Re: inverter for the laptop computer, AKA expensive email

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Principals of power conversion/inversion, Ok,  let's see how this works; the batteries are low, by buring expensive diesel fuel to generate power through the high output alternator, alternator stand for alternating current (A/C) same current used in your house,  we use the alternators regulator to transform the A/C produced by the alternator into 12V DC current to charge the batteries.  We then take 12V DC form the house batteries and invert it to 120V A/C, so we can convert it back into DC to run the laptop computer.

In our next lifetime let's do things smarter, buy an $80 cigarette adapter and plug in you laptop directly into the DC battery power.

Delete all alternating current usage on the boat at anchor (no microwave popcorn), install a DC generator, produce DC and store DC, it's simpler and more efficient.

Marty

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Marty:
 
Good point made about keeping it simple.  In general, there is about a 30% loss of efficiency when we convert from one energy form to another, hence direct charging of the computer battery is more energy efficient.
 
This is one of the problems with the proposed hydrogen powered car.  How do you manufacture hydrogen?  The cheapest means is electrolysis and many of our electric generation plants use fossil fuel.  Hence, one still has to burn fossil fuel, convert it to electricity, generate hydrogen then oxidize hydrogen to generate electricity to run the car.  This is not as efficient as burning fossil fuel directly in a car.  Another problem is waste water generation.  For every two mole-pounds of hydrogen oxidized, 18 mole-pounds of water is generated or about 2.2 gallons of water.   If the water is evaporated or dumped, humidity in the cities increases drastically and in the areas surrounding busy highways.  If the water is stored in tanks, the size and weight of the car increases which decreases fuel efficiency.  There are other problems with the concept of using hydrogen to run cars, such as how do you fuel a hydrogen car and what happens in a crash if the hydrogen is released - remember the Hindenberg.  If the oxygen-to-hydrogen ratio is high, hydrogen burns. At a low oxygen-to-hydrogen ratio, hydrogen detonates.
 
Enough of my rambling,
 
R
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2005 8:24 PM
Subject: [bcc] Re: inverter for the laptop computer, AKA expensive email

Principals of power conversion/inversion, Ok,  let's see how this works; the batteries are low, by buring expensive diesel fuel to generate power through the high output alternator, alternator stand for alternating current (A/C) same current used in your house,  we use the alternators regulator to transform the A/C produced by the alternator into 12V DC current to charge the batteries.  We then take 12V DC form the house batteries and invert it to 120V A/C, so we can convert it back into DC to run the laptop computer.

In our next lifetime let's do things smarter, buy an $80 cigarette adapter and plug in you laptop directly into the DC battery power.

Delete all alternating current usage on the boat at anchor (no microwave popcorn), install a DC generator, produce DC and store DC, it's simpler and more efficient.

Marty