Power my house with a scooter?

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PreNatural
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Power my house with a scooter?

In doing research into buying a scooter it dawned on me that it might be possible to use the sophisticated high power battery system as a back up power system. Could a DC to AC power inverter be connected to the power that leads to the motor? Maybe one such as this?

Ultimately powering things like a TV, computer, cable/sat box, refrigerator, etc.

At the very least I'd like to install a USB socket to recharge my cell/GPS. I found this howto on a motorcycle forum.

Is it possible to tap into the leads from running lights?

I've been learning a great deal from the people here on VVF Thank you all for sharing!

LeftieBiker
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Re: Power my house with a scooter?

The cell phone charger is probably doable, but if you want an appliance UPS system, get an inverter/charger (Tripp Lite makes good ones) and one or two BIG marine deep cycle or AGM batteries to power it. For about $600 total you won't be frying your scooter's drive system, and won't have to bring it inside when the power fails in the rain.

PreNatural
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Re: Power my house with a scooter?

So your saying that the battery system in a scooter is too sensitive to be used in this way? I will say I haven't s seen a lot of lifpo4 batteries used on solar systems.

The links didn't work in my first post: http://www.directdepot.net/product_info.php?products_id=26034

http://www.furyforums.com/forum/fury-diy-area/7679-burnsmoto-usb-port-install-how.html

antiscab
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Re: Power my house with a scooter?

If the battery voltage is high enough (above 120v or so), most appliances will be able to run directly without an inverter.

Basically anything that has a switchmode power supply or built in inverter (invert aircons, computers, TVs, laptops, some microwaves, battery chargers, etc)

If you are running 48v, there are many inverters to choose from, but the solution may be a tad pricey compared to the benefit....
How often do you get a blackout?

Inverters that run from between 48v and 120vdc are rare and expensive

you could hack a rotary converter together, have a DC motor driving an alternator
that would get you AC relatively cheaply

Matt

Daily Ride:
2007 Vectrix, modified with 42 x Thundersky 60Ah in July 2010. Done 194'000km

PJD
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Re: Power my house with a scooter?

Matt,

I have also thought about using my scooters back-up emergency household power supply as well. While this very mild winter is an exception, the scooters normally just sit in the garage (with the house's circuit breaker box right next the the scooters) through the winter. The two scooters together provides 120-130 volts - same as the (US) mains. The idea would be to provide enough emergency power to just keep the house heated, plus a couple lights.

Unfortunately DC won't work. The gas furnace definitely needs AC, and while incandescent and LED's are happy with DC, I believe that CFs need AC. Is this correct?

antiscab
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Re: Power my house with a scooter?

Unfortunately DC won't work. The gas furnace definitely needs AC, and while incandescent and LED's are happy with DC, I believe that CFs need AC. Is this correct?

CF's will run on DC, as long as the voltage is high enough.

you will need ~150v or more

CF's actually use a switch mode powersupply.
The reason their power factor is so low is because the mains is rectified to a DC bus, with no power factor correction.

Matt

Daily Ride:
2007 Vectrix, modified with 42 x Thundersky 60Ah in July 2010. Done 194'000km

PJD
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Re: Power my house with a scooter?

CF's will run on DC, as long as the voltage is high enough.

you will need ~150v or more.

Are you referring to US/Canada or Australia/EU CFs?

LeftieBiker
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Re: Power my house with a scooter?

Basically, I'm saying that an inverter/charger unit is better all around. We use one for the sump pump, and it's completely automatic: it keeps the battery charged, and when the power fails it switches seamlessly to inverter mode in a small fraction of a second. Think of it as a computer UPS, but for higher drain uses. If you want to run a fridge and some lights, get a 1500 watt unit (with a higher surge rating, like 2000 to 2500 watts) and a couple of 200AH marine deep cycle or AGM (or gel cell, maybe the best combination of price and ability to withstand deep discharges) batteries. You can set the Tripp Lite to provide an equalizing charge for more than one battery. Compare this to hacking into your scooter's $2k battery pack with the power out...

LeftieBiker
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Re: Power my house with a scooter?
mf70
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Re: Power my house with a scooter?

I have happily used my scoot's power pack as backup power for my house. Remember, however, that household power needs can dwarf the energy capacity of the scoot. I use a parallel tap to take 12V power from the pack so that I can use a standard 12V inverter.

I've used it to continue supplying power for the FIOS interface so it doesn't auto-switch to voice-only mode during a power outage. My stepson uses an inverter on his car battery to keep his freezer cold.

Mark

antiscab
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Re: Power my house with a scooter?
CF's will run on DC, as long as the voltage is high enough.

you will need ~150v or more.

Are you referring to US/Canada or Australia/EU CFs?

US/Canada

Compact Flouros first rectify to a DC bus

if running 120vac, thats ~170vdc.
but they are (or should be) designed to go as low as 90vac, as that is the minimum service standard for the average 110vac service.

90vac = 127Vdc once rectified, so they probably will run directly from a Vectrix battery.
running it at that lower voltage will stress the boost circuit though.

From the DC bus, a boost converter is used to raise the voltage high enough to create a long arc for exciting the Phosphorus coated onto the glass.
That voltage is above 1000V

in Aus, where the mains voltage is officially 220vac (though 240vac was the previous standard and most equipment still reflects that) 310vdc will be on that DC bus.

Compact flouros don't really need AC.

full size ones (that need a ballast) do need AC

Matt

Daily Ride:
2007 Vectrix, modified with 42 x Thundersky 60Ah in July 2010. Done 194'000km

ErikK
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Re: Power my house with a scooter?

Yes, in theory anything with a switchmode power supply will run as happily on DC as on AC. But in practice a lot of switching power supplies are "too smart" and will refuse to start on DC. Darn it. So you should test your CF bulbs, computer, etc before assuming this will work. Some will and some won't. Maybe CF's, being so cheap, are not too smart? I don't know.

-- Erik Kauppi, Chief Engineer, Current Motor Co --

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