I have not said too much about my latest project I have been crunching away on for the last few months, but I am starting to do the research on a small company I plan on starting utilizing wind/solar/diesel co-gen for 120/240VAC inversion off of 12/24VDC battery storage.
I plan on making affordable three way power systems that use minimal fuel while supporting a 3000W, 6000W and 12,000Watt power load requirement. The two bigger systems are good for whole house solutions and operate on 120V and also 240VAC (for running dryers/welders, etc). The smaller unit will supply 120VAC only and will support a cabin or 30amp DC load for an RV that is off-grid.
At some point in the near future, I will research and provide a grid-tie option to the units for those who want to make it pay for itself over time (and it will take quite a bit of time for that to happen on the scale I have in mind).
For now I am assembling the mid-size 6000W unit, followed by the 3000W unit and then will finalize the product line with the 12,000W unit.
The other feature I am offering is a kit that will make these units
EMP-resistant (all electronics are faraday-caged and
bonded/grounded/shunted) so they will survive what is coming.
As soon as I can get the documentation online, I will supply plans for those who want to make their own systems. I am using "off the shelf" components, so if you are handy, you can make your own system to increase your self-reliance.
My plan is based on the "Millennial Model" where information is free (since I was given my knowledge and ability to understand things, for free), but will charge for my time if someone would rather not do all the wiring/drilling, etc. I eventually plan on offering all components at cost on a simple website in basic package groupings where everything will pretty much be "plug and play" with the larger unit being scalable. This will happen over time. I will supply a parts list - but the list will have to be faxed to recommended suppliers in order to get the best deal until I can offer the same parts for sale.
I will not spend the time to do custom solutions unless a custom solution will enhance the capabilities of those three models I mentioned above. Simple is best - so that is what I stick to.
Here is the new blog where you can dig around and educate yourself on the basics of power generation and control, if interested:
http://hybridenergysolutions.blogspot.com/
You may be asking yourself, "Why is this guy getting into this, if he expects the grid to go down?", etc. I do expect that we will be pounded back into the dark ages at some point soon - but I believe that getting back on our feet as quickly as possible will be paramount. For this reason, I have put a lot of thought combined with what I have learned from the electrical portion of my aerospace career into making this thing as rugged as is possible. I also believe that cooking without having to use wood/coal etc will make things alot easier until normalcy can be restored. Using things like power drills will make the transition back to some sense of normalcy bearable versus drilling steel with a brace and bit or filing a large steel rivet instead of using a 6 Amp grinder....
As with all things, my preps are portable. These units are all portable (on small trailers), so you can site them where you are (at home OR away from home in a callout situation) and they can be sited where the best wind/solar combination can be had for your various situations. The diesel tank is good for 35 US gallons which should last up to 6 months for a standard situation (running cook-top, freezer with LED bulbs for the home, etc) with minimal diesel genset kick-in for battery charging and load carrying duties. Most generation will come from the wind generator and solar panels.
Please hit the "LIKE" button if you think you would be interested in something like this (either making your own - or buying one once I am up and running), or if you know someone else who would likely be interesting in something like this. I will put some information out there in the next eight weeks or so, when I have finished my first unit.
As a side note, all of my critical electronic preps are stored in faraday cages (33 gallon metal garbage cans) and will be pulled out once the expected EMP event is over.
My object is not to use the blog platform to make money for myself - but more to help people get to a good place where they can help as many people as is possible.
When we gather or when the grid goes down, whatever happens, I want a power supply that will provide up to 25 amps intermittently at 12 volts to power an HF ham radio station. A solar system capable or charging a Kindle or iPad would also be nice.
ReplyDeleteYou can grab one of these for now for solar chargers http://www.amazon.com/Innoo-Tech-Waterproof-Dust-Proof-Shock-Resistant/dp/B0154LKDH4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1456510974&sr=8-3&keywords=solar+charger
DeleteI am very interested!
ReplyDeleteWould love to get your info, Have been looking for something like this. The cooking is a key element thanks
ReplyDeleteYes, it would be great to keep our electric appliances during a power outage but you still should have other solution(s)...
DeleteIdentify fuel source first! Next get a stove that is efficient in utilizing that fuel source. For cooking elements think of fuel sources: coal, charcoal, wood, propane.
Some estimates are 400-600 lbs of charcoal or coal would last a year. Coal right now is at a all time low some are selling it at $.10 cents a pound to pick up and carry away (call around in your area). You can sometimes pick up 15-20 lbs of charcoal for $5.00.
Think of a wood stove with cook top. Get a couple of cords of wood. Look at something like this that you can add to the stove to bake muffins with http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-2000016462-Camp-Oven/dp/B0009PURJA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456511687&sr=8-1&keywords=camp+baking
Watched all the videos... Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'm a diy person.
Still, what about coal. We had a coal furnace on our farm, that really heated well.
ReplyDeleteMy sister changed it to propane furnace and costs of heating skyrocketed.
Coal is also very potable if that word could be used, meaning it can be stored for a long time where liquid fuels have a short life of usefulness.
A friend of a friend had a large work shop that he ran all the lights, heat and power tools off an interesting system. He would fire up a small generator... flip a switch, and turn off the generator....(I am not mechanical)... and the whole place would be running on an machine that used no fuel or electricity (alternator? flywheel? ).....
ReplyDeleteHere's some info you might want to look at, this game changer wind turbine produces 36kw at only 12mph so its not so much for the individual but for a community it would be great. Being an engineer you might want to check it out at www.power36.com click on the link gallery+more which has some info and then you could call the # listed for a bit more info. Also these are EMP hardened
ReplyDelete