jamius.com

Yea, that is very true. It would be more efficient to just hook the alternator to the engine. If you want to hook an alternator to a windmill, it would best be for when you were parked and should be tethered otherwise. You would gear it a lot differently for charging with just the wind blow and the rush of air you would get while driving.

I think for wind energy you should just get small removable (or retractable) windmills that you can put up when you are stopped. Make sure they don't cast a shadow on the solar panels though.

I like solar more, no moving parts and it consumes less space. No vibration issues either. I'm not sure about the wind energy. But one thing's for sure and that is that there will no be no windmills attached to my bus But thank you guys for all the help, inspiration and engagement! Any ideas on my overhauled power system? I had a schematic, but that was for the old design. I want to draw another schematic to make it nice, simple and visual, but not if there's something wrong with my setup

By the way, special thanks to corrado33, for recommending The Colony. I normally don't like this kind of show but somehow I'm hooked! Okay,some things are overly scripted and why was John C. 'swinging his meat' for the camera at the end of the first episode?

But aside from that, it's one of the best new shows I've seen in a long time. I'm maybe even thinking of installing a water filter system so any/most water could go in the tanks (much cheaper than going to the water station ). And shouldn't we somehow suggest to Jamie that he could build a gasifier? He has a lot of trees, and probably doesn't like fossil fuels in his generator! He already knows about the engine/alternator hookup as I've seen in one of his videos. He has this little Suggestions-subforum, so...

Oh hell yeah, the drag on something like that would be immense! But I'm just throwing these ideas out there incase anyone can improve on the design to make it more functional. I've been thinking about it and I reckon linking two together would be the best idea, one intake with the out-pipe from the first leading into the second. And we're not gonna be using alternators, I'm pretty sure I saw somewhere that turning a motor backwards produces electricity. Makes perfect sense so maybe if I can find a suitable motor that outputs enough to make it worth while I can build a prototype and see how well it functions. There are probably a million ways to gain power out of turbine like devices, I'm not saying motors or alternators are the best idea, just routes worth exploring.

I might have to check Colony out, sounds strange but good at the same time. This forum is giving me lots of things to fill my time with until I find a bumper for the bus! =D

Running a DC motor does produce DC voltage. I believe it's only permanent magnet DC motors though.

With that said... DC motors are designed to be exactly that, motors. Generators are designed to generate electricity. The internal designs of the two are different in respect to coil windings etc. DC motors when used as a generator will probably have really bad/no voltage regulation, while a generator would. Generators used as motors probably wouldn't spin very fast. DC motors as generators would probably have to be spun really fast to produce anything useful, while generators are designed to produce usable power at low RPMs.

Yes, you can use use one for the other and visa-versa. It's a lot more efficient if you use the correct product for the correct application.

I'm just thinking of anything relevant that might help. What are the plans to power the coach? Are you going to be powering it with a diesel/petrol motor or converting it to electric as soon as possible? A coach would certainly have more than enough spare room for battery banks (which could also function as a mini powerplant once you go static) but I imagine the total cost of a set up like this would be astronomical. Although at the same time, an electric powered coach would be a one of a kind I'm guessing, might be something you could get sponsorship for doing? And with sponsorship comes professional advice so its all routes worth exploring. I'm one of these people who throws loads of ideas at a wall and see which ones stick and I hope it aids in some way to get you on the road, your project sounds awesome! =D

I don't think batteries are practical for powering a vehicle of this size. Diesel/Vegetable Oil is a good alternative. If you aren't planning on driving a lot, it really isn't worth trying to come up with renewable power to propel the bus.

This isn't the first time I said it and it definitely won't be the last: if you have questions about the design, all my plans are in the first post. Read them first (there are new plans added as i 'digitalize' them and my old ones get modified all the time, so it's never bad to check back). I also have a rudimentary sketch of the plumbing that I need to update with a water filtration system and I'm waiting on comments/suggestions on my new electrical system to draw a new sketch of the electrical system, which will make everything simpler. The battery bank shall indeed be on the expensive side with bank voltage @ 24V or 48V! And I'm sorry, no electric coaches if big corporations with millions of dollars can't do it, me neither. Okay, then can do it, but these use ultracapacitators that rapidly discharge and charge again when the bus is at a bus stop or exterior power. I have said it before, a 300 hp engine equals 220kWh. Don't forget the massive load of all those batteries. Not a chance it's possible..

Hey, check this out, it's a battery charger/true sine wave inverter combo! Nice!

http://www.claytonpower.com/products/inverter-charger/

Okay, I just made the damn thing. Tell me what you think! Oh, I forgot to put additional information at the IGNITION-block (not only the ignition is hooked up but everything needed for driving) and I forgot to put the DC to DC converter between the banks, sorry I will fix it when I can!