TerraLiner:12 m Globally Mobile Beach House/Class-A Crossover w 6x6 Hybrid Drivetrain

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PART Fii: WATER – AWGs in Greater Depth



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1. Another AWG Manufacturer: NRG


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Now for a bit more specific information about residential, widely marketed AWGs.

In terms of energy consumption, the EcoloBlue 30 seems to compare well to what appear to be its main competitors, NRG and DewPointe. The first consumes 400 W, the second 900 W, whereas the EcoloBlue 30 (according to "Gadget King"), uses a modest 280 W -- see http://cleanwatercrisis.blogspot.it/2013/02/atmospheric-water-generator-reviews.html and http://www.gadgetking.com/2010/01/15/making-water-from-thin-air/ . But the reviewer who is doing the comparing comes down in favor of the NRG – see http://www.ardorm.com , http://www.ardorm.com/atmospheric-water-generators/ , http://www.ardorm.com/home-atmospheric-water-generator/ , http://www.ardorm.com/industrial-atmospheric-water-generator/ ,
http://www.ardorm.com/how-it-works/ , http://www.ardorm.com/atmospheric-water-generators/ , http://www.ardorm.com/product/nrg-atmospheric-water-generator-150-litres/ , http://www.ardorm.com/product/nrg-atmospheric-water-generator-250-litres/ , https://www.facebook.com/atmosphericwatergenerator.nrg , http://www.ardorm.com/atmospheric-water-generators/ , and http://www.ardorm.com/product/nrg-atmospheric-water-generator-150-litres/ .

Note that NRG's 150 and 250 Liter AWGs weigh 100 kg and 150 kg respectively:

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Cluster of 4 images


A pretty good deal, if one always remembers that 1 kg = 1 Liter. And so 100 kg is equivalent to a 100 Liter tank of water. In other words, a larger, more powerful AWG is an extremely “good deal”, weight-wise, in comparison to a bit of “extra” capacity in the main freshwater tanks of the TerraLiner. Better to reduce that capacity, and install an AWG instead. And both of these AWGs are quite compact, measuring 50 x 60 x 110 cm and 77 x 47 x 163 cm respectively.

But again, probably best to install two 45 Liter units (NRG no longer seems to make 30 Liter units). These come in two basic versions, a standing unit, and a table-top unit – see
http://www.ardorm.com/product/nrg-atmospheric-water-generator-45-litres-table-top-red/ , http://www.ardorm.com/product/nrg-atmospheric-water-generator-45-litres-coffee-gold/ , and http://www.ardorm.com/product/nrg-atmospheric-water-generator-45-litres-piano-black/ .


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Their power consumption is the same (720 W), but the standing unit weighs 50 kg, and measures 36 x 39 x 140 cm, while the table-top unit weighs 40 kg, and measures just 27 x 45 x 49 cm:


2 images


So the table-top NRG is really compact. Two table-top units sitting side-by-side would occupy a space only 27 cm deep x 90 cm wide x 49 cm high. Presumably the white box in the picture is the unit that is installed outside a building, to bring in humid air from an external source? If so, then it might be possible for two of the NRG table-top units to work off the same outside collector?

Power consumption is another matter, however. Two table-top units combined would produce 90 Liters of water in ideal conditions, and 30 Liters in very low-humidity conditions, and they would consume 1440 W of energy to do so, or 1.44 KW.

But consider the contrast to the 150 Liter version made by NRG. The two table-top units occupy 0.12 cubic meters, while the 150 Liter version occupies .33 cubic meters. And the 150 Liter version consumes 2.2 KW, while the 250 Liter version consumes 4.9 KW. Sure, the two smaller units only produce 90 Liters, but when one does the KW-to-Liter calculation, the two smaller units seem to be about 10 % more efficient. [Anyone who is good at math, please check my calculation; and please correct me if I am wrong!]

So in that sense, the smaller AWGs made by NRG are much more space and power efficient. And one also gets redundancy thrown in, as well as the ability to “scale” power consumption, by running just one AWG when two are not necessary.



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NRG has a handy annual humidity chart for the United States, but alas, not for the rest of the planet – see http://www.ardorm.com/humidity-levels-chart/ :


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2. A few more AWG Manufacturers: DewPointe, Dew Point, and Atlantis


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Here are some links to additional manufacturers, first for DewPointe:
http://www.dewpointewater.com , http://www.dewpointewater.com/home.html , http://www.dewpointewater.com/about-us.html ,
, http://www.dewpointewater.com/products.html ,
http://www.dewpointewater.com/dh10-stand-alone-model.html , http://www.dewpointewater.com/dk11-countertop-model.html , http://www.dewpointewater.com/commercial-models.html , http://www.dewpointewater.com/technology.html ,
http://www.dewpointewater.com/frequently-asked-questions.html .
http://nebula.wsimg.com/bdf448f4b51...D40B0C164337EC6FB&disposition=0&alloworigin=1
http://www.aws-h2o.com/documents/DH10-Owners-Manual.pdf ,
http://www.aws-h2o.com/documents/DK11-Owners-Manual.pdf ,
http://nebula.wsimg.com/ca192542215...D40B0C164337EC6FB&disposition=0&alloworigin=1 , https://www.freshwatersystems.com/s-581-dewpointe.aspx

Note that the Dewpointe stand-alone 28 Liter machine consumes 380 W, while the countertop model, the DK11, consumes 440 W, but produces only 23 Liters a day, even in optimal temperature and humidity conditions – see page 9 at http://www.aws-h2o.com/documents/DK11-Owners-Manual.pdf :


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Things are also confusing, because there is another company that calls itself “Dew Point Manufacturing” – see http://www.dewpointmfg.com , http://www.dewpointmfg.com/technology.php ,
http://www.dewpointmfg.com/residential.php , http://www.dewpointmfg.com/industial.php , http://www.dewpointmfg.com/opportunity.php , and http://www.dewpointmfg.com/faq.php .

Its residential unit, which it calls the “Water Tower”, produces up to 40 Liters per day. But there is no easily available information about power consumption on the website, and this seems like a much smaller company than either DewPointe, NRG, or EcoloBlue. I could only find the following two videos on the web:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmnLijhIUBY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7sYt1tTx_c


Another company whose website provides some useful information, is Atlantis – see http://www.atlantissolar.com/airtowater.html , http://www.atlantissolar.com/aswhr_90hbk.html ,
http://www.atlantissolar.com/aswrhb_88c.html , etc.
http://www.atlantissolar.com/atlantis_awg_flyer.html ,
http://www.atlantissolar.com/aswea_100.html ,
http://www.atlantissolar.com/aswea_200.html , etc.


Notice that Atlantis also produces a solar-powered AWG – see http://www.atlantissolar.com/solar_atmospheric_water_generator.html :


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This may clarify the relationship between an AWG's power requirements, and the size of the solar panels necessary to keep it running. Atlantis seems to be heavily involved with solar as well as Air-Conditioning. Although the following is a chart of the power needs and solar-cell requirements of Atlantis Air-Conditioners, it may also prove applicable to the AWGs that Atlantis sells:


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Also see http://www.atlantissolar.com/index.html , http://www.atlantissolar.com/aircon1.html , http://www.atlantissolar.com/ac_details.html , http://www.atlantissolar.com/atlantis_solar_tech_specs.pdf , http://www.atlantissolar.com/aircon_flyer.html , http://www.atlantissolar.com/pdf/solar diagram.pdf ,http://www.atlantissolar.com/pdf/winter_green.pdf , http://www.atlantissolar.com/pdf/compact_solar_ac.pdf , http://www.atlantissolar.com/pdf/green_grass_ice_tree.pdf , http://www.atlantissolar.com/pdf/desert2.pdf , http://www.atlantissolar.com/pdf/all_units1.pdf , and http://www.atlantissolar.com/heaters.html .


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3. Still Searching for a Great, Rugged, Marine-Grade AWG


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I don't want to get too “hung up” at this stage on the different brands and models of AWG's currently on the market. The following article in Tree Hugger magazine lists no less than seven manufactures creating AWG's for the home/residential niche – see http://www.treehugger.com/clean-water/the-low-down-on-home-water-makers-and-7-to-choose-from.html and http://www.treehugger.com/clean-wat...-water-makers-and-7-to-choose-from/page2.html .

The article is dated (2009), and many of the links no longer work. Aside from EcoloBlue and Dewpointe, the only other links that still work are http://www.elementfour.com/products/the-watermill and http://www.air2water.net . And the article does not mention “Atlantis” nor “NRG”, so perhaps they are relatively new entrants into the market? The market for residential AWGs seems in flux, with many competitors, so it's probably best not to focus on any one manufacturer in particular.

Furthermore, as I wrote earlier, when researching Marine Watermakers I came across quite a few marine-grade AWG's that might prove preferable to any of these residential AWGs. If only because a marine-grade AWG would be able to withstand a real pounding.

Instead, I wanted to write this post in order to clarify exactly how I personally see one or two AWG's working in the context of the TerraLiner's complete water system. I don't see an AWG as “replacing” what Bliss Mobil has done. Rooftop rainwater collection is such an obvious engineering idea for an expedition motorhome, that I would be truly surprised if nobody else has implemented it before. But personally speaking, I haven't seen it before, anywhere else. Perhaps roof-top rainwater collection hasn't been done before, because a truly compact, powerful, and low-energy Watermaker was not available?

In any case, I think rooftop rainwater collection is an obvious and excellent solution to the problem of keeping the TerraLiner replenished with water when travelling through climates that have rainfall. And if the roof were equipped with heating, it could also keep the TerraLiner replenished with water from melted snow.

But many of the world's deserts have low rainfall, and yet very high levels of ambient humidity. So the Bliss Mobil solution needs to be supplemented by at least one 30 or 45 Liter AWG, and perhaps even two. Once again, in some locations -- Tibet, the Altiplano, the Central Sahara, etc. – neither rainfall collection nor an AWG will work. One will then have no choice but to lay down a hose to a water source on the ground, and pray that Bliss Mobil's Watermaker and other filtration systems will remove any and all possible pathogens. But narrowing down the number of locations where the TerraLiner will have to rely on groundwater to replenish its supply, will massively increase its boon-docking capability, its geographic reach, the safety of the water that its users consume, and the shear amount of water that they will feel comfortable consuming. Expedition motorhome water-rationing will become a thing of the past, and TerraLiner users will be all the happier for it. TerraLiner users will be even be able to enjoy long showers and soaks in big bathtubs on the coasts of the Atacama in Chile, the Sahara in Mauritania or Egypt, the Arabian desert in Oman and Yemen, or the Baja California desert in Mexico.

And that end-user “goalpost” seems very much worth designing for, and engineering for.



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4. EcoloBlue: 12-Step Filtration and Carbonation!


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Here I thought I should post a diagram of EcoloBlue's filtration system, which has no fewer than 12 steps:


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Because the EcoloBlue is a “hybrid” AWG that can also process water from a hose when the humidity is low, I can begin to imagine a system in which the Bliss Mobil's Watermaker would be the first stage of a processing cycle, and something like an EcoloBlue AWG would be the second. When full-on AWG water production is required (for instance, when boondocking in a Coastal Fog Desert), the AWG would generate water for the entire system. But when there's lots of rainfall and the Bliss Mobile Watermaker is doing just fine, the water it produces might still pass through an AWG like the EcoloBlue, before being dispensed in the kitchen for drinking.

Furthermore, although this is not clear on the website or in the videos, the Ecoloblue can also make carbonated water!!! It has a “Carbonation” option:


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As a long-standing afficiando of “Acqua Gassata” or “Acqua Frizzante”, for me this has got to be the coolest thing on earth!!!

Imagine camping out on a beach located in a Coastal Fog Desert, like the Atacama in Peru, or the Namib in Africa. After one has enjoyed the sun and the surf, one returns to the TerraLiner, to take a swig from AWG water produced from the high humidity and/or coastal fog. And not only is the water clean, pure, and rich in minerals (the EcoloBlue adds these), it's also carbonated!!! Simply fantastic.

Here are a whole bunch of vidoes about EcoloBlue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU2_vHXjsyE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgKaK__1Jw0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMHY2BBkDm4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu7HSSpp16U


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5qT6Mmt3Uw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-bQFyxxeNA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDue5kmCaUo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSEo11mDLVQ


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMHY2BBkDm4



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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezBL0LIHfa8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa-0sGulruk


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ9vVthC8-s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37AZzb42NeM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMQZoJmaCl0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSjt4W5v-po

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2Sxch6Gko8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE1oSz0-7BY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbU9eOe6oEs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB1qmhhkbjk


And here is the EcoloBlue YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqk8VazjwH132SYcX96gjpA .


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5. DewPointe Taste Tests


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Unfortunately, I couldn't seem to find any videos about about NGR, although I did find these ones about Dewpointe:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_NWpcooVME
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORB7W5YUoQ4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk421oqHC7Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVIBxPIwW0M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu7HSSpp16U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoXrFyyWPUI


The last videos are “DewPointe taste tests”, comparing Dewpointe to tap water.

The Dewpointe YouTube channel is at https://www.youtube.com/user/dewpointe .



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PART G: The True Meaning of Design Innovation


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1. Some Thoughts about Solar, Water Collection, Good Design, and Bliss Mobil


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In the next few months I will try to finish the earlier section – or “Part A” – of the series of posts about “Average Annual Relative Humidity” worldwide, and will then pick up from that with a Part B series of posts that would follow further along.

Again, the really exciting thing for me about installing an AWG in the TerraLiner is not that it could replace a standard Watermaker, like the one that Bliss Mobil uses together with rainwater collection from the roof. Rather, the really exciting thing is that an AWG would allow truly extended, long-term boondocking in desert and semi-arid regions that have low rainfall, and yet nonetheless still have high humidity.

So I have been spending the lion's share of my time researching and writing about the “geographic” value of an AWG: about the end-user experience that an AWG makes possible. I am a designer, so the “end user experience” interests me more than the technical details about AWG power consumption, the solar cells necessary to produce the power, which AWG and Watermaker would have the best performance, etc. Such technical details might change dramatically over the next 3 or 4 years, and so too solar cell efficiency will continue to improve. The advent of thin-film solar, for instance, has seen a veritable leapfrog in the price/performance ratio.

For the TerraLiner, however, I am not concerned about the price/performance ratio of solar cells, but rather, their efficiency per square centimeter. And here lots of different technologies are currently competing:


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So knows where solar might be in 4 years, or how efficient high-end solar might become.

The world of solar cell manufacturing is in constant turmoil. Economically speaking, it's a hyper-Darwinian place. New technologies are constantly leapfrogging and destroying business models based on slightly older technologies that looked great just a few years earlier. When thin film solar finally came out in large quantities around 2009, it caught European and American manufacturers of crystalline panels off-guard. Although thin-film solar panels were initially quite a bit less efficient per square cm than crystalline panels, they were also much cheaper, and quickly grabbed market share. Those who made and sold crystalline solar panels found themselves stuck holding inventory that they could no longer sell, not even at cost. So many went bust – see http://www.economist.com/node/15911021 , http://www.economist.com/node/14710800 , http://www.economist.com/node/8766045 , and http://www.economist.com/node/21532279 .

But in recent years crystalline has made a comeback of sorts, in specific applications like the rooftops for home, where maximum efficiency per square meter is a big requirement, and trumps cost. CIGS has also been considered a promising technology, and most of the start-ups in California are looking into organic-cell solar.

So to be honest, much more interesting for me is Bliss Mobil's seemingly “obvious”, but thoroughly brilliant reconceptualization of water provision for expedition motorhomes. Sure, it may sesem “obvious” that rainwater collection from the roof could be combined with a good Watermaker, to render motorhome water rationing a thing of the past. But even though this seems obvious in hindsight, if it was truly obvious, then somebody should have come up with it ages ago…..emoticon And yet, as near as I can tell, Bliss Mobil is the first manufacturer of expedition mobile homes to propose such an “obvious” solution.

I may be wrong about this; please correct me if I am.

If I am right, then what I love most about Bliss Mobil solution is that it combines a fairly low-tech traditional solution with advanced technology, to solve a long-standing problem. The low-tech part is roof-top rainwater collection: in Mediterranean countries houses have collecting rainwater from their roofs for millennia, feeding the water into cisterns. The brilliant part is realizing that an expedition motorhome could do the same, then process the water to make it potable via a marine-grade Watermaker.

In my book, that's brilliant design.



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2. TerraLiner Water: Both/And, as opposed to Either/Or


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To put the point another way: I am a “both/and” kind of guy. I am not “either/or”.

So it seems clear to me that it would be utterly foolish to imagine AWG's as providing all of the TerraLiner's water. There are places where this simply can't happen, because either the humidity is too low, or the temperature is too low, or both. Further, in places where there is lots of rainfall, why not collect rainwater from the roof instead, and save power? Bliss Mobil really does have the right idea.

It just needs to be “supplemented” by a pair of 45 Liter AWG's, so that the TerraLiner can boondock for months on the Atacama or Namib coasts…..



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3. Hommage Gallery for Bliss Mobil: the State of the Art


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Because I think the BlissMobil is so interesting and important, here is a very large gallery of BlissMobil images – see http://www.blissmobil.com/images/Brochure/brochure_eng.pdf . I very much hope that BlissMobil succeeds, but the RV marketplace is volatile, and in the very short time that I've been researching things, two of my favorite sources of inspiration – Ketterer horseboxes, and Country Home, with its “verandah” – seem to have gone bankrupt. ExPo strikes me as a rather more permanent place to lodge imagery, so here is a gallery of my favorite BlissMobil pics:


First Set

9 images of BlissMobil


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Second Set

10 images


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Third Set

10 images



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Fourth Set

8 images


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Fifth Set


7 images


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Sixth Set

9 images


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You could say that I am a “sucker “ for great CAD…….emoticon


Seventh Set

10 images



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Eighth Set

2 images



BlissMobile Videos:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAzTQ4vOaP4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0uHXtijeJU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffAisjdiVgg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUrszcRjRjE



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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2qDyTY-VCw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sQ7UyMnMLM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB22RtkWoNY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycquHpq5fEQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjpJo4-rMmQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESiqTaFo2Hk




YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJdZF88KbOnHAatFpaPANlA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB22RtkWoNY



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PART H: DIESEL ENERGY -- Generators


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1. The continuing Value and Need for a Supplementary Diesel Generator


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For better or worse, a bit of discussion about solar seems to be emerging in the thread, no doubt because the power requirement of two AWGs would be quite high. If the AWGs are two compact, table-top NGRs that produce 45 Liters each per day each, they will need 1.44 KW of power. Then add to that the power required to run the Bliss Mobil Watermaker, an Air Conditioner (or Air Conditioners, plural) during the summer, as well as all the other systems in the motorhome – a microwave oven, an induction cooktop, a washing machine, an electric fridge and freezer, far-infrared radiant panel heating in the winter….and clearly, the TerraLiner will need some pretty serious solar if it is to run all systems off solar alone when boondocking. Particularly in hot places where the air-conditioners will work round the clock.

Some participants in this thread seem to think that resorting to a small diesel generator is “cheating”, or “going backwards”. But just do the power calculations. What I will be describing in the following pages is probably the most sophisticated, state-of-the-art solar system that could possibly be conceived for a 10.5 m expedition motorhome. I will be specifying the most advanced solar panels available today, as well as the most advanced thin-film flexible solar cells on the awnings.

But at the end of this design exercise, I will conclude that the probable maximum amount of solar that one can get off the roof of the TerraLiner, using Crystalline panels, is about 5 KW; and a huge spread of awnings on the sides and the back of the TerraLiner, even when covered with the most advanced thin-film-flexible solar cells available today, will only contribute about another 1.5 KW.

And yet some of the smallest diesel generators produce that much power: 6.5 KW is literally nothing in the world of diesel generation.

So I think it's simply obvious that for at least another 10 years or so, high-end expedition motorhomes that are laden with “amenities” (A/C, a Watermaker, an AWG or two, etc.) should not be imagined as relying on solar alone for all of their power when stationary.

A good rule of thumb here is to remember that Class A motorhomes in the United States, especially the “luxury” or “premium” models, will typically be fitted with generators in the 12 KW – 20 KW range. So if that's the power that manufacturers like Newell think their premium coaches need; and if the most advanced solar today covering every inch of the TerraLiner that can be covered, will generate at best just 6.5 KW; then clearly we have a big “power gap”. And just as clearly, a diesel generator will be necessary to make up the difference. It's really that simple.

Now sure, if one covered the roof of the TerraLiner with gallium arsenide solar cells of the kind that power spacecraft, then maybe one could eliminate the diesel generator. But not if one wants to remain at least a little bit realistic, still sourcing the TerraLiner's technology in the world of widely available commercial solar panels – albeit panels on the more “expensive”, cutting edge frontier of the market.

Fitting the Terraliner with a supplementary small diesel generator does not worry me. If it worries others, then so be it. I am not a solar-electric “purist” or a “green fanatic” who is hoping that the TerraLiner will be all-solar when boondocking. If it turns out that there won't be enough solar and/or battery power available to power all TerraLiner systems on certain days in certain climates, then the solution is dead simple: just run a “secondary” diesel generator, smaller than the main engine, to generate electricity. Just like all other motorhomes do.

I mean, why not? It's a simple solution. Just a little generator producing 6.5 KW, and suddenly we've doubled the available power for the TerraLiner, pushing it into 13 KW territory. Apparently this is how all the big American Class A's run their air-conditioners in the summer: they all have 12 KW – 20 KW diesel generators.

Here are some photos to drive home the point, just in case there are any doubters.

First, two pictures of the generators in some Newells: a coach that was documented in a recent (2013) photo essay by Truck Trend, that has a 20 KW Martin generator; and a 2004 Newell Coach with 20 KW Powertech Generator – see http://www.trucktrend.com/truck-reviews/1310-making-the-best-even-better-inside-newell-s-2013-2020p/ and http://motorhomesoftexas.com/coachrv/newell_coach/2004--newell--45--C1585 :

2 photos

Next, three photos, of (a) a 2001 Marathan Prevost with a 20 KW Kohler Generator; (b) a 2003 Marathon Prevost with 20 KW Kohler Generator; and (c) a 1999 Country Coach Prevost with a 20 KW Powertech Turbo Generator – see http://www.maplegrovervsales.com/external/epm/2001MarathonPrevost.html , http://www.luxurycoachclassifieds.com/2003-marathon-prevost-xlii-double-slide/ , and http://motorhomesoftexas.com/coachrv/country_coach/1999--prevost--40--C1781A :

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Finally, three photos of (a) a 2000 Featherlite 17 KW Powertech Generator; (b) a 1997 Liberty Prevost with 17.5 KW Powertech Generator; and (c) an unspecified generator, but I liked the slide-out….. See http://usedrvforsale.blogspot.it/2015/04/2000-prevost-featherlite-vantare-bus.html , http://www.prevost-stuff.com/1997PrevostLiberty_Martins.html , and http://www.advrider.com/forums/printthread.php?t=466525&pp=100&page=15 :


3 images


Large, American, “Class A” motorhomes are excellent examples of what it means to go “all-electric”. They have electric fridges, induction cooktops, microwave convection ovens – for instance, Newell has installed GE's “Advantium” halogen/microwave oven (see http://www.geappliances.com/appliances/speedcooking-oven.htm ) – and they have massive air conditioners. And yet even these Class A's still have heating systems that are diesel; for instance, Newell uses “Aquahot” – see http://www.aquahot.com . So if those who construct such American Class A motorhomes seem to think that they need 20 KW generators, just imagine what the TerraLiner might need, when a Watermaker, a pair of AWG's, and far-infrared radiant heating are added into the mix…..

Sure, the TerraLiner will be a smaller than a Class A: 10.5 m long instead of 13.7 m, as per most Newells. But even so the mere fact that these American Class A's are equipped with 20 KW generators should give one some pause for thought.

Agreed, the wrong kind of diesel generator (high RPM instead of low RPM), not properly sound-insulated, can be noisy. In almost all of the descriptions that accompany the images above, the claim is made that the generators are whisper-silent. So to make a generator “campground friendly”, seems merely a matter of choosing a generator carefully, and then hiring an expert to do the best possible sound insulation for the compartment where the generator operates. It's that simple.



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2. Run the Steyer/Jenoptik Diesel Generators Instead?


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Now I know that some will argue that the Steyer engine that powers the Jenoptik generator (or engines, plural, for redundancy), should also power the TerraLiner when stationary, when it has excessive KW needs. Or, the batteries should become sufficiently charged by the Jenoptik when the TerraLiner is underway, such that there should be no need for the TerraLiner to resort to a small supplementary diesel generator when stationary. The TerraLiner should merely draw down the battery bank gradually, to make up for any shortfall in solar.

Maybe yes, maybe no.

But if one is boondocking for a while, for 3 or 4 weeks, and if solar is not sufficient, then some kind of “diesel energy intervention” will have to take place, eventually. There's also the question whether the 182 HP Steyr counts as the “main” engine. In many places it is forbidden to keep the main engine of a vehicle running in idle when stationary. So if the Steyr were classified as the vehicle's main engine, and not just a generator, then one would have no choice but to use a small supplementary generator.

Further, it seems obvious (at least to me) that it would be much easier to achieve the complete acoustic isolation of the compartment that houses a small diesel generator. But it would be much harder to achieve the same for the compartment where the large Steyer/Jenoptik generator is located. (Or again, generators, plural, for redundancy).

So to repeat: I am not a solar-electric “purist”, and I am not committed to the idea of completely eliminating any need for a supplementary diesel generator. Why should I be? There are some really great, small, compact, powerful diesel generators now available, generators that are also turbocharged, and that can therefore handle high altitude. And because their engines are comparatively small, they will eat up much less diesel fuel than the 182 HP Steyr that powers the Jenoptik generator.

That Jenoptik's Steyr engine was described in full in post #673, at http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...pedition-RV-w-Rigid-Torsion-Free-Frame/page68 . It's a 6-cylinder, 3.2 L "Type M160015-0" -- see http://powertransmissionguide.net/c/c.aspx/STE001/productspecs , http://www.steyr-motors.com , http://www.steyr-motors.com/automotive/ , http://www.steyr-motors.com/automotive/engines/diesel-engine-6-cylinder-3200-cm3-m16/ , and. http://www.steyr-motors.com/automotive/applications-gallery/ . The power output of this Steyr diesel is 135 KW, or 182 HP, and it seems to be the same as the engine used, for instance, in the Humvee, the BAE Land Systems RG32, the Jamma M16 TCI, the Urovesa VAM TAC M16 TCI, and of course in MAN Neoplan hybrid trolley buses – see http://www.steyr-motors.com/automotive/applications-gallery/am-general-hmmw-m998-m16-tca-hd-164/ , http://www.steyr-motors.com/automotive/applications-gallery/bae-land-systems-omc-rg32-m16-tci-165/ , http://www.steyr-motors.com/automotive/applications-gallery/force-protection-jamma-m16-tci-177/ , http://www.steyr-motors.com/automotive/applications-gallery/urovesa-vam-tac-m16-tci-156/ , and http://www.steyr-motors.com/automotive/applications-gallery/neoman-modena-m16-tci-187/ .




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CONTINUED IN NEXT POST
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