The recent snow and ice storms in the northeast left hundreds of thousands of residents without power. In Harvard, Massachusetts, however, one Prius owner found a way to keep the lights and electricity going by using his hybrid as a backup generator.
John Sweeney ran his fridge, freezer, wood stove fan and even his television and lights using his Prius for three days while the power was out in his town. By using an inverter to convert the car's DC power supply into household AC, Sweeney was able to generate 120 volts
The New York Times wrote about this a year ago. The battery in the Prius is able to provide an uninterrupted power supply as long as the engine turns on and off periodically to recharge it. Any car battery can be used this way, but only hybrids start automatically when they need to recharge their battery. As long as the Prius has enough fuel, it can produce three kilowatts of continuous power. That's enough to maintain the basic household electrical needs.
After three days, Mr. Sweeney's Prius used up a mere five gallons of gas to power the electricity in the Sweeney household - a bargain and a real smart grid solution.
Via The New York Times and WBZTV
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written by Clinch, December 29, 2008
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written by Gerben, December 29, 2008
Running a modern OHC engine for extended periods at low RPM is a surefire way to wear the lobes on the camshaft. This is because they are not supplied oil at full pressure at low RPM. This is OK for normal street operation where there is always a large fluctuation in RPMs.
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written by paul, December 29, 2008
On the other hand, I;m not sure of the efficiecny of the solution, but hey in an emergency, who cares about efficiency (did I say that out loud?)
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written by Chris, December 31, 2008
Please try in the future to know what you are talking about before you comment. As another says, the Prius drivetrains gas engine does not run all the time. It is an Atkinson cycle engine, not an Otto, which means it produces less power in comparison but operates more efficiently as well as is NOT an overhead camshaft design. It uses lifters that are actuated by the crank shaft. I suggest you read more or research more before you put your 2 cents in and try to sound smart. Thanks for kicking the ball around, glad you could be here (golf clap).
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written by Luke, December 31, 2008
I've been wanting to do the same modifications to my girlfriend's Prius, but she's reluctant to let me hack into her car... Yet. :-)
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written by Hank, January 02, 2009
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