ChasingBlueSky 0 #1 January 22, 2009 It's been talked about for a couple of years, but now we have a college doing a study on it. Basically you can mod your hybrid to flow the power out of the car and into the grid or your house. http://www.engadget.com/tag/v2g QuoteNewark, Delaware has become the first city in the US to test drive vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. Led by professor Willett Kempton, researchers at the University of Delaware are conducting experiments at two different outlets, using electric cars as energy storage to assuage local power fluctuations. When parked at home, Kempton says his ride's got enough juice to power 7 or 8 nearby homes for 30 minutes, should the need arise. Meanwhile, the city is doing its own assessments to make sure the cars don't energize downed lines. What we're really interested in is the potential for discounts from the electric company. Plugging in our clunker for a few dollars off monthly utilities? Yes, please._________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Belgian_Draft 0 #2 January 22, 2009 Sure, why not. As long as it is done properly and safely there is no reason it can't be a temporary solution in an emergency. My dad, the tinkerer he was, attached a hydraulic motor to drive a generator. When he needed power, all he had to do was attach the hydraulics to his ol' Farmall M tractor. Made the whole thing (except the tractor) from stuff others had tossed out.HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #3 January 22, 2009 So, What voltage are we talking about? 7 or 8 homes use 400 or 500 amps at 240. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Belgian_Draft 0 #4 January 22, 2009 QuoteSo, What voltage are we talking about? 7 or 8 homes use 400 or 500 amps at 240. Most homes I have seen have a 200 amp main breaker. Normal usage is far less than this. An emergancy power outage would lower the demand even more, down to mayb 10-30 amps @ 240 per home.HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #5 January 22, 2009 QuoteQuoteSo, What voltage are we talking about? 7 or 8 homes use 400 or 500 amps at 240. Most homes I have seen have a 200 amp main breaker. Normal usage is far less than this. An emergancy power outage would lower the demand even more, down to mayb 10-30 amps @ 240 per home. OK that's 240amps at 240 ( I think it's a bit low but anyway). So you need a piece of 4/0 cable coming from your car IF it can produce 240. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,085 #6 January 22, 2009 >So, What voltage are we talking about? The Prius runs on a 200ish volt pack with a boost converter to get voltages higher. (More efficient that way.) An inverter changes the 200VDC to the 240VAC needed by homes. Max power output is 25kW engine to motor/generator. At 240 volts that's around 100 amps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Belgian_Draft 0 #7 January 22, 2009 Quote>So, What voltage are we talking about? The Prius runs on a 200ish volt pack with a boost converter to get voltages higher. (More efficient that way.) An inverter changes the 200VDC to the 240VAC needed by homes. Max power output is 25kW engine to motor/generator. At 240 volts that's around 100 amps. Sounds about right. Devide that 100 amps among 8 homes, that's 12.5 each delivered at 240 v., or 25 each at 120. Plenty to power a few lights, a radio or small TV, and maybe a blower fan on a heating system. If you have electric heat you're S.O.L. Like the OP said, it's just for a few hours during power outages. As an energy source for homes, it would be very energy inefficient.HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #8 January 22, 2009 Quote Sounds about right. Devide that 100 amps among 8 homes, that's 12.5 each delivered at 240 v., or 25 each at 120. Plenty to power a few lights, a radio or small TV, and maybe a blower fan on a heating system. If you have electric heat you're S.O.L. Like the OP said, it's just for a few hours during power outages. As an energy source for homes, it would be very energy inefficient. Gotta be one guy out of eight is going to turn on the AC and blow the breaker. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,085 #9 January 22, 2009 >Gotta be one guy out of eight is going to turn on the AC and blow the breaker. That's fine! Put a 15 amp breaker on the transfer switch. Then he blows his own breaker - and everyone else has a bit more to use. Our average yearly consumption (before solar) is about 5kwhr-day, which is less than 2 amps average at 120 volts. You can do a lot with 12 amps per house. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
base428 1 #10 January 22, 2009 I'm big into electric vehicles and I drove my first EREV in 1993, but I don't think this is a good idea for most people. Simply buy a "real" generator in the event of a power outage, if you don't already have one. Besides, I'd be willing to bet that adding this option to your vehicle purchase would cost more than a standard generator. http://apteraforum.com/showthread.php?t=1379&highlight=Vehicle+Grid(c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted. <==For the media only Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DJL 235 #11 January 22, 2009 QuotePlugging in our clunker for a few dollars off monthly utilities? Yes, please. I think whoever said this is missing the point that this is useful for emergencies only. The last thing we need is neighborhoods full of cars running in their driveway."I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,085 #12 January 22, 2009 >Simply buy a "real" generator in the event of a power outage . . . I agree; that's the better solution. A generator that can be driven to a neighborhood to power a few homes, or a hospital's emergency power system, or a school's lights - _and_ can be a car the rest of the time - might be useful in some situations though. >Besides, I'd be willing to bet that adding this option to your vehicle purchase >would cost more than a standard generator. Well, everything is already there in the car. You need: -gas engine (there) -generator (there; it's called MG1 in the Prius) -battery (there) -inverter (there; it drives MG2 in the Prius) So it's just a software change and the wiring needed to bring out the motor leads of MG2. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
base428 1 #13 January 22, 2009 If it's that easy, I'll take two please. Quote So it's just a software change and the wiring needed to bring out the motor leads of MG2. (c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #14 January 23, 2009 I have the solution. As a nation, we're energy-voracious, and we're obese. So just wire up an exercise bike to a generator, and the generator to a storage battery, and we get ourselves a two-fer. Pffft. Like it takes engineers to figure that one out. Simpletons. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DJL 235 #15 January 23, 2009 You forget that we're unwilling to actually work for our income. Thus the need to outsource. That's actually a serious and sad statemtent."I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
