Airbus to Produce Hybrid-Electric Jet

Airbus has just revealed its plans for production of hybrid-electric jet aircraft by 2035. It is supposed to be a low-emission jet, which is good. They also say that such aircraft will be much lighter and safer than traditional aircraft.

Well, lighter, may be, but safer? Hybrid electric means they will have a lot of batteries. Remember, the introduction of Boeing 787 Dreamliner? At least four of these aircrafts suffered from electrical system problems when lithium-ion batteries overheated and started a fire. And what was the solution? The FAA decided in 2013 to allow Dreamliners to return to service after changes were made to their battery systems to better contain battery fires. Not to prevent fires, but to "better contain fires"! Well, I personally will be reluctant to fly on any electric hybrid jet.

Electrical Generator Animation

For many years I had an electrical generator animation in my webpage http://www.generatorguide.net/howgeneratorworks.html , which explains how generator works. That animation was courtesy of Joe Wolfe at Physclips Project at UNSW. The problem is, it was in swf format which requires Flash player. As we know, Adobe will stop supporting Flash after 2020. As the result, then most if not all web browsers will no longer display Flash videos. You already see this message when you open Chrome. So, I've converted the Flash animation into mp4 video. There are many generator animations on the web, but this one will work beyond 2020.

2015 Home Generator Review and Buying Guide

Needless to say, the winter is here. During the past decade the number of power outages including weather related ones kept rising across the entire country. In 2014 alone there were more than 200 power disturbances in U.S. affecting over 16 million people. Since most electrical lines in U.S. still use overhead wires, and because of aging infrastructure of our power grid, this trend will likely continue. A lengthy power interruption is more than spoiled food or just an annoyance. It is a potential life-threatening situation. My online guide to home generators provides the basics of backup power. For complete information with step-by-step instructions on selection, sizing and connecting standby and portable models see my new generator review and buying guide. It will save you hours of research and potentially save you money too.

Charging Electric Car from Portable Generator

This video of course is cool, but if I had a BMW I would not risk charging it from a portable generator, even from a sinewave inverter-generator like Honda. And I would never run a gas generator inside a car even with an exhaust hose.

Never Refuel a Portable Generator While It Is Running

If you need to refuel a portable generator, you need to turn it off, wait until its case cools down and only then add the fuel. Refueling a generator while it is operating presents serious fire and burn hazards as one can see from this news report.

Another Portable Generator Stolen

Here is another reason to look for a permanently installed standby generator- a portable one can easily be stolen. Here is a video on how two guys took a 300-lb device. By the way, in Louisiana, flashlights, batteries, portable generators and other emergency supplies are exempt from the state sales tax this weekend.  They give Louisiana residents a chance to get ready for storm season before the Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1.

Subaru Portable Generators Recalled Due to Fire Hazard

Robin America recalled more than 4,500 Subaru portable gasoline generators because of possible fuel leak. The recalled models are SGX3500, SGX5000 and SGX7500 . These units were made in China for Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., of Tokyo. Read more and find affected serial numbers here.

Back-Up Power for Gas Stations in NY

Governor Cuomo proposed new legislation according to which all gas stations within a half-mile of highway exits and hurricane evacuation routes will be required to have a transfer switch installed by March 1, 2014 and  deploy a generator within 24 hours of a blackout. This requirement would apply to about one-third of all NYS gas stations.

In addition, the chains with 10 or more stations will be required to install a transfer switch for an additional 50% of their stations by March 1, 2016, and must activate a generator within 48 hours of losing power during an emergency. This requirement applies to an additional 15% of NY gas stations.

Finally, as of March 1, 2014, all newly constructed gas stations or the stations that have major renovations will be required to have a transfer switch or back-up generator installed.

Cuomo said “New York State must learn the lessons from Superstorm Sandy so that we are better prepared for the future”. Really? I wonder if governor followed the news during Sandy. The main problem was lack of gasoline rather than loss of power by gas stations. How would the stations located out of town and not connected to natural gas system fuel their generators when they had neither gasoline or diesel? Of course they could use propane generators, but again, the stations located far away from cities and towns will have hard time refilling their propane tanks during a major disaster. If the proposed bill will pass, we will pay more at the pump because the stations will pass down onto us the cost of implementing the new regulation. As usual, our governor is trying to gain cheap popularity.

Connecting An Emergency Generator

There are two basic methods of connecting your devices to an emergency power generators:

• Via a pre-wired transfer switch;
• Via extension cords.

The transfer switch method can be used for both stationary and portable generators. Portable generators are connected via a manual transfer switch. The stationary standby home systems usually use an automatic transfer switch. It automatically isolates your home from the grid and starts up the generator when it detects a power outage.
A transfer switch installation and wiring requires a licensed electrician and obviously takes time. If you are caught off-guard by a blackout, you’ve got to use a portable genset with extension cords. This is the case today, when more than 3 million people in mid-Atlatic are still without power after a sudden storm. Unlike hurricanes that give you about a week of warning, this storm gave all the impact of a hurricane without any warning. Unfortunately, the extension cords can be used only for cord-and-plug appliances. Connecting lights and hard-wired appliances to a portable generator will not be simple. There are some emergency methods of connecting hard-wired devices, but they may require a professional help. In any case, here are the main two things you need to remember:

• Whenever you run a generator, it must be isolated from the utility lines;
• A generator can be run only outdoors with exhaust pipe located away from house.

Converting Waste Heat to Electricity

A company called Nextreme Thermal Solutions, based in Durham, N.C developed a thermoelectric generator (eTEG) that converts heat directly to low-level electrical power. Their technology uses the Seebeck Effect in which the temperature difference between two metals creates an electrical potential difference. Their generator uses Linear Technology LTC 3108 ultralow voltage step-up converter and power manager chip and can produce voltages up to 5V at power level up to 1 mW on a temperature difference of 15 to 20°K (the temperature difference in Kelvin is the same as in Celsius). Higher temperature gradients will result in higher power. Such devices can be used to feed micropower wireless and battery-free sensors. Unfortunately, the eTEG power levels are not sufficient to increase efficiency of power supplies by recycling heat energy from heatsinks. Also unfortunately, the prices starting at about $500 make this technology cost-prohibitive for regular consumers and hobbyists. By the way, the thermoelectric effect has been known for almost two centuries since Thomas Johann Seebeck discovered that electrical current flows between two dissimilar metals which have different temperatures.

Portable Generator: How to Use it Safely

If you just bought a portable generator set (genset) in wake of approaching Irene hurricane, and don't have time to read the entire manual, here are some crucial things you need to know. This quick safety checklist can save your life and lives of everyone in your home.

• Portable generators produce carbon monoxide (CO). CO can kill in minutes. More than three hundreds people died in US during power outages from generator related CO poisonings. Therefore a portable generator can be run only outdoor with exhaust away from your home. EPA recommends to locate gensets at least 10 feet from the home You should also allow at least 2 feet of clearance on all sides of generator for adequate ventilation.


• Most commercial portables are not weather proof. They pose the risk of electrocution and shock when used during a rain. Therefore, cover your genset in advance since Irene hurricane will be accompanied with heavy rain. It is not recommended to run a genset during a rain. If you are absolutely positively need to use a portable generator during a rain, build an open canopy-like structure. Don’t’ touch a genset with wet hands.


• A portable generator should not be connected directly into your house wiring without a special two-pole changeover switch or an interlock, since otherwise you will be feeding electricity back into the utility lines. This would present a hazard for linemen and your neighbors. Portables are intended to be connected to your appliances primarily via separate cords. If you did not get a chance to install a transfer switch, prepare heave duty outdoor-rated cords with sufficient length. These cords should be long enough to reach your appliances through the windows or open doors.

For general operation theory, selection information and my picks, see this guide to portable generator.
This post is not a professional or a legal advice- I assume no liability of any kind for the accuracy of the above information.

No-Spill Gas Cans Recall Due to Leaks

If you bought between August and November 2009 a red plastic 5-gallon gasoline container made by No-Spill, check it out for leaks at the black plastic collar where the spout connects to the can. The company just announced a recall of the cans with date codes AIP09202 through AIP09222. For info see The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). A leaky gas tank presents fire and burn hazards because gasoline and its fumes are very flammable. Note that even with a good container, you should always shut down a gas generator before the refueling.

Green Electricity From Cars

This week an Israeli firm Innowattech performed a successful trial of their alternative energy system that generates "green" electricity from vibration caused by passing cars. The system was installed on a 10 meter strip of asphalt on a highway and powered the street lights set up next to this strip. It used special piezoelectric generators embedded in the asphalt 2 inches below its top level. The generators were mounted with electronic cards that fed voltage into a storage system.

Piezoelectric effect in general is the generation of a voltage by certain solid dielectric materials when a mechanical stress is applied to them. It has been known for more then a century, and is widely used in piezoelectric transformers for high-voltage power supplies, various transducers, sensors, cigarette lighters, and other low-power applications. The Innowattech's system called IPEG™ is probably the first practical high-power application of piezoelectricity. According to the company, the installation of their system stretching one kilometer would produce 200 kW per hour on single traffic lane, or 1 megawatt on a four lane highway. Installation of the piezo-generators and electronic cards can be performed during paving of new roads or during the maintenance work. The "traffic energy" can be either supplied back to the drivers by powering the road lights or fed into the electric grid. A variation of IPEG™ can also produce power from pedestrian movement. Harvesting energy from the vibrations created by people walking on the floor is also being researched by East Japan Railway Company, who installed “Power-Generating Floor” in a Tokyo station.

Innowattech estimates the cost of energy harvesting from roads, railways and runways via IPEG™ to be 3 to 10 cents per kilowatt, which is comparable to the cost of renewable energies.

Cheap Small Generators

If you consider buying a cheap small electric generator for emergency purposes, now it's the right time to do it. A year from now you probably won't find a cheap portable generator for sale because of the new EPA exhaust emissions standards that will take effect in 2011. These new standards apply to all so-called Small Nonroad Spark-Ignition (SI) Engines and Equipment with engines up to 19 kW used in household and commercial applications, including lawn and garden equipment, utility vehicles, generators, and a variety of other construction, farm, and industrial equipment. The standards are intended to reduce hydrocarbon emissions from small SI engines by about 35%, and are similar to the requirements adopted previously by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Of course, as every government regulation, this one comes with a price tag. To comply, the manufacturers have to improve engine combustion and add catalysts. They will have to apply on an annual basis for the certification and pay a certification fee. The extra cost of course will be passed to us, the consumers.

Major domestic manufacturers of gensets such as Generac and Briggs & Stratton, are already CARB-compliant, so likely they will be EPA-certified as well. However their models cost typically twice as much as some cheap imports. Right now you can still buy a small non-CARB compliant portable genset made in China for about $100 per kW power. And if you worry about environment- emergency generators should not be an issue of our concern: maybe you would use them a few hours a year, or maybe you would never use them at all. Of course, portable generators are also used for non-emergency purposes such as on construction sites. However, as CARB's Fact Sheet admitted, small engines (which besides gensets include lawn mowers and a variety of other construction and garden equipment that is used more frequently) comprise only about one percent of California’s air pollution inventory! If EPA wanted to fight this 1% pollution, it could at least allow the non-compliant models to be sold with a label "for emergency use only". Could it be that EPA employees driving to and from their work for years while working on this project, caused a greater environmental impact that all portable emergency generators combined?

Enhanced web searches for generators and power supplies

No matter how good Google search algorithm is, a purely mechanical algorithm can't always determine which sites are really useful and which are not. In addition, no search algorithm can know exactly what kind of info you are looking for. We all know that general purpose search engines bring up a lot of junk.
To address these issues Google recently launched Custom Search Engine (CSE) program which enables you to enhance your search by using human expertise and by specifying what type of info you are looking for. Particularly, my content is intented to improve your search experience in topics related to electrical generators and power electronics/SMPS.

EXAMPLES. Say, you want to choose a home generator and looking for something to start with. If you select my Guides/Reviews category, on the first search results page among other buyer's guides you will find a link to a very handy Consumer Reports' rating of generators. Otherwise, with a regular Google search this link is not among the top search results.
Alternatively, if you are looking for physical principles of electric generators you may want to eliminate commercial and advertising sites which represent more then half of the top results in "electric generator" query. Even if you try a more specific query like "how electric generator works", many relevant pages are still not at the top. Why? Because a search engine goes mainly by keywords you entered- obviously it does not know how generators work. Many web pages that describe in depth generator theory just do not use all these terms and won't show up in your top results. They do use more important terms though- you can't really describe generator's operation without using such words as Faraday, induction or magnet. That's why these terms are added to my "Generators/Physical principles" label. If you select this label, they will be automatically added in background to your query as additional search terms. This will make your refined search results more relevant and will weed out unrelated pages. In addition to this, web pages that I've personally reviewed and found useful for this topic will increase in importance within your refined search results and will be marked accordingly while spam sites and sites with unrelated or useless content will be pushed down in your custom search results.

You can do your search from my respective search engine page http://www.smps.us/smps-search.html or http://www.generators.smps.us/generators-search.html.

I encourage you to give it a try and see the difference for yourself. Note, this is a work in progress. I keep testing different keywords and algorithms to provide you with the most relevant search results. All comments are welcomed. To subscribe [by using any email address] click on this button:
Last revised on 2013.