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| Thread ID: 63679 | 2005-11-19 06:26:00 | Power Generator For Computer | The_End_Of_Reality (334) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 405800 | 2005-11-20 02:06:00 | I am running four wind generators that drive 24 volt dc generators . . that's right . . generators from old Kenworth semi truck engines . Generators are the best as they are self-exciting and don't need 24 volts to excite the field like an alternator, which will have to come from the batteries first . If you go totally dead, then the chances of getting back online with alternators is nill . . . they gotta have excitement (don't we all?) . Generators have enough residual magnetism to self-excite and get back online very easily with no consumption of power . Alternators require too much logistical support and are rather unhappy in the environment of rain and dirt . Generators just keep on truckin' . I made my own wind turbines; they are designed to not be direction sensitive and work with winds from any of 360 degrees . I could probably get a little more efficiency if I had the NACA numbers of some really good airfoils . . . . but these work and I designed them . . . so there! Simple things like regulators are very easy to come by for old diesel rigs, and the wiring is very simple . I do not use solar panels, as I have a prevailing wind of about 6 mph during the day . I find that solar is (although) good, not cheap enough and prone to 15% to 30% loss the first year in declined efficiency . The best solar cells cost many $$$'s and they are (again) not cheap and I don't think they pencil out after cost/benefits are examined, besides, they stop working when the sun goes down and wind in my area is pretty constant . The other effect of solar is that unless you get the self-training panels (more $$$'s), then the obtuse angles of sunshine after zenith cause lessened power generation too . Max photon impingement on the panels is in angular values of about + or - 10 degrees from vertical toward the sun . Less than that and the power developed drops in a non-linear extrapolation . Changing the 24 volts to 120 (US standards) involves a loss of about 22% of the available current thru heat/hysteresis losses in the inverter to AC . I use deep-cycle batteries in 6 volt configurations to solve the "one cell killed the whole battery" scene . Losing one cell in three is a lot cheaper than losing one cell in six . The more batteries, the better, although I have to get them in lots of 4, as that works out mathematically for the primary (low) voltage side of my system . Gellcells are not indicated here . . . they are too expensive and prone to just dying without any warning . Lead/acid is the best configuration; the calcium style (modern, non-service type in modern cars and trucks) will not recover from deep discharge well and are subject to their own form of BSOD . This set-up is in Arizona, and state and federal grants made it very easy to finance . . . we even get money back from the local electrical distributor if we go negative on their network and actually put energy back into the field for them to use . So far I have only had a power grid charge of about $11 . 00 in the last year for using their current . The rest is credited to me for sending them electricity . I run a water well pump and lighting as well as a small shop on the power bank I have set up . I also have emergency generators for times when there's a problem or local disaster or have to run some high amps device like an arc welder . As far as using the power for a puter . . it has to be very clean; by that I mean no transient spikes and noise on the line . Scrubbing power from your system will involve a purifier of some sort, and as I have not gotten that far yet on my system in Arizona, I am still forming opinions as to what I need to do . Every time something goes on or off, there is a spike generated that flows both ways on the line and could be a problem for the psu in your puter . Perhaps an isolation transformer will be the answer for the household and the computer . I am sure there are others with successful power generating units that will offer feedback here on this site, and I suggest we both wait for other input . -- I'll get better when the pills start working . |
SurferJoe46 (51) | ||
| 405801 | 2005-11-20 04:28:00 | Thanks for all the feedback . :thumbs: I will look into your ideas . Last night lying on the couch watching TV I had another idea, what about making a water turbine or two and connecting it to the hose (a lot of watering around here) or something and store the generated power . :confused: Although it doesn't need to be running off this all the time . It was just an idea to save on the power bills :D Thanks |
The_End_Of_Reality (334) | ||
| 405802 | 2005-11-20 07:46:00 | Thanks for all the feedback . :thumbs: I will look into your ideas . Last night lying on the couch watching TV I had another idea, what about making a water turbine or two and connecting it to the hose (a lot of watering around here) or something and store the generated power . :confused: Although it doesn't need to be running off this all the time . It was just an idea to save on the power bills :D Thanks Sounds like a perpetual motion machine to me . . . let me know if you get the bugs out . . . as we can then own the world! The actual waterwheel idea works for power generation if you are getting free flow from waves or a river or a giant dam . . . like the Coolie Dam or some such structure . . anything less will of course be less and not really generate much (if any) power at all . Just remember the adage: you don't get sumpthin' fer nothin' |
SurferJoe46 (51) | ||
| 405803 | 2005-11-20 21:51:00 | I made my own wind turbines; they are designed to not be direction sensitive and work with winds from any of 360 degrees. I could probably get a little more efficiency if I had the NACA numbers of some really good airfoils....but these work and I designed them...so there! Joe, could we see a photo of your turbines? Thanks. |
Strommer (42) | ||
| 405804 | 2005-11-20 21:53:00 | I'm not in Arizona right now, but I can scan the original drawing I made and send them here in a link a little later on this week...OK? | SurferJoe46 (51) | ||
| 405805 | 2005-11-20 22:20:00 | I'm not in Arizona right now, but I can scan the original drawing I made and send them here in a link a little later on this week...OK? Thanks, or when you get back home do a photo then. |
Strommer (42) | ||
| 405806 | 2005-11-20 22:27:00 | In a book containing "old technology" I once saw an advertisement for various small water turbines. One was to drive a sewing machine, and I think another one had a generator. They should work well. I measured the pressure when I bought my house. It was over 120 psi. One problem is that your council might object to your using the (expensively) electrically pumped high pressure water to be used to generate electricity for you. The overall efficiency would be low. Their displeasure might be expressed in the form of a bill. Is your water metered? |
Graham L (2) | ||
| 405807 | 2005-11-20 22:27:00 | lol@ generating power from your hose hahaha.........hopefully it'll be a fire hose or some similar high power output ?..........imagine it this way........the amount of power you are going to get from that must be LESS than the amount of power needed to supply the amount of pressure you get from the hose. | drcspy (146) | ||
| 405808 | 2005-11-21 03:34:00 | Is your water metered? No it isn't lol@ generating power from your hose hahaha It was just an idea. Although I am starting to think that generating my own power will be a little to hard at the moment. But I would still like to hear your ideas. Thanks |
The_End_Of_Reality (334) | ||
| 405809 | 2005-11-21 05:03:00 | This is where living next to a creek would be great | bob_doe_nz (92) | ||
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