‰  NOW 35 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM AUGUST 2012 QST  PAGE 42‰

A TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID HAS A 220 V DC POWER SYSTEM WITH A GENERATOR CAPABLE
OF 50 KW PEAK POWER.  DRAWING JUST 10 KW FROM THE SYSTEM COULD POTENTIALLY
POWER A HALF DOZEN HOUSES DURING A BLACKOUT.  PRESENTLY, OF COURSE, NO EVS
EXCEPT FOR THE LEAF OPTION OR HYBRIDS GIVE THE CONSUMER DIRECT ACCESS TO
THIS POWER AND THERE ARE NO EASY WAYS TO USE THE HIGH VOLTAGE DC DIRECTLY
AT THOSE POWER LEVELS.  BUT INDIRECTLY, USING AN ADDED 1 KW INVERTER NOTED
ABOVE, THE PRIUS AND SOME OTHER HYBRIDS CAN GENERATE ADEQUATE POWER OVER
LONG PERIODS BECAUSE GAS ENGINE STARTS AND STOPS AUTOMATICALLY TO MAINTAIN
CHARGE IN ITS HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY.  THE PRIUS 220 V SYSTEM USES A
SWITCHING CONVERTER TO PROVIDE UP TO 100 A FOR 12 V ACCESSORIES.  THROUGH
AN ADD ON HOBBY INVERTER, THIS CAN SUPPLY ABOUT 1 KW OF CONTINUOUS 120 V AC
POWER.  SEE FIGURE 3.  JUST LEAVE THE IGNITION ON.  AT 1 KW, IT RUNS ABOUT
3 MINUTES ON AND 4 MINUTES OFF.  AT A 200 W DRAW IT IS MORE LIKE 3 ON AND
20 MINUTES OFF.  INSIDE THE HOUSE, DRAW WHATEVER YOU NEED AT ANY TIME, AND
THE CAR WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF.  GAS EFFICIENCY IS ABOUT 5 KWH PER
GALLON, SIMILAR TO MOST SMALL GENERATORS.  SOLAR POWER SYSTEMS OTHER NEW
SOURCES OF HIGH VOLTAGE DC ARE HOME AND PORTABLE SOLAR SYSTEMS.  GRID TIE
INVERTERS OPERATE ABOVE 95 EFFICIENCY AT HIGH DC VOLTAGE AND HAVE 100
EFFICIENT GRID STORAGE NET METERING.  ON THE OTHER HAND, LOW VOLTAGE
‰  END OF 35 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ