PriUPS Update 03 November 2006

In January, I left you with this photo and asserted that I was pretty much finished with the project.  In a sense that was true.  The only change I've made to the main PriUPS system seen on the left was to swap out the Keithley DVM (brown box on top of the stack) for an HP meter (not shown) so I could use the Keithley in my now-operational moonbounce beacon.  

Shortly after finishing I started committing acts of blog, and have been updating the PriUPS home-power portion of the site somewhat sporadically, mostly with minor additions suggested by correspondence or info I've found.  I've also added some sections that involve using the Prius for providing portable power, i.e., with putting a UPS in the trunk, and using Vicor DC to DC converter modules to supply power for radio equipment.  The almost-home page gives links to this new material.  Also, see the RIKLBlog Index (really a table of contents).  There are a number of Prius references in the blog, and a lot of material that's totally irrelevant but might be entertaining.  (And, since it's a blog, a lot of extraneous silliness as well.)

In January's Final Project Notes I said...

"This may be the last hardware "update."  There's really nothing to be done except to wait for a real power failure and gloat about having electricity. "

Well, I have indeed had actual power failures.  Three of them, in fact.  And gloat I did and shall.

• Power failure 1 lasted only long enough to exercise the UPS.  Although the Prius was connected and ready, utility power returned before the Prius had the opportunity to exhibit its puissance.  Read about it here.
• Power failure 2 was even shorter, and very interesting in that when the power returned there was a substantial overvoltage.  I took this up with the utility company, which shrugged its otiose shoulders and blamed it on its utility company (really!).  (I wasn't home at the time, but power came back quickly enough that I didn't otherwise concern myself.)  No Prius action this time.
• Power failure 3 was the real thing.  Lost power, connected Prius, Prius ran the house for an hour or so, power came back.  Read about it here.

Are you working on a PriUPS of your own?  If so, please note that I have added a new section for others to detail their activities.  Send info!  Send photos!

And so I head into Northern Hemisphere winter with a modicum of security, and the knowledge that if I freeze to death, it will most likely be outdoors, and probably because I refuse to dress warmly enough rather than loss of power to the furnace.  I have some other projects in progress, but they will most likely appear in the blog instead of in future updates unless they're Prius related.

rcf
03 November 2006