Guru
Joined: 15/07/2006
Location: AustraliaPosts: 676
| Posted: 02:51pm 07 Sep 2013 |
powerednut.
'Sulphation' is only an isuue with lead acid batteries. The lead suphate solidifies on the lead plates and then that part of the plate does not take charge anymore. On lead batteries, yes I have seen them work, but they will not keep a battery forever.
M Del.
you are absolutely correct that heat would have contributed. There are a number of factors in my opinion could have contributed. I have outlined many somewhere in the EV Hilux threads. But heat, as you say, is the reason I have changed the box to aluminium.
Running the generator should be fine with an alloy box to allow the heat out. There is very little heat generated, but with the fibreglass (esky like) box there was no escape. I did consider cutting some fans into the fibreglass box but then had to have a way to seal the holes up when driving in the mud and rain. It could have been done, just never did it.
I do think the generator power needs to go to the batteries. When accelerating you will use more than the generator output. On the trip to EV show was up to 500A, (now with EVNetics Soliton 1 controller, currently set at 600A but could be up to 1000A). In my case driving to the EV show I also used more than the generator quite often when cruising too. Discharging the batteries, heat generated, and then charging batteries, heat is generated. When driving at the same rate of generated power, I saw no heat increase.
House system. Several options.
Grid connected system is solar to grid inverter to the grid. House is connected to the grid. When solar is producing your house uses it before going to the grid. Excess goes to the grid. If the grid goes down, your grid inverter also shuts down too. No power to your house.
Solar to batteries through regulator, then batteries to standalone inverter to your house. Changeover switch, between grid and standalone inverter allows grid use if batteries are down. If grid goes down, the standalone inverter still runs your house when changeover switch is in inverter postion. Batteries to grid inverter to feed excess power to the grid. Only one grid inverter I know of that can run from batteries (Latronics).
Another system I have not had anything to do with. There are solar panels with micro grid inverters built in. These are designed to connect direct to the grid. This is just grid connected solar.
Solar panels with micro grid inverters can be fed directly to the load (house), but instead of the grid switching them on, as a standalone system, they require a standalone inverter output to get them to switch on. This way it CANNOT be connected to the grid, there has to be a changeover switch. The standalone inverter does not have anti-islanding (switch off when grid is turned off for maintenace) nor does standalone inverters align with grid wave form (they fry -smoke out). Standard battery chargers (240vac input, which run from the ac coupled solar) are used to charge batteries for the standalone inverter use. The system can have less batteries, but power produced and not used is lost, and less storage for overnight or bad weather use. To feed excess power to the grid you still need a grid inverter to run from the batteries.
Trev @ drivebynature.com