My turbine power wall

[fabricator]

If it's not UL listed ~ odds are it's not going to get 'signed off' by your electrical inspector and it wont be 'legal'

UL Listed don't mean much, really.  My wife had a 140 watt curling iron that was UL Listed so she could put these cool looking waves in her hair, or whatever.  That curling iron, which is supposed to be double insulated and whatnot because it's UL Listed got a short in it.  She got a shock off it.  If it wasn't for my non-UL Listed inverter shutting itself down within milliseconds when it sensed the ground fault in that curling iron, her hair would have permanent curls and she wouldn't need no curling iron anymore.

But I have to admit - that was the same curling iron I dropped in the bathroom sink full of water one day to test the ground fault sensing in the inverter.  I may have damaged that curling iron when I did that because it sizzled pretty good.   
--
Chris

Hmmm, interesting testing methods there, they teach that method in Mechanical Engineering 101 I bet.........LOL

[fabricator]

Hi Chris

These waves it puts in her hair are they sine wave or square waves.

Brian

ROTFLMAO!!!

[WindriderNM]

I tested my MSW inverter to a scope the voltage increased and decreased in 6 even steps / cycle

[fabricator]

Here are some pics of the new and improved wind power wall.

[DanB]

UL Listed don't mean much, really.

I tend to agree with you fabricator.  UL listing doesn't mean anything to me...  and we may see that down the road when the first UL listed wind turbine out there are perhaps the most plastic, over rated, mass produced and unsatisfactory units (I expect that may happen) because only the biggest companies that are really worried about 'next quarters profits' will be the ones who can afford to push for such ratings ~ and then afford to have such testing done.  However - it does mean something to electrical inspectors.  If I were setting up my system today - again - I would seriously consider something like what you've got there.  When I set mine up for 48V several years ago, my 'cheapest' option for a system of 4000 Watts or more, was a reconditioned Trace SW.  If I were building a new home though - off grid, and expecting a visit from the State inspector...  I'd likely have to get something that was UL listed...  that was really my only point there.

Again - thanks for showing off your system, it's neat and I think the inverters involved should be quite interesting to lots of folks who are not concerned with the UL listing.  Also - I expect there is a good chance that such inverters will be UL listed in the near future.  Like all this stuff ~ technology is moving along and prices are going down.

[ChrisOlson]

Hmmm, interesting testing methods there, they teach that method in Mechanical Engineering 101 I bet.........LOL

Yeah, when things get slow I spend way too much time coming up with stuff that you should never try at home   
--
Chris

[ChrisOlson]

These waves it puts in her hair are they sine wave or square waves.

Not sure.  That woman has so many different tools for her hair I don't even know what they all are.  But I know they all require electricity to run 'em.

The worst one is her Super Turbo Pro Megawatt hair dryer.  That thing makes the inverter pull like 200 amps when she puts it on Full Afterburner.

When you live off-grid with women in the house you have to add up the kW draw of all their stuff and divide it by the number of women to come up with a kW per babe factor to properly size your inverters to handle the load.  Near as I can figger, it takes something like 2.5x more kW to power a woman than it does a man.  Men like toys that burn diesel fuel, like D-9 dozers and stuff like that.  Women like things that burn electricity   
--
Chris

[ChrisOlson]

The worst one is her Super Turbo Pro Megawatt hair dryer.  That thing makes the inverter pull like 200 amps when she puts it on Full Afterburner.

This is what I mean - we get no power from solar here in the winter because the sun doesn't shine.  And if it does there was just a snow storm and the panels are buried anyway.  So it's pretty much just wind and the ol' generator.  Today we got a 10-12 mph breeze and the turbine is only putting out 330 watts:



Meanwhile my wife has to go to some sort of meeting so she's overhauling hair.  She's pulling 198 amps off the inverter with the Super Turbo Pro Megwatt on Full Burn:



Around our house this is called "The Balance Of Power".

Dale - you're going to have to bolt a lot more stuff to that wall if you plan on powering a woman with it.
--
Chris

[halfcrazy]

The worst one is her Super Turbo Pro Megawatt hair dryer.  That thing makes the inverter pull like 200 amps when she puts it on Full Afterburner.

 

Around our house this is called "The Balance Of Power".

Dale - you're going to have to bolt a lot more stuff to that wall if you plan on powering a woman with it.
--
Chris

Agreed My wife just figured out the small electric clothes dryer we have will run of the dual outbacks so guess what she is doing today

[ChrisOlson]

Agreed My wife just figured out the small electric clothes dryer we have will run of the dual outbacks so guess what she is doing today

LOL!  It's good to have a Domestic Technician to amp test your battery bank from time to time to make sure it delivers Full Rated Power   
--
Chris

[12AX7]

*Yikes*

198 amps?

Without doing a lot of back tracking..  I Ass-ume that her dryer is 120v

198x120=23,760 watts  or  23.760 kilowatts!   that's like.... almost 32 horse power!
Am I messing up the math/formulas??
I can't imagine any hair dryer having a cord capable of passing that kind of power, let alone "standard" house wiring.  Most homes have only 100amp service.
I don't have a code book,  but I'm thinking most bathroom outlets would be wired with a number 14 wire supplied by a 15/20 amp breaker/fuse.

Is it possible that there is a error in your amp meter?  Maybe excessive line noise messing things up?
Have you checked current draw with another meter? 
How about a good old fashion analog type?

If in fact her hair dryer DOES draw that kind of current...  I need to buy stock in the local power company!

ax7
Mark

[TomW]

*Yikes*

198 amps?

Without doing a lot of back tracking..  I Ass-ume that her dryer is 120v

198x120=23,760 watts  or  23.760 kilowatts!   that's like.... almost 32 horse power!
Am I messing up the math/formulas??
I can't imagine any hair dryer having a cord capable of passing that kind of power, let alone "standard" house wiring.  Most homes have only 100amp service.
I don't have a code book,  but I'm thinking most bathroom outlets would be wired with a number 14 wire supplied by a 15/20 amp breaker/fuse.

Is it possible that there is a error in your amp meter?  Maybe excessive line noise messing things up?
Have you checked current draw with another meter? 
How about a good old fashion analog type?

If in fact her hair dryer DOES draw that kind of current...  I need to buy stock in the local power company!

ax7
Mark

12 Volt System through inverter. so 2.3 KW or 20 Amps give or take on the AC side and 10X that or more on the DC side..


Tom

[12AX7]

*Yikes*

198 amps?

Without doing a lot of back tracking..  I Ass-ume that her dryer is 120v

198x120=23,760 watts  or  23.760 kilowatts!   that's like.... almost 32 horse power!
Am I messing up the math/formulas??
I can't imagine any hair dryer having a cord capable of passing that kind of power, let alone "standard" house wiring.  Most homes have only 100amp service.
I don't have a code book,  but I'm thinking most bathroom outlets would be wired with a number 14 wire supplied by a 15/20 amp breaker/fuse.

Is it possible that there is a error in your amp meter?  Maybe excessive line noise messing things up?
Have you checked current draw with another meter? 
How about a good old fashion analog type?

If in fact her hair dryer DOES draw that kind of current...  I need to buy stock in the local power company!

ax7
Mark

12 Volt System through inverter. so 2.3 KW or 20 Amps give or take on the AC side and 10X that or more on the DC side..


Tom

*L*    ooops!

Now "that" I can believe!

[ChrisOlson]

If in fact her hair dryer DOES draw that kind of current...  I need to buy stock in the local power company!

LOL!  The inverter shows the DC amp draw off the bank.  It's like a 2 kW blow dryer and there was was probably something else running at the same time like the 'fridge maybe.  But I always kid her over her hair dryer because that's exactly what it says on it - Super Turbo Pro Megawatt.  Made in China.  And it sounds like somebody spooled up a J57 in the bathroom.
LOL!
--
Chris

[fabricator]

I think I'll just get  a couple of those blow up ones, and a hand tire pump.

[WindriderNM]

I got lucky.
My woman doesn't own a hair drier.
Doesn't like jewellery
Is more energy consious then I am
Likes to shovel snow
Likes to design wind and solar projects for me to  build
When we go shopping she goes to the tool section first.

[fabricator]

Does she have any sisters?........With tools?

[12AX7]

Does she have any sisters?........With tools?

don't forget...   bakes and owns a fishing boat

[poco dinero]

  owns a fishing boat

I suppose she likes to clean fish, too.

poco

[jenkinswt]

This is starting to remind me of the Build A Bear shops, Build A Woman shop.

[ruddycrazy]

Does she have any sisters?........With tools?

Turn em upside down there all sisters   

[DamonHD]

Ah well my other half is very supportive with all my energy conservation madness (I don't have carte blanche, but no arguments for the sake of it either) and neither of us likes paying full price for anything!  B^>

She did get a flowery (but functional) set of tools by her girlfriends recently: does that count?

Rgds

Damon

[TomW]

Just remember, guys:

A Woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.

Look it up its true.

Tom

[fabricator]

This is starting to remind me of the Build A Bear shops, Build A Woman shop.

Oh if only it could be so.

[fabricator]

Ah well my other half is very supportive with all my energy conservation madness (I don't have carte blanche, but no arguments for the sake of it either) and neither of us likes paying full price for anything!  B^>

She did get a flowery (but functional) set of tools by her girlfriends recently: does that count?

Rgds

Damon

That depends, will she let you use them?

[fabricator]

Just remember, guys:

A Woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.

Look it up its true.

Tom

Yeah but who needs a cold stationary Haddock?

[Ungrounded Lightning Rod]

A Woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.

Look it up its true.

According to the Lesbian Separatist faction that took over the Women's Liberation movement after the failure of the Equal Rights Amendment.  One of their people originated that quote.

(Guess my age is showing.  I lived through all that stuff.  I'm surprised anybody growing up in the '60s actually reproduced - at least if they had enough math ability and memory to handle birth control pills.)

[Ungrounded Lightning Rod]

I got lucky.
My woman doesn't own a hair drier.
Doesn't like jewellery
Is more energy consious then I am
Likes to shovel snow
Likes to design wind and solar projects for me to  build
When we go shopping she goes to the tool section first.

I was tempted to use the "sisters" line also.  But I already have a fine wife.

Used to be a Democratic committeeperson.  I bought her first NRA membership as a gift.  Now she's a life member, certified pistol and personal-protection class instructor, and was instrumental in getting the Million Mommies thrown out of the free office space (an ENTIRE FLOOR!) they were scamming out of the San Francisco government hospital system.  (They had to downsize so much the remnants  had to merge into another anti-gun organization to avoid the bad publicity from folding.)

Decent shot.

Doesn't own a hair drier.  Very energy conscious.  Started pushing me to get my butt in gear on a windmill after the city managed to pass the 3 1/2% utilities tax on the second try.  (She organized the opposition that blocked the first try by 6 votes.  B-) )  Windmill project has been on hold while we finish up the remodel (that increased insulation and finished the rewiring on the townhouse) and the garden (which has already kept us in veggies for a couple half-years.  The chickens are due in a couple weeks.)

Only likes jewelry as a way to store investment gold that won't be seized if the Feds repeat the depression-era coinage/bullion grab.

Doesn't like to shovel snow and doesn't want me to have a heart attack.  So found a site for our vacation/retirement home that's in a "rain shadow" from the Sierras.  Gets a little snow but never enough to need shoveling.  B-)

Degree in foods and nutrition and serious "foodie" chef.  WANTED and LOVED the fancy cooking utinsels she got from me for her present one Christmas.  When we shop she picks up the ingredients we aren't/can't home-grow (at the moment) for her latest (virtually always delicious) cooking ideas.  No problem with me buying what tools I need for the latest projects (though the lighting in the warehouse home-improvement stores gives her migraines and/or vertigo attacks so she mostly doesn't participate there).

Did the interior design on the remodels - including most of the kitchen redesign in consultation with the designer.  Place is now beautiful.  And the kitchen can easily cook for anywhere from dinner for two to (with up to three cooks not getting in each other's way) for a small army, banquet, or catering operation.

And of course other benefits that aren't appropriate for an open forum.   B-)

There ARE good women out there.  Women who appreciate men who are supportive, stable, and "handy".  Women who think engineers are much better mates than executives, salesmen, or politicians.  And you only have to get a relationship right ONCE.

[DamonHD]

fabricator:

That depends, will she let you use them?

If I don't have mine to hand, and I ask nicely, yes!

Rgds

Damon

[Bruce S]

ULR;
      Did you clone my wife while I was in Egypt?
For years anniversary gifts were power tools. Certified Chef, favorite website? Chefscatalog.com
She's better at drywall than most "pros" that come around.
Redid living room and dinning room while Rich & I were walking the Rice patties in Philippines.

Big Bertha is a 20quart Hobart mixer has it's own roll-around.
Already wore out the 600 watt pro-mixer from kitchenaid on 2nd one.
Why go out? only to visit chef friends and try new red wines, otherwise the food at home is better than most "Nosh" type places around town.
We are headed back to Provence this coming Christmas so she can visit Chef Breyard<-sp?

                                                           FAB_ Major apologies for the drift!!!
Glad you were able to find out about the inverters not being up to par before too much was on the line.

Bruce S
 

[CompuTutor]

Hello everyone,
Funny how this started as the ideal inverter wall,
and turned into the ideal wife thread instead...

Fish, Bicycles, and ubber-hairdryers oh my...



Anyway, I'm a retired electronic technician with nothing but time,
I am seeking a blown out "AccurateTools" / "ATSIU" Inverter please.



@Fabricator,
I sure hope you didn't throw yours out yet !   <Hopes>
Which one did you actually blow out please ?

Both of the 220-VAC ones,
or just the single 110-VAC one ?



I will email a prepaid USPS shippers label (PDF)
to simply be printed out for the shipping box
so it cost's you nothing to send it to me.

It will be fully stripped and reverse engineered
so I can review the products initial design issues
and rework it to be a safer product in the end.

Tops on the list is the single-shot GFI failure issue !

Second, will be the ability to run two seperate 110-VAC unit banks
in a locked out of phase state to power a standard breaker box,
and provide the 220-VAC factor like we are all used to...



I have also opened an email dialog with
the manufacturer in over in China just now.

They admit it has issues and isn't perfect,
and welcome any revisions I can provide.



So, "Fabricator", or anyone with a blown stackable inverter,
could you please donate the darned thing to me please ?



I am hoping it will be the top 2500W/5000W model,
I don't care what voltage in or out it is though...
(SUN-2500P/12-120  or  ATSIU-2500P-12-120 as examples)

Thanks,
CompuTutor
Fri 02-04-11

[fabricator]

Right now I have two of the 2500/5000 48VDC/240VAC units one was taken out of service before it failed, the other is new in the box, it's a new return of one that did blow, the box has never been opened, the other is a 2500/5000 48VDC/110AC unit it was also a replacement for one that failed.
Now I'm not quite sure what you are asking here, I'm supposed to send you seven hundred and fifty dollars worth of working inverters (until they are turned on once) For what?
You are obviously someone who has an interest in these inverters not being trashed on forums like this, and you have the ability to open a dialog with the factory so it's quite obvious you are, affiliated with the factory or are the importer.
I'll tell you what I'll do, you credit my paypal account $500 dollars and send me the prepaid labels and you can have all three inverters to do as you please with and I'll stop trashing them on all the boards I'm a member of.

[freejuice]

Hi Fabricator,
So your're not handing out inverters?

Hey brother can you spare a Dime an inverter?

 Well you know the drill just another spin on:

Dear Fabricator,
I'm the attorney of JHoe Smith of America United States, he has requested me to send you milliuons of dollars,
 send right away, your please, identification;  Social Security number, address and cheacking account numbers so I can deposit money away right via Western Uniuon.