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Isaac Zackary 04-09-2015 12:12 AM

Pusher/generator trailer idea.
 
So I'm interested in getting an EV, especially a Leaf, or maybe convert my 1972 Beetle. Although, yes, the range of the Leaf is more than enough to meet my daily needs there's always that desire to be able to take it further out of town.

So this just popped into my head, what about a non-petrol range extending trailer. I know there's been bio-diesel ideas. But I was thinking more along the lines of a liquid nitrogen or stirling engine trailer.

I'm just throwing this out there to see what you think.

Isaac Zackary 04-10-2015 12:11 PM

I don't think that a pusher or generator trailer has to have the power output of a full sized car engine. Most cars use an average of about 15 to 20hp to drive down the road. So if I charged up and took off with a 20hp trailer that might make the vehicle have practically a limitless range. Now I could also go with less, like 10hp. That would basically double the range. It would mean I'd be using around 10hp average from the electric drive train instead of 20hp average. And if I run out of electricity then the 10 or 20hp could be used to limp my way to a nearby place where I could charge. :turtle:

I have a couple ideas. One would be to make a Hampson-Linde cycle air liquifier or two. One to liquify air and another to take boiled off nitrogen and liquify it so as to have pure liquid nitrogen. Then I'd have to get a large dwark flask for storing it. They make 55L models for under $1000. Then of course a pump that can work at cryogenic temps, and a large Gask motor or two. They make a 9hp unit that costs around $1500. So I'm thinking that for under $5000 I could have a little trailer that runs off of liquid nitrogen and gets me twice the range in an EV like the Leaf. :)

But then what if I run out of liquid nitrogen. :eek: So that's why I was thinking of the stirling engine. I could make the stirling engine run off of liquid nitrogen, or any heat/cold sorce, like propane, bio-diesel. etc. Of course I'd have to completely fabricate the engine. I'm thiniking a 4 cylinder alpha cycle stirling engine that drives a swashplate. :D

Astro 04-11-2015 03:52 AM

For a generator trailer rather than a pusher you could use just about any motor you like. The RPM of the motor doesn't need to match the cars speed or require a gearbox to achieve the desired ratio.
So why not use a motor with a good power to weight ratio?

If you want to try something a bit different how about a jet turbine electrical generator?
Has a good power to weight ratio.
Scales to any size.
Can be made to run on just about any fuel.
Diesel (including bio-diesel)
Kerosene
Gasoline
Ethanol
Natural Gas
CNG
LPG
Bio-Gas / Methane
So refuelling whilst on a long journey wouldn't be difficult.

Did a quick search and found this one from Bladon Jets but there are probably many more.
12kW output.
Output options, 230v AC , 120v AC or 48V DC.
http://static.bladonjets.com/images/...ont-pencil.jpg

Actually you probably wouldn't even need a trailer, this could easily be lifted in and out of the car as required. Maybe even mount it where the old exhaust muffler was and have it generate some thrust as well as electricity. :thumbup:

The 134,000 nominal RPM does seem amazing, at least it should be well outside the human hearing range. :D

oldtamiyaphile 04-11-2015 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astro (Post 474980)
Did a quick search and found this one from Bladon Jets but there are probably many more.
12kW output.
Output options, 230v AC , 120v AC or 48V DC.
http://static.bladonjets.com/images/...ont-pencil.jpg

How much? Last I checked those micro turbines weren't cheap.

But yes, just add them to the car:

Bladon Jets | Jaguar C-X75 Concept Case Study

Jaguar are going to build it, but without the jets:

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/j...ial-2011-05-06

Perhaps these turbines are not quite production ready then? I mean a supercar doesn't have to be Toyota Yaris practical. Mediocre reliabilty, short service intervals and expensive bills are all part of the supercar experience, so if Jaguar can't make it work here, I'm not sure if I'd be doing it just yet.

It does seem like a great way to build a DIY EV with unlimited range.

Astro 04-11-2015 01:37 PM

They didn't mention a price but they keep mentioning a lower total cost of ownership than a diesel genset.
As this would include the fuel savings and the reduced maintenance. It is difficult to say how much more expensive the initial purchase price would be.
As they quote lower total cost of ownership and not a lower purchase cost i would say it would be more expensive than a similar sized diesel genset. But by how much?

The good thing about DIY EV it allows us to choose a range extender to suit our wallet.
The original post was talking about $5000 for a nitrogen set up.
Further Googling gives a possible figure of around $500/kW for a micro gas turbine.
Difficult to get an exact figure as the manufacturers don't list prices.
So a 10HP (7.35kW) equivalent could cost around $3500.
With a limited market and purchasing only one unit i would expect to double that figure.
So more expensive but not overly so.
Then the advantages of the gas turbine start to kick in and make it a little more attractive.
Fuel options, simplicity, power to weight, size, etc.
And don't forget the grin from being able to say you run the same engine as the Bat Mobile. :thumbup:

Piotrsko 04-11-2015 02:46 PM

Uh....... most of the batmobiles I've seen (5 out of 12) run either a 352 or 460 with one 429 variant

P-hack 04-11-2015 02:57 PM

Generally small turbines are not real efficient, nor are non-cogeneration turbines (where they have another use for the waste heat). I'm real sceptical about any inferred efficiency of the turbine unit, especially if "total costs of ownership" is based on the expected long runtime of the turbine vs replacing the ICE an arbitrary number of times.

I don't see notrogen as an efficient energy storage (or convenient) for that matter, any figures on cost of compression and efficiency @ extraction?

The only thing that comes to mind for best efficiency and some effort at compactness is a free piston regenerative (as in heat) stirling with linear alternator, and still that will have series losses to contend with (but minimal mechanical losses).

Isaac Zackary 04-11-2015 05:34 PM

Thanks for all the great input!

I'd love to do a turbine setup. The problem is that yes, small turbines tend to be very inefficient. They are also loud. The beauty of an electric is the noise reduction. Part of the reason I'm not up for an ICE piston engine is the same reason, because they are loud. If I do end up getting a Leaf I also would want to keep the thing a bit of a secret. Imagine if I went by a police, especially with a tail pipe sniffer, in a Leaf and he hears the Leaf go "WWWWEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAARRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM !!!!!!" as it goes by. Not that I want to break the law, which is why a zero emissions vehicle might give best with a zero emissions LN set up.

Ya, the LN set up would be a bit inefficient. I think the best case scenario would be 25% from plug to wheel. But this would be used only a few times a year, not daily.

But then again, these are just concepts. Who knows, maybe a small turbine could be made well enough to be the better option. But for now I think it's more feasible to just rent a car on those occasions.

Isaac Zackary 04-11-2015 05:40 PM

Wait a minute! Maybe you turbine promotors are right! Bladon Jet Study

P-hack 04-11-2015 07:10 PM

Every time they mention the word "efficient" it is not in comparison to a diesel, just sitting there by itself. You'd think if it were something to be proud of they would give a relative figure. It isn't much of a "study", and any clues as to actual efficiency are missing.

Isaac Zackary 04-11-2015 07:41 PM

The last turbine setup I saw basically would empty a 15 gallon tank of kerosene just to park the thing!

Isaac Zackary 04-11-2015 07:44 PM

The last time I saw a gas turbine on a car it basically would empty a 15 gallon tank of kerosene just to park the thing! That was on a VW Bug just like mine!

Astro 04-12-2015 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piotrsko (Post 475022)
Uh....... most of the batmobiles I've seen (5 out of 12) run either a 352 or 460 with one 429 variant

I was just commenting based on my memory of watching old Batman shows and the cars invariably has some form of jet exhaust out the back complete with afterburner type flames.
I had a look at wikipedia and according to the technical specifications many of the Bat mobiles had one or more jets but they apparently also had ICE engines. The jets were used for fast starts or when extra speed was required.
So the Bat mobile had a jet turbine, it just wasn't it's sole source of locomotion. :)

Astro 04-12-2015 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isaac Zackary (Post 475050)
The last time I saw a gas turbine on a car it basically would empty a 15 gallon tank of kerosene just to park the thing! That was on a VW Bug just like mine!

If it was using the thrust to move then i am not surprised. I don't imagine a jet plane gets very good MPG figures taxiing around on the ground either.
If the turbine was the sole source of motive power then it would need to be sized to meet the maximum power that the vehicle may require. It's load would always be changing just like an ICE and so it wouldn't always be operating at it's most efficient speed or load.
When the turbine will be used at a constant rate to extend the vehicles range then the turbine can be sized to match the continuous load. So a 10kW requirement could be met by a turbine which is operating at 100% load at 10kW or whatever is the most efficient match to the load. The range extending turbine would be either operating at it's most efficient speed or it would be switched off.
BTW, i hadn't thought of using a turbine until Isaac's post. It was just one of the first engines that popped up on a search for a high power to weight ratio engine. So not necessarily the most efficient.
And the photo of the micro turbine sitting next to the pencil just looked so cool. :D

Isaac Zackary 04-12-2015 10:03 AM

VW transaxle with garret turbine engine.

This is what I saw! It's hooked to a 4 speed transmission.

deejaaa 04-12-2015 04:46 PM

you've got some reading to do.
Mr.Sharkey's Pusher Trailer
Is It Vaporware? Tow-along Solution Offers To Volt Your Leaf
EV Weblog: EV Pusher
TheSamba.com :: View topic - Looking for resources/help to "hybridize" a Square

Astro 04-12-2015 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isaac Zackary (Post 475116)
VW transaxle with garret turbine engine.

This is what I saw! It's hooked to a 4 speed transmission.

That's bit of a beast.:eek:

It's about 10 times the capacity of the micro turbine.
At a max of 40,800 RPM it is going to be noisy all over the audible range.
The slow RPM response of a turbine is going to make it interesting when parking.
It would be one of those things that are cool to play around with but not something you would want to use regularly or as your main transport. As the eBay listing suggests, more a dune buggy / sand rail sort of thing. Even then, the noise probably would be quite annoying to both the driver and any spectators after a short time.

I imagine that for the range extending duties on an EV, using the micro turbine would reduce/remove these issues.
The RPM is much higher so shouldn't be too loud (dogs may disagree :)).
Small size may allow mounting in the EV rather then requiring a trailer.
Runs at a single speed, it's most efficient RPM. Slow RPM response wouldn't matter.
Of course these are all guesses.
The refinements in the technology are recent enough that there would be few examples to look to. Range extending rather than full hybridising an EV using a micro turbine has probably not been tried. Maybe because it won't work or is impractical or maybe because the technology has been too expensive or unavailable until now.

Isaac Zackary 03-17-2016 06:44 PM

So, I've been brain-storming this a bit lately since I'm seeing it more feasible for me to buy a Leaf. Here's the most practical ideas I can think of:

1. Front clip off of another car with engine and transmission and all, turned into a pusher trailer.
Pros: No need to build a power train from the engine to the wheels. If the car is newer, it can be kept with all the low emissions stuff.
Cons: Throttling difficulties. More power than what is needed. Lot's of cutting and welding and relocating. More weight than what is needed. Can't be left off unless the transmission is manual and can be shifted into neutral

2. A small ~16hp engine. (I'm personnaly thinking about one of the Kohler propane EFI engines with a catalytic converter even though they're rated a bit high, about 21hp, although that's without the air filter and exhaust.) That hooked up to an 18hp go-cart "torque converter" CV transmission. Then the Comet Forward/Reverse/Neutral transmission placed betweent the CV transmission and a go-kart differential on an axle with to two wheels, or even better, a one wheeled trailer with no differential. I'd need to somehow make some form of suspention for it. This could also be made from the rear end of a scooter or motorcycle.
Pros: Much smaller, not so much power. Can be shifted into neutral with the Comet transmission and engine turned off. Still sort of emissions friendly with the EFI propane engine and catalytic converter. Won't have to be seen at a gasoline station with an electric car if propane propelled. Can be much lighter and smaller.
Cons: Throttling is still a challenge.

3. A small engine and a 12kW BLDC motor, rewound to produce 400V and up to 30A by 5000RPM, fed in to a rectifier (basically turning it into a large alternator) and hacking into the main Nissan Battery cable. An alternative would be to run a large generator and get a 400V charger.
Pros: Can be turned on and off at will. Can charge the battery even when stopped. Also could be propane powered.
Cons: I could get electricuted or ruin something as expensive as the battery itself. Controlling charge so that it not only doesn't overcharge he battery, but also doesn't over-amp the battery durring regen would be difficult to design.

Astro 03-18-2016 03:19 AM

I wonder how hard it would be to disable the interlock that prevents an electric car moving whilst charging. Then a simple trailer or bike rack style mount for an off the shelf generator plugged into the normal car charge circuit. Easy to attach, a bit of hacking on the interlock but that may be software only. Then you have a useful range extending device made from readily available and replaceable components..
Buy the model that runs on the fuel you want to use, diesel, propane, etc. It would also be able to be used as an emergency power supply for your house. Used to get your car to a camp site and then used to power the camp site.
Take the generator out of the trailer and you have a useful trailer.
Each component would be useful beyond just its use as a range extender.

Isaac Zackary 03-18-2016 03:53 AM

One potential problem I see is that if the generator is charging the car and you hit the brakes and it goes into regen mode it could over-amp the battery. Remember that the car isn't designed to drive and charge at the same time. But an easy solution would be to put a contactor on the charging line that opens whenever your brake lights are activated. And just don't use B mode. That way you'll know that you're not over-amping the charging of the battery.

Another thing would be the wiring. It would look kind of funny having a chord that goes along the top of the Leaf to the charging port in the front. :D But yes, I agree that a generator system would be useful, even if you had to drop the battery to route the charging wires from the rear. (Then you could park either way at charging stations. :D )

I think my idea to convert an electric motor into a high voltage 12kW alternator would be cheaper and produce twice the power that you could get from a generator. The charging system in 2013 and later Leafs only supports 6.6kW charging (in 2011 and 2012 models it's half that.) If you get 100 miles out of 50 miles an hour (two hours) then your using about 12kW of juice. A 7kW generator plugged in to the Leafs charging system via a 6.6kW charging cord will give you about double the range, 200 miles, before you have to sit and wait 4 hours for the battery to charge up again. A 12kW system or higher would be closer to being able to drive all day for hundreds and hundreds of miles without having to stop and charge up every so often.

Also you would want to be careful with the generator you chose. Generators tend to be hard on electronics. About the only electronics trustworthy generator that can produce 7kW is the Honda EU7000. Actually, I'm thinking of getting the smaller Honda EU2000 for level 1 charging and keeping it in the Leaf for emergencies.

But on that same note, a motor converted to an alternator would produce a DC voltage that could be more easily smoothed out.

oil pan 4 03-18-2016 01:13 PM

Remember most consumer grade backup generators can not run any where near full load continuously.
Typically the wiring in them is under sized for max rated load.

For example my 30 amp generator only had AWG12 wire, typically only used on 20 amp circuits.



Does anyone even know if the leaf can even move while power is being applied?
It seems to me that would be simple idiot proofing feature to keep some one from driving off with the cord plugged in.
I am sure it can be disabled.

Isaac Zackary 03-18-2016 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oil pan 4 (Post 509377)
Remember most consumer grade backup generators can not run any where near full load continuously.
Typically the wiring in them is under sized for max rated load.

For example my 30 amp generator only had AWG12 wire, typically only used on 20 amp circuits.

That's something to take into consideration. If a 7,000W generator costs some $4,000, and yet it burns up on your 6.6kW charger, then that would be a big waste of money. But a 10,000W generator isn't going to be very costly nor light weight.

I was under the impression, however, that the Honda EU generators are built to put out their rated power continuously. But then again, I've never owned one so I'm not sure.

But there is that problem I mentioned about generators being hard on electronics. It would be pretty bad to go buy a 10,000W generator and it burns up your on-board Nissan charger! From what I understand, Nissan even warns owners in the owner's manual to not charge from a generator. I know that generators tend to burn up electronic devices. I'm not exactly sure why. Perhaps they don't put out a pure sine wave current. Or with any change in RPMs the frequency changes, so it's never really 60hz. Or maybe something else. If you're going to charge by means of a generator it needs to have smooth AC current. The Honda EU generators do have smooth AC current and work with any electronic device. So that leads me to the Honda EU7000 for level 2 charging or the Honda EU2000 for level 1 charging.

Quote:

Originally Posted by oil pan 4 (Post 509377)
Does anyone even know if the leaf can even move while power is being applied?
It seems to me that would be simple idiot proofing feature to keep some one from driving off with the cord plugged in.
I am sure it can be disabled.

Yep. You are correct. Nissan designed the Leaf so that when plugged in, you can't go anywhere. Which means that either you have to disable it if you're going to use the on-board charger. Or you're going to have to use another charger. Or like I mentioned, make a DC generator and just charge the battery directly.

_________________

However, here's an idea that just came to me. Let's say you can't figure out how to disable the inter-lock so your only option is to stop and charge. Instead of an already massive and expensive 10,000W generator in a trailer, stack 10,000W of solar panels in the trailer. That would also be massive and expensive. But whenever you stop, you could just pull out your solar panels, prop them up, point them into the sun, plug them in together (parallel), and plug them into your car. If you made +400V solar panels you could plug them into the quick charge port and not have any losses due to the charger. The biggest problem is that you'd need an area that's about as big as three semi-truck parking spaces or more. You could make panels that are 8' x 15' out of about 800 3" x 6" PV cells in a series. Each panel would put out around 1kW under full sun. So if you stacked 10 of these in a trailer you could get as much as 10kW and charge up in 2.5 hours under full sun. You'd need a voltmeter, though, or design a shut off circuit so that when they reach about 400V the thing shuts off. Of course 8,000 PV cells and 1,200 sqft of plexiglass, plus frames, isn't going to be cheap, nor light weight, nor aerodynamic. But neither is the 10,000W generator.

Hersbird 03-18-2016 04:20 PM

Just my opinion on small generators, the little Westinghouse is the bang for the buck leader. It does everything the Honda does as quite and efficiently at 1/2 the price.

Isaac Zackary 03-18-2016 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hersbird (Post 509386)
Just my opinion on small generators, the little Westinghouse is the bang for the buck leader. It does everything the Honda does as quite and efficiently at 1/2 the price.

Those are cheaper! But I don't see any that could provide level 2 charging.

oil pan 4 03-19-2016 12:09 AM

I use my generator to power my plasma cutter which uses IGBT based inverter.
Problem with using a generator is they don't continuously produce 60Hz. At no load they run about 63Hz then slow down to about 58 to 60Hz under some load.
At full power my plasma cutter will run the generator RPMs down and cause the machine to fault out due to under frequency.
Maybe miller needs to start making EV chargers.

I don't know why it would burn up an inverter. I worked on 270kw, 275VDC inverters that took 115v 3 phase 400Hz power and made it into 275 volt power.
The AC generators that powered them were all over the place as far their AC power out put goes, they worked fine down to 380Hz (when the AC generator faults out) and down to 105 volts, then the inverter just couldn't make 275v power.

Isaac Zackary 03-19-2016 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oil pan 4 (Post 509377)
Remember most consumer grade backup generators can not run any where near full load continuously.
Typically the wiring in them is under sized for max rated load.

Your right! I just saw where the EU7000 is only rated for 5,500W continuous. That's about 22 to 25amps depending on whether it's at an actual 220 or 240V.

So for a $4,500 generator, you'd have to drive for an hour and a half, then park, start there generator, and wait for 4.5 hours. Then drive for another 1.5 hours.

I've been finding there's more level 2 charging stations around than I realized. But between here and Denver there aren't very many. Looks like there's a guy who shares his 220V 50 outlet in Salida. Another lady so does the same in Buena Vista. But from there through all South Park the really aren't any. And having to cross the Continental Divide just to get to Salida kind of gives me doubts.

Isaac Zackary 03-19-2016 12:12 AM

Speaking of Leafs (is it Leafs or Leaves?), I just saw one here in town. It must be the second time I've seen one in real life, and the first time in town.

Isaac Zackary 03-19-2016 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oil pan 4 (Post 509400)
I use my generator to power my plasma cutter which uses IGBT based inverter.
Problem with using a generator is they don't continuously produce 60Hz. At no load they run about 63Hz then slow down to about 58 to 60Hz under some load.
At full power my plasma cutter will run the generator RPMs down and cause the machine to fault out due to under frequency.
Maybe miller needs to start making EV chargers.

I don't know why it would burn up an inverter. I worked on 270kw, 275VDC inverters that took 115v 3 phase 400Hz power and made it into 275 volt power.
The AC generators that powered them were all over the place as far their AC power out put goes, they worked fine down to 380Hz (when the AC generator faults out) and down to 105 volts, then the inverter just couldn't make 275v power.

So do you thing a vehicle like a Leaf will be ok on a regular generator? It does say in the manual not to charge them with a generator. I guess until someone tries it we may never know.

oil pan 4 03-19-2016 12:15 AM

My 7Kw is only rated for about 5.5kw also.
But I went into it and ripped out all the 12 gauge wire and rewired it with 10 gauge.
It should be able to hold more like 6.5kw now, that is where it starts to drop off at due to thin air here.

oil pan 4 03-19-2016 12:18 AM

I don't know why a generator would not charge a leaf.
It may just be Nissan doing the legal CYA thing.

I didn't know that the leaf could not be generator charged, all the more reason to build my own EV when I decide I need one.

Isaac Zackary 03-19-2016 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oil pan 4 (Post 509406)
I don't know why a generator would not charge a leaf.
It may just be Nissan doing the legal CYA thing.

I didn't know that the leaf could not be generator charged, all the more reason to build my own EV when I decide I need one.

It might just be for safety reasons. From what I've read the ground on a generator is wired differently (or not at all) than it is on a home. So when the Leaf tests the line for ground, which it does before allowing a charge, it sees that ground isn't ground and aborts charging. So in order to use a generator (I've only seen where the Honda electronic sine wave EU2000's are being used) on a Leaf, they have to add a resistor between ground and neutral. And another between ground and hot. That way the Leaf thinks it's grounded and allows charging.

I had thought of building my own EV until I saw the prices of used Leafs. You're not going to be able to build a 24kW-h EV for $7,000. At least I don't think you can, and especially not with air conditioning and heat-pump heaters and heated seats, front, back and heated wheel.

oil pan 4 03-19-2016 12:59 AM

The ground on your typical 240 volt generator is set up as neutral bonded from the factory. For any standalone equipment this is what you want, but when you wire a generaor into your house wiring for a backup you have to break the neutral ground bond.
When I rewired my generator I replaced the N-G link bar on the generator terminal board with a length of 12 gauge wire 15 amp light switch so I can go from backup generator powering my house to remote with out having to take anything apart.

In your house the neutral and ground both share the same bus bar at the main panel.
So I bet the leaf charger uses a very high frequency signal over lay to detect if there is a very, very short distance or no between the neutral and ground like you get with a generator. The resistor will dissipate this HF overlay frequency the same as longer run of wire does.

If I have an EV I want it to have solar panel charging, generator charging and the ability to produce 240v 60Hz power from its battery for powering other stuff.
I already figured out heat and AC for an EV.

Isaac Zackary 03-19-2016 01:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oil pan 4 (Post 509410)
I already figured out heat and AC for an EV.

Thanks for the info! Very helpful to say the least. And heat is important. There's still snow in my yard.

Isaac Zackary 03-19-2016 07:54 PM

Man! Oh how I wish I could just solder these together and slap them on a trailer and go anywhere in an EV!

4KW of Solar Cells on Ebay

Isaac Zackary 03-20-2016 12:42 AM

Maybe I'm looking at this wrong. Perhaps all I need are aeromods. The more aerodynamic a Leaf (or other) is, the further it can go on the same charge.

Frank Lee 03-20-2016 11:54 AM

Holy range anxiety! Get a Volt?

Isaac Zackary 03-20-2016 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank Lee (Post 509478)
Holy range anxiety! Get a Volt?

Thanks for the suggestion! :)

In reality I'm just throwing this out there. If and when I do get an EV I'll be prepared and this thread may have given me some good ideas, and then again maybe not. I just don't what to pass by something obvious. For an example, looking at my personal circumstances:

My daily driving is usually within 10 miles per day.
It's only on occasion that I need to go out of town.

Of course the idea here in this thread is what if I wanted to take my EV out of town? I'd really like a Leaf, not a Volt. But then again, the Leaf isn't the best option for drives out of town. Now there are other transportation options that are more economic and practical than a pusher or generator trailer on a Leaf, Volt included. And in reality I probably won't be driving a Leaf the 600 miles necessary to visit my mother-in-law. But I'm human and I just like pushing limits. ;)

Hey! Speaking of range anxiety. I just sat down and researched charging stations on Plugshare. I see that to get to Denver (over 200 miles away) the next town that's 64 miles away has a level 2 charging station. And from there I can go along and about every 30 miles I can find another level 2 charger or 220V 50A outlet all the way into Denver. So it is possible to just drive from here to there in a Leaf. The two problems that come up are, 1 altitude changes. I'd have to cross the Continental Divide three times to get to Denver and even drive through the highest town in the USA, Leadville. And the fact that I'd be charging at each station for a couple hours. Probably around 4 at the first station. So 4+2+2+2+2=12hours. Add the 4 hours or more of pure road and it comes to a whopping total of 16hours. :turtle:

Possible, but not as convenient as renting an ICE vehicle, opting for the Volt instead, or just taking the bus for $35. Hence, the pusher/generator trailer idea. :D

Isaac Zackary 03-21-2016 08:11 PM

If I were to build a solar trailer, does anyone know what kind of Cd is possible with a flat bed solar trailer. I figure that with 3x6 cells a guy could rig up enough to charge the Leaf (Slowly) with an 8x15' trailer. An 8x30 of course would give you double the amperage. I was thinking of making it tilt so I could face it towards the sun along with mirrored plates that side of and prop up to focus more sunlight on the solar trailer.

deejaaa 03-21-2016 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isaac Zackary (Post 509563)
If I were to build a solar trailer, does anyone know what kind of Cd is possible with a flat bed solar trailer. I figure that with 3x6 cells a guy could rig up enough to charge the Leaf (Slowly) with an 8x15' trailer. An 8x30 of course would give you double the amperage. I was thinking of making it tilt so I could face it towards the sun along with mirrored plates that slide off and prop up to focus more sunlight on the solar trailer.

that what you mean? tilt automatically or with inboard control?

Isaac Zackary 03-21-2016 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deejaaa (Post 509564)
that what you mean? tilt automatically or with inboard control?

Neither.

For the road I figure I need the most aerodynamic shape possible. So the trailer would have to be all folded up while driving. Even if I had 8x30' worth of solar panels, I might make two and slide one on top of the other while driving making an 8x15' trailer for driving

So what I mean by tilting and pulling out reflector panels and such, I meant when stopped and to do it manually.

The idea being that I could drive and get some charge from off the panels, but in a flat aerodynamic stance. But then when out of juice I'd have to pull over and get as much solar charging as possible by tilting the panels and such. Then once charged I'd have to fold them up and go.

From what I can figure, 8' is the maximum allowed width for a trailer. I'd get about 1kW per 8x10'. So 30' would be about 3kW under one sun. But if I reflected twice as much sun on the panels I should get about twice the power, so about 6kW.

So in the end, if I drove long distances in sunny days it would be like taking a level 2 charger along. Of course it would still take a while to get anywhere. But for less than $2000 in solar cells, tabbing wire and solder, it's rather competitive when compared to bringing along a 6kW (constant) generator.
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Still. I'm thinking that the most practical truly "fossil fuel free" option would be to work on aeromods. If I could get the Cd down from .28 to .18 I could increase the range to nearly 160miles at 55mph. That way I'd have to stop less often for charging or charge for shorter times.


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