Discussion > EVs - Charging / Solar Panels
Thanks for that link tomo: classic aviation is one of my nerdisms so I look forward to watching that.
According to an article on the DM website*:
"A series of ‘modifications’ to the Smart Energy Code have been proposed by officials and look set to pass into law by next spring.
These include giving networks the right to decide when they consider the grid to be in a state of ’emergency’ and the power to switch off high usage electrical devices such as electric vehicle chargers and central heating systems in British homes."
* cut & pasted to me, I hasten to add!
MikeHig
MikeHig
there's quite a bit to take on board there in the webminar - I knew a bit about German fuel issues in WW2 after Stalin stopped sending them trainloads... I hadn't appreciated metallurgy impacting so early and the assorted bureaucratic blithering/meddling and worse goes way beyond Adolf simply demanding bombs be fitted to ME262s...
tomo
"Electricity networks in Great Britain were not designed to accommodate the significant additional demand that certain consumer devices (such as electric vehicle (EV) chargers) presents. In some circumstances,Distributors will be required to act to find a balance between their obligation to operate cost-effective, safe and reliable electricity networks and the need to support customers who wish to adopt low carbon technologies such as EVs."
DCP-371_Last-resort-arrangements-for-Distributors-to-manage-specific-consumer-connected-devices.pdf
tomo
tomo: that's an interesting link. I saw an article on NALOPKT which was not very convincing but this shows that these controls are in the works which could ruffle some feathers in the EV crowd!
I watched that IMechE webinar and then the Q&A video. Fascinating stuff! Over the years I've read quite a few passing references to the problems that the lack of speciality materials caused for the German manufacturers. However Douglas' work shows that it was a widespread, massive issue. I plan to buy his book.
MikeHig
An M1 tank gets 0.6 mpg. 1 gal. diesel = ~ 40 kWh. Solar panel, ~ 1 kWh per day. Solar panel ~ 17 sq. ft. You MIGHT fit four on an M1 tank. Plus 4 Tesla Powerwall batteries, 1/2 a ton. Every 10 days you could move your tank 0.6 miles ... in summer.
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Things could get tricky for EV and hybrid owners if this becomes widespread:
Fire hazard: German town bans e-cars from parking garage
The fire risks posed by electric cars are well known, so much so that the Bavarian town of Kulmbach has just banned electric and hybrid vehicles from parking inside parking garages because their batteries are so difficult to extinguish when fire starts.
According to German online weekly FOCUS here, “This was decided by the city in consultation with the fire brigade for the underground car park under Eku-Platz, as first reported by the portal InFranken.de.”
MikeHig
Made me think of the Liverpool Echo arena car park fire (terrible soundtrack!)- ordinary cars made a right old mess.
I don't know where to look for fire statistics for EVs - my gut feeling is that they are likely to be usually though not exclusively more intense than the average under-bonnet barbeque...
Quite surprised that city authorities didn't get the stats rather than ask for a fireman's opinion. I wonder if insurance companies would break their oath of silence and volunteer how often EVs are catching alight?
tomo
While looking at Rotherham Hydrogen site - I looked around Hyundai IX35 Fuel Cell vehicle that the council spaffed on to support the EETC project.
Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell EVs 20% SORNed as of today
tomo
That exploding Norwegian H₂ fuelling station
Likely to be memory holed so:
https://web.archive.org/web/20201207134027/https://electrek.co/2019/06/11/hydrogen-station-explodes-toyota-halts-sales-fuel-cell-cars/
tomo
A Hydrogen powered NHS ambulance
tomo
YouTube Kryten visits Riversimple FCEV
tomo
a small bit of Hydrogen sanity at Westminster
tomo
On the theme of rotting the fuel systems of our vehicles and filling the pockets of their chums in the "biofuel industry"
tomo
Thanks tomo.
Mine's on order and I was told they would start mailing on March 5th - any day now!
MikeHig
I'm wondering about a copy here too ...
"At 2kg, it is perhaps too heavy for bedtime reading! 480 glossy pages, packed with high quality photographs, drawings, and graphs. Some beautiful full page engine drawings, while some other illustrations are quite small, but the resolution is sufficiently high to reward the use of a magnifying glass. The text is set out in two columns, and extracts from source documents stand out clearly by being set in ‘old typewriter’ font."
The debit card beckons...
tomo
Mine's arrived!
It's going to be an interesting read. Quite apart from the engine development theme, I'm looking forward to reading his comments on the problems caused by the non-availability of key metals and materials. I've long held the view that this was more of an issue than is recognised: the old blockade treatment at work again.
I may be gone some time, to coin a phrase....
MikeHig
I'm really curious about the dissolving fuel tanks and the MB valve alloy issues - it looks like they had a very real (and negative for the Luftwaffe) impact on serviceability and combat effectiveness (it might not start, fail to fuel "randomly" in the air and if you push the throttle to the firewall the engine might go bang, tinkle. There seems to have been "abnormally low" throttle limits on many German engines in many cases...
I've seen commentary elsewhere about front line serviceability and obviously the Germans / Axis didn't have a monopoly of mechanical woes - the different methods and relative successes (or not) of their troubleshooting approaches is a matter that's still impacting modern aeronautical engineering.
Major outfits like Boeing, Rolls Royce, P&W and CFM have all had issues with recent designs and the adoption of a strategy to identify and address problems that is codified in a pragmatic way similar to the way pilot operations have developed seems to be hinted at in the webminar with the installation of independent oversight in the design / production organisations...
tomo
How I like living in a time when a lot of things are available. Such cars are much more profitable and environmentally friendly. But I don't think people are going to pass up the opportunity to earn more and develop it. I am working on a very interesting project. https://euristiq.com/smart-city-technology/ I think a lot of people will be interested in reviewing this resource.
adrianabell
Coming to a road near you (x-posted from NALOPKT):
Perhaps we can multiply this ‘electric note’ by a million or more, from a local resident here in Lancashire:
“To all residents at the top end of — Crescent and those on —- Close. Husband and I from number — are really very sorry for the disruption the Electricity Board have caused today on our behalf. We booked for an electric car charging station to be fitted on our drive before the first lock-down, and they announced they were coming to fit it this week. We did not realise it would be such a big job and cause so much disruption to you all. We are really sorry and feeling a bit mortified! Apparently the electric mains runs along the ‘odd’ side of the street’s pavement (quite shallow too it seems) and those with even house numbers are on loops covering 2 houses each. The car charger draws a lot, so the electricity board have said it could lead to issues with the house power supply flickering etc to the neighbour. So they have had to put an extra feed off the mains to our loop. I came home from work and my jaw dropped at the big hole in the pavement , all the diggers, and the trough they dug down the side of the drive. Once the extra power feed is in place they will re-tarmac etc. To anyone who couldn’t get through in their car today and to the other residents further down the street who have ended up with cars parked in front of their houses – please accept our humble apologies.”
MikeHig
thanks for that Mike,
Literally a microcosm of what has to happen.
I'd expect that areas where there's 50+ year old buried cabling will see a spectacular increase in joint failures once loaded up with a few EVs
tomo
We're going to see more of this
https://twitter.com/MattKinapen/status/1369394734305865728?s=19
tomo
tomo: that Twitter link gives me a message that the user limits his viewers - maybe because I am not on there myself.
MikeHig
MikeHig
"Tesco Extra style" bungalow sized brick building adjacent to a suburban Canadian Tesla supercharging site purportedly housing a number of supersilent diesel gensets. Makes sense if there's only a small wire to the site from the distribution system that can't handle full occupancy on the charging stations...
That said - if ... it was a stealth mini power station they certainly spent some dosh hiding the exhaust stack - it's usual to see the final muffler + stainless piping in standby / CHP applications.
There are others where the generator pad is simply surrounded by a tall feather edge fence.
My point being that load shaving will be unavoidable as larger users get whacked in most developed countries for peak usage. I know a couple of people who make a living installing and servicing Triad charge swerving generators at factory sites - it's not even a case of putting a bigger cable in - users are ambush priced using a time of day / time of year peak value multiplied against their bill.... - and it's so swinging that a diesel genset pays for itself quite handsomely as I understand it.
November to February is also a time of year when most generator rental outfits are grateful for the work....
This dimwitted write-up in the Daily Mail hints at the issue...
tomo
An interesting webminar from IMechE (fuel related...)
Calum Douglas web site
and his YouTube channel
The Brit organisational structure detailed in the webminar could usefully be applied in the 21st Cent I feel....