Hydrogen Assist Fuel Cells

[lzvagias]

Originally Posted by matthew@f

they draw up 30 amps!!!! on the alternator... that's a lot of energy/HP!!

A stereo system can use way more and cars electrical system handles it without any notable decrease in HP. I've had small amplifiers that were fused for 50 amps.

BTW- I stand corrected, the Honda I mentioned turns out to be a fuel cell car.

[matthew@f]

Originally Posted by lzvagias

A stereo system can use way more and cars electrical system handles it without any notable decrease in HP. I've had small amplifiers that were fused for 50 amps.

BTW- I stand corrected, the Honda I mentioned turns out to be a fuel cell car.

you are not mechanically minded i am guessing

[lzvagias]

Originally Posted by matthew@f

you are not mechanically minded i am guessing

Uh... actually, in my free time I build custom choppers from the ground up but thanks for asking.

I do know that an alternator adds additional load to the motor and I understand that stock alternators have a limited amount of amperage that they are capable of producing. I also know that stock alternators are perfectly capable of handling a 30amp device. What I don't understand, specificly, is how adding an additional 30amp device is going to rob more horsepower. But I'm always willing to learn something new.

[matthew@f]

well you don't pluck 30amps out of thin air! it has to be made with air and fuel ...

nice chopper!!!

[spockcat]

Perhaps I'm wrong but as you increase the electrical demand on an alternator, doesn't it become more difficult to turn the alternator? Thus, you are using more of the engine's horsepower?

[Vegas Matt]

Originally Posted by spockcat

Perhaps I'm wrong but as you increase the electrical demand on an alternator, doesn't it become more difficult to turn the alternator? Thus, you are using more of the engine's horsepower?

This is how I've always understood it as well. More load on the alternator, the harder it is to spin. The harder it is to spin, the harder the engine has to work to spin it, therefore the loss of engine efficiency.

The question becomes: Does this hydrogen dealie make up enough for the loss of baseline engine efficiency to make it worthwhile? Breaking even is not making it worthwhile.

Matt

[matthew@f]

last time i looked our local power station uses a bucket load of coal to turn the generator..

[lzvagias]

Originally Posted by spockcat

Perhaps I'm wrong but as you increase the electrical demand on an alternator, doesn't it become more difficult to turn the alternator? Thus, you are using more of the engine's horsepower?

Perhaps this is where my confusion is rooted, the way I have always thought that the alternator works is that it creates a certain amount of power which is governed by a voltage regulator. In other words, once the motor reaches a certain RPM (ie the correct idle speed) it is creating as much electricity as it would at 6500 RPM. I may very well be wrong about that but this would make more sense than if the voltage/ amperage fluxuated with RPMs. I would think that your lighting system, computer, stereo system, and ignition would all be very sensitive to fluxuations in current. Again, I could be completely wrong about this as I am certainly no expert in D/C electrical systems.

[nickm]

As far as I understood it, amperage is never drawn directly from the alternator...its always drawn from the battery. I understood the electrical system to work as described by lzvagias, where a consistent charge is being created by the alternator and fed to the battery in a linear - non rpm dependant fashion. I don't think there is any load difference on the alternator (ie: it turns at the same rate regardless of current draw on battery)....this is why you see capacitors on high end audio systems, they are there to store energy for the peak current draws...

[lzvagias]

Originally Posted by matthew@f

last time i looked our local power station uses a bucket load of coal to turn the generator..

Yep, you are 100% correct! But our cars use fossil fuels instead to run our motors which, guess what..... run our, well I think you see where I'm going with this.