# small trailer with generator



## OMT (May 10, 2010)

i wasnt sure were to put this, but i found a 6kw gas generator for 300$ locally. im not planning on buying it, or doing this any time soon, but it got me thinking( i know im not the first one) to lets say convert a car on lead to go 60miles and lets say at 65mph it takes 12kw to sustain the speed.

if i made a small, aurodynamic trailer, which held the 6kw generator, and the gas tank would it roughly double the range because the generator is providing half the power needed to keep the car moving?

PS: this is assuming i magically found a 6kw charger( doubt it)

is the only other way to run the generator directly into the controller to somehow modiy it so it outputs 144v DC?


the reason i posted this is because i think it would be extremely practicle if i had an ev that went 60 miles, and i had a small trailer at home that whenever i decide to go to another city i can just plug in and attach it.


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## michaeljayclark (Apr 3, 2008)

great idea and yes has been in discussion many times.

I am planning the same idea however my generator will be onboard. I want my EV to be a backup generator for my house, a generator for camping or other type of trips, and to also help anyone else with an EV. Ill be the first in Tampa Bay to be a rescue road service. Ill be able to come to you if noone will be kind enough to let you plug in. The genset i am using is 15000 watts AC with a 50 amp 240 outlet.

The volt has an onboard generator, a 110 KW AC. enough to run the car just on the generator but sadly they claim not enough to run the car and charge up the batteries which I kind of dont understand why with that much power. At times when the car isnt accelerating hard or traveling on the highway it cannot be drawing more than 100 amps. that generator can produce at least 300 amps so why cant they sent some power back into the batteries? 

not trying to hijack your thread...

so year a generator on a trailer is a great idea. I have even heard of an EVer that got a 100 kw diesel generator and towed it behind him when he needed to go on long trips.

I think the whole idea is frowned upon because we are running an ev that is supposed to be completely emission free when recharged by solar panels and then run it by proxy on a gasoline or diesel engine.


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## algea07 (Oct 1, 2010)

yes many people have had this idea, myself included. my idea is similar to yours but instead of using the ac to charge the battery, you get a three phase ac generator and use a three phase ac to dc rectifier.

generator: its 90kg and will put out half the power you'll need. with some creative engineering you should be able to cut the weight down and, fit under the hood (you'll probably have to put some batteries in the boot though)

Rectifier: this should put out enough grunt to keep the car moving.

i think the ac voltage rectified to dc is 273v, so if you build you pack to suit that voltage (roughly 75 cells) then you should be able to pump the volts from the generator into the battery pack. EDIT: i may have gotten the dc voltage wrong i'd suggest doing some more of your own research and talking to an electrical engineer.

the only thing left to consider is will this damage your batteries, can you just pump a constant voltage into the batteries to charge them. 

I've asked that question on this forum

best of luck


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## michaeljayclark (Apr 3, 2008)

found this in wikipedia under rectifier:

For single-phase AC, if the transformer is center-tapped, then two diodes back-to-back (i.e. anodes-to-anode or cathode-to-cathode) can form a full-wave rectifier.

While half-wave and full-wave rectification suffice to deliver a form of DC output, neither produces constant-voltage DC. In order to produce steady DC from a rectified AC supply, a smoothing circuit or filter is required.[2] In its simplest form this can be just a reservoir capacitor or smoothing capacitor, placed at the DC output of the rectifier. There will still remain an amount of AC ripple voltage where the voltage is not completely smoothed.

not sure is this can be done with a 15000 watt single phase ac generator BUT would be nice if possible:

The simple half wave rectifier can be built in two versions with the diode pointing in opposite directions, one version connects the negative terminal of the output direct to the AC supply and the other connects the positive terminal of the output direct to the AC supply. By combining both of these with separate output smoothing it is possible to get an output voltage of nearly double the peak AC input voltage. This also provides a tap in the middle, which allows use of such a circuit as a split rail supply.


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## m38mike (Dec 27, 2008)

OMT said:


> if i made a small, aurodynamic trailer, which held the 6kw generator, and the gas tank would it roughly double the range because the generator is providing half the power needed to keep the car moving?
> 
> is the only other way to run the generator directly into the controller to somehow modiy it so it outputs 144v DC?
> 
> the reason i posted this is because i think it would be extremely practicle if i had an ev that went 60 miles, and i had a small trailer at home that whenever i decide to go to another city i can just plug in and attach it.


The answer to your first question is "it depends." What is the terrain like? how light or heavy is your EV? How much power does it take to travel at speed? I'm working through those very issues right now. I'm building a gen-trailer so I can keep my EV moving over long distances.

I don't think you want to run your generator directly into the controller. Like was mentioned above, most generators produce AC power that needs to be smoothed so it doesn't damage the controller. Running through a bridge rectifier will get it to a bumpy DC. Running it through a smoothing diode, or into a battery pack will take the rest of the bumps out.

Your "practical idea" is why I'm building my trailer. That and an adventure driving my EV to Alaska and back, just because I can. Check out the "generator trailer to power EV" thread for lots of discussion on different ways to power the EV.


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## michaeljayclark (Apr 3, 2008)

I found a 33000 watt single phase ac bridge rectifier on ebay for $65. ill be opnly using 15000 watts so this bridge rectifier shouldnt have any problems.

a member of our association, jim parish, is designing a device that will charge control the generator so it doesnt overcharge the battery pack. If the battery pack is 144 volts the generator will stay off until the voltage drops below 144 volts. the generator will kick on until the pack gets back to 144 volts then turn off. 

of course the generator has to have an electric start to work in this set up.

he can also put together a device that will simply have a contactor that is closed when the 144 volt pack is below 144 volts and then open up when the pack is at 144 volts, the genset would be running and not shut off, this would be for generators that do not have electric start.


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## nimblemotors (Oct 1, 2010)

This is a common idea, and it has a lot of complications that are not obvious on the surface, but some people have done it with an onboard generators.
You really want the gas motor to drive the wheels directly,
as the Volt was updated to do instead of a serial generator, otherwise your MPG is pretty bad. Some have built "pusher trailers" that have a gas motor with driven wheels that pushes the EV on the highway.

I say just rent a car for a longer trip. Heck of a lot easier and probably cheaper if its not often. If its often, get a Prius... 




OMT said:


> i wasnt sure were to put this, but i found a 6kw gas generator for 300$ locally. im not planning on buying it, or doing this any time soon, but it got me thinking( i know im not the first one) to lets say convert a car on lead to go 60miles and lets say at 65mph it takes 12kw to sustain the speed.
> 
> if i made a small, aurodynamic trailer, which held the 6kw generator, and the gas tank would it roughly double the range because the generator is providing half the power needed to keep the car moving?
> 
> ...


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## michaeljayclark (Apr 3, 2008)

paid 1000 for a generator that will extend me to as far as I want to go. that is way cheaper than renting a car!

I also have a backup generator for my house...

I can charge other EVs that need help on the road

I have a generator for events, camping, etc..

I have one car, not a commuter car and a second car.

those are my reasons for having an onboard generator.


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## cyclops2 (Feb 12, 2011)

Michael makes a very real world reason for the generator. $ 1,000 does not buy to many long distance trips in auto rental costs.

The safest way for the generator to run, is to connect it thru a breaker or fuse to the battery. The battery will smooth out a lot of the voltage spikes that can be generated during any emergency. The battery buys the drive controller some precious time to start clamping the dangerous spikes or deciding to go off line completly, if the generator starts climbing up in output voltage for any reason. Undesireable conditions do happen.

Lightning strike 6' away from the car is a real bad one. All bets are off if that should happen.


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## Bellistner (Dec 12, 2010)

While wandering the back yard over the last few days, I 're-spotted' the old Diesel trailer that was used in the earthmoving business. It's a 'shorty' trailer, being both narrower and shorter than a 6*4 box trailer. The tank is simply dropped on top of the rail and welded on.

I expect that to convert it to a genset trailer would be quite simple: grind off the welds and lift the tank off, weld motor mounts/adaptor onto the frame, seat and secure the old ICE out of your donor car.

If you wanted, you could equip the trailer with more batteries for a range extension before firing up the genset.

If you use an ICE out of a car, you get a fairly efficient heat engine, plus it comes with all the required emissions control, so will probably be cleaner than a little Honda genset or similar.

I reckon that when we get the yard cleaned up (I've got a bug up my arse about it at the moment, and I've done well over the last week), I'll pull it off its resting place and have a better look at it.


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## cyclops2 (Feb 12, 2011)

You make a great point about a ICE versus any other power. Gasoline is everywhere & cheaper. Repairing a car ICE is very easy on a long trip. Compared to a diesel.

Good logic.

Not to sure about lugging outside batteries. I would simply plan my generator recharges while doing meals or a longer rest stop. That REALLY reduces the generator size. VERY quiet muffler does allow for recharges at night anywhere. People accept motor homes running at night.


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## nimblemotors (Oct 1, 2010)

Generators are very dirty engines,
probably 100 times more pollution than a rental car.
And then you'll get 20 mpg, not 40 mpg or 50 mpg because of its inefficiencies. 

So great, it is cheap and convienent, but you are now a gross polluter,
and probably illegal as well.



cyclops2 said:


> Michael makes a very real world reason for the generator. $ 1,000 does not buy to many long distance trips in auto rental costs.
> 
> The safest way for the generator to run, is to connect it thru a breaker or fuse to the battery. The battery will smooth out a lot of the voltage spikes that can be generated during any emergency. The battery buys the drive controller some precious time to start clamping the dangerous spikes or deciding to go off line completly, if the generator starts climbing up in output voltage for any reason. Undesireable conditions do happen.
> 
> Lightning strike 6' away from the car is a real bad one. All bets are off if that should happen.


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## michaeljayclark (Apr 3, 2008)

newer generators are carb and epa certified. a quick search on generac epa certified shows a lawsuit LOL from the EPA against generac for engines that do not meet the clean air act. looks like prior to 2007

so Id say generators are now not as clean as cars BUT not as dirty as they were before. generators in the past were extremely dirty, especially ones that were 2 stroke and you mixed oil into the gas.

the generator I have is carb and epa certified.

I just believe that EVs with a EV mode and a series hybrid mode will win out overall as the stepping stone to EVs until lithium battery prices drop below 200 dollars per kilowatt hour.


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## cyclops2 (Feb 12, 2011)

How dirty is a DIY 15 KW generator powered by a Honda 4 or V6 complete with fuel tank & muffler system ?


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## Bellistner (Dec 12, 2010)

cyclops2 said:


> How dirty is a DIY 15 KW generator powered by a Honda 4 or V6 complete with fuel tank & muffler system ?


A 4 or 6 out of a car? Well, assuming you keep all the EmCon equipment, it'll be as dirty as it was in the car, with the exception that since it's not directly powering the wheels, you can run it at a constant RPM wherever it's most efficient.

If you've got a Genset dedicated to a particular car (or cars), you could even integrate controls inside the cabin for remote start, throttle, etc. Cover the motor with a shroud for aerodynamics and have a PIC-driven servomotor to open and close a slot in the shroud for cooling, and you're laughing.

If you're not going long distances regularly, but do occasionally (for example, my partner usually travels less than 10km/day, but occasionally has a need to go 200km in one hit), a GenSet trailer is probably the way to go. If you do cover long distances often, a Hybrid (or ER-EV) is probably a better bet.


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## michaeljayclark (Apr 3, 2008)

search fueleconomy.gov

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymake/bymanuNF.shtml

Honda Civic
4 cyl, 1.8 L, Automatic 5-spd, Regular 
26 mpg city 36mpg highway
6.10 tons greenhouse gas per year

i tried to find tons per year for generators but I am guessing that since generators do not run all year there is no easy measurement. 

I found a stat that says one gallon of gasoline = 20 pounds of co2 emissions.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/co2.shtml

how much you run the generator tells you how much co2 you will add into the air. 

I am pretty sure that a range extender generator wouldnt meet 6.10 tons per year. that would be burning 610 gallons per year in a generator to meet a honda 4cyl's amount of co2 it emits. if you drive the car 10000 miles a year and get 30 miles per gallon you would burn 333 gallons, that 6660 pounds of co2. 

I would highly doubt youd be running the generator enough to burn 333 gallons in one year.


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

Hi Michael

*I would highly doubt youd be running the generator enough to burn 333 gallons in one year.* 

That would depend on - number of miles and the amount of energy you were getting from the grid
A home made hybrid with a small battery getting most of its power from the gen set would probably burn twice that in 10,000 miles

The more you get from the grid (bigger your batteries) the less you will burn - but running a gen set - to produce power to run your motors will be much less efficient than using the IC engine to drive the car directly


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## nimblemotors (Oct 1, 2010)

cyclops2 said:


> How dirty is a DIY 15 KW generator powered by a Honda 4 or V6 complete with fuel tank & muffler system ?


If you ran an automotive engine intact that powered a generator, it wouldn't nearly as bad, then it would only be the loss of efficiencies
from power translations (85% ?), a trailer (2 more wheels) and the aerodynamics (could be MUCH worse).

But now it isn't a simple $500-1000 generator-on-trailer, it is a major project.

You can cut-off the front-end of a crashed Prius, and there you have it,
a fuel efficient, smog-legal, electronically controlled engine and generator.
A major project to make it work, you must know how to interface with all the computers, etc, and a good-front-end salvage Prius is about $3-5k,
but the end-result would be more ideal. 

But then why not just buy a Prius, and make it a plug-in if you need EVness.


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## michaeljayclark (Apr 3, 2008)

sure, in a series hybrid EV then sure, a generator trying to produce enough electricity to run 200 amps constantly to drive the ev at 40 mph and above would mean the generator would be burning at least 1.6 gallons per hour. AC system cars a little less, DC system cars a little more.

drive a car 4 hours per day, say 5 days a week. thats 32 gallons. 52 weeks a year thats 1664 gallons per year, 33280 pounds of CO2. 16.64 tons per year.

even if the genset burned 1 gallon per hour for lower speeds the numbers would still be the same as using a honda 4cyl engine for the DIY generator. no hard numbers but a gas 4cyl engine burns the same as a generator 992 cc engine over time.

BUT... (there is always a butt)

we are not trying to justify an onboard genset for a series hybrid. we are only trying to justify a genset as a range extender to be used a few times a year.


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## michaeljayclark (Apr 3, 2008)

I'd like to add in that a hybrid like a prius doesnt last as long as an EV and would cost more to maintain over time then an EV with a range extender.

I think the oldest prius I have seen on the road is 5 years old?


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

_*we are not trying to justify an onboard genset for a series hybrid. we are only trying to justify a genset as a range extender to be used a few times a year.*_

That should work,
It may be worth thinking about an extra battery pack on the trailer instead
Need to honestly look at your needs and the best way of satisfying them


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## nimblemotors (Oct 1, 2010)

If a rental car is too expensive, I hope you have some friends, you can borrow their car, and let them drive your EV instead, since your EV will cost them nothing to drive, and you return their car filled-up.
In fact, start a business providing EV-ICE swap, just like those rent-a-car-by-the-hour business, just reserve with your iphone, and go use it, and park it somewhere and pay for the time used. 
Ok, I spent the effort to find you a link, see http://www.zipcar.com/




Duncan said:


> _*we are not trying to justify an onboard genset for a series hybrid. we are only trying to justify a genset as a range extender to be used a few times a year.*_
> 
> That should work,
> It may be worth thinking about an extra battery pack on the trailer instead
> Need to honestly look at your needs and the best way of satisfying them


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## michaeljayclark (Apr 3, 2008)

i like the idea of a service that will give you a ev in place of your ice if you are visiting a city for vacation

as far as borrowing cars from friends, not too many would do that plus i do not many people that know evs and how to take care of them, at least converted cars anyway, manufacturer cars like the rav4 is pretty idiot proof.

id rather have the genset to extend my range...

but you know we never changed the discussion from a gasoline genset to a natural gas genset. that would change it to the range extender would look better.


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## michaeljayclark (Apr 3, 2008)

I just looked at the zipcar rates... 

if in miami for me thats close and someplace id go.

8 an hour to use the car... 8 hours a day is 64 dollars a day. this isnt a vacation rental idea.


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## cyclops2 (Feb 12, 2011)

We started this as a range extender & for isolated areas.
What happens when a severe cold front greets you the next morning or in North Dakota on the way to the mountains of North Carolina ?
You can watch the fuel guage drop as the cold takes effect.

I can not see going on long isolated trips without backup power. Why do we deny that electrics do not use coal, oil, fission or solar & the very high overall powerline losses along with unreal maintainance of the total powergrid system. Readily available power grid electricty is probably the most inefficient setup possible. So we burn corn in our cars in the form of Ethanol which is corrosive to standard auto parts.

I honestly can not figure out from all the tilted " facts " what is best for a person to use.

There are reports of wild grasses & weeds being the best for fuels. Great. Now we grow high profit weeds instead of food. Food shortages. 
Put me in the ground.

Now we have the Chinese as a equal to, or surpassing us in fuel needs & consumption. 
Where is that pickup truck that ran on wood chips. 

Have I wandered off topic.  
This is a topic that needs a national plan made up again, by the oil companies.


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## m38mike (Dec 27, 2008)

Cyclops2, is your glass half empty??? 

Such negativity. I feel sad that you can't see that others are reaching for a little more sunlight here. They are looking for a way to have their cake, and eat it too. They want an EV for everyday use. They want to be able to take their EV on vacation. And they want to do it inexpensively. I do too. That's why I'm building a trailer with a genset and a high voltage charger to keep me running while I'm on the road going long distances. 

So fill up your glass and look to the bright side. There's some creative people trying to good things using their EV's. It's not perfect, but today's technology hasn't found the perfect solution yet. It'll come with creativity and demand.


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## Bellistner (Dec 12, 2010)

cyclops2 said:


> There are reports of wild grasses & weeds being the best for fuels. Great. Now we grow high profit weeds instead of food. Food shortages.


If the use of foodstuffs etc is an issue for you (and it is for me too), then we need to investigate and fund things like air-to-ammonia synthesis plants (Renewable-sourced electricity plus water plus air = Anhydrous Ammonia, which can be burnt in slightly modified Diesel engines).

We're not going to get the planet to go cold turkey on fossil fuels. It's going to take time (barring something like nuclear war or bolide impact), so anything which greatly reduces useage sounds good to me (and having an EV with a genset for occasional use is much better than an ICE for all-the-time use).

I'm a 'believer' in AGCC/overpopulation/Peak Oil/etc, but I'm also a realist.


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## michaeljayclark (Apr 3, 2008)

I agree with major energy problems and the world is driving over a cliff because the world in general does nothing about it...

ANYWAY...

the genset idea on a trailer with a high speed charger is the easiest way to get your ev extended. simply plug the charger into the 240/30amp or 240/50amp plug , start up the generator, hop in and drive away.

there is ONE issue that I ran into with curtis controller 144volt. i wanted to show someone the motor turn wen i pulled the accelerator wire, aka throttle cable. a speed charge charger was plugged in and connected to the motor contacter. I didnt think that was the issue so investigated other things with no problem. I unplugged the charger and all was well. I was talking to evnetics and they described something about controllers not liking ripple currents. This may be the case. the charger was a 240 charger and blasting energy into the pack. the controller said im not working with this charger plugged in!

I also theorized the charger was sending higher voltage then the controller could handle, thus the controller is set not to work with a higher voltage then its built to do.

more experiments with find out which one.

I'd like to have it onboard, like the volt. I do drive more than 50 miles a day time to time and would like to have one car. I have looked at my vehicle that I am starting and trying to figure out ways to do it. I have a pretty good idea.

the 1996 jimmy is a 4 wheel drive. I want to take out the 4 wheel drive parts except for the transfer case. I looked up the gear ratios in the case and the rear end. the final gear ration is 6.15:1 for "1st gear". the motor will hit 5000 rpm, at 40 mph then the "2nd gear" in the transfer case is a 1:1 then the rear is 3.42:1.

the info above is given so I can just use the transfer case as the transmission. the transfer case sits almost the middle of the truck, this gives we room to put the genset in front of the motor. the ac generator motor in front and then the 992 cc engine in front of that.

this is just an idea and i still have yet to measure it all out. Ill keep all updated.


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## cyclops2 (Feb 12, 2011)

Hate to be so negative to some of you positive people. BUUT.

I have lived so long & seen so many wonderfull improvements & ideas to help reduce fuel consumption & pollution silently disappear . As if some company just buys them out & puts another great idea in the trash can.
All legal to protect the bottom line of a company.

I did updating production line machinery for a living. So I know when a good idea jumps up in front of me. I also have had sales people telling me it is fine to run it with those problems.

The biggest negative in the USA is the Wall Street controlled FUTURES Markets. If companies & workers charged such outragous prices every day, the US Attorney General would scream. He is awfull quiet with Futures price rigging & gouging. Tough to design around 60 to 100 % price increases.

If you hit a wall guys. I will try to help technically.
I really admire the DIY part of life. Truly. That is what I did in industry.

Loved it.


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## Bellistner (Dec 12, 2010)

cyclops2 said:


> As if some company just buys them out & puts another great idea in the trash can.


This is why I like Open Source so much.

"You can't stop the signal."


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

Cyclops

*As if some company just buys them out & puts another great idea in the trash can.*

How can they do this?
You are aware patents last 20 years and then become public domain?
Everything patented before 1991 is now public domain


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## OMT (May 10, 2010)

so whats the price range of a 240v 50amp capable charger, about 1-2K

the only one i found was manzita and i think it was 2300$ US

i have hear don the ecomodder forum that some people have made their own 240v chargers. how difficult would this be?

i know this is pointing off this thread in another direction, but i want the next car i convert to be extremely practical ( i am getting my first ev licenced in the next few weeks hopefully all i have to do is finish the belly pan, and paint the whole body) i want atleast 60miles range without trailer in city, and when i decide to go to the beach with my friends (120km away) i want to simply plug in my small trailer and drive off to the sunset  how much would a 240v 50A generator cost, i was thinking used maybe around 800-1k, i found a 7kw one for 300$...

ANDDD speaking of licensing EV's

is there anything i should know before i go about licensing my vehicle ( i am in ontario canada, i found a local mechanic that i know fairly well and he told me he would saftey my car ( i explained him my build). this will be my first ever car licenced on my name, im 17 so if anyone from canada can help me out, or give me some tips on getting it on the road legally LMK ASP! thanks


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## coulombKid (Jan 10, 2009)

The logical evolution will become the norm in 5 years. That is, gen II Leaf copy-cats will have two battery packs in them. One will be removable so that the dealer can drop in a motor-gen fuel tank module so that one rolling chassis can be configured as a pure electric or a hybrid. By then the the direct generating high speed turbine will have come down in price. With a 97,000 RPM shaft speed they cost way too much for the hobby types right now. A turbine gen set would be able to run on a wide range of fuels. Any vets out there remember how relatively small the turbines were on a Cobra gun-ship?


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## cyclops2 (Feb 12, 2011)

Electric companies all use them for exactly the same reason. They have peak loads that HAVE to be held up on the powerlines. Fire up the aircraft turbine generators for the duration.
At 1 time they had fantastic fuel economy, HP / lb. of fuel used. Control systems are pricy if needing repairs.


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## m38mike (Dec 27, 2008)

OMT said:


> so whats the price range of a 240v 50amp capable charger, about 1-2K
> 
> the only one i found was manzita and i think it was 2300$ US


The Manzanita 50 runs about $3500 and the 75 costs about $4400. In all my research, those are the only two 50 amp chargers I've seen that are not home builts. And they come with a warrantee.




OMT said:


> i have hear don the ecomodder forum that some people have made their own 240v chargers. how difficult would this be?


It's not hard, except for the controls. All you need is a bridge rectifier to convert the power, and a battery pack to help smooth it for the controller. But keeping the generator from overcharging the battery pack is the problem.



OMT said:


> i know this is pointing off this thread in another direction, but i want the next car i convert to be extremely practical ( i am getting my first ev licenced in the next few weeks hopefully all i have to do is finish the belly pan, and paint the whole body) i want atleast 60miles range without trailer in city, and when i decide to go to the beach with my friends (120km away) i want to simply plug in my small trailer and drive off to the sunset  how much would a 240v 50A generator cost, i was thinking used maybe around 800-1k, i found a 7kw one for 300$...


One of the considerations is the weight. I can buy a nice 15kW genset for just over $1,000, but it weighs 1400 lbs!  I sure don't want to tow around all that weight. I found a place in Maine that builds generators and they have a model that produces just over 13kW that only weighs 225 lbs. Price is about $2,250. That's what I'm going to buy for my gen-trailer. That and the Manzanita 50 and I'm all set.


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## nimblemotors (Oct 1, 2010)

$6,000 for your generator trailer ?
I have a 2001 Prius for sale at $4900, 50-60mpg.



m38mike said:


> The Manzanita 50 runs about $3500 and the 75 costs about $4400. In all my research, those are the only two 50 amp chargers I've seen that are not home builts. And they come with a warrantee.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## m38mike (Dec 27, 2008)

nimblemotors said:


> $6,000 for your generator trailer ?
> I have a 2001 Prius for sale at $4900, 50-60mpg.


Thanks! Do you deliver? Sacramento is a little ways from central Colorado. 

That does bring up an interesting thought. Strip the motor, pack and controls from a Prius to put in the trailer. I wonder what all that would weigh? The price makes it attractive, if it was closer. Or perhaps just put the motor and controls in the trailer, and replace my FLA pack with the Prius pack. 

I don't want a Prius, but the parts might be useful. My neighbor has a Prius. Maybe I'll go over to look at his to see if parts could be used to make my range extender trailer.

Thanks for the idea!!


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## pete c (Feb 26, 2011)

the problem with a genset is that running an ICE to spin a genny to make 'trons to spin a motor is a horrifically inefficient means of propulsion. The volt folks figured this out and got away from the pure series hybrid idea. It also adds a fair bit of weight.

My idea is to have an EV with a removable ICE. A lightweight motorcycle engine making upwards of 30 hp is very light. Easily under one hundred pounds. Something out of a thumper like a CRF450 would be ideal. A 250 could get the job done in a light enough vehicle as well. Recent models of these engines have EFI, so they are pretty clean burning. If you wanted more power, cool sound and less vibration, you could even go to a smaller V twin such as an SV650. 

Such a system would require that a fair bit of battery power be held in reserve as it would need to run in pure EV mode for stop and go traffic. Once at cruising speed you could slowly recharge the batteries. Or, you could add a torque converter and do stop and go also.

The only tricky part here IMO is coupling the ICE to the genny. I suppose a decent sized timing belt would be the way to go. This would also give you different gearing options. 

I would leave the fuel tank on board. A nearly empty fuel tank is pretty light. And moving one around could be dangerous.

Just did a bit of research and came up with 62 pounds for a CRF450 engine. I believe this includes tranny and clutch as they are pretty much integral to the engine. 

The more I think about it, using the entire engine/tranny clutch package makes more sense. Little extra weight. Much simpler install. And could be driven purely on gas.


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## michaeljayclark (Apr 3, 2008)

i got a portable 15000 watt generator for 1K. it weights about 450 pounds.

there is a dragster s-10 that when he wants to, they mount a motor on the front of the motor and drive it, as far speeds, etc i dont know.

my genset has a 992 cc ohvi engine. I had an interesting idea. 


OHVI engine(clutch)Generator AC Motor(clutch)DC Traction Motor-transmission-wheels

in EV mode the clutch from the ac motor and dc motor is disenegaged and the traction motor does it job.

in EV mode the clutch between the ac motor and the dc traction motor engage when the brakes are pressed, the genset engine clutch disengages. then dc traction motor turns the ac motor and then has regenerative braking.

In series hybrid mode the clutch between the dc traction motor and ac motor disengages, the engine clutch to the ac motor engages and generates power like a normal generator. the clutch between the ac motor and dc traction motor never engages.

if ever wanted all clutches engage and the OHVI engine runs the vehicle.


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## WSJ (Sep 18, 2008)

Kohler made DC generators with electric start. I have one that put out 300 VDC with full field. The regulator could be set to any charge voltage under 300 VDC.

http://gasengine.farmcollector.com/Gas-Engines/KOHLER-ELECTRIC-PLANTS.aspx


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## michaeljayclark (Apr 3, 2008)

thats a monster! my generator only has a 10 amp 12 volt out.

I bought a bridge rectifier to change the 240 50 amp side to DC current.

havent hooked it up yet but kinda excited to try it out to see how many DC volts I get out of it. the gen is single phase so makes it easier, i only need one bridge rectifier.

Its been calculated to give 200 volts. so I was trying to figure out how to cut down 200 volts to 144, the voltage of the capacitor bank.

well.. Ill have the battery bank too, so how can I divert 144 volts to the capacitor pack and 56 volts to the battery pack?


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