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Hybrid electric/"stealth" snowmobiles

Interesting article from a McGill team that designed and built a hybrid snow mobile.

Link

Development of a 1
st Generation Series Hybrid Snowmobile
Simon Ouellette, Albert Mathews, Olivier Proulx, Jeff Turner
McGill University
Copyright © 2007 SAE International
ABSTRACT
The McGill University Electric Snowmobile Team, returns
to the Society of Automotive Engineers Clean
Snowmobile Challenge (SAE CSC) in 2007 with a
revised electric snowmobile prototype and an all new
hybrid prototype. This paper covers the design and
development of the hybrid snowmobile prototype.
This completely new design uses the team's experience
in the electric snowmobile domain to assemble a
snowmobile which can have all the advantages of
electric drive systems while at the same time not being
too limited by the battery's energy density. The goals for
this initial design were to make a simple and reliable
prototype which can serve as a baseline for further
refinement of the hybrid concept in the future.
This design paper covers the challenges of hybrid
snowmobile design as well as the possible advantages
of such a vehicle. The design decisions made by the
team in the conception of this 1
st generation prototype
are reviewed and, when available, preliminary results are
given .

It is my understanding that the military is moving away from gasoline powered vehicles and moving towards a common fuel (JP-8?).

 
Kirkhill said:
It is my understanding that the military is moving away from gasoline powered vehicles and moving towards a common fuel (JP-8?).

Oh Well Then......that should solve all kinds of problems with attaining fuel in a remote village.....or just about anywhere snowmobiles can be ridden.....everyone has JP8, but gasoline....not so much..... :sarcasm:
 
Interesting point.

Does that suggest that our DOMOPS fleet requires a different fuel profile than our Expeditionary fleet?  Overseas the most commonly available fuel will be whatever the US provides - and I understand that to be JP-8 or possibly some algal green biodiesel hybrid stuff.

Meanwhile, back here at home, gasoline and diesel are readily available.  And the commercial engines are cheaper than the military ones - as well as having a broad range of suppliers of "In Service Support".
 
Kirkhill said:
Interesting point.

Does that suggest that our DOMOPS fleet requires a different fuel profile than our Expeditionary fleet?  Overseas the most commonly available fuel will be whatever the US provides - and I understand that to be JP-8 or possibly some algal green biodiesel hybrid stuff.

Meanwhile, back here at home, gasoline and diesel are readily available.  And the commercial engines are cheaper than the military ones - as well as having a broad range of suppliers of "In Service Support".

JP-8 is used in CF aircraft and the US is moving to a all JP-8 fuel for their vehicles.  Interestingly JP-8 is chemically very similar to kerosene.  Not being an engine guy wouldn't anything that can burn kerosene as a fuel can burn JP-8, that includes diesel engines.  What does change is wear and corrosion on certain engine parts, and that might require a flex fuel type engine.  Nothing you can't buy readily civi side for many things.
 
A few years ago the power plants diesel generators at CFS Alert were converted to JP8.  One fuel for all applications make life much more easier.
 
Often the change is in the fuel pumps and injectors. The lubrication factor of the fuel for internal parts comes into play as does the ignition point of the fuel which can also require changing the timing of the engine. Gasoline motors really don't do well on kerosene, Jet A or JP-8. Never tried Jet-B but if you have a buddy and his car to lend me I would get him to try it.
 
Colin P said:
Often the change is in the fuel pumps and injectors. The lubrication factor of the fuel for internal parts comes into play as does the ignition point of the fuel which can also require changing the timing of the engine. Gasoline motors really don't do well on kerosene, Jet A or JP-8. Never tried Jet-B but if you have a buddy and his car to lend me I would get him to try it.
I mixed some gas with kerosene to put on a Renault Estafette http://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=Vtrnw9IY2VS7VM&tbnid=pwYzwxxUVbrcKM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommons.wikimedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3ARenault_Estafette_001.jpg&ei=EFQWUvnaDuqP2gXy_YHACw&bvm=bv.51156542,d.aWM&psig=AFQjCNEuS-zH43-B-vi6pZaA5rpDyr3Arg&ust=1377281390582341  in order to get me to the beach (in Panama) and it ran quite smoothly - a bit smoky though...
 
GAP said:
Oh Well Then......that should solve all kinds of problems with attaining fuel in a remote village.....or just about anywhere snowmobiles can be ridden.....everyone has JP8, but gasoline....not so much..... :sarcasm:

GAP, JP-8 is wide-cut kero and pretty darn close to Arctic Grade A diesel, which is the most plentiful fuel up North.  ;)

ME Gas is a lot rarer, by volume/quantity stored.


Cheers
G2G
 
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