Batteries & the environment.

[chatwindows]

The other day a man walked up the road after me & introduced himself. He was very interested in my Blingo, as he had seen the sign in the back window saying "electric vehicle" (regen braking & all that) He is a retired university electronics professor, who is now working for HM gov. He & several others are studying the infrastructures below the ground, to establish what the effect is going to be in the next ten years as the number of electric vehicles rapidly increase & the subsequent load on the electricity supplies as everyone switches on at night to re-charge. Apparantly it is of great concern & various ideas are being put out in regard to time limits & how many vehicles per street are to be allowed. He hastened to add, that at present it is mainly a talking shop who are kicking ideas about. He did say however, that the government are taking it very seriously as they envisage a serious increase in EVs in the coming decade when it is thought that fuel prices/taxes will make the EV an increasingly attractive proposition for commuters & urban dwellers. He is currently making me a printed circuit board to enable me to use a Hall effect switch on my regen input wires to enable them to activate my stop lights. I'm happy to have his input & friendship now. He is also captivated by my Morgan Three Wheeler, so that helps. I'll make sure any info from him comes to the forum. Happy New Year to you all. Chatwindows.

[ChrisB]

The whole electrical energy usage is actually pretty worrying really, we keep using more and more lecy yet we're not really keeping up with the infrastructure, the grid was pretty much maxed out a few years back and to my knowledge its not had that much added to it.

Go and find your local substation and take look over he fence, I bet your find the trannys could be 40 odd years old plus, yeah when they where put in they had spare capacity but that was then.

We had our local sub area fuse go pop 6mths or so ago and I happened to catch the chap doing the fuse change (subs just round the corner) and he reconed our sub was at well over 100% cap, which was proved when he slapped back the fuse which then promptly took another phase fuse out round here we keep having minor drop outs and I recon its all down to the lack of investment, loads of two bed holiday homes have been pulled down and either a block of flats gets put up or 4 2bed rabit hutches goes in, all connected onto the same old supply in the road

ChrisB

[retepsnikrep]

Hopefully micro power generation might save some of us when cheap solar cells on a roll become an affordable reality and we all have roofs entirely devoted to power generation. I think we have 5-10 years left before we see a massive EV power hit on the grid.

[Night Train]

I think it is a big issue and have been looking into it as a possible area of study.

Supply infrastructure will need to be able to keep up with the demand for electricity as the demand for fossil fuels decrease both nationally and locally.
It is a little like trying to deliver the current demands for tanker loads of oil on Roman roads. It is one reason why Hydrogen may win out as it could be piped and tankered by adapting existing gas and oil based networks.

Local micro generation is one way to do this and could go hand in hand with swapable battery packs, car to grid connection and efficiency of consumption.

It would make more sense for batteries to be charged only when the supply is available to spread the demand and then used when on full charge by swaping out fom the vehicle either at home or at a battery garage. Full unused batteries could then be charging others that are more in need.

I can imagine that the current night time off peak will not be 'off peak' if EVs were in the majority.

Chatwindows, I may be interested in talking to this chap in relation to my studies.

[chatwindows]

Hello Nightrain.
I will ask Roger (the Boffin) first, out of common good manners. If he is happy with it, I will give you his details so that you have no need to go via me etc; etc; My tel is 07702604120. Give me a couple of days to contact him. I am rather up to the proverbials at the moment so be patient. All the best. Chatwindows.

[Night Train]

Hi CH,

That's fine, thank you.

I'll pm my details to you if he is interested in having a chat.

Cheers,
NT

[ChrisB]

Hopefully micro power generation might save some of us when cheap solar cells on a roll become an affordable reality and we all have roofs entirely devoted to power generation. I think we have 5-10 years left before we see a massive EV power hit on the grid.

It really depends on how much fast charging takes off, most vehicles currently are 3kw or less so while it will have an effect I dont think it will cause that much of an issue, but once the whole fast charge thing comes in needing 32A or bigger supplies then this is likely to cause problems, mainly during the winter, summer times arnt an issue as all he houses with night storage htrs are off line by then, its the winter we need to worry about.

Cheap solar cells now that would be nice ....... cant see it personally

ChrisB

[ChrisB]

It is one reason why Hydrogen may win out as it could be piped and tankered by adapting existing gas and oil based networks.......

Think they will need to find a decent way of making Hydro cheaply first, their current methods just dont stack up in terms of efficiency.

ChrisB

[Night Train]

It is one reason why Hydrogen may win out as it could be piped and tankered by adapting existing gas and oil based networks.......

Think they will need to find a decent way of making Hydro cheaply first, their current methods just dont stack up in terms of efficiency.

ChrisB

Since when has cost stopped a petrochemical company from influencing government policy and direction on what people are cornered into having to use for fuel?

[ChrisB]

It is one reason why Hydrogen may win out as it could be piped and tankered by adapting existing gas and oil based networks.......

Think they will need to find a decent way of making Hydro cheaply first, their current methods just dont stack up in terms of efficiency.

ChrisB

Since when has cost stopped a petrochemical company from influencing government policy and direction on what people are cornered into having to use for fuel?

Ah I see where your coming from

ChrisB