I camp off grid in a Promaster van and want to avoid unnecessary idling at night. I'm ready to install 24v 400W nominal solar in Tennessee connected to a 24v power wheelchair with MK Gel AGM batteries. I use the chair during the day for power wherever I go leaving the panels available. I use a CPAP machine every night. The CPAP consumes most of its energy heating up distilled water.
It occurred to me that it might be possible to use solar electrolysis all day, then react the products all night to produce warm pure humid CPAP air(8oz water), excess heat warming the van, excess water for whatever, power to charge the chair (200w), run the CPAP fan (20w), a controller/phone charger (10W).
I need help selecting the most appropriate reactor. Small internal combustion engine and alternator, fuel cell, other? Everywhere I search for small hydrogen I run into crackpots. Hard to know who to trust.
Sizing the reactor, gas generator, storage.
Gas production, purification, compression, storage.
The fact that all gas will be fully reacted each night might relax some of the usual assumptions for 300PSI storage or higher, struct purification, etc. But the fact that it needs to be mobile imposes other requirements. It must fit inside the van with room left for me. Be reliable and safe enough to run unmonitored in a confined space with a sleeping person.
That probably makes it completely impractical and I should just replace all the hydrogen stuff with a battery bank. Frankly that is probably what will happen.
But first I would like to discuss it, identify some hardware and tests to try and see if it might actually be viable.
It occurred to me that it might be possible to use solar electrolysis all day, then react the products all night to produce warm pure humid CPAP air(8oz water), excess heat warming the van, excess water for whatever, power to charge the chair (200w), run the CPAP fan (20w), a controller/phone charger (10W).
I need help selecting the most appropriate reactor. Small internal combustion engine and alternator, fuel cell, other? Everywhere I search for small hydrogen I run into crackpots. Hard to know who to trust.
Sizing the reactor, gas generator, storage.
Gas production, purification, compression, storage.
The fact that all gas will be fully reacted each night might relax some of the usual assumptions for 300PSI storage or higher, struct purification, etc. But the fact that it needs to be mobile imposes other requirements. It must fit inside the van with room left for me. Be reliable and safe enough to run unmonitored in a confined space with a sleeping person.
That probably makes it completely impractical and I should just replace all the hydrogen stuff with a battery bank. Frankly that is probably what will happen.
But first I would like to discuss it, identify some hardware and tests to try and see if it might actually be viable.