Author Topic: Hydrogen turboalternator  (Read 2350 times)

protomech

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Re: Hydrogen turboalternator
« Reply #15 on: May 16, 2011, 10:17:54 AM »
At 55 mph, a conventional bike like the Enertia will use roughly 6kw. Conventional solar panels (100w/m^2) mounted on all available horizontal surfaces (typ $200/m^2, likely $1k+ to shape panels to fairing) would produce around 100w, giving approximately 1 minute of riding per hour of charge.

Riding at reduced speeds - say 30 mph - might cut the ride power in half, giving you a minute of riding per 30 minutes of charge. If you push the bike at 1 mph, you're going to be traveling farther under your own power than you will be under solar. And of course solar will not help you at all should you be stranded at dusk/dawn/evening.

Another way of looking at it - in a commuter application where the bike is parked in the sun all day, fixed solar panels could add another 300-600wh of charge back to the battery on a good day with no cloud cover.

Stirling engines are indeed cool. A wood burning bike is a neat idea, and feasible.
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Gavin

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Re: Hydrogen turboalternator
« Reply #16 on: May 16, 2011, 10:24:25 AM »
at the aptera site we talked about adding solar panels to car roofs...a very smart person said: "you do want solar panels on your roof...the roof of your house. the roof of your car? not so much."

i now have solar panels on the roof of my house. much better use of solar panels than a car roof.

Gavin

protomech

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Re: Hydrogen turboalternator
« Reply #17 on: May 16, 2011, 10:53:07 AM »
I agree Gavin.

On the roof of a house:

* permanently mounted at a fixed latitude angle using conventional panels
* can be placed in an area free of obstruction to the sky 24/7/365
* hail is only significant damage risk
* likely will last 25+ years
* with sufficient area, can easily provide energy requirements for EV bikes or cars

On the fairing of a bike:

* mounted on a complex surface if shaped to fairings, or very bulky panels that increase aero drag
* may often be parked in a garage or under shade
* hail, dropping, collision possible damage risks
* unlikely to be used for 25+ years
* provides very limited best-case daily charging, no practical range extension while operating
1999 Honda VFR800i | 2014 Zero SR
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