Wind power fails in Texas

[hufnagel]

2 is 1 and 1 is none.

I was discussing the "report" of the person with an oxygen generator that was running out of battery power, and no place to recharge it.
If her parents ever got that infirm, they'd need a generator, and I'd strongly suggest they have two. One big enough to satisfy most needs, and another, smaller one, that would be used for emergency only loads if the main one took a crap. One of those 900W HF mini generators comes to mind. In fact, next time they go on sale (if ever!!!) I think I'll pick one up for myself. Thought about it over the years, and just never did. Stupid. I've "wasted" $100 on other less potentially useful shit.

[Malamute]

One of the early Honda EU2000's. They are great generators, but run around $1000. I would expect roughly the same performance from other similarly sized inverter generators, for around half the price. If I was a contractor running it all day week after week, I'd spring for the Honda. For a few days every few years I'd probably go for one of the $500 ones.

But I'm just guessing about the fuel economy of the other ones - there are people here who own them, maybe they can chime in with the fuel usage for similar workloads?


ETA: I just looked at the specs for the Harbor Freight one - fuel capacity is listed as 1 gal, and 'Run time: 12 hours @ 25% capacity'. The continuous run rating is 1600W, so that sounds like 1 gallon of gas gets you 400*12=4800watt hours.

Honda's current EU2200's numbers are 0.95 gal and '8.1 hrs @ 1/4 load' (and 1800W continuous rating), so 450*8.1/0.95=3836 watt hours/gallon.

So HF says theirs has substantially better fuel economy. As a long time HF customer, I take their specs with a grain of salt. And neither of those talk about how eco-mode would affect economy with an intermittent load, So YMMV.

Im going to guess that the 1/4 load specs are on ECO mode. I have a semi-new Honda eu2200i gen, its to run the window AC in my 4runner when traveling and otherwise have to be out and about in the summer with my dog on board. I dont recall exact details but running on standard, the fule run time was much less than on eco. Mine wouldnt reliably kick over the start compressor on the window AC unit when on eco mode, so I installed a hard start capacitor ($12 locally available) and it now runs fine on eco with the AC unit. So, if anyones load had a compressor, getting a hard start capacitor will give you more flexibility in your gen requirements and use. They are very simple to install, youtube can tell you all about it. Basically plug and play. I zip tied the capacitor to the side of the AC body and ran the wires in and plugged them in piggy back on the existing capacitor. Its been running fine for 2 or 3 summers now. Theres no downside Im aware of.

https://www.supco.com/web/supco_live/products/SPP6.html

I went with the Honda for the use I needed, if it stopped, its potentially life threatening for the dog, not just inconvenient. The gen has been pretty handy for other stuff as well obviously.

[JAD]

Fukushima happens.

I'm betting on Hydrogen.

Hydrogen is a means of energy storage. You still have to produce it somehow. Its conversion process is fantastically inefficient, and we currently have virtually no infrastructure to transport it. It's also (kind of obviously) really dangerous. There have been some really dramatic explosions in Santa Clara and Sandvika, and there's barely any hydrogen being used in the world.

It's not a total loser -- it's part of the picture, and relevant in the context of inconsistent renewable energy generation -- but it has nothing to do with nukes versus renewables versus carbon.

[HeavyDuty]

I was discussing the "report" of the person with an oxygen generator that was running out of battery power, and no place to recharge it.
If her parents ever got that infirm, they'd need a generator, and I'd strongly suggest they have two. One big enough to satisfy most needs, and another, smaller one, that would be used for emergency only loads if the main one took a crap. One of those 900W HF mini generators comes to mind. In fact, next time they go on sale (if ever!!!) I think I'll pick one up for myself. Thought about it over the years, and just never did. Stupid. I've "wasted" $100 on other less potentially useful shit.

When my wife was deep into ESRD and we were doing PD at home, I came close to buying a generator. Our short term plan was to evacuate her and the hardware if needed, but that was less than optimal. We were on the electric utility’s at risk customer list, but in the case of a widespread outage that probably wouldn’t have helped much - PD isn’t like a vent where you’ll immediately croak without it.

I’m seriously considering picking up the larger of the two Wall of China Tools generators the next time I’m home. I really want a whole house, but realistically that’s a few years away - and everyone says NH gets a lot of outages. I’ll rig the furnace and water heater blowers to accept drop cords and lay in extension cords to run from them and the fridge to the lower back patio. For a grand I can somewhat mitigate the risk.

[rdtompki]

I have a 20kW Generac that supplies power to the house and the barn. It will keep the well, house heat and heater waterers going for sure plus some miscellaneous (frig, lights); I'd turn the electric WH off. But, I've only got 240 gal of Propane and of course that's not all usable. I'm going to look into getting a 500 gal. tank.

[farscott]

Im going to guess that the 1/4 load specs are on ECO mode. I have a semi-new Honda eu2200i gen, its to run the window AC in my 4runner when traveling and otherwise have to be out and about in the summer with my dog on board. I dont recall exact details but running on standard, the fule run time was much less than on eco. Mine wouldnt reliably kick over the start compressor on the window AC unit when on eco mode, so I installed a hard start capacitor ($12 locally available) and it now runs fine on eco with the AC unit. So, if anyones load had a compressor, getting a hard start capacitor will give you more flexibility in your gen requirements and use. They are very simple to install, youtube can tell you all about it. Basically plug and play. I zip tied the capacitor to the side of the AC body and ran the wires in and plugged them in piggy back on the existing capacitor. Its been running fine for 2 or 3 summers now. Theres no downside Im aware of.

https://www.supco.com/web/supco_live/products/SPP6.html

I went with the Honda for the use I needed, if it stopped, its potentially life threatening for the dog, not just inconvenient. The gen has been pretty handy for other stuff as well obviously.

The only issues I can see with a hard start kit revolve around the relay. The way most of these work is the relay is normally closed (NC), so current flows through when the unit is started. Once the unit is running, the relay opens due to the potential across the coil. If the relay one day does not open, the result is usually damage to the compressor motor. There are multiple causes of relay failures. For AC and HVAC, the big one is coil damage due to overheating, especially as the coil is always dissipating power after the hard start. Add the heat from a hot summer day, and you get one hot relay. DC relays add contact material transfer, something not a concern with AC. As long as the kit has a real relay (no "solid-state relay" AKA triac) or runs on a timer, all is usually well.

I did get burned on a variant of the hard-start, using the relay to switch out a big resistor used to soft-start appliances with inverters. The front end of these are basically capacitors that rectify AC up to 340V. Inrush currents on some good stiff outlets measured about 550A on a 120VAC line. That could trip breakers. So we got clever and added the resistor to slow the capacitor charging. Once the system was up, the micro would then switch the relay taking the resistor out of the circuit. Worked like a champ until we tried multiple power cycles really fast. That resistor got hot enough to cause issues. And then a test unit welded the contacts with the resistor in the circuit and the unit ignited once we tried to spin the motor. That was the end of that feature. Tripping one in 10,000 breakers is one thing; burning homes up is "Do NOT pass go!!".

The capacitors also do wear out due to high temp. That usually just leads to rough or no starts. I have swapped them and the relays on five-year schedules on mission critical stuff. Most decent relays are good for about 10,000 cycles. After that, borrowed time.

[HeavyDuty]

The only issues I can see with a hard start kit revolve around the relay. The way most of these work is the relay is normally closed (NC), so current flows through when the unit is started. Once the unit is running, the relay opens due to the potential across the coil. If the relay one day does not open, the result is usually damage to the compressor motor. There are multiple causes of relay failures. For AC and HVAC, the big one is coil damage due to overheating, especially as the coil is always dissipating power after the hard start. Add the heat from a hot summer day, and you get one hot relay. DC relays add contact material transfer, something not a concern with AC. As long as the kit has a real relay (no "solid-state relay" AKA triac) or runs on a timer, all is usually well.

I did get burned on a variant of the hard-start, using the relay to switch out a big resistor used to soft-start appliances with inverters. The front end of these are basically capacitors that rectify AC up to 340V. Inrush currents on some good stiff outlets measured about 550A on a 120VAC line. That could trip breakers. So we got clever and added the resistor to slow the capacitor charging. Once the system was up, the micro would then switch the relay taking the resistor out of the circuit. Worked like a champ until we tried multiple power cycles really fast. That resistor got hot enough to cause issues. And then a test unit welded the contacts with the resistor in the circuit and the unit ignited once we tried to spin the motor. That was the end of that feature. Tripping one in 10,000 breakers is one thing; burning homes up is "Do NOT pass go!!".

The capacitors also do wear out due to high temp. That usually just leads to rough or no starts. I have swapped them and the relays on five-year schedules on mission critical stuff. Most decent relays are good for about 10,000 cycles. After that, borrowed time.

Yikes. Is this basically an A/C issue, or would chest freezers and refrigerators be subject to this problem?

[whomever]

Yikes. Is this basically an A/C issue, or would chest freezers and refrigerators be subject to this problem?

Most freezers and fridges draw maybe 400 to 700 watts when the compressor is on. Newer ones tend to be lower, older ones higher. It should have a label somewhere that gives the draw. That's low enough that a 2000W generator ought to be able to start them, at least our generator has always started them w/o complaint, including some pretty old ones.

AC compressors can draw a lot more than that. Fridge/freezer compressors only have to cool a few cubic feet, while an AC is trying to cool the whole house.

[Bio]

Hydrogen is a means of energy storage. You still have to produce it somehow. Its conversion process is fantastically inefficient, and we currently have virtually no infrastructure to transport it. It's also (kind of obviously) really dangerous. There have been some really dramatic explosions in Santa Clara and Sandvika, and there's barely any hydrogen being used in the world.

It's not a total loser -- it's part of the picture, and relevant in the context of inconsistent renewable energy generation -- but it has nothing to do with nukes versus renewables versus carbon.

Thank you. I get so tied of hearing about "super efficient hydrogen energy". It's not like we mine hydrogen gas. Its basically a dangerous, high density battery with serious storage conditions.

[RoyGBiv]

Thank you. I get so tied of hearing about "super efficient hydrogen energy". It's not like we mine hydrogen gas. Its basically a dangerous, high density battery with serious storage conditions.

You and @JAD are correct in that H2 is an energy storage system. However, the avenues for efficient commercial production have barely been explored. Is it viable to use solar to produce H2 onsite in sunny locations? Can we use waste heat from Nuke and Gas plants to help make H2, maybe improve the economics for those plants? What is the comparative energy loss between, for example, using a nuke plant to make H2 vs the losses incurred sending electrons through wires to power a Tesla?

https://cafcp.org/stationmap

/drift