Okay, that makes sense to me. Although I'm now confused--when I do the math myself based on the car's tires or plug the tire diameter and both gear ratios into an online gear ratio calculator (example) I get well over 5000rpm at 50mph and like 7000rpm at 65, which sounds really high to me and not at all what the engine sounds like to my untrained ear. Is there something else I'm not understanding?
I now see the error of my ways on the heat pump assumption. Thanks for the carswithplugs article that had a lot more explanation than the generic service bulletin.
Figure 11 (shown below) from the seminal 2013 i-MMD paper shows the traction motor recharging the battery in Engine Drive mode. There's no clutch between the engine and the starter motor/generator, so it can't be mechanically decoupled. The figure mysteriously shows "Zero torque" for the starter motor/generator in Engine Drive mode. It must mean that the starter motor/generator is electrically disconnected. I still wonder why there isn't a segment in Figure 11 showing when both the engine and traction motor combine to power the Clarity. Perhaps that's because that never happened in the 2013 Accord Hybrid about which this paper was written.
Unless I’m mistaken, isn’t that what’s happening in the two segments labeled Hybrid drive (Charge) and Hybrid drive (Assist)? Engine runs generator to give traction motor more power than battery alone can provide and traction motor drives wheels with the increased power. So both engine and traction motor are powering wheels at the same time. It’s just that the engine is powering the wheels indirectly. Engine only mechanically powers wheels at higher speeds and then it’s the sole source of wheel power (while also recharging HV battery). Have I got that right?
In the two Hybrid Drive segments, the engine is powering the starter motor/generator. Only when the Engine Drive clutch is engaged can the engine be powering the wheels. And in the figure's only segment depicting Engine Drive mode, the traction motor is generating power to recharge the battery.
Maybe it’s a question of semantics. I think the engine IS powering the wheels (just not mechanically) along with the traction motor because it’s using the starter motor/generator to provide more power to the traction motor than the battery alone.
Honda claims the Clarity produces 212 hp. They also say the traction motor produces 121 hp on battery power alone and 181 hp when powered by both the battery and the engine-powered starter motor/generator. The only way to get to 212 hp is to have the clutch combining the power of the engine and the traction motor. If the engine is powering both the wheels and the generator, it can't be sending its full 103 hp to the wheels, which would explain why the Clarity can't produce 181 + 103 hp. How wimpy is the traction motor in the upcoming Insight if the Clarity's engine and that motor combine for only 151 hp?
Except that didn’t one of the Service Bulletins that AnthonyW provided say that when its mechanically clutched to the wheels that the traction motor is not used?
In another thread I started, I asked how the Clarity could possibly produce 212 hp when Figure 11 showed that in Engine Drive mode the traction motor is generating electricity to recharge the battery. Another figure in that paper shows engine load vs road load. It implies that the two power sources do work together in some circumstances that are not depicted in Figure 11. The Service Bulletin appears to side with Figure 11, but doesn't explain how 212 hp is possible.
Makes me long for my ‘46 Jeep with its “Go-Devil” flathead 4 engine, 3 speed manual transmission, mechanical clutch, and not a semi-conductor anywhere
@AnthonyW : What is the cost to activate a subscription for short durations? While the information is valuable to all of us, I suspect in the subscription agreement is wording prohibiting the public sharing and therefore, @Dominic will not be inclined to sticky these to the top of the forum.
Here is the link to where you sign up for this. $10/day, $50/30 days, $350/365 days. (More $ for better search options, thanks AnthonyW) https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/logon.aspx
If you are looking for something very specific such as a particular DTC code, the $10.00 option will do fine. If you want to do research and browsing, then definitely go with the $20 options. Much more organization and better search tools.
We drive with ECON on, Sport off, and HV off 100% of the time around town. To me that is the equivalent of EV. We can drive for weeks or even months without using more than a smidgen of gas. I'm pretty happy with the ability to drive in EV that way pretty much all the time.