[ausev] Series hybrid musings

[John Allen]

Why not use LPG?  Most RV gensets can run on gas, LPG or propane and are
relatively cheap. 

John

-----Original Message-----
From: ausev-bounces at austinev.org [mailto:ausev-bounces at austinev.org] On
Behalf Of Lant Colburn
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2009 5:52 PM
To: AusEV at austinev.org
Subject: [ausev] Series hybrid musings

List Members;

I have been researching a good way to implement an electric/biodiesel 
series hybrid in a small pickup. It seems to me that a genset capable of 
providing 100amps continous at 120volts should be able to keep up with 
the power requirements to keep a small pickup truck traveling straight 
and level at constant highway speeds. Obviously a battery pack would 
still be required for acceleration, when much higher amperage is 
required. The problem I have run into is that good quality, high 
amperage DC gensets that are rare and expensive, while AC gensets of 
equivalent output and quality are relatively cheap.

This may be a stupid question, but I am going to ask it anyway: Would it 
be possible to use a quality 120v AC 17kw genset powered by a diesel 
engine running biodiesel to supply power to an AC electric vehicle 
conversion? If so what could be used as a load manager to control DC 
power coming from the batteries to the inverter and the AC coming 
directly from the genset? Thanks in advance for any suggestions you can 
provide.

Sincerely,

Lant Colburn
Cleburne, TX
lant at cdibb.com