powering car using grid

alpg88

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my sonata hybrid had ac powered by its 270v battery, not with belt driven by ice. so was steering and even brakes booster had electric vacuum pump.

but that car would be even more complicated to run on ac power.
 
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flashy bazook

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Maybe your next car should be an 100% electric vehicle?

I have one and it is awesome.

Mind you, I don't generally sit in it in the garage to do my work or entertainment...but if I did, the electric vehicle would work just fine.
 

Julian Holtz

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Nov 4, 2005
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Hi!

I wouldn't use one of those chargers, you need a power supply. I happen to know a thing or two about power supplies, so I will recommend you these solutions:

1) Meanwell SP-300-12
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Mean-Well-SP...185?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19ebf31a79

These are very nice, I have one myself:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1154748#post13759730

All you have to do is to install a connection plug to your battery somewhere to your vehicle, and a mating plug with an extension cable on your power supply. Connect your PS to AC, dial to 13.8v or whatever is the max on the Poti of the PS as long as it's lower than 13.8V, then connect to your vehicle.

+no soldering required on PS
+fan only comes on under load
-less output than Server power supply

2) Buy a used HP DPS-1200FB server power supply on ebay.
http://www.ebay.de/itm/HP-DPS-1200F...804?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item541f06dadc

You need a 500ohm resistor to power it on, and a 2k trimmer to set the voltage to 13.5V (won't go higher), and you need basic soldering skills. This PW will supply 75A, which is most likely more than you'll ever need

+loads of power
+industrial-grade
-basic soldering needed
-fan will always be on, and ramp up under load. But it's very quiet normally and not annoying.

I own both power supplies, PM me if you need help.
 
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night.hoodie

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Hi!

I wouldn't use one of those chargers, you need a power supply. I happen to know a thing or two about power supplies,

The reason I wanted a charger is I keep killing my starter battery, not from over-using it when the engine isn't running, but by just not using the battery or the engine. Its been a couple months since I have even started my car. Loving the milage.

My plan was to basically install a glorified extension cord & strip, neatly, managed cable, it would just plug into an outlet (not expected to have power when mobile) to run whatever when in the garage, man-pod, whatever... but to also have a built-in charger to plug in the day before I know I'm gonna have to start'er up and go somewhere I can't walk, really just to give me full access without worry to the aux in on the stereo, amplifier, speakers. Though I wanted to use every electrical thing the car has, I'll be satisfied with just being able to use that with no second thoughts.


Ok, enough of my babble... so what I wanted to ask is what is the advantage of a power supply as you describe over my planned set-up? Thanks.
 
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Julian Holtz

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Well, I see some potential problems with using a charger (thats what you planned, right?).

First, a battery does not really care about "clean" current, so if a charger produces some switching spikes or 60hz hum, the battery doesn't care, but maybe the electronics you attach might. Servers need clean current as well, so here's where the server power supply excels.

Second, once the battery is charged full and the charger stops charging, I don't know if it can fall back into charging mode (=supplying current) when you use electricity from your car, without unplugging it and starting a new charge cycle.

Third, Lead Acid charging is basically CC/CV, and any power supply set to the correct voltage can basically do it. A charger should be able to charge an empty battery in a relatively short time, this is why it will have a slightly higher end voltage, like 14.2-14.5V. If you use your car only very seldom, and it is constantly connected to a power supply with 13.5-13.8V, your battery will be very healthy and surely be charged up after 12h, and due to the high current rating of the power supplies, the voltage will never drop much. But if a charger goes into charge mode each time the voltage drops and ramps it up to 14.5V in the end, this could also reduce the lifespan of your battery by a bit.

Check this:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lead-acid_voltage_vs_SOC.PNG

13.5V is certainly enough to charge your battery, just not in a short time.

Many years a go I used a lead acid battery to power my RC airplane chargers at the airfield, and all I ever did to charge them was to connect them to my 13.8V power supply. It was the first ever item I bought on ebay 2001 or so. Aah, memories...
Today I use this:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1784667

So, whatever, I can see no real reason why a server power supply should not work in your application. Given that it is cheaper as well, I'd try this route first. Even if it should not work, there's always use for a good 12V power supply.

One thing you might check though: How much quiescent current the PS draws from the battery when not connected to AC. If it's too much, an AC-powered relais between the PS and the car battery might solve that problem. I'll check this out with mine tonight.

I don't regularly use my car as well, and what I did was putting a 10W 24V solar panel on the rear shelf. It doesn't produce enough power to overcharge the battery, but it keeps it halfway topped of all the time, and I have constantly 12.6V when it just sits parked.
 
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alpg88

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no power supply gonna help op to run ac in his car with engine off.
 

Julian Holtz

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Germany
When I write "ac", I mean alternating current. :)

Well, I checked my Meanwell and HP server power supplies yesterday. When connected to 12V DC on the output side, the Meanwell draws 60mA and the HP draws 190mA, and it's fan comes on. This means, that one should not leave those connected to the car battery directly while the power supplies are not connected to AC input. I'm not sure however if a charger would not behave in a similar way.

A high power relay would enable you to build a system which could in itself be permanently connected to the battery.

http://www.ebay.de/itm/1pc-JQX-62F-...930?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5644ecc08a
 
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HarryN

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my sonata hybrid had ac powered by its 270v battery, not with belt driven by ice. so was steering and even brakes booster had electric vacuum pump.

but that car would be even more complicated to run on ac power.

If you can access the battery, it is possible to get 270 VDC from your house AC - not cheap, but can be done.
 

alpg88

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If you can access the battery, it is possible to get 270 VDC from your house AC - not cheap, but can be done.

i would not even try to connect my car battery to outside source of 270v dc, unless i wanted to fry electronic in the battery, or make it vent, violently,
 
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