How to Make a Electric Car

Jane Oke asked: When we set out to learn how to make a electric car we weren’t sure how hard it would be. Today, after doing 3 complete conversions we are certain that anyone even the novice can build their own electric car. What do you need to start? ??First you need a place to work- garage, shop or even your laneway ??Simple tools that every home workshop has in it- wrenches, cordless drill, some power tools etc. ??Detailed plans on how to make a electric car We recommend that you start out by finding the right vehicle to convert into an electric car. Small cars and trucks are best. They are light and strong and small trucks have lots of room for battery placement. Our personal favorite is older Toyota small pickups or Ford Rangers; both are good trucks with proven electric car conversion success. You will next need deep cycle batteries (about 20) and a DC electric motor. We are thankful that the plans showed sources of free batteries and DC motors we could use for our electric car. That really helped keep the cost down of our conversion- a big part of the expense is in those two items. You should be able to do your own conversion for only a few hundred dollars- about the cost of one major repair. But the benefits are long lasting. Electric motors require very little maintenance for one thing. They just don’t break down that often. And of course you won’t have to put gas in your car anymore- a major benefit. Where do all those batteries go? We like to build custom boxes and put the batteries in the frame of the vehicle, but ready made battery boxes are available too. You can locate some batteries up front since the DC motor and controller don’t take up much space. You can usually put 6 or more up there. With a truck you can locate the batteries in the box if you want to. This does cut down on carrying capacity though. This is probably the biggest decision you will have to make- batteries vs. carrying capacity. Learning how to make a electric car is really about learning some new skills and applying them to new technology. It really isn’t difficult though. Your new electric car will be able to go 50 mph on the highway and have a range of up to 200 miles; and the acceleration… We were amazed at the stoplight to stoplight speed. This is not a slow moving electric golf cart here; this is a very quick machine. We just love driving by gas stations now. The first time you drive by a fill up station you will know why we are always smiling, you will be too. Did you know that gas prices are expected to rise to $7 per gallon by next year? Isn’t it time you did your own conversion? Let’s get started. Solar power Read more on How to Make a Electric Car… Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post this on Diigo Post on Google Buzz Add this to Mister Wong Share this on Mixx Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Tweet This! Get Shareaholic

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How to Make a Electric Car

Harnessing Amibient Light For Solar Energy

SolarPrint Launches Unmatched Energy Harvesting Technology for Low-Power Wireless Sensor Applications Irish company offers a next-generation photovoltaic solution for indoor solar energy harvesting SolarPrint , a leading photovoltaic (PV) energy technology developer, today expands the possibilities of next-generation energy harvesting for wireless sensors with the launch of its dye-sensitised solar cell (DSSC) technology. SolarPrints DSSC technology, which is integrated into wireless sensors to improve harvesting efficiencies of commercial applications, pushes the boundaries of existing PV solutions and increases the power output performance of indoor PV solutions dramatically. Read more on Harnessing Amibient Light For Solar Energy… Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post this on Diigo Post on Google Buzz Add this to Mister Wong Share this on Mixx Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Tweet This! Get Shareaholic

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Harnessing Amibient Light For Solar Energy

Electric Car Parts – What Are the Main Parts of Electric Car Driving Systems?

Humayun Altaf asked: Electric cars are different from the fuel propelled ones. They have a simpler driving system that provides these cars with the needed energy to roll the streets for a reasonable period of time. Whether it is a golf Cart, RV, Trike or any other electrically propelled vehicle, its system should have the three main electric car parts, the motor, the controller and the battery. The electric motor is the most important one of all the electric car parts in your vehicle. It is the part responsible for the propelling of the car and it comes in three popular types, the DC wound, the Permanent magnet DC and the AC motor. The AC is the most complex one but it is the most efficient in the same time. It is usually used in these vehicles that need extra power to move and climb steep hills. On the other hand, the DC wound is the simple and the easiest electric motor to install but it produces less power than the AC one. It is sometimes preferred because of its lower cost. Number two on the important electric car parts is the battery. While some cars would use the standard car batteries as a source of energy, the more advanced ones use the Ni batteries as more efficient energy source that gives extra range of operation for the vehicle. They require less time to be charged and provides more energy for the motor attached. The third part of the electric car parts is the controller and this part is responsible for power management, it senses the amount of energy needed by the motor and supplies it directly from the batteries in order to get the car to move. The controller is very important because it synchronizes the operation of both the motor and the battery. Water 4 Gas Read more on Electric Car Parts – What Are the Main Parts of Electric Car Driving Systems?… Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post this on Diigo Post on Google Buzz Add this to Mister Wong Share this on Mixx Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Tweet This! Get Shareaholic

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Electric Car Parts What Are the Main Parts of Electric Car Driving Systems?

History of Electric Vehicles – Timeline

The past decade has been the most significant ten-year period for EVs since the first ten years of the 20th century, when 38 percent of cars in 1900 were charging up, many with the aid of Thomas Edison-designed electric technology. Read more on History of Electric Vehicles – Timeline… Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post this on Diigo Post on Google Buzz Add this to Mister Wong Share this on Mixx Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Tweet This!

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History of Electric Vehicles Timeline

Go Off The Grid With Alternate Home Energy

Home power usage is one of the primary issues of folk today. The fact is, everyone needs electricity to power our lives. We need the level of civilization that may be offered by electricity. However , the majority think that the price paid is simply too much for the amount of electricity they get to consume. In the actual spirit of humanity, people did what they usually do whenever theres something that does not absolutely satisfy them about life : they trail-blazed. Alternative home energy has been on the roll ever since people have made designs efficient enough to make them feasible. Folks may think that alternative power is simply a current development, but in reality alternative home energy has been around even before electricity was discovered. Consider these varieties of alternate home energy if you are enthusiastic about off the grid green energy for your house : 1. Wind power – recently windmills are employed in houses to run tiny generators. These generators produce and store electricity to be utilized in running small home appliances. But windmills have been around for a long time. If you have a look at the word “windmill” at green lifestyles websites like http://offthegridhomeenergy.com you will realize that this type of alternative home energy device was employed for a purpose aside from producing electricity. Yes, the windmill was indeed, used to mill grain. As you may well know, grinding grain my hand is very difficult work. So so as to make life handier and the production of flour better, windmills were used to turn the large grinders. Seeing as how this was so effective, it was inescapable that the windmill develop into the 21st century in order to be used as a power source. 2. Solar energy – many individuals think about this type of alternative home energy as something that’s technologically advanced. In a way, utilizing the power of the sun to supply electricity is. But this alternative home energy has already been used for a long, long time. Think about this word for a second : clothesline. Aha, you get it now, don’t you? Yes, we’ve been using solar electricity to dry our garments for God knows how long. Think about that spin dryer or hair-dryer you have and think how much electricity it uses to do a role that the sun has been able to do for a while albeit at a slower pace. This alternative home energy is harnessed today for a range of jobs. Some use it to heat their houses, others use solar electricity to heat water, and other people use solar power cells to power little appliances and save a little on that electricity bill. The potency by which we are now able to convert solar electricity into electricity is of such a degree it is possible to power a whole house! Now, isn’t that amazing? 3. Hydropower – this sort of alternative home energy employs water currents in order to turn turbines to run generators. Once more, this is not really a leading edge technology. Like windmills, waterwheels were often used to utilize the power of a nearby river in order to grind grain into flour. 4. Biogas – This is another choice home energy source. Biogas is produced naturally through the decomposition of different biological material. By using biogas instead of the common LPG, home owners can cut back on their heating bills. As you can see, there are a lot of different sorts of alternative home energy. What you need to do is explore these options and discover which type is the best for you to use. You have also been informed as to how we have used these power sources in the past and how they are being used today. Sadly, some of the techniques of harnessing these different alternative home energy types may yet appear unrealistic to the common homeowner. Nonetheless as technology continues to develop, you may be certain that the utilization of alternate energy will be more effective. By using alternative home energy, you do 2 things : you save on your costs and you assist in the creation of a new world. You see, alternative home sources of energy do not produce any damaging effects to the environment. By employing these sources, you harness relatively free energy. Some of the people may say that the devices used to harness these sources might be too pricey, but in the long term, you may finish up saving so very much more than you spend. Read more on Go Off The Grid With Alternate Home Energy… Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post this on Diigo Post on Google Buzz Add this to Mister Wong Share this on Mixx Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Tweet This!

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Geothermal Heat Pumps 101

Phillip Rye asked: It seems like about three million of you have asked me to explain how a geothermal system works. Well, maybe not three million, but it’s a bunch of you and I’m honored that I have the opportunity to do it. Now you’ve probably already figured out that I’m not smart enough to be real technical, but I do have some common sense. So I will use a common-sense approach to explain how the most efficient heating and cooling system available today can help you. Actually you could get the Oct. 25, 1948, issue of Life magazine and get a great explanation. That’s correct, 1948. Geothermal units are not new, but it has only been in recent years that they’ve gained in popularity. It just takes awhile for adults to embrace new ideas, especially if they cost more money. Notice that I said adults. When I show high school students how you can spend $50 more per month on installing a geothermal unit and save $75 per month on your utility bill, they simply say “cool.” No discussion or argument. They would take it in a minute. OK, OK – here’s how it works. All energy comes from the sun. Mr. Sunshine has provided a lot of BTUs for a lot of years and Mother Earth has absorbed and stored that energy. A closed-loop geothermal system simply removes those BTUs from Mother Earth in the winter and gives them back in the summer. At depths of five feet or more, the earth temperature remains close to 57 degrees, as evidenced by a cave’s temperature. This temperature varies only slightly across the United States. There are two basic ways to install a geothermal unit. If digging a trench is difficult or if space is limited, geothermal contractors drill holes into the ground vertically to install small-diameter polyethylene pipe. If digging a horizontal trench is feasible, the pipe is installed in a horizontal trench. A very small pump then circulates water from the earth to the geothermal unit and back to the ground in the closed-loop pipe. Actually, geothermal is not the best name for this unit. A better name is ground-coupled heat pump or water-to-air heat pump. As you learned in my last newsletter, a heat pump doesn’t create heat, it just moves heat from one location to another using a compressor. Example: A window air conditioner blows cool air inside and hot air outside. If you turn the air conditioner around, it will blow hot air inside and cool air outside. As it circulates 57-degree water in the winter, the geothermal unit, using the compressor to remove heat from the water, provides 105-degree air into the house. As the water goes back to the ground loop, it immediately starts absorbing BTUs from the earth. In the summer, a reversing valve simply reverses the process and the compressor pumps BTUs into the ground loop. The water returns to the earth and immediately starts cooling off again. It’s all about heat transfer. Here’s another example — a blacksmith heats a horseshoe to red hot. To cool it, he doesn’t wave the horseshoe into the air. Instead, he simply dips it in water. It cools off a lot faster and takes a lot less energy. I have been responsible for the installation of thousands of geothermal units and I have had no disappointed customers. My wife and I have had geothermal heating and cooling for 18 years and we simply would not have any other system. Geothermal gives good hot air in the winter and really cold air in the summer and uses less energy than any other central heating and cooling system. So don’t be a tightwad. Buy the best there is – you, your family, and your house deserve it. Solar power Read more on Geothermal Heat Pumps 101… Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post this on Diigo Post on Google Buzz Add this to Mister Wong Share this on Mixx Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Tweet This!

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You Decide – Weighing the Pros and Cons of Geothermal Energy

Darren W Chow asked: There has been an ongoing debate pertaining to the pros and cons of geothermal energy. Before we can begin to discuss the advantages and disadvantages, we need to have a clear understanding of what exactly geothermal energy is. 4,000 miles below the Earth’s surface is incredibly hot. It is thought to be over 7,000 degrees Fahrenheit. While this temperature is extremely dangerous and must be avoided, if you were to drill about 3 or 4 miles below the Earth’s surface, you can find a hot rock that is far less dangerous, and it is at only 300 to 400 Fahrenheit. This rock and heat can be used as a constant source of heat but would prove to be very expensive. Now while drilling and using this hot rock can be extremely expensive, there are other alternatives. In some places, only a few hundred feet below the surface there are areas that have combined this hot rock and underground water to produce hot water streams. This is the most economic source of heat below the earth and can be used in a number of ways. The heat can be used to heat homes, businesses and even run large farms or provide energy for greenhouses. The constant source of geothermal energy comes with a number of benefits and a number of concerns. These pros and cons mostly relate to environmental issues, overall cost and reliability. In terms of environmental effects, the impact of geothermal energy has more benefits than disadvantages. Geothermal facilities do not emit any emissions and on the whole, these factories take up far less space than any gas plants that are used for the same process. This is because the facilities do not require any underground pipelines to distribute fuel. Essentially geothermal energy is a universal contributor to a cleaner, safer and healthier environment. On top of the environmental benefits, geothermal plants are not only more efficient but are also very reliable. The system is much simpler all around and there are a lot less problems that can occur in maintaining the facility. There is also no waste disposal and transport of fuel required to run the factory and produce energy. The main con when discussing geothermal energy is the overall cost. The start up cost for geothermal power plants is quite substantial and this is the main argument against the energy source. However the truth is that this initial cost is often compensated for rather quickly as operation costs are extremely low in comparison to other sources of energy. The costs of drilling and maintaining these plants are also decreasing steadily. The technology used for geothermal energy is constantly improving and geothermal plants are becoming more readily available. There is no denying the technology involved and once we continue to lower the overall cost, there will be no limit to the benefits that we can take advantage of through the use of geothermal energy. Water 4 Gas Read more on You Decide – Weighing the Pros and Cons of Geothermal Energy… Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post this on Diigo Post on Google Buzz Add this to Mister Wong Share this on Mixx Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Tweet This!

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You Decide Weighing the Pros and Cons of Geothermal Energy

How to Build Your Own Electric Car

Bill Temple asked: Learning how to build your own electric car is not a difficult project, even if you have very little experience you can do this. We have now converted 3 vehicles now. We’re now confident that anyone can do this, learn how to build you own electric car of their own. What do you need to get started? ? You’ll need a place to work – shop, garage or outside somewhere ? Detailed plans of how to build your own electric car ? Simple tools- saws, cordless drill, wrenches etc. ? Also you should find a good reliable helper Before you begin you are going to need a vehicle, the detailed plans showed us where to find inexpensive, yet good quality vehicles at very reasonable prices. After you have located a vehicle you need to find deep cycle batteries and DC or AC motors to run your electric car. In total you will need at least 20 batteries to achieve a reasonable range between charges, usually 200 miles or so. Probably the hardest part is the battery placement. You don’t want to sacrifice weight for range, but a balance must be struck that is right for your range of travel and yet you must consider that you will need room for passengers and cargo. Your own driving habits will determine what is best for you. Learning how to build your own electric car is not that difficult once these preliminary items are taken care of first. Did you know that gas prices are expected to top $7 per gallon next year? Isn’t it time you got started learning how to build you own electric car? We remember the first time we drove by a gas station in our newly converted electric car and it was such a joy not to have to stop and pay for the expensive gasoline anymore. Let’s get started on your conversion. How To Build Your Own Electric Car is the best place to start to do your own conversion and start saving on your own gasoline costs, saving the environment as there are no emissions and saving money for your family too, you can build you own electric car. Solar Power for homes Read more on How to Build Your Own Electric Car… Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post this on Diigo Post on Google Buzz Add this to Mister Wong Share this on Mixx Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Tweet This!

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Geothermal Industry

Loisa Jamora asked: A quick increase in the population of ecological companies has been noticed following the rising product requests of the organic society. Several green businesses assist the environment by making products that lessens our energy demands. Some of these companies offer alternative energy methods like solar energy, wind power and other services by the geothermal industry. Geothermal power production facility throughout the world rose between years 2000 to 2005, involving about 0.2% of the entire world established power production facility. The Ground-Source Heat Pump, more popularly known as the Geothermal Heat Pump or basically geo-exchange, is the quickest rising geothermal appliance these days. It is exceedingly resourceful renewable energy machinery that is widely accepted in both commercial and residential buildings, with more that a million global installations by the year 2005. Geothermal Heat Pumps are utilized for space cooling and heating, including water heating too. This geothermal industry equipment depends on the reality that the ground has a moderately constant temperature all through the year, more humid that the air on top of it throughout winter and colder in summer. Ground-source heat pump methods function like two electrical devices, an air conditioner and a heating system but use about 50% less electricity than most usual cooling or heating systems. Geothermal technology is appropriate for incorporated local energy systems, country electrification and mini-grid purposes, particularly in dispensed generation methods, adding to nationwide network applications. It is being presented as a provincial resource, uniting the use of renewable power resources in conjunction with ecological benefits. Geothermal power is enclosed in the heated ground with rocks and liquid filling the pores and cracks in the earth’s outer layer. It can be collected in two days, straight usage of steam or hot water for room heating or manufacturing use like thermal baths, hot springs, aquaculture and to electricity power plants. Direct little temperature usage take up about double the power facility as is employed for power production. Direct usage of geothermal heat has been observed for already a thousand decades. The main direct use function nowadays are ground source heat pump installations for room heating, currently approximated to go above five hundred thousand and are the topmost in terms of universal facility and third in productivity. Geothermal energy is generated by using any of the fundamental technologies it has. Dry steam electricity plants making use of dry steam methods were the first among the many geothermal industry plants to be constructed. They make use of the vapor from the geothermal tank as it present from wells and course it straightly through turbines or generators to create electricity. These days most widespread types in the geothermal industry include flash steam plants. They utilize water at high temperatures being pumped below high pressure to the generation apparatus outside. Upon reaching the generation apparatus, the pressure is abruptly decreased, permitting some of the heated water to change or “flash” into vapor. Being in the geothermal industry with geothermal power assignments calls for high principal investment for examination, making wells and plant installations, but have low operating expenses because of the low secondary charge of oil. Investment returns are not attained as faster as with inexpensive fossil fuel electricity plants, but longer term profitable benefits accumulate from the usage of this native fuel supply. Solar power Read more on Geothermal Industry… Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post this on Diigo Post on Google Buzz Add this to Mister Wong Share this on Mixx Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Tweet This!

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Geothermal Industry

Homemade Electric Car for Science Project

George Christodoulou asked: The buzz about alternative energy and Electric Vehicle (EV) has revived the last few years because of the clear threat that global warming has become. But for hobbyists and innovators, and lovers of life and earth, electric cars have been the gold standard for quite sometime now. Even more so after losing hope in Detroit, which actually recalled perfectly working and sold out versions of its EV and destroyed it for no apparent reason in the early 90s, even more so. It makes good sense too. The earliest cars were EVs and the managed to make motor vehicle history. Their time was up for no good reason when automakers decided to make cars with the internal combustion engines that require fossil fuel, a limited source of energy. Everything from old Ford Taurus to Opel GT and even full scale trucks has gone electric or hybrid thanks to your owners. You can rest assure though that it takes a lot of time and energy to get it done, but surprisingly not a lot of money. In fact, for what you save on gas after your little science project, the cost of the whole thing will seem negligible. You might want to consider taking help from a friend who lives and breathes engines or a local mechanic if you yourself are a novice, despite your enthusiasm. Just keep in mind that the basic to making your car hybrid is packing it with a load of 12volts car batteries and figuring out a way of using smaller engines that powers it up enough to keep you rolling. And you better have clear diagram on where your wire are headed. But there is more to it than meets the eye. To get a clear idea of what you are doing, you might even want to read up on plans for restructuring your car. Websites such as MotherEarthShopping.com offers them online too. Or you could just Google “hybrid car plan” or “DIY hybrid car” to find other online sources. But if you don’ want to jump directly into gutting your car’ engines, there’ a perfectly rational and satisfying thing you can do: get yourself a DIY electric car building kit. Not only will this give you a great sense of creation satisfaction, it will also help you better understand how electric cars work. Companies like the Robert Q. Riely Enterprise offers a great range of high end DIY kits which allow you to actually make everything from scratch, but with full detailed instructions. You even have your choice of two or four wheelers that you can take for a real spin around and beyond your neighborhood. They make for fun and interesting science projects that will serve a real purpose once completed. Solar power Read more on Homemade Electric Car for Science Project… Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post this on Diigo Post on Google Buzz Add this to Mister Wong Share this on Mixx Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Tweet This!

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Homemade Electric Car for Science Project

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