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motor w/alternator vs. generator with charger vs.?
Shaun Van Poecke wrote:
For a Thunderbird, I think I'd look for an outboard that had an alternator, and carry an AC charger. You won't have much space to store a portable generator. You're right about not having much space to store anything ;-) Most thunderbirds have an outboard well in the stern, so the outboard can popup out of the water and be stored there. Ive got an outboard bracket on my stern, so that area of storage which is a reasoanble size is free. I could pretty easily fit a small generator in there (maybe 1000watts) but Im trying to keep weight down in the stern if i can. I'd originally envisioned having a very paired down electrical system; a single100AH battery, which would run a cabin fluro, nav/anchor lights, a bilge pump, and a cd player, and occasional use of a laptop. The CD player only draws 1amp, the bilge pump sees hardly any use and if i go with LED nav lights i should be able to keep my power consumption down to somewhere around 20Ah/day. I was thinking to go with a generator to give me some flexibility to use power tools when i need to, but now its looking more like i might go with a 30W-40W solar panel and a honda 9.9 4 stroke with an alternator in it. Shaun Folks, let's keep both oars in the water on this topic and pay more attention to science than to hysterics! ;-) Consider the following quote: "In general, lead-acid batteries may be recharged at any rate that does not produce excessive gassing, overcharge, or high temperatures. Discharged batteries may be recharged at a high current initially. However, once the battery approaches its full charge the current must be decreased to reduce gassing and excessive overcharging." The above is a direct quote from: http://www.eh.doe.gov/techstds/Stand...4/hdbk1084.pdf hdbk1084.pdf (application/pdf Object) The bottom line is that lead acid batteries CAN be charged at higher rates than with an automobile charger that is designed to replace the very small amount of capacity used to start a vehicle. One cannot charge at increasing rates without limit, of course. At some point, the chemistry may theoretically set a limit on maximum charging rate, but in reality, it is "gassing, overcharge, or high temperatures" that we need to be concerned with. These factors are well-known and incorporated into smart charger designs so that maximum charging rates will fall on the safe side of danger to the battery. There seems to be no disagreement that battery charging rates are at least partially up to the user: a Radio Shack solar cell will charge at a far slower rate than an automotive alternator/regulator. A constant current charger will charge at a far faster rate than an automotive alternator/regulator. Assertions to the contrary really need scientific backup and support. Chuck ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
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