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free battery recharging

135

Comments

  • esuhl
    esuhl Posts: 9,409 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Gratis wrote: »
    It could perhaps be argued that if the OP only charged his small batteries when his truck is going downhill, the fuel cost arising from doing it would be outweighed by the saving in brake pads arising from engine braking being enhanced by the additional drag of the alternator having to recharge the truck's battery to power his small battery charger?

    esuhl,

    I so love your posts! :)

    Ha ha - I like your thinking there, too! We could make some kind of cigar-socket recharging device that activates only when the brake pedal is depressed.

    Maybe we could modify the alternator so that it placed the maximum possible load on the engine during braking, but no load during acceleration...

    Oh, never mind. Here's a much easier way to save money:
    http://www.dealextreme.com/p/neo-socket-fuel-economizer-for-car-save-fuel-gas-10-30-12v-52013

    Funny, isn't it... If it only costs US$4.40, it makes you wonder why such cutting edge environmental technology comes out of a cheap Chinese factory instead of being installed in cars as standard by the manufacturers. It's a conspiracy, I tell ya! :p
    Hammyman wrote: »
    Good luck measuring the cost in fuel of a 150mA load.

    Hey! What's not to like about my calculation of about 3p/hr?! Obviously it assumes that an "electrical fuel economizer" isn't being used - that'd totally change the figures, but otherwise it must be perfectly accurate... give or take 1000%.
  • chrisw
    chrisw Posts: 3,918 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    esuhl wrote: »

    Maybe we could modify the alternator so that it placed the maximum possible load on the engine during braking, but no load during acceleration...

    Can't tell if you're being 'ironic' on a forum, but that's exactly what my car does in the name of fuel efficiency.
  • jayme1
    jayme1 Posts: 2,154 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    doesn't the alternator run at 100% all the time? so even if it wasn't charging the OP negligible batteries there would be no fuel increase or decrease, just that the electricity it produced would go to waste (assuming the truck/car battery is full).

    that's why you can run your radio and it not impact fuel consumption, but opening a windows kills it.

    plus anyway truck drivers are allowed to run electronic items from their truck (like the OP) as most of them will have a small TV/DVD player for use on their compulsory breaks, which would be charging at other times when they are driving (or if not charging while the engine is on, it would drain the battery (with all the added inefficiencies of that) while the truck is parked)
  • fwor
    fwor Posts: 6,944 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    jayme1 wrote: »
    doesn't the alternator run at 100% all the time?

    No. As stated above, the higher the current taken from the alternator, the greater the drag on the engine. That's why if you turn on the headlights when the engine is idling you will often get a brief drop in rpm - until the ECU compensates by increasing the fueling level.
  • Gratis
    Gratis Posts: 478 Forumite
    esuhl wrote: »

    Oh, never mind. Here's a much easier way to save money:
    http://www.dealextreme.com/p/neo-socket-fuel-economizer-for-car-save-fuel-gas-10-30-12v-52013

    Funny, isn't it... If it only costs US$4.40, it makes you wonder why such cutting edge environmental technology comes out of a cheap Chinese factory instead of being installed in cars as standard by the manufacturers. It's a conspiracy, I tell ya! :p

    I'd love to see somebody try to sell that one to the Dragons! :rotfl:

    :idea: So. if each one saves 10% and you bought a dozen, would this mean that you consume no fuel at all and it generates a 20% surplus which it adds to your tank? :dance:

    Or would it create snake oil? :think:
    Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance
    and conscientious stupidity.
    Dr. Martin Luther King, Jnr.
  • cit_k
    cit_k Posts: 24,812 Forumite
    I can imagine instructions for a device like that.

    Insert into socket.

    Switch off Engine, remove key.

    Drive 30 percent less than normal to ensure the device can operate.

    Congratulations, you have now saved 30 percent of your fuel.
    [greenhighlight]but it matters when the most senior politician in the land is happy to use language and examples that are simply not true.
    [/greenhighlight][redtitle]
    The impact of this is to stigmatise people on benefits,
    and we should be deeply worried about that
    [/redtitle](house of lords debate, talking about Cameron)
  • esuhl
    esuhl Posts: 9,409 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Gratis wrote: »
    :idea: So. if each one saves 10% and you bought a dozen, would this mean that you consume no fuel at all and it generates a 20% surplus which it adds to your tank? :dance:

    Or would it create snake oil? :think:

    Good grief! It's not a miracle machine! That would be ridiculous.

    Using one device: 90% (of normal fuel required)
    Using two devices: 81%
    Using three devices: 72.90%
    Using four devices: 65.61%
    Using five devices: 59.05%
    Using six devices: 53.14%
    Using seven devices: 47.83%
    Using eight devices: 43.05%
    Using nine devices: 38.74%
    Using ten devices: 34.87%
    Using eleven devices: 31.38%
    Using twelve devices: 28.24%

    And so on... :p
  • spud17
    spud17 Posts: 4,451 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 13 December 2011 at 10:37PM
    Gratis wrote: »
    It could perhaps be argued that if the OP only charged his small batteries when his truck is going downhill, the fuel cost arising from doing it would be outweighed by the saving in brake pads arising from engine braking being enhanced by the additional drag of the alternator having to recharge the truck's battery to power his small battery charger?
    :)

    I'm with esuhl and fwor on this one, but would like to refer you to KERS.

    This harvests energy, saving it in a battery pack.
    One effect is that it gives additional engine braking whilst charging, however the energy is only available for a set number of seconds, the time is reset on crossing the start/finish line. When the system is fully charged, the engine braking is lost, so upsetting the front/rear brake balance.
    Move along, nothing to see.
  • Gratis
    Gratis Posts: 478 Forumite
    esuhl wrote: »
    Good grief! It's not a miracle machine! That would be ridiculous.

    Using one device: 90% (of normal fuel required)
    Using two devices: 81%
    Using three devices: 72.90%
    Using four devices: 65.61%
    Using five devices: 59.05%
    Using six devices: 53.14%
    Using seven devices: 47.83%
    Using eight devices: 43.05%
    Using nine devices: 38.74%
    Using ten devices: 34.87%
    Using eleven devices: 31.38%
    Using twelve devices: 28.24%

    And so on... :p
    spud17 wrote: »
    I'm with esuhl and fwor on this one, but would like to refer you to KERS.

    This harvests energy, saving it in a battery pack.
    One effect is that it gives additional engine braking whilst charging, however the energy is only available for a set number of seconds, the time is reset on crossing the start/finish line. When the system is fully charged, the engine braking is lost, so upsetting the front/rear brake balance.

    It’s alright guys, I do know my maths and physics and I understand the processes of iteration and compound interest! (Which appears to be more than can be said for many British bankers.)

    For various reasons involving my work prior to retirement, I also know about KERS in Formula One. (Which appears to be more than can be said for Red Bull and Adrian Newey...). Jenson Button was the real hero at Yas Marina. :T

    Since we were all having a jest about the whole energy-from-nothing concept, I couldn’t resist the temptation to play the dunce card, for fun!

    Sorry. :o
    Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance
    and conscientious stupidity.
    Dr. Martin Luther King, Jnr.
  • esuhl
    esuhl Posts: 9,409 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Gratis wrote: »
    Since we were all having a jest about the whole energy-from-nothing concept, I couldn’t resist the temptation to play the dunce card, for fun!

    Ha ha - no worries. I guessed you were, but I also couldn't resist the temptation to play the increduluous-at-such-outlandish-claims-yet-not-incredulous-at-a-four-dollar-in-car-fuel... Oh, never mind. I've run out of hyphens.
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