Quote:
Originally posted by drbenson@Mar 1st 2004 @ 8:06 PM
I have a great use for AC power out of the Prius  -it could potentially replace an emergency power generator.
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Without doubt, this WILL work - but it is really kinda wasteful and silly.
One of the first things I identified when I started studying hydrogen fuel cells though is the reversal of teh "usual consideration" about electric cars - that one could actually bring the car home and plug the HOUSE into the CAR - not the other way around as one would usually think. This is because the fuel cell is a true electric generator.
The Prius, though certainly more efficient than many gasoline engines, is still a gasoline engine running a generator - and not even one tuned to generate sufficient 120ac power. The MGs are actually generating to the main battery - with a little offshoot that handles the 12v batt. - unlike a Priustoric vehicle.
So consider:
You will be running an engine to recharge a VERY SMALL 12v battery to power an inverter to produce 120vac (at relatively low wattage) to power your house. Augmenting the small car battery with a much larger one is possible, but does not really improve on the charging efficiency - and MAY cause a problem with existing wiring.
Given that most low-cost inverters are not terribly efficient (more expensive ones are better, but without going into incredible expense, I wouldn't expect anything above 75% without careful tuning of the load to the inverter), much of your power generation is going into heat - and your efficiency of that marvelous engine is being lost.
I would imagine that to do this with the Prius effectively, you will need an additional (one or more) larger standard-size 12v car (or marine) battteries and what amounts to probably more expense than just getting a tiny generator. You will need more than a kilowatt to run most any of the main items in the house - more than that if you want to be basically in the "pre-power loss" mode (which is what I have - a 7500w gen that I don't even THINK about - I throw the transfer and the house comes up - the gen hardly burps!) Consider that a toaster alone can pull more than a killowatt
If you go to only a kilowatt or less, you will have to "pick and choose" what appliances are powered (heater/furnace, water pump, refridgerator, water heater, etc....) Most small inverters are only on the order of 300w or less, and relatively good ones are about $100-$200 at that output (RadShack has a 300W for $99.99). TrippLite has a mountable 1kw inverter that appears to retail for around $250. It specifies a 100A constant supply, quite a bit more than I would expect from a Prius 12v batt! It also specs a minimum 175Ah battery, 0ga wire for a 31-foot cable run (2ga for 20ft, 4ga for 12ft.)
Personally, I don't think this is practical, but it WOULD do one or two small things - like a light or two (two 60W bulbs is 120W! 5 such bulbs is the limit of a 300w inverter!)
As for handling the needs of a house though - unless you have some REAL minimal needs, I would get a small generator. My 7.5kw ran me $1500, a 1.5kw could be had for about $300-400, but that is REALLY minimal!
Jack