[sudo-discuss] fyi: Little Box Challenge: Build A Smaller Inverter

[Thomas Fitzpatrick]

I'd be interested in this. I spent a couple weeks doing research for an 
inverter here:
http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Universal_Power_Supply

That design was a bit more daunting, but this seems like a doable challenge.

When would you like to start?

On 07/22/2014 04:24 PM, Phil Wolff wrote:
> https://www.littleboxchallenge.com/ is offering $1,000,000 to the team 
> that designs and builds the smallest inverter. Is there a sudoer 
> contingent interested in forming a team to explore the barriers to 
> making inverters smaller?
>
>
>         What the inverter needs to do
>
>     The winning inverter will be the one that achieves the highest
>     power density and meeting a list of other specifications, as
>     determined by a panel of judges, while undergoing testing for 100
>     hours.
>
>     In brief, the other specifications are :
>
>       * Must be able to handle up to 2 kVA loads
>       * Must achieve a power density of equal to or greater than 50
>         W/in^3
>       * Must be able to handle loads with power factors from 0.7--1,
>         leading and lagging in an islanded mode
>       * Must be in a rectangular metal enclosure of no more than 40 in^3
>       * Will be taking in 450 V DC power in series with a 10 ? resistor
>       * Must output 240 V, 60 Hz AC single phase power
>       * Must have a total harmonic distortion + noise on both voltage
>         and current of < 5%
>       * Must have an input ripple current of < 20%
>       * Must have an input ripple voltage of < 3%
>       * Must have a DC-AC efficiency of greater than 95%
>       * Must maintain a temperature of no more than 60°C during
>         operation everywhere on the outside of the device that can be
>         touched.
>       * Must conform to Electromagnetic Compliance standards as set
>         out in FCC Part 15 B
>       * Can not use any external source of cooling (e.g. water) other
>         than air
>       * Does not require galvanic isolation
>
>     Our testing philosophy is to not look inside the box. You provide
>     us with a box that has 5 wires coming out of it: two DC inputs,
>     two AC outputs and grounding connection and we only monitor what
>     goes into and comes out of those wires, along with the temperature
>     of the outside of your box, over the course of 100 hours of
>     testing. The inverter will be operating in an islanded more---that
>     is, not tied or synced to an external grid. The loads will be
>     dynamically changing throughout the course of the testing, similar
>     to what you may expect to see in a residential setting.
>
>
>
>
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