[Archived]

I have a lot of thoughts. But take them for what they are worth.

Our 50DN alternators are rated somewhere around 270 to 300 amps at 12 or 24 volts. To generate that current our engines have to use some HP (fuel).

If another alternator takes less power to create current, the amount of current is reduced proportionately. Energy is energy is energy.

I hope someone can prove me wrong because I really want Volta to succeed but my BS detector is now on high alert.

[jack]

I agree John,Dick that alternator is rated at 56 volts for a 48 volt system,it does not look very heavy duty like the 50DN that we have.It would be difficult enough with a 50DN failure on the road but with a really unique system it would be almost impossible to locate parts in a timely manner.I looked at the Volta system also in Tampa it is just not for me.

[Archived]

I’m not an engineer. I have a business degree, got a D calculus, but I think I have lots of common sense, run race cars a little, and have my pilots licenese.

I was thinking along the same lines as Jon. I should have quizzed Mr. Volta about the differences between his alternator and the DN50. Regardless of whether a coach has AGM batts or these fancy LI batts, the batts (and the house) will need a certain amount of juice over a defined amount of time at a specific rate of charge. There is no free lunch.

If the Volta alternator provides the same amount of juice to the batts and house at the same rate at the DN50 on only 6hp vs 30hp for the DN50 maybe this is because the Volta alternator is more efficient than the DN50. This might be possible because the Volta alternator uses up to date technology that is better and more efficient than the old DN50.

It would be interesting to do a side by side comparison of the two. If the Volta alternator is truly that much better than the DN50, then there is a huge immediate market for the guys who want to have the most current alternator, save the weight, use less power, and save on their diesel bill. Then most of the rest of us are upgrade candidates when our DN50s fail.

How old is the DN50? Has the technology in the DN50 ever been upgraded?

[Archived]

Dick,

There are definitely changes in technology, and certainly differences in design and manufacturing techniques that make a contribution to efficiency. But the method of generating electricity with an alternator is not new and Mother Nature and the laws of physics dictate that the amount of work is not going to change to the extent it uses 20% of the HP a 50DN requires.

A 50DN is a very old design. It is a robust device that has so much current producing ability it has to be oil cooled. Newer designs are air cooled, not only is there a 50DN equivalent that is air cooled, but Prevost is using the latest design in the form of Bosch air cooled alternators, although smaller in output so multiple alternators are required to do the same work.

Coaches that do not have OTR will often use the inverters to run multiple AC units, up to four at a time. At 120 volts they pull about 13 amps each or in terms of a 12 volt 50DN, 130amps each just to maintain the battery charge level. At 24 volts they draw 65 amps of charging current each. I am guessing at the 56 volts (nominal 48) the Volta alternator has to put out about 33 amps per every AC unit loaded onto the system. If someone is going down the road in their 4 slide coach with 4 AC units that alternator has to be putting out at least 133 amps just to avoid battery drain asuming not a single other device in the coach is drawing power, like a water pump or refrigerator, etc. That is a lot of alternator current.

Energy is energy is energy.

[Larry & Diane]

Apparently I miss-placed your business card. Could you please send me your contact information so we can discuss the LI upgrade in your Marathon?

Thanks so much.

Ben@parliamentcoach.com