Using PIP As A Generator

I'm just thinking of practicality. How does that work - once a battery is deemed to be out of spec, it goes off for some kind of separate determination? May be a separate assembly line? Seems like that would add to the cost that you might gain being quasi defective . I suppose that's possible, but when dealing with millions, it just seems maybe a tad far fetched.

 

I'd like to see the links for the Tesla powerwall being made of rejected 18650 cells (perhaps just a lower capacity grade). Seems more likely they would be making them from Tesla packs which are failed, pulling apart the pack, testing each block, culling the good ones and scrapping the rest. This would give them a great source of packs for a long time to come. Panasonic definitely makes the highest density 18650 cells (ask anyone who is into creating ebike battery packs) but they are very expensive so not surprised Samsung has come in also since they are usually the best bang for your buck in terms of capacity vs cost.

In case anyone wants to see inside one of those packs, it's really quite impressive (Toyota packs are tiny by comparison).
Pics/Info: Inside the battery pack

 

It's a Herculean effort to pull one of those babies apart - this may be the same pack in time-lapse photography showing disassembly. Lot of work! That's one way to build your own power wall on the cheap - get a tesla pack from a salvage yard, if you can find one.

Talk about your doomsday prepper - even if its a 60 kWh pack, that monster could power a house as long as a month, even without pushing your photovoltaics back into it.
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In the first place, you're suggesting this without any basis in fact. And this sort of thing could become an out of control rumor. Second, Tesla doesn't manufacture these cells. It is their vendors' responsibility to qualify and test the components they supply, and their vendors deal with their rejects.

Tesla has a lot of knowledge in high reliability, high power battery systems. This product makes sense for them, and it fills a need in residential systems which aren't tied into the grid.

 

Why not simply detect the bad cells and replace them, thereby creating a factory-refurbished vehicle pack?

 

I have a high respect for Tesla Automotive and Electronics produces and mine was a mere personal comment like many others around here, most of them all. These are all conjectures of life events.
But my comment makes a lot of business sense.

 

thanks. i wasn't sure if those fuses were on the AC or DC of the inverter.

 

Yes, be sure to fuse from the battery to the inverter, otherwise you could have a big problem, even a fire, if a cable were to become worn. I installed an inverter on my 2010 Prius, and use a 100A fuse right off the positive battery side. See below in my signature for more details if you're interested.

 

Actually the active safety system will cut the battery relays the second they detect a leak to ground (frame). Still a good idea to use fuses though. I recommend semiconductor fuses which are often used in high-voltage UPS systems.

 

That's exactly what I meant but they are assembled into blocks (see the time lapse video above) so they would check blocks for bad ones and replace any cells as needed, then put it back into service as a powerwall. This all but guarantees that all those Tesla batteries they sold which are in cars now will have a financially beneficial place to go when the owners need to pony up for a replacement.

 

This is precisely what Nissan demonstrated in Japan. They promote the concept of installing used Leaf batteries into homes as a solar energy buffer.

 

This is true about Nissan - however their cell packs have been reliable to the point, that the quantity needed to make up refurbished packs has not yet panned out. Instead there's just enough to take care of the existing quantity of packs that are diminishing too quickly. Warranty use has ended up being the only uasble quantiry. Maybe down the road that will change.
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Newbie here -
Went back and read thread from about pg 22, sometime in 2012.
My interest was sparked by a poster on a tractor forum claiming that one could get the FULL OUTPUT of the gas engine in HORSEPOWER to be used as electricity. The guy claimed the Prius was comparable to a 50KW genset, of course with no good links to actual data.

Reading this thread it seems it MIGHT be possible but not safe for the car traction battery. Rather everyone that is running their Prius as a generator is pulling the electricity through the 12 Volt battery. And then because the Prius can turn on and off to charge the traction battery which charges the 12V it is an extremely efficient generator up to about 5KV, but nowhere near 50KV.

Is this about right? Or is there another thread you can point me to so I could use a Prius to run a Tactical Operatons Center, needing a 30KW generator? Or at least a 15KW generator to run my 300 AMP, 240V welder?

Thanks in advance.

 

Richard Factor was one of the first to investigate and implement using the Prius's traction battery for house power, and I've seen his PriUPS system in operation:
PriUPS Site Navigation
This was his summary of the test results:
"I think it is reasonable to conclude that the Prius is capable of providing between 5 and 6kW of continuous power without exceeding any ratings or doing anything beyond what is normally expected of it."

And Hobbit's website has links to more resources, including some of his own projects
Prius links

 

that would power the average house!

correct. the issue is difficulty. everyone here goes off the 12v because it's quick and dirty. you can buy a commercial unit to go off the hybrid battery, but they're expensive. if you can diy a hybrid battery take off, you might be the first. it's dangerous and technically challenging, but not impossible.
in japan, toyota offers a 100v takeoff, but even that is limited to the 12v, iirc.

 

Not even remotely close to that number.
With the proper conversion equipment you will be safely maxing 6KW of pure AC power with out incurring in any damage to the Prius.
This type of conversions are meant to be used as in EMERGENCY situations and not for, on purpose, long term off the grid.

 

Nissan said that the cost of a Leaf replacement pack is $5,500, which is a lot less than people expected.

 

My setup is featured on Richard Factor's website. Tapped the traction battery and have a 4500 watt UPS which can run most of my house (mostly high-efficiency stuff in the house). Could run some of the 240 volt loads since the UPS provides it but I only run 95% of the 120 volt loads. Will briefly output 6000 watts.

Comparable gas usage as the 3000 watt Honda inverter-generator I own.

Using a Prius as a generator - northernarizona-windandsun

 

if you get 150k out of the first pack, $5500. isn't that bad.

 

Surprised no one remembers ConVerdant Vehicles. It is now reopening as PlugOut Power. Inverters for the traction battery.