Making Electrical Power, Small Scale.

[shibumiseeker]

95% good information JH. i would quibble with a few minor points, but as someone who has been off-grid for almost three decades and ran a company designing and installing system before the NEC caught up, I find much of it is really style and religion. We pioneered some of the low voltage, high current techniques that are current accepted practice. And melted a few things making mistakes along the way.

 

[churchmouse]

95% good information JH. i would quibble with a few minor points, but as someone who has been off-grid for almost three decades and ran a company designing and installing system before the NEC caught up, I find much of it is really style and religion. We pioneered some of the low voltage, high current techniques that are current accepted practice. And melted a few things making mistakes along the way.

Making smoke to test a theory. Love it.

 

[JeepHammer]

95% good information JH. i would quibble with a few minor points, but as someone who has been off-grid for almost three decades and ran a company designing and installing system before the NEC caught up, I find much of it is really style and religion. We pioneered some of the low voltage, high current techniques that are current accepted practice. And melted a few things making mistakes along the way.

The guy NOT making mistakes isn't doing anything...
Arguing 'Theory' is all well and good, but a good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow, go right, left or straight, just MOVE.

Batteries are going to have electrolyte 'creep' next to terminals no matter what you do.
Could be thermal expansion/contraction of the lead or case, and as the lead corrodes it becomes porous and allows electrolyte to creep through capillary movement.
I generally don't use a base to try and neutralize the acid, I don't want the electrolyte dragging the base back into the case,
But I do use wool pads to sop it up and keep it from climbing the post into the terminal connection.
I also wash off the top of batteries fairly often, just part of my maintenance.

Since I'm washing batteries, adding water, etc. Sealing up the connection is a good idea to keep excess moisture out no matter what gets away.
Electrical current running between dissimilar metals is never a good idea, just a recipe for corrosion when you add a corrosive like water or electrolyte.
There is a reason battery plates are soldered onto the buss bridges and not crimped, no gap for corrosion to work on.

This is simply as bullet proof as I can make things, but I did stop when terminal ends stopped corroding off the conductor...
Kind of like you stop looking for your keys when you find them.

 

[JeepHammer]

Thanks for this, a lot of good info here.
I always wondered why battery connectors weren't just made of good old copper. I guess it wouldn't actually be good. Now I wonder why they can't make a battery that doesn't 'leak', if that's what is actually happening.

It is.
The battery is heating & cooling, and electrolyte doesn't exactly play by the rules of water.
Gasses condense immediately when they escape so you get corrosive liquid around the vent caps, and electrolyte creep up posts.

The low corrosion stainless steel band clamps are too thin for high Amperage loads, they simply can't keep up in a lot of cases.
That leaves you with heavier lugs that will conduct the current...
And you want to watch for the contact surface area with the post, some of the ring terminals are thick enough to do the job, but the surface area around the bolt hole isn't wide enough to do the job.

The industrial lugs I show, and use, have the conductor volume & contact surface area to do the job without excessive restriction/resistance, and they are commonly available since they are not aerospace or whatever.
Big trucks, industrial equipment, etc all use them, I just focus on not having to replace them as often simply by not allowing corrosives into the connections in the first place.
It's simple, it's common sense, it's easy to do with commonly available materials...

And keep in mind, this is a SHTF forum... SHTF happens these common materials won't be commonly available, so a bullet proof terminal/connector is a REALLY good idea.


People save silver coins because they think 'Precious' metals will still be worth something.
I use silver for plating, silver solder, etc. so they might be right...
Silver based anti-biotics, water purification, etc, or for mechanical uses, they might be right...

I would think that aluminum, copper, bronze, brass & lead , for sand casting parts (humans did this before written history) would be a better idea, but I'm not an expert on SHTF, just seen what happens when there isn't a modern production society in place.
Spring steel stocked wouldn't be a bad idea, springs are REALLY useful!

Before Russia decided to use nerve agents on British citizens you could buy non acid batteries pretty cheap.
I started switching over simply because they were so much more efficient, but that's gone now...
They don't corrode up everything around them, and they don't take water/leak electrolyte.
The life span is about twice as long as lead acid batteries, and the longer lived, the lower the cost per year.

 

[JeepHammer]

This is stupid simple, but it's a paradigm shift in thinking so many won't be able to shift away from overpowered hydrocarbon engine thinking... to rethinking/questioning basic beliefs...
(That's as 'Politely' as I can address the subject of 'Belief')

What do you actually NEED broken into the most basic terms and moving from there...

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An Electric Vehicle (EV) is a VERY good idea in a SHTF/no power emergency situation as I can think of.
I backed into EV when I got a 'Free' golf cart I was going to salvage the batteries from...

1. It's a very LARGE battery bank, with secure racking to keep batteries safe/secure.
2. It's SELF MOBILE, no lugging, grunting, disassembly/reassembly.
3. It's VERY QUIET, nearly silent.
4. It's dirt simple to work on & repair.
5. It requires exactly ZERO lubrication oil, fuel, filters, etc. Simple grease in steering linkages & bearings.
6. Speed is depending on gearing, which is simple to change and compared to a passenger vehicle, it's inexpensive.
7. Initial purchase price is well below any reasonably functioning pickup truck or SUV.
8. Doesn't consume money for plates, insurance, maintenance like a pickup/SUV does while in standby since it's not a 'Passenger Vehicle' under current law or insurance codes.
9. With solar panels on a 'Sun Roof', it maintains itself at 100% standby capability.
10. With a 'Suit Case' size genset, the batteries can be recharged anytime, any place, with minimal fuel (and/or noise/attention).
Keep in mind batteries are only going to charge just 'So' fast, so a big, screaming generator doesn't do you any good here.

'Golf Carts' are LEGAL in a lot of towns (city streets), nearly all county roads in the state.

With AC inverter on board (mounted) it provides both AC & DC power in great quantities.
Several versions have high ground clearance & 'Off Highway' tires, and they are quite capable Off Highway, reasonable performance Off Road.
Several versions are large enough for people & gear.

Mine does a BUNCH of work around the farm, and then plugs into the main battery bank to power the home/shop.
No sense in that large battery bank sitting around doing nothing while I'm not using it for transportation/work.

With some bearing & wiring upgrades, I view a 'Golf Cart' as capable as the 'Jeeps' of WWII, maybe more so since you couldn't weld steel or power an entire camp/house off a WWII Jeep (or any modern gas vehicle) without extensive additions/equipment.
Not armored, not fast by today's standards, just basic, reliable, light weight transportation...

Moving at 25-30 MPH and not 6 MPH on a horse (if you have a horse), or 4 MPH on foot, I'll take the 25-30 MPH and NOT walking every time! The same way troops during WWII did when they were lucky enough to get a Jeep ride!

Electrical Connections need some sealing up and/or upsizing, and some bearings are a little light duty when you load them heavy and beat the snot out of them, this is all minor stuff, $300-$500 at most...
While just a welder or extra batteries/AC generator for a gasoline vehicle will exceed that amount.

Keep in mind 'Emergency' doesn't mean you can't live without bun warmers, Air Conditioning, Stereo, etc.
It's basic, stealthy transportation, it's power & light, it's load carrying capacity when boot leather is the next option...
It's power & tools to build/improve your living situation.

Just something to think about if you break NEEDS down to basics and aren't stuck on 100 MPH, 6,000 pound gasoline/diesel vehicles with 1,000 things that can put them down.

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Another point in favor of basic EVs,
For the EMP bunch...

Very BASIC, short runs of wiring that wouldn't be affected by EMP, no 'Micro' electronics at all.

It's DC (Direct Current) which is normally short runs of wire and is virtually impervious to the damage an EMP will do to the AC Grid.

Big, robust relays, mostly open, just switches that won't be affected.
A simple drive motor in a ferrous steel case, shielded like crazy, no way for an EMP to kill it.
A surge from an EMP in operation probably wouldn't be noticed other than the digital battery volt gauge all seem to have these days *Might* stop working...

Batteries aren't affected by an EMP at all, and lead/acid batteries are CHEMICAL STORAGE, 100% power DURING an EMP event.
Solar panels aren't affected by an EMP, no long runs of wiring or micro controllers to be affected.
'Suitcase' genset in a metal box, or extra solar panels for recharge...

Instant power & transportation after an EMP event, 100% reliable & unaffected.

Short term the only 'Need' is distilled water for batteries and time for roof mounted solar panels to charge the batteries.
Long term needs are grease/grease gun, distilled water & pints of fuel for generator if you don't have extra solar panels,
Solar array panels charge much faster than a couple on the roof, but keep you tied to a central charge point, and limit range, small genset lets you roam anywhere small amounts of fuel are available.

 

[JeepHammer]

Well, now the thread quieted down, here is some ACTUAL, up & running equipment.

This (blue tub) battery box powers the inverter to left (yellow & black).
This is it, common batteries & common, off the shelf inverter.
This is enough power to a small home for 8-10 hours.

You can't run an electric water heater, electric heat or air conditioner, but it will power low consumption lights (LED or CF),
It will power a gas furnace,
It will power fridge or freezer.
This inverter is like most smaller inverters, it outputs in 110VAC, and it has ports for USB (phone & device charging).

This is a compact and powerful package that can be recharged from nearly any 12 volt vehicle, and I specifically chose 12 volt inverter for this 'Emergency' situation so batteries can be recharged from any common vehicle.
Roll the battery box out on a dolly, use jumper cables to recharge.

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In this case,
I'm using it to power up a cartridge brass processing operation.
This processing can go mobile if needed since it works off grid and is self contained.

Case qualifier on left cart (mobile), about 3,000 an hour.
Center is a case body roller, restores rim & takes out bloating, removes Glock 'Smile',
Right is driven Dillon Super 1050, case trimmer, bullet feeders, etc.
The annealing machine typically sits to the right on a mobile cart, not in this picture.

This inverter will also power the cement mixer I typically use to clean brass with no issues.

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In the event of an EMP/Nuclear event...
A non PLC equipped sensor/motor controller that also controls automated annealing.

These are all dirt common parts, super inexpensive so lots of spare parts in stock.

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This is all dirt simple, off the shelf components, many are 'Plug & Play',
In the event it needs to go mobile, it's as simple as solar panels on the roof of an enclosed car trailer and a couple of battery charge controllers to replenish the batteries.

This is to show how simple basic 'Back-Up' power can be, just batteries & inverter, and a battery maintainer,
Or how it can be used for much more complicated things, depending on your skill level & knowledge base.