BMW patents an electric turbocharger

BMW electric turbocharger patent / F30Post.com

The end of turbo lag?

After months of speculation, BMW has reportedly patented an electronic turbocharger.

The specifics are somewhat technical, but the system uses an electric motor and a series of clutches to minimize turbo lag. When the driver steps on the accelerator, the electric motor spools up the turbo to optimize performance. Once the electric motor is no longer needed, it acts like an alternator to recharge its battery. More interestingly, when this occurs, the motor prevents the turbo from spinning too fast which eliminates the need for a traditional wastegate.

It remains unclear when BMW will introduce the technology, but rumors have suggested an electric turbo was under consideration for the next-generation M3.

Source: F30Post

Add a Comment

Comments (17)

newest first oldest first

Subscribe to comments

radmeister

Sounds problematic, maybe an electric supercharger that also replaces the alternator, but having a super high rpm motor that is also small and that close to red hot components sounds like a maintenance disaster.

November 2, 2011 5:00 pm

report abuse | reply

vovaUA

I'm sure they tested the product under extreme conditions. Plus which company is interested in a recal and bunch of meitenance expense under the warranty. Wow instant power want to test drive it.

November 2, 2011 5:05 pm

report abuse | reply

1 reply

Mister Stig

LOL, many cars theses days have expensive recalls - many are not widely reported and done at a service. Some cars have recall work done at PDI.......

November 2, 2011 11:11 pm

report abuse | reply

shaahinmt

another problem which u didn't think 'radmeister' is the fact that its not possible to slowdown the turbine on a turbo charger and not have crazy high pack pressure. this is very dangerous because with a high enough back pressure the exhaust asses go back to combustion chamber and th performance of the engine goes to garbage.

November 2, 2011 5:54 pm

report abuse | reply

3 replies

bone91

have you ever thought that the turbo might no be connected to the exhaust?? BMW engineers already knows what we are talking about' I'm sure when it comes out we will just say "It's so simple, why haven't we thought about that"

-1

November 5, 2011 4:00 pm

report abuse | reply

3 replies

shaahinmt

umm... where to start...So u might say "wow", i say over engineering. plz read some books or at least the Wikipedia learn about turbines and internal combustion engines then comment on something slightly technical. FYI, a turbocharger has 2 parts one is the turbine which is a just a sophisticated fan which gets work (rotation) from exhaust gasses, second is the compressor which is another fan but this one uses the work (rotation) of the turbine to rotate and via an integrated diffuser and centrifugal acceleration create pressure or "boost". so saying that "a turbo might no be connected to the exhaust" IS a stupid statement someone can make.

-1

November 5, 2011 4:33 pm

report abuse

bone91

ok now you proven yourself that you are so smart about turbocharge and i'm the one stupid. lets see. i read the article and given the thought that it is electric which you can now get the power from the electric motor and not the fan from the exhaust gas. I read too that they will eliminate the westgate which is a boost-controlling device that operates by limiting exhaust gases going through the turbocharger. i'm just thinking that it might not be a traditional turbocharge that you are thinking of.

November 6, 2011 9:05 pm

report abuse

Han Solo

I would prefer if they can somehow replace the conventional belt driven Alternator with an Alternator which runs on Exhaust Gas, add an Exhasut Gas Heat Recuperator and then use the Electrical Energy to run the Electric Supercharger and all the other accessories... I think that this would be more efficient than an Electric turbocharger...but then again, knowing BMW they must have thought about this ages ago...did some calculations and found out that it would end up being far too expensive to add an Exhasut Gas Heat Recuperator to the engine compartment. Just imagine all that Heat Energy being wasted just like that plus the losses in the Heat Exchangers...

-2

November 2, 2011 6:13 pm

report abuse | reply

sideskraper

I'm sure all these problems and more are facing the BMW engineers. What is important though is that they have a patent on the concept which allows them to invest significant money in to developing it to an end application which will be uniquely controlled by BMW.

-2

November 2, 2011 11:28 pm

report abuse | reply

progressive

Why should electric motor be a problem? It's probably a simple one.

November 3, 2011 6:10 am

report abuse | reply

3 replies

DBaskov

Electronics are anything but simple. That's one of the reason's why cars today are a lot more complicated to work on vs the classic cars in the old days when they were predominately mechanical. Mechanical parts has always been simple compared to electric, software etc issues.

November 3, 2011 8:54 am

report abuse | reply

1 reply

progressive

No man, electronics are problem, but only electric motor is not. I know that because I owned Peugeot :) That's why electric cars are simple, and easy to maintain.

-1

November 3, 2011 1:08 pm

report abuse

schizo

Electric motor + heat can be a problem. Plus to operate the electric motor there are sure to be electronics monitoring all the parameters needed to calculate when the "simple electric motor" should kick in. That can be a problem.

November 7, 2011 11:47 am

report abuse | reply

archytype

What are the efficiency savings because performance can't be much better than the hi-lo turbo charger in current production, which is amazing.

November 3, 2011 6:21 am

report abuse | reply

benz_man

There are already a few suppliers with electric turbos and superchargers. I guess BMW couldnt get what they wanted from any of them so theyre filing patents on their own.

November 4, 2011 1:47 am

report abuse | reply

LeonardoDomingues

I liked very much this idea :-)

November 4, 2011 2:45 am

report abuse | reply

EMBJATI85

i dont see the point when vgt turbos are fine to do have no lag are they replacing the steppermotor with the electric or is it controled by the ecm or what

November 4, 2011 7:59 am

report abuse | reply