of any benefit to try to program the ESC to keep a bit of motor speed at all times so the supercharger doesn't cause an intake restriction? It would be neat if you could modulate the motor RPM based on the MAF sensor so that the output of the supercharger matches the MAF.

[@AlexLTDLX]

I hear you about the glide. As for the e turbo, you could have it run a little bit so it's normally not a restriction, but it doesn't bother me. At most it costs about 30hp, and on a 500hp engine, that's not really noticeable - certainly no effect on just regular driving. If you you full power, you've always got the "go" button!

[@JayRussellDuramax]

@@AlexLTDLX Ok. Cool! I was mainly curious about it from a fuel economy standpoint. Since this doesn't pull any power from the crank - unless you use the alternator to recharge the batteries - it would be neat to see what kind of fuel mileage you could get out of the setup. Regardless, I'm excited for the dyno video! Keep up the great work!

[@jamesamalfi9303]

You may be on the right track with yours your ideas about efficiency , Modern turbochargers are much more efficient than the terrible charges of even 5 years ago you've got turbos that 10 years ago made 500 horsepower now can make over a 1000 easily, but don't think that will ever be a heat sink just because it's not hooked to anything and not spinning all the time doesn't mean adiebatic heating doesn't occur when you compress air that's just what happens you can't get away from the laws of thermodynamics once you start making real boost with that thing you are gonna need to intercool this system

[@AlexLTDLX]

That's true about compressing air causes heat. But since the volute, discharge tube and even the intake are relatively cool, they all work to cool the intake charge. Heck, the old "bag of ice" on the intake trick would work well - a bag of ice on the volute would probably work better; simply because it would also close up the gap between the impeller and the volute just a hair. But it's nowhere close to the amount of heat the Whipple used to put into the system - that would melt 10-15 lbs of ice in a single pass!

[@lorriecarrel9962]

5:47 damn boi,that looks soooo fun

[@mikellewis2346]

If u can get the boost to ramp up slower or get really sticky street/strip tires, this is gonna be fast as shit. In all tho your learning an teaching other's there can be big power made this way. Keep up the great videos man and I can't wait for the next video!! 🙌

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks! With the slicks, we should be able to use all the power and leave super hard. Watch the beginning of this video - back when the car had a Whipple on it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGm2f6JtoNWWrtk

[@modelnutty6503]

a) econo-rails scream with a 2 speed auto. no biggie there, but that tail kickout another story!

[@codyritter581]

I know at the very end of your video you touch on capacitors and how the discharge isn't Superior to lithium's. But in a hypothetic situation, if you were to add an ultra capacitor to your power grid what would be the specifications to be beneficial? #nobudget

[@AlexLTDLX]

If I'm understanding you correctly, the biggest challenge would be getting enough voltage capability while still having enough capacitance to make a difference. Supercaps are typically limited to 2.7 volts each; and to double voltage capability, capacitance gets halved.

[@gymprofessor329]

Don't really understand why you want the esc in the rear. Makes more sense electrically to have it near the motor?

[@AlexLTDLX]

That's what I thought when I started building these. This is actually third one (well, fourth if you count the one I built as an evac pump and we tried making boost with on a Harley). In all the previous incarnations, the ESC was by the motor. Virtually no ESC manufacturer recommends long power cables - and as it turns out, for good reason. The inductance in long power cables prevents electrical spikes from being absorbed by the batteries. The common solution is to put capacitor banks right by the ESC. But even that's not foolproof. Benjamin Vedder (the creator of VESC) has a great video on youtube - I don't have the link handy, but a search will turn it up - where he discusses that if the capacitors aren't right next to the power stage - like millimeters away - the capacitors' effectiveness dramatically diminishes. The inductance issue isn't an issue on the motor side - since the frequency to fire the motor coils is far higher than the cables' inductance would affect. Since long cables are necessary somewhere in order to install this thing in an actual car, long motor cables are preferred. A pickup truck with the electric turbo in the bed and a discharge going through the cabin to the engine would be optimal. The only issue with long motor cables that I've discovered is that motor startup (when BEMF is low) can be difficult without a sensor on the motor. So this motor is sensored. BTW, I've blown up 4 expensive ESCs to learn all this stuff empirically; look back at some of previous videos. Plenty of fires and explosions. The electrical power levels we're dealing with are huge.

[@fmsracing442]

Let us know if you're coming to the Texas Mile, it is less than 1 hour from my house.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Lol. At the end of this week I'm closing on a 10 acre property by the gulf in Texas - less than an hour from Beeville as well. I'm also planning on buying my own dyno. It might take a year or two to get everything squared away, but I plan to start moving down by the end of the summer, at least partially.

[@imestia7911]

Hey if you use a potentiometer to make the p Turbo smoother and it drive better you should try to run on a track for a good 10mm see if everything hold well

[@AlexLTDLX]

I'll be taking it to the dragstrip - the car should be able to put the power down with slicks. Hoping to get into the 9's. It ran 9's with the Whipple: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGm2f6JtoNWWrtk

[@curvs4me]

Loving it! Go go go. Alex you're doing incredible work.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thank you Kurt. Thanks for taking the time to comment too.

[@colestowing8695]

couple questions...1-with the current battery setup, do you think you'll need to charge after every hit, or could you get several runs out of it(and if so, how many-ish), 2-how long does it take to charge and how do you accomplish that?

[@colestowing8695]

Just had another thought/question...is there a way you could have it as an option to charge itself off the cars charging system?

[@sonnenklang6925]

That calls for an electric exhaust turbine charger or breakenergy generator ;)

[@mark120371]

Yes there is a way to charge it off the cars electrical system. Alex may go into more detail.

[@AlexLTDLX]

No, you don't need to charge it after every hit. In theory, there's enough battery capacity to make about fifty 10 second passes. However, in practical use, you'd likely start to see a drop off after the first 6 or so passes. You need excess battery capacity to prevent the voltage from sagging too low under load. And as Mark mentioned, there is a charger built into the control box. I go into it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGjKnYt-jph0mKs It's pretty slow to charge, due to it only charging at 4 amps (yet a 30 amp draw from the car's electrical system due to the voltage step up required). But you could top off between hits - that would only take about 5 minutes or so. If you were to build a high-power charger, the batteries could be fully charged from being fully dead in about 15 minutes. But that would be pretty expensive to make. You'd need to charge at about 270 amps - the batteries could take it, but you'd be pulling about 140 amps from a 120 volt source. Or about 70 from a 240 volt source.

[@colestowing8695]

@@AlexLTDLX awesome, thx for clarifying. I was just kind of thinking thru a "street" use setup, you answered the stuff i was wondering👍. I guess the only drawback would be the costs (at least for now-prices of tech always come down over time). Very intriguing stuff though

[@hydrocarbon82]

That's it? You're only able to blow the tires off rolling into boost at 70+ mph? Weak! /sarcasm Great work so far. At this point I think it's a wee bit more complicated that a turbo, but this is still unknown waters you're treading in. Love all the data & background you always give in your vids.

[@AlexLTDLX]

lol. Thanks.

[@stevemacdonell5433]

Do you think this could be set up on a daily driver?

[@AlexLTDLX]

Yes

[@stevemacdonell5433]

@@AlexLTDLX Goosebumps 😁

[@stevemacdonell5433]

Will you be selling the sledgehammer

[@AlexLTDLX]

It's probably not cost effective. I'm working on a more cost effective unit - it's the P2 based unit I have videos on.

[@stevemacdonell5433]

@@AlexLTDLX Thank you for taking the time to reply. If you do start selling them, myself and friends from work are very interested!!!

[@chadl5532]

Great job

[@emersenandreasen8457]

How much for sledgehammer electric turbo kit pls ?? Thanks Glen

[@AlexLTDLX]

It's a DIY setup. Visit www.electrifiedboost.com is you're interested in building your own.

[@coatingsplatingsjas1powder557]

You are awesome and this is all the way from Jamaica its like 10 of us watching your videos i see water running from some mouths 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@AlexLTDLX]

I think that's wonderful - thanks. But can you give me a killer recipe for jerk chicken? I've been searching for a great jerk recipe, and the best I can find is either Margaritaville Jammin' Jerk Shrimp or when my friend from Montserrat makes it from scratch... and he won't share specifics :)

[@williamzoom]

Only someone who has never used a glide would talk shit about one!

[@derekmaxwell8164]

That actually the opposite of the truth. Most people that had one remember how sluggish they were behind 200hp or less engines lol

[@AlexLTDLX]

Truth.

[@williamzoom]

@@derekmaxwell8164 Because it's pretty obvious Alex's car is completely stock and never raced! No one was talking about grand pops 64 Impala!

[@wesleydeer889]

You're killing me. It's been 12 days????

[@AlexLTDLX]

I know - it's killing me too. Ray is tied up with a couple of problem cars. That's literally the only holdup.

[@drewmurray2583]

This thing demonstrates the advantages of boost without parasitic losses which is the principal behind my idea to use a small turbine/jet engine to power the compressor. Lithium batteries suck and have a very limited energy density compared to say, diesel fuel. Imagine how much more boost you could produce with that kind of energy! I got this idea after building a homemade jet engine with a turbo and later building many forced induction setups for cars. I want to find someone to work on this idea with me and produce a compact lightweight turbine supercharger device that produces continuous boost pressure, exhaust scavenging, and generates power for all the accessories! Think about aircraft APUs, those mini jet engines for RC hobby stuff...

[@AlexLTDLX]

True, and that is a good point. The advantage this has is frankly just fewer moving parts, it's smaller and easier to package.

[@drewmurray2583]

@@AlexLTDLX But can you make any more than 5psi? how about 25psi feeding a 2000hp drag car? I want that and I think a turbine can do it!

[@AlexLTDLX]

Yes. I don't know how much this will make at max hp engine rpm and e turbo on full "chooch" - but we'll find out on the dyno. Most likely on the transbrake we'll see around 9-10 psi and at peak hp 7-8 psi. Which is the same as seeing 16 psi from the Whipple on the brake and 14 psi (at least) at peak engine hp; due to increased efficiency and no drive losses. If you wanted more boost, you could always compound two of these things together. But as you say, a turbine might be able to get there too. More experimentation to come...

[@dgpgarage9291]

First toss those street performance tires and get street legal slicks, second the tires broke free cuz your testing a drag car at full throttle into a corner. Third when you compress air you make heat, no matter what. I’m wondering if that compressor isn’t in its sweet spot yet and that’s why not a lot of heat. Really need to see it on the dyno to get a better idea and Atleast 5-8 seconds of boost

[@AlexLTDLX]

The part where I hit it is perfectly straight. I'm not dumb enough to do this in a turn, especially with Bogarts on the front. At the track, I run Hoosier 26x8.5 stiff sidewall outlaw slicks. The last pair we destroyed doing the epic burnout at the start of the video (watch the beginning and the the very end - the piles of rubber burst into flames): kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4CvZISvmN-nabs In fact, that was drag testing version 1 of the e turbo - less than half the power of this one. And that one broke the slicks loose at the top of low gear. As for the IATs, on a dragstrip, all aftercoolers function as heatsinks - there's simply not enough time to reach thermal equilibrium. The Whipple I had on the car before this would melt 10-15 lbs of ice in a single pass. Here, there's no heat in the e turbo. And given it's in the path of airflow all the time, it tends to stay fairly cool. I think we'll probably see a similar pattern on the dyno and on the dragstrip - a dip in IATs, followed by a rise. But most likely it won't get too far above ambient; probably not enough to have to pull timing. Here's the car at the track with the Whipple - which was the third forced induction setup I built for the thing over the years (a pass and timeslips are at the beginning): kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGm2f6JtoNWWrtk

[@johnparrish9215]

If I had built this and were to test it, I would have mounted all the electronics in the bed of a pickup truck. In my experience, there is always fire and blackened fingers. I may need more training...lol

[@AlexLTDLX]

That would make things easier. But I've had the LTD since college, so... But who knows, maybe down the road I'll switch over to one.

[@TheSocialPraxis]

If manufacturers would pull their heads out their arse and get with the times. This would be so amazing in my Ecoboost. Take a look at my homemade active aero setup bud. Serious question, would this electric turbo change fuel economy? I imagine it would for the better 🤔? Cheers...

[@derekmaxwell8164]

More air = more fuel thats why when turboing and engine for economy you make the engine smaller then boost it to same power.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks for the comment. Derek hit the nail on the head - much more concisely than I could.

[@Goldenhordemilo]

maby a jetboat application

[@Ruxean]

What car is that?

[@AlexLTDLX]

Ford LTD LX - basically the same chassis as a fox body mustang but with a 5" longer wheelbase and four doors.

[@Sympatiko85]

Go! Alex

[@buggerlugz6753]

Could do with a LSD?

[@AlexLTDLX]

Has one. In fact it was rebuilt not that many miles ago. I stuck in an extra friction on each side and they're made of carbon. It's just too much power to harness on the street. But I'm building this to see how much power can reasonably made with available technology. We're going to dyno it and then put slicks back on it take it to the drag strip. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment.

[@Pitman556]

Thomas Knight was right

[@joels7605]

Next job: Scotchgard your passenger seat. You know why.

[@AlexLTDLX]

Lol

[@chaze1385]

Bmw OE battery cables! Cheap, in every junkyard on the planet. All the amps you could ever want .

[@AlexLTDLX]

You're the second person to mention that. I should look into those. Thanks.

[@imlurkn5291]

Very badass

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thank you.

[@johnrobert6821]

Master mind💯👍

[@Go4BrokeOffroad]

awesome!

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks!

[@lorisklaws9612]

this video doesn't even have 1000 likes, wtf?

[@AlexLTDLX]

I know, right?

[@TK-eg7eg]

I love the car but put some 275 et streets on it!!!!!

[@AlexLTDLX]

Thanks. I run Hoosier 26x8.5 stiff sidewall outlaw slicks on it at the track. Here's a look at a 9 second pass and a whole bunch of timeslips at the beginning of the video (this was when the Whipple was still on it): kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGm2f6JtoNWWrtk

[@grantstemmet606]

Wow

[@johnnydanger57]

Duracell.... eat your heart out!

[@AlexLTDLX]

lol

[@millhouse12]

She chooches !

[@AlexLTDLX]

Indeed. Chooch, she does. I subscribe to him too.

[@DANTHETUBEMAN]

Some one looked at a hair dryer and though 💬🤔, hummmm

[@streamlobby2341]

first lets go

[@AlexLTDLX]

Lol. You win! Seriously, thanks for watching and subscribing - people like you make this possible.

[@daveriddlelin9327]

Bet youd go faster if sent all that power to a tesla motor to wheels

[@AlexLTDLX]

You'd see about 4.5 times LESS gain. Watts and Hp are directly relatable. The Sledgehammer draws 35,000 watts when running - which mean the motor on the Sledgehammer is in the 45 hp region. We picked up 205 hp at the wheels with the Sledgehammer. If the Sledgehammer's motor was connected directly to the wheels (not even taking into account driveline loss), we would've only seen at 45 hp gain. He's the dyno video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGrHZqusbq6Bo9k

[@jamesamalfi9303]

Oh and to address the why wouldn't you want to be in boost for 2 or 3 minutes you're losing traction instantly has nothing to do with the amount of power you're making it has everything to do with how incredibly poor suspension design is on that 40 year old vehicle Not to mention the lack of proper proper rubber in the rear I mean if you don't wanna go wrinkle wall slicks then at least put drag radios on it and get rid of those seventeens for a set of 15 if this is a drag car you don't need huge brakes especially rear brakes And once you hit 9 and a 1/2 seconds and 150 plus you're gonna have to start packing a sheet anyway

[@AlexLTDLX]

This is a fox body - arguably the greatest platform ever made for straight line traction. The brakes may suck, it might not handle that great (though it's not bad) but in a straight line, it's tough to beat a fox. And there's almost no stock suspension pieces under the car anyway - the front has a chromoly tubular k member, Strange 10 way adjustable struts, springs, etc. The rear features a GT rear end, Megabite rear lower control arms (bottom hole), springs, shocks, an airbag, etc. It's gone a best of 1.41 60' running high 9's on the previous Whipple setup; it pulls the fronts even on tiny 26x8.5 Hoosier still sidewall outlaw slicks. Watch the beginning of this video - there's a bunch of timeslips, a pic of a small wheelstand, and a launch on a 140 mph, 9 second pass (unfortunately with some spin, but still a hard leave): kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGm2f6JtoNWWrtk

[@davelowe1977]

Mister, your tyres are too small *proceeds to talk in acronyms for 18 minutes*