LPG "Energy Cell" Has it been announced?
Submitted: Friday, Jun 25, 2004 at 16:10
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phil
Hi,
Back in April I asked about a device called a LPG Energy Cell that was supposed to be launched at the
Brisbane 4WD show in June. Has anyone heard any more?
Here is part of one reply to my post.
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Phil - Blue Apple, the makers of the Thumper battery pack used by Waeco are supposedly developing a gas powered battery charger. I have been told that in testing it ran an Engel fridge for about 40 days on 1 kg gas. You conect the charger to a battery pack and then to the fridge. Blue Apple people have told me that it will be launched at the
Brisbane 4wd show in June. It will retail for about $1000. It certainly sounds intersting but time will tell. If it is as good as I have been told by the makers it will be better, and cheaper, than solar panels. Only time will tell - Plugger
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Phil I
Reply By: Lone Wolf - Friday, Jun 25, 2004 at 17:06
Friday, Jun 25, 2004 at 17:06
Mmmmmmm.........
Iv'e chased this one up twice in the last 3 weeks........ seems a fizzer for some reason.
I would have thought a press release by now would have been in order.
Cheers
Wolfie
AnswerID:
65077
Reply By: Jimbo - Friday, Jun 25, 2004 at 18:58
Friday, Jun 25, 2004 at 18:58
Let's say an Engel draws 2.5 amps running and runs 50% of the time = 1.25 amps x 24 hours = 30 amps/day x 12 volts = 360 watts per day x 40 days = 14,400 watts or 14.4 Kw from a kilo of gas.
Given that LPG can be bought for around 30 cents per litre and a kilo of gas is just over a litre we are talking 14.4 Kw for around 40 cents or 2.8 cents per Kw. Your average electricity company charges around 11 cents per Kw at
home.
This is either one amazingly efficient device or a load of Bull$hit.
Jim.
AnswerID:
65104
Reply By: Member - Darren - Friday, Jun 25, 2004 at 21:14
Friday, Jun 25, 2004 at 21:14
as a licenced gasfitter it sounds like a wank.More details please?
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65135
Follow Up By: Lone Wolf - Friday, Jun 25, 2004 at 21:21
Friday, Jun 25, 2004 at 21:21
Darren.......
The way it was hammed up, it seemed they had perfected the seebeck effect, which is opposite to the peltier effect.
Technology has been around for a long time, just too inefficient. Unless heat is a by product off your industry.
Cheers
Wolfie
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326105
Reply By: Eric Experience. - Friday, Jun 25, 2004 at 22:43
Friday, Jun 25, 2004 at 22:43
Phil.
These devices require a hot end and a cold end to get the thermal energy to work, the snag is getting the cold end, if you have to use some type of active cooling device you wind up with no net energy out, if you can find a way of keeping the device cold you may as
well use that to cool you beer and save the $1000 and the gas. Eric.
AnswerID:
65157
Reply By: Mick - Monday, Jun 28, 2004 at 12:45
Monday, Jun 28, 2004 at 12:45
I heard a rumour on the grape vine that blue apple has gone down the drain.
Dont know if this is true...
Another battery distributor told me the news.
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Reply By: phil - Monday, Jun 28, 2004 at 17:34
Monday, Jun 28, 2004 at 17:34
Hi,
Thanks for the comments.
After I posted the query the first time I did some research, which indicated to me that the unit was probably based on some Australian research involving fuel cell technology where the LPG is used as the source of hydrogen after a conversion process. This is current technology. The energy output quoted would be consistant with this technology. Peltier devices are certainly far too inefficient.
I believe such a device is certainly possible. What the cost would be is the big question!
Phil
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65545