Can i power an electric car with a gas generator?
Richard asked:
I’m getting ready to start building an electric car with a portable gas powered generator used to charge the batteries for backup. I have found a 17kw/hr generator can i use that to rapidcharge my battery bank? If not, what do I need to be able to rapid-charge my battery bank??
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I’m getting ready to start building an electric car with a portable gas powered generator used to charge the batteries for backup. I have found a 17kw/hr generator can i use that to rapidcharge my battery bank? If not, what do I need to be able to rapid-charge my battery bank??
September 10th, 2009 at 12:08 am
I think you mean 17 kw. kilowatt per hour is not used in any application, it’s a nonsensical unit. kilowatt hour is a unit of energy, but means nothing when describing a generator.
If you want to use an on board generator to make a series hybrid, rough calculations say17 kw should be enough to keep a car that averages 40 mpg, charged while driving.
The 17 kw generator might use about 1.7 gallons per hour of run time, enough to get the original car 70 miles. Your hybrid car will convert that into about 16 kwh of electricity, enough to get it 70 miles. But your hybrid can gain more miles through regenerative breaking, and eliminating wasted idling. You can also plug into the wall where the electricity is far cheaper.
gas motors also loose efficiency when they are driven hard, that 40 mpg car could drop to 15 mpg. The electric hybrid will maintain peak efficiency. That’s where you will see the biggest gain, not during normal driving, but during hard driving.
September 13th, 2009 at 8:39 am
The configuration you are describing might be referred to as a series hybrid. What it allows you to do is run the engine at it’s most efficient point and use the electric motor to drive a vehicle at the varying demands of torque and speed. There is an article below on a sometimes series hybrid created by using an electric car charged on longer trips by a genset trailer. The advantage is that it can be unhooked when the generator is not needed and the extra weight not required.
September 14th, 2009 at 2:36 am
it will depend on what battery voltage you plan to use. there is a electric motorcycle in the EV Album site that has an on-board gen set for battery charging. I am building a power plant for my next electric conversion. having dead batteries isn’t an option. do your research and ask questions. Happy Motoring
September 14th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Yes. I’ve seen electric trolleys run on railroads without electrication by towing a generator and using that for electricity.