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Leave Appliances Running While Driving?


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To further demonstrate the insidious nature in the way my mind works, how about this. While searching I saw the electric vehicle guys have some charging algorithms for charging and conditioning which gave me an idea. There are a number of micro computers on a small PC board these days such as the Raspberry Pi. A small motor with electric start driving an alternator. A .1 ohm current shunt is installed on the charge cable and A to D inputs can be used as a voltage and charge rate monitor. Charge curves can be programmed to a variety of parameters even as simple as time. A servo can control the throttle of the motor to adjust RPM and a ignition cut off can be added to shut the system down when the desired charge is met.

Even all that using a small Honda motor and new alternator with everything else is a fraction of the cost of a small Honda generator.

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I've kind of gotten lost as to what exactly we are talking about and what some of us are trying to do. Big motors certainly DO waste fuel when doing "small work." That's why the highest tech turbo-diesel 150 horse tractor can't make 10 horsepower anywhere near as efficiently as a gas tractor built in 1936.. Generally speaking - a gas or diesel engine runs at peak efficiency only when run within its torque curve. So gas or diesel generators dedicated to one fixed RPM and load are the most efficient. Problem is - people using generators rarely have just one predetermined load to meet. That is, except off-grid solar users that run the batteries down to 50% (during dark periods) and then DO have one fixed load, more-or-less during the bulk-charging cycle.

For myself, in an RV, I find using the main (truck engine driven) generator to be the best way to go. Yes, a 2.4 liter engine making only 1000 watts of DC power is not super efficient - but - it saves by not needing a second engine and generator to worry about. I've got #2 copper run from my alternator to my rear house batteries and can use my full alternator potential.

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To further demonstrate the insidious nature in the way my mind works, how about this. While searching I saw the electric vehicle guys have some charging algorithms for charging and conditioning which gave me an idea. There are a number of micro computers on a small PC board these days such as the Raspberry Pi. A small motor with electric start driving an alternator. A .1 ohm current shunt is installed on the charge cable and A to D inputs can be used as a voltage and charge rate monitor. Charge curves can be programmed to a variety of parameters even as simple as time. A servo can control the throttle of the motor to adjust RPM and a ignition cut off can be added to shut the system down when the desired charge is met.

Even all that using a small Honda motor and new alternator with everything else is a fraction of the cost of a small Honda generator.

You must lay awake at night to come up with ideals like an Android generator is there an app for that?!! LOL.

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You must lay awake at night to come up with ideals like an Android generator is there an app for that?!! LOL.

I want you to know that I was quite amused by this as I looked over the water at the great state of Maine this afternoon. Wife wanted to know what I was chuckling at. I told her irony. We were enjoying some down time at New Castle Beach.

To clarify, I have no background with mobile operating systems and the Raspberry Pi has its own operating system and development language which I also have no experience. The new version of hardware is now out and Microsoft has announced that it will support the hardware with a version of Windows 10. This means that I can use more familiar tools within Virtual Studio which I am familiar with. I also have programmers on my team with much more experience than I to lean on as I am mainly a hardware guy with only a little bit of software programming experience. Still it is only a few parameters and conditions to control. Even I can handle that.

Android? Please....

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We just have to wait for Apple to release the iGenset. :)

It would be just like Apple to steal my idea.

This is all just theoretical up to this point but the idea really has me intrigued even if just programmed for auto shutoff at 80% charge. Though I could probably just calculate a threshold and build a ignition cut off to trigger at that.

I was reading how smart chargers work for electric cars and next thing you know I'm plotting this crap. The Raspberry Pi with I/O, current shunt, relays and servo would still be under $100. The rest could be built with junk.

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I am happy to hear the positive opinions in this thread for the gas fridge. I am out to try and get ours running, it is a Domestic 2401. I recently tried to get it going but only gave it a few hours and after searching around I see people in forums saying that the key to getting the fridge cold is to let it run a long time. When I did do the recent try it lit just fine and gave off some ammonia odor but never got cold. Our RV is parked at a friend's a drive from our place so I am hoping to go over and level the RV and light the fridge and let it run overnight off the gas to see if it will get cold and drive back that way tomorrow to check on it. Should I have any concerns about it running that long unattended?

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Ammonia smell = dead refer.

You let all the magic out.

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Yeah smells are not good. They do sell remand cooling units to replace the one you have for around $400 some assembly required. You might try Creg's list etc for a used one. A dorm fridge is fine if you have power when you are parked.

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