TerraLiner:12 m Globally Mobile Beach House/Class-A Crossover w 6x6 Hybrid Drivetrain
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3. The PowerFilm “Solar Quad”
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As luck would have it, PowerFilm has created products for military use of exactly this kind: its “Solar Quad” and “PowerShade” offerings. And as one might expect, once one incorporates even flexible solar cells into a large piece of fabric that's meant to be folded, the power density goes down.
On the military side of its website specifically, PowerFilm sells the 220 KW “Solar Quad” – see http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/military/products__systems/power-packs-and-high-power-solar/ :
1 image
The PDF is slightly dated, because this product's power output has now increased from 180 W to 220 W, and its dimensions have changed: it was 2.4384 m x 2.8956 m, or 7.06 m[SUP]2[/SUP], but is now longer and narrower, 56" x 168" or 1.4224 x 4.2672 m, and 6.07 m[SUP]2 [/SUP]. So although the Solar Quad's total surface area has decreased, its power output has increased. The earlier version had a power density of 25.495 W per m[SUP]2[/SUP]. While the latest version has a power density of 36.243 W per m[SUP]2[/SUP]. Which strikes me as a significant improvement…..
However, note that this product is foldable, not rollable.
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3. The PowerFilm “Solar Quad”
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As luck would have it, PowerFilm has created products for military use of exactly this kind: its “Solar Quad” and “PowerShade” offerings. And as one might expect, once one incorporates even flexible solar cells into a large piece of fabric that's meant to be folded, the power density goes down.
On the military side of its website specifically, PowerFilm sells the 220 KW “Solar Quad” – see http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/military/products__systems/power-packs-and-high-power-solar/ :
1 image
The PDF is slightly dated, because this product's power output has now increased from 180 W to 220 W, and its dimensions have changed: it was 2.4384 m x 2.8956 m, or 7.06 m[SUP]2[/SUP], but is now longer and narrower, 56" x 168" or 1.4224 x 4.2672 m, and 6.07 m[SUP]2 [/SUP]. So although the Solar Quad's total surface area has decreased, its power output has increased. The earlier version had a power density of 25.495 W per m[SUP]2[/SUP]. While the latest version has a power density of 36.243 W per m[SUP]2[/SUP]. Which strikes me as a significant improvement…..
However, note that this product is foldable, not rollable.
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biotect
Designer
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4. The PowerFilm “PowerShade”
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The other Powerfilm product that might be somewhat indicative of the “real world” power-generation possibilities of the TerraLiner's awnings, is the “Powershade” solar field shelter – see http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/products/?powershade&show=product&productID=271521 , http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/sitev...ucts/PowerShade_Sales_Sheet_46E70C1E8D8D9.pdf , http://californiapc.com/Portable-So...-Shelters/PowerFilm-Solar-PowerShade-1kW.html , http://rvhappyhour.com/forums/topic/solar-power-shade/ , http://www.selectsolar.co.uk/prod/805/powerfilm-2kw-powershade-field-shelter#overview , http://www.go-sol-power.com/product/1kw-solar-tent/ , http://www.go-sol-power.com/product/2kw-solar-tent/ , http://www.mrostop.com/powerfilm-powershade-2kw-solar-tent.html , http://star-tides.net/powerfilm-solar-powershade™-solar-field-shelters , http://www.solarhome.org/powerfilmsolarpowershade.aspx ,
http://www.ecodirect.com/PowerFilm-...-Field-Shelter-p/powerfilm-powershade-2kw.htm ,
http://www.cyberenergy.co.uk/powerfilm-1kw-power-shade-solar-shelter-61-p.asp , http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/interviews/interview/1294/ , https://solarconduit.com/shop/powerfilm-powershade-solar-field-shelter-1kw.html , and http://www.ecodirect.com/PowerFilm-...-Field-Shelter-p/powerfilm-powershade-1kw.htm .
The PowerShade used to be available in 1 kW, 2 kW, and 3 kW power generation models, either 15.4 V or 30.8 V, and 65 amps @ 15.4 Volts for the KW version. But after a redesign, the same “footprint” sizes of PowerShade are now available in 1.8 kW, 3.6 kW and 5.4 kW models – see http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/media/cms/PowerFilm_Solar_Spring_2014_eNewlet_23A993BFCC660.pdf and http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/military/products__systems/power-packs-and-high-power-solar/ . The larger versions of the PowerShade are not more efficient; they're just bigger.
Again, the only PDFs available on-line described the older, 1 KW, 2 KW, and 3 KW versions:
4 pdf images
But there are lots of images available on-line, and here is a small gallery:
6 images
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4. The PowerFilm “PowerShade”
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The other Powerfilm product that might be somewhat indicative of the “real world” power-generation possibilities of the TerraLiner's awnings, is the “Powershade” solar field shelter – see http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/products/?powershade&show=product&productID=271521 , http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/sitev...ucts/PowerShade_Sales_Sheet_46E70C1E8D8D9.pdf , http://californiapc.com/Portable-So...-Shelters/PowerFilm-Solar-PowerShade-1kW.html , http://rvhappyhour.com/forums/topic/solar-power-shade/ , http://www.selectsolar.co.uk/prod/805/powerfilm-2kw-powershade-field-shelter#overview , http://www.go-sol-power.com/product/1kw-solar-tent/ , http://www.go-sol-power.com/product/2kw-solar-tent/ , http://www.mrostop.com/powerfilm-powershade-2kw-solar-tent.html , http://star-tides.net/powerfilm-solar-powershade™-solar-field-shelters , http://www.solarhome.org/powerfilmsolarpowershade.aspx ,
http://www.ecodirect.com/PowerFilm-...-Field-Shelter-p/powerfilm-powershade-2kw.htm ,
http://www.cyberenergy.co.uk/powerfilm-1kw-power-shade-solar-shelter-61-p.asp , http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/interviews/interview/1294/ , https://solarconduit.com/shop/powerfilm-powershade-solar-field-shelter-1kw.html , and http://www.ecodirect.com/PowerFilm-...-Field-Shelter-p/powerfilm-powershade-1kw.htm .
The PowerShade used to be available in 1 kW, 2 kW, and 3 kW power generation models, either 15.4 V or 30.8 V, and 65 amps @ 15.4 Volts for the KW version. But after a redesign, the same “footprint” sizes of PowerShade are now available in 1.8 kW, 3.6 kW and 5.4 kW models – see http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/media/cms/PowerFilm_Solar_Spring_2014_eNewlet_23A993BFCC660.pdf and http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/military/products__systems/power-packs-and-high-power-solar/ . The larger versions of the PowerShade are not more efficient; they're just bigger.
Again, the only PDFs available on-line described the older, 1 KW, 2 KW, and 3 KW versions:
4 pdf images
But there are lots of images available on-line, and here is a small gallery:
6 images
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2 images
Amongst the images above I've also included some pages from the PowerShade Instruction Manual, which is somewhat dated (2006) – see http://www.selectsolar.co.uk/uploads/asset_file/powerfilm powershade instruction manual.pdf .
We can pretty much ignore the figures for weight, because those include tents poles, pegs, etc., and all the extra canvas on the sides, that's not covered in solar panels.
Although the staked dimensions of the 2 KW Powershade are 38 feet x 56 feet, the “clear span” dimensions – presumably the solar cells – are 22 feet x 40 feet. I am fairly certain that this is the case, because in the Instruction Manual PDF the diagonal dimension from one corner of the tent poles to other in the 2 KW model is listed as 45 feet, 8 inches; and the diagonal of 22 x 40 feet is 45.65 feet. See http://www.selectsolar.co.uk/uploads/asset_file/powerfilm powershade instruction manual.pdf , pages 4 – 6:
3 pdfs
Now the 2 KW Powershade's 22 feet x 40 feet “clear span” = 880 square feet, and 880 square feet divided into 2000 W, yields a power density of 2.27 W per square foot, and certainly not 5 W per square foot. Translating those dimensions into metric, the solar array of the 2 KW “Powershade” is 6.7 m x 12.2 m, or 81.74 m[SUP]2[/SUP]. And dividing that into 2000 W, we get a metric power density of 24.46 W per square meter.
But as already stated above, the PowerShade has been upgraded. The power output of the smallest has increased from 1 KW to 1.8 KW, or 180 %; the power output of the medium sized PowerShade has increased from 2 KW to 3.6 KW, again, 180 %; and the power output of the largest Powershade has increased from 3 KW to 5.4 KW, which again works out to exactly 180 %. So it doesn't really matter which size of awning we use to determine the current power density of the PowerShade.
Again, assuming that the dimensions have not changed, and the “footprint” of all models has stayed the same, the surface area of the “clear span” of the medium-sized PowerShade is 81.74 m[SUP]2[/SUP]. If it now produces 3.6 KW, that means it has a power density of 44.04 W per square meter. That's very impressive indeed, if you think about it, and is actually more than the power density of the redesigned “Solar Quad”, as well as the rollable 42 W and 60 W charging mats. So I suspect that the surface area of the “clear span” of the PowerShade may have increased as well.
But for now, let's just assume that 44 kW per square meter as a “realistic” possible power density for the TerraLiner's awnings. In 5 years' time, it will no doubt be at least this good, or better. Even if the actual current power density of the “clear span” of the current PowerShade is more like 30 KW or 35 KW, we know that PowerFilm had definitely achieved a power density of 36.243 W per m[SUP]2[/SUP] in its upgraded “Solar Quad”, and 41.37 W per m[SUP]2[/SUP] in its 60 W rollable charging mat.
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2 images
Amongst the images above I've also included some pages from the PowerShade Instruction Manual, which is somewhat dated (2006) – see http://www.selectsolar.co.uk/uploads/asset_file/powerfilm powershade instruction manual.pdf .
We can pretty much ignore the figures for weight, because those include tents poles, pegs, etc., and all the extra canvas on the sides, that's not covered in solar panels.
Although the staked dimensions of the 2 KW Powershade are 38 feet x 56 feet, the “clear span” dimensions – presumably the solar cells – are 22 feet x 40 feet. I am fairly certain that this is the case, because in the Instruction Manual PDF the diagonal dimension from one corner of the tent poles to other in the 2 KW model is listed as 45 feet, 8 inches; and the diagonal of 22 x 40 feet is 45.65 feet. See http://www.selectsolar.co.uk/uploads/asset_file/powerfilm powershade instruction manual.pdf , pages 4 – 6:
3 pdfs
Now the 2 KW Powershade's 22 feet x 40 feet “clear span” = 880 square feet, and 880 square feet divided into 2000 W, yields a power density of 2.27 W per square foot, and certainly not 5 W per square foot. Translating those dimensions into metric, the solar array of the 2 KW “Powershade” is 6.7 m x 12.2 m, or 81.74 m[SUP]2[/SUP]. And dividing that into 2000 W, we get a metric power density of 24.46 W per square meter.
But as already stated above, the PowerShade has been upgraded. The power output of the smallest has increased from 1 KW to 1.8 KW, or 180 %; the power output of the medium sized PowerShade has increased from 2 KW to 3.6 KW, again, 180 %; and the power output of the largest Powershade has increased from 3 KW to 5.4 KW, which again works out to exactly 180 %. So it doesn't really matter which size of awning we use to determine the current power density of the PowerShade.
Again, assuming that the dimensions have not changed, and the “footprint” of all models has stayed the same, the surface area of the “clear span” of the medium-sized PowerShade is 81.74 m[SUP]2[/SUP]. If it now produces 3.6 KW, that means it has a power density of 44.04 W per square meter. That's very impressive indeed, if you think about it, and is actually more than the power density of the redesigned “Solar Quad”, as well as the rollable 42 W and 60 W charging mats. So I suspect that the surface area of the “clear span” of the PowerShade may have increased as well.
But for now, let's just assume that 44 kW per square meter as a “realistic” possible power density for the TerraLiner's awnings. In 5 years' time, it will no doubt be at least this good, or better. Even if the actual current power density of the “clear span” of the current PowerShade is more like 30 KW or 35 KW, we know that PowerFilm had definitely achieved a power density of 36.243 W per m[SUP]2[/SUP] in its upgraded “Solar Quad”, and 41.37 W per m[SUP]2[/SUP] in its 60 W rollable charging mat.
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biotect
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PART J: AWNINGS – The Different Kinds of Side-Awning Technology Currently Available.
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1. Why Take a Very Long Tour of Side-Awning Technologies?
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By my estimation, the next 5 or 6 pages of this thread will be full of postings about awnings. Why?
The reason is simple:
Five images of the Solar Kombi
See http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2014/...powered-volkswagen-bus-and-it-actually-works/ , http://ekomiko.pl/?p=22160&lang=en , and http://www.ecofriend.com/cto-of-vecna-leads-with-example-on-his-solar-powered-vw-bus.html .
The “holy grail” of solar-vehicle design is the fully autonomous vehicle that can run off solar alone, and nothing else. The above converted VW Bus create by the CTO of Vecna, a Health Care company, does just that. But when the sun is not shining, its range is limited to about 20 miles.
And then there's that solar panel overhang….. As the above vehicle demonstrates, the technology to power the TerraLiner's interior systems completely with solar simply is not “there” yet, and probably won't be there for at least another 20 years. If the diesel generators discussed earlier in the thread are feeding premium Class-A motorhomes like Newells and Milleniums with 20 KW when stationary, then in order to function on solar alone while boondocking, a “glamped out” vehicle like the TerraLiner will need the same. Which means that the panels on the roof would have to become four times as efficient as SunPower panels are today. They would have to gather at least 800 W per square meter, instead of 211 W. Only then could they produce 20 KW, instead of just 5 KW.
Again, 5 KW may seem very impressive for a solar array, but it's the same as the power output of one of the smaller generators used for RV's and motorhomes.
So we have two choices. We can wait another 20 or 30 years until the solar cells on the TerraLiner's roof alone will produce 20 KW of power. Or we can imagine additional ways to extend the surface area that the TerraLiner exposes to the sun. The VW Kombi above does this by simply sticking an oversize panel on the roof. But this clearly can't be a design solution for the TerraLiner.
This means, in a nutshell, that we need to think about awnings in a big way. The bigger and more comprehensive the awnings that the TerraLiner can deploy, the less dependent it will be on a generator and diesel fuel when boondocking.
So get ready for a very thorough exploration of awning possibilities, and then some….
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PART J: AWNINGS – The Different Kinds of Side-Awning Technology Currently Available.
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1. Why Take a Very Long Tour of Side-Awning Technologies?
****************************************
By my estimation, the next 5 or 6 pages of this thread will be full of postings about awnings. Why?
The reason is simple:
Five images of the Solar Kombi
See http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2014/...powered-volkswagen-bus-and-it-actually-works/ , http://ekomiko.pl/?p=22160&lang=en , and http://www.ecofriend.com/cto-of-vecna-leads-with-example-on-his-solar-powered-vw-bus.html .
The “holy grail” of solar-vehicle design is the fully autonomous vehicle that can run off solar alone, and nothing else. The above converted VW Bus create by the CTO of Vecna, a Health Care company, does just that. But when the sun is not shining, its range is limited to about 20 miles.
And then there's that solar panel overhang….. As the above vehicle demonstrates, the technology to power the TerraLiner's interior systems completely with solar simply is not “there” yet, and probably won't be there for at least another 20 years. If the diesel generators discussed earlier in the thread are feeding premium Class-A motorhomes like Newells and Milleniums with 20 KW when stationary, then in order to function on solar alone while boondocking, a “glamped out” vehicle like the TerraLiner will need the same. Which means that the panels on the roof would have to become four times as efficient as SunPower panels are today. They would have to gather at least 800 W per square meter, instead of 211 W. Only then could they produce 20 KW, instead of just 5 KW.
Again, 5 KW may seem very impressive for a solar array, but it's the same as the power output of one of the smaller generators used for RV's and motorhomes.
So we have two choices. We can wait another 20 or 30 years until the solar cells on the TerraLiner's roof alone will produce 20 KW of power. Or we can imagine additional ways to extend the surface area that the TerraLiner exposes to the sun. The VW Kombi above does this by simply sticking an oversize panel on the roof. But this clearly can't be a design solution for the TerraLiner.
This means, in a nutshell, that we need to think about awnings in a big way. The bigger and more comprehensive the awnings that the TerraLiner can deploy, the less dependent it will be on a generator and diesel fuel when boondocking.
So get ready for a very thorough exploration of awning possibilities, and then some….
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biotect
Designer
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2. Australian Design Brilliance
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After seeing the Paradise Motorhome Expedition Vehicle that Joe Maninga posted a while back, I've been thinking about exactly this kind of “pull down” deck, on at least one side of the TerraLiner – see posts # 879 to #884 at http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...pedition-RV-w-Rigid-Torsion-Free-Frame/page88 and http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...pedition-RV-w-Rigid-Torsion-Free-Frame/page89 , and post #912 to #914 at http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...pedition-RV-w-Rigid-Torsion-Free-Frame/page92 . That vehicle made a tremendous impression on me, and has somewhat altered the overall design trajectory of the TerraLiner.
Here are a few images again:
10 images
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2. Australian Design Brilliance
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After seeing the Paradise Motorhome Expedition Vehicle that Joe Maninga posted a while back, I've been thinking about exactly this kind of “pull down” deck, on at least one side of the TerraLiner – see posts # 879 to #884 at http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...pedition-RV-w-Rigid-Torsion-Free-Frame/page88 and http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...pedition-RV-w-Rigid-Torsion-Free-Frame/page89 , and post #912 to #914 at http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...pedition-RV-w-Rigid-Torsion-Free-Frame/page92 . That vehicle made a tremendous impression on me, and has somewhat altered the overall design trajectory of the TerraLiner.
Here are a few images again:
10 images
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6 images
Notice how this expedition motorhome has a fairly standard “Patio Awning”, but one that comes out almost exactly horizontal (not angled), because it has to clear the slide-out first. In two images that I recently found on a website that reviews this motorhome, the horizontal supporting strut seems to be a slightly bent “lateral” awning arm, so this might be a motorized awning of the “lateral arm” type:
2 images
But notice how this vehicle also stabilizes the corners of the awning with vertical support struts, attached to the drop-down deck. This may not seem that significant, but once we begin thinking about awnings, it will become critically important. Many motorhome awnings are not designed to withstand wind and rain, and only the addition of vertical support struts tied down by ropes and tent pegs gives them any hope of surviving the elements.
So let's take a very long tour of the RV side-awning technologies currently available.
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6 images
Notice how this expedition motorhome has a fairly standard “Patio Awning”, but one that comes out almost exactly horizontal (not angled), because it has to clear the slide-out first. In two images that I recently found on a website that reviews this motorhome, the horizontal supporting strut seems to be a slightly bent “lateral” awning arm, so this might be a motorized awning of the “lateral arm” type:
2 images
But notice how this vehicle also stabilizes the corners of the awning with vertical support struts, attached to the drop-down deck. This may not seem that significant, but once we begin thinking about awnings, it will become critically important. Many motorhome awnings are not designed to withstand wind and rain, and only the addition of vertical support struts tied down by ropes and tent pegs gives them any hope of surviving the elements.
So let's take a very long tour of the RV side-awning technologies currently available.
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3. Types of Awnings: the Manual V-Shape Awning
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This is the oldest type of awing, and it's manually operated, but nonetheless you can still find lots of examples of this awning used on large motorhomes:
10 images
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3. Types of Awnings: the Manual V-Shape Awning
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This is the oldest type of awing, and it's manually operated, but nonetheless you can still find lots of examples of this awning used on large motorhomes:
10 images
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They certainly look sturdy enough, and seem like they could survive a pretty big gust of wind:
6 images
But have you ever tried setting one up? Of have you seen videos of how these older manual awnings beings set up? Advance ahead 3 minutes into the first video; the second video is painful right from the start:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_9QUgGynTs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJOP3ycdg28
When I first looked at these videos, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I couldn't believe that people would actually be willing to go through all this hassle just to set up an awning for possibly one night at a given campsite. And I'd never want to subject the TerraLiner's users to such torture.
There's also a practical, energy side to this. If the TerraLiner is going to use its awnings to generate electricity, then opening them will have to be a great deal easier than the manual procedure depicted in these videos. For instance, if the TerraLiner has just stopped for a few hours on a sunny beach, enroute to somewhere else, and there's not much wind, one would want to open the side awnings to catch some extra power “on the fly” so to speak. But if it's a complicated procedure that takes more than 30 seconds, that simply isn't going to happen.
These awnings also need to be asymmetrically canted, with one side lower, for rain runoff:
2 images
So aesthetically appealing they are not. Sure, one of these images is very exaggerated, but to outsiders who are not accustomed to RV awnings and their requirements, the “canted” position of traditional awnings looks awfully strange. It looks like the awning is broken.
We can abandon these manual designs right at the outset.
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They certainly look sturdy enough, and seem like they could survive a pretty big gust of wind:
6 images
But have you ever tried setting one up? Of have you seen videos of how these older manual awnings beings set up? Advance ahead 3 minutes into the first video; the second video is painful right from the start:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_9QUgGynTs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJOP3ycdg28
When I first looked at these videos, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I couldn't believe that people would actually be willing to go through all this hassle just to set up an awning for possibly one night at a given campsite. And I'd never want to subject the TerraLiner's users to such torture.
There's also a practical, energy side to this. If the TerraLiner is going to use its awnings to generate electricity, then opening them will have to be a great deal easier than the manual procedure depicted in these videos. For instance, if the TerraLiner has just stopped for a few hours on a sunny beach, enroute to somewhere else, and there's not much wind, one would want to open the side awnings to catch some extra power “on the fly” so to speak. But if it's a complicated procedure that takes more than 30 seconds, that simply isn't going to happen.
These awnings also need to be asymmetrically canted, with one side lower, for rain runoff:
2 images
So aesthetically appealing they are not. Sure, one of these images is very exaggerated, but to outsiders who are not accustomed to RV awnings and their requirements, the “canted” position of traditional awnings looks awfully strange. It looks like the awning is broken.
We can abandon these manual designs right at the outset.
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biotect
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4. Types of Awnings: the “Elbow Arm” Power Awning
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I am not sure what the technical term is for these awnings, but they seem to be the first “motorized” type of awning introduced to the market. So I have called them “elbow arm” awnings:
10 images
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4. Types of Awnings: the “Elbow Arm” Power Awning
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I am not sure what the technical term is for these awnings, but they seem to be the first “motorized” type of awning introduced to the market. So I have called them “elbow arm” awnings:
10 images
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Winnebago also seems to use this awning in some of its products:
3 Winnebago images
The video already posted above depicts just such an awning at the beginning of the narrative, and in addition to that here are two more Dometic videos depicting the same kind of awning mechanism:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJOP3ycdg28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgKVk6QXnqY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZzTbIGF7-Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XsmSLrKO78
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pNA_7zsfS0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSORbCixDQc
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Winnebago also seems to use this awning in some of its products:
3 Winnebago images
The video already posted above depicts just such an awning at the beginning of the narrative, and in addition to that here are two more Dometic videos depicting the same kind of awning mechanism:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJOP3ycdg28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgKVk6QXnqY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZzTbIGF7-Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XsmSLrKO78
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pNA_7zsfS0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSORbCixDQc
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biotect
Designer
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The only problem with such awnings is that they are very susceptible to wind damage, and as a consequence, many will have a “wind sensor” that automatically retracts the awning if things get too gusty.
As the following blog explains very nicely, such awnings are “spring loaded”, so that when smaller gusts occur, the spring gives and allows the awning to billow upwards, to let the air pass – see http://www.flyingthekoop.com/2014/07/25/rv-awnings-wind/ :
1 image
This is probably the kind of AE “Weather Pro” awning that he talks about in his blog:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx0q_RcMwbo
So too, the springs on either side are differently calibrated, so when water accumulates on the awning, eventually one depresses and dumps the water. Here are two excellent videos of just such an awning “dumping” a load of water:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufuhZb44Y4k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6atfbaRh6Xk
So such awnings are at least weatherproof when it comes to rain.
But again, given that the awnings will also be a source of electricity for the TerraLiner, one imagine any number of days that are sunny but windy; days when one will want to deploy the awnings for power reasons, but can't because the wind might damage the awning's mechanism. More on this further below.
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CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST
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The only problem with such awnings is that they are very susceptible to wind damage, and as a consequence, many will have a “wind sensor” that automatically retracts the awning if things get too gusty.
As the following blog explains very nicely, such awnings are “spring loaded”, so that when smaller gusts occur, the spring gives and allows the awning to billow upwards, to let the air pass – see http://www.flyingthekoop.com/2014/07/25/rv-awnings-wind/ :
1 image
This is probably the kind of AE “Weather Pro” awning that he talks about in his blog:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx0q_RcMwbo
So too, the springs on either side are differently calibrated, so when water accumulates on the awning, eventually one depresses and dumps the water. Here are two excellent videos of just such an awning “dumping” a load of water:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufuhZb44Y4k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6atfbaRh6Xk
So such awnings are at least weatherproof when it comes to rain.
But again, given that the awnings will also be a source of electricity for the TerraLiner, one imagine any number of days that are sunny but windy; days when one will want to deploy the awnings for power reasons, but can't because the wind might damage the awning's mechanism. More on this further below.
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CONTINUED IN NEXT POST
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Last edited: