jamius.com

folypers wrote:I was -indeed- planning for covers, gotta protect my moneys. There are some people on the web that are able to collect "sun" when they're moving but they use small rectangular panels that sit on a ball joint (is this the correct name?). But you're right, making my solar panels track is a little 'over the top', it's one of the least concerns I have that's why it's on the 'crazy list'!

Oh no I didn't mean no tracking at all. I just meant track in one direction. If they only tilt one way, it's MUCH less complicated than if they tilt in two directions. And you only need one motor. So if you have them tilt front to back on your bus/van, then you'd always park in an east-west direction, so they could follow the sun. Or if they tilted side to side you'd always park north-south so they could follow the sun going east and west, know what I mean?

@corrado33: Yes, I do. But tracking panels would be something to worry about later when I do get to it, I'll definately look into your idea, way simpeler than mine, and as good as!

@sjvsworldtour: I don't think I understand you. Where do the alternators come in play?

Alternators would come into play with the wind energy, not the solar panels.

Damn, I really am acting stoopid today! I forgot about the wind energy completely.. Trust me, it's just a bad day I think it's better to forget 'energy-harvesting' while driving, or just forget about it untill I get everything working. It's kinda lame that there are not many coach conversions in Europe, the only information on the internet is about Eagles or MCI's.. I really wish I lived in the USA, I don't get how people dislike the states, just because of the fat shmucks in the suits as Jamie puts it!

I think your big enemy is going to be weight. Every extra pound you have to move is going to take more energy.

I would recommend looking at older busses. Try to find the lightest one possible. Vehicles have had a tendency to get heavier and heavier and heavier the last couple decades (primarily due to safety equipment).

I wonder how much one of the old classic school busses used around the world weighs? Or maybe a city is getting rid of an older electric bus (which would have already been constructed of light materials).

Once you have your vehicle, I would strip out every un-necessary piece and try to replace heavy components with lighter ones (aluminum?). Then spend some time looking at aerodynamics. There are probably modifications you could make using lightweight materials to change the external shape to reduce drag as much as possible.

Once you have a light and aerodynamic mobile headquarters, then you will have a great base for all the rest of your ideas. This sounds like a lot of fun! I've always wanted to travel around in a moving home; but energy costs are just astronomical. If you can do it with solar, wind, or anything else...sounds great.

ENERGY STORAGE:

OK, as a follow-up to my "lighter aerodynamic" post; you also need to figure out how to store energy. Batteries are just really expensive -- especially in the large quantities you would need. The tech needs a few years to mature.

What about using pressurized air? You could build a large high-pressure air tank into the bus. Then build an assembly that is either a motor or generator depending on which direction it is turning. This motor turns a compressor -- which could run in reverse as well.

So when you are parked and have your panels set to maximum energy generation, your motor will turn the compressor and add more and more air to the tank. When you get back on the road the air can flow out and run the motor as a generator and help power your vehicle. Even if it's not providing 100% of the power, every part helps. You could also drive the wheels directly with air, but this adds to complexity and weight (transmission, etc.).

I'm not an expert on motors and generators (or multi-purpose units)...so you may have to play around with having one of each instead of a combined unit. It would also be possible to do some air compression with a sterling engine; which would be a more direct conversion of sunlight energy to compression.

I would think this air tank could store a pretty substantial amount of energy if under enough pressure.

MK500 wrote:I think your big enemy is going to be weight.
I would recommend looking at older busses. Try to find the lightest one possible. Vehicles have had a tendency to get heavier and heavier and heavier the last couple decades (primarily due to safety equipment).

I know it would be nice if my bus was a minimum of 25 years old because I would have to pay virtually no taxes. Newer busses also have lots of junk that I would have to strip anyway, like toilets, AC, televisions, just naming things.

MK500 wrote:I wonder how much one of the old classic school busses used around the world weighs?

I didn't mention it in the beginning but I'm not really interested in city busses or school busses. They don't have storage bays, and storage bays are supercool because you can insulate them and put water tanks or batteries in there. Basically, I want to avoid something like this:





And have something like this:



Maybe even mount a BBQ in one of my bays, who knows?

To answer your question, a normal coach weighs about 40.000 pounds. A not even thorougly stripped coach weighs no more than 24.000 pounds. I'm not sure about school busses, except that they weigh less (haha).

MK500 wrote:Batteries are just really expensive -- especially in the large quantities you would need. The tech needs a few years to mature.

I agree about the maturing, but coincidentally I can buy like batches of lightweight 6V batteries @ 225Ah that are designed to be discharged deeply and frequently. They come from a construction machinery rental company and are used in steeplejacks, scissor lifts, forklifts,...

At the price they're asking, the life time doesn't really matter normally, they just throw away these perfect batteries that still work fine. What a sick world we live in ! Or maybe Belgians really don't give a shit about batteries

MK500 wrote:Then spend some time looking at aerodynamics. There are probably modifications you could make using lightweight materials to change the external shape to reduce drag as much as possible.

AND

What about using pressurized air? You could build a large high-pressure air tank into the bus. Then build an assembly that is either a motor or generator depending on which direction it is turning. This motor turns a compressor -- which could run in reverse as well.

These are awesome ideas! Especially the aerodynamics, I didn't even think of that! I'm not sure about the pressurized air, I really know nothing about engines and compressors. But you can bet I'll look into it, it's already written down in my notebook, thanks a lot dude!

MK500 wrote:Once you have a light and aerodynamic mobile headquarters, then you will have a great base for all the rest of your ideas. This sounds like a lot of fun! I've always wanted to travel around in a moving home; but energy costs are just astronomical. If you can do it with solar, wind, or anything else...sounds great.

Thank you Jamie, for setting up a forum that attracts smart and like-minded people! And thanks for the ideas, smart and like-minded people. It really is supposed to be a 'base' for later projects, and of course, travelling. I think the costs will more than pay back, regarding I won't have to pay rent, loans, mortgages,...

I'm going to start an construction engineering education at college next year, if my future job(s) would be a construction supervisor I could camp out next to the site or if I would work at a study agency, I could 'operate from my mobile headquarters' (that sounds so cool ).

folypers wrote:I agree about the maturing, but coincidentally I can buy like batches of lightweight 6V batteries @ 225Ah that are designed to be discharged deeply and frequently. They come from a construction machinery rental company and are used in steeplejacks, scissor lifts, forklifts,...

At the price they're asking, the life time doesn't really matter normally, they just throw away these perfect batteries that still work fine.

WOW! I want a whole truckload of those! I'm coming to Belgium right now!
Said in Jaimie voice, "OK, first I need to build a boat."

I wonder if people in the US are throwing away batteries like that. It is insane what people throw away.

Yeah, it really is insane.

I stumbled upon this, found on wikipedia page about coaches. It's about the history of long distance transportation on roads

Horse drawn chariots and carriages ('coaches') were used by the wealthy and powerful where the roads were of a high enough standard from possibly 3000BC. In Hungary during the reign of King Matthias Corvinus in the 15th century, the wheelwrights of Kocs began to build a horse-drawn vehicle with steel-spring suspension. This "cart of Kocs" as the Hungarians called it (kocsi szekér) soon became popular all over Europe.

Caulk/cock-jokes! I hope Jamie reads this

ONLY 9 000 euro! (8 000 pounds, 13 000 dollar)

Build year: 1992
Mileage: 551 481 km / 342 674 miles
Total weigt: 10 180 kg / 22 443 pounds










This is so tempting...