[rescue] SCRAPPLE

[James Lockwood]

On Tue, 13 Nov 2001, Dave McGuire wrote:

> On November 13, Joshua D Boyd wrote:
> > http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1659412160).

That's a good deal for a 671 setup if it works well.

> > Err, I don't know anything about how well different UPSs might deal with the
> > potentially poor quality of a diesel generator.

A diesel generator with a good alternator will produce higher quality
sinusoidal AC than even a high end UPS, provided it can maintain constant
speed.  Waveform shape (THD) will be better than a UPS but frequency drift
may occur.

A brand new 5500W (not 5500VA) generator can be had for under $700.
Harbor Freight was having a special on 240KW turbodiesel units a while
back but I think that would be slight overkill.  :)

>   GE has a neat thing that Mike N turned me on to, if memory serves.
> It's a natural-gas-driven fuel cell backup generator intended for home
> use.  It seems rather neat.  It pleases me to see fuel cell technology
> being pushed into the consumer market.

They've been "pushing" it since '97, if you're referring to Plug Power.
They were supposed to be selling full fledged consumer units in quantity
over 2 years ago.  They're having a lot of trouble keeping the technology
working in the real world, and investors are not happy.

-James