Hello everyone. I'm a geek in terms of PC parts and simple stuff like that. Heavy single player gamer util I got married and then..Netflix.
I live in a rural area where electricity shuts during storms on a regular basis. One time, this winter, I had to stay awake all night, having a 4 months baby, a constant temperature was mandatory. Power got on and off often enough to have the generator at the ready but not...off enough to just call it a night and burn that gasoline with no second thoughts. I do have a backup heating solution (wood pellet furnace) but I mainly use electricity for heating using 3x split ACs with inverter.
What I need is instructions and mainly the code to program my Arduino to do all the things an expensive power automator can do.
The introduction took way too long and I apologize for that.
The generator starts by pressing the start button long enough.
12V battery, 5KW, 4 stroke gasoline. I do have an UPS but it's low power, ideally I need it to be capable to deliver 2000W over 230v for long enough to start that engine. For testing is good enough.
I'm thinking a sound sensor can do the job of telling to the board if the engine is on, off.
I also want temperature monitoring of the carburettor, schedule no load startups in blizzard, and gradual, one at the time per room power transfer. Power goes back on, engine stops, after power transfer to the mains occurs. And the chock needs to be controlled as well (servos?). ...and manual override with remote switches. Am confortable handling high power electricity and I will not attempt doing this before making sure I understand the heck of what I'm doing.
What do you need to know?
Hi,
Welcome to the forum.
Please read the post at the start of any forum , entitled "How to use this Forum".
OR
http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php/topic,148850.0.html.
You monitor the generator motor by monitoring the oil pressure switch.
If you want someone to do the code for you then post a request in "Gigs and Collaborations" section of the forum.
Thanks.. Tom... 
Any standby generator where a change over from mains to standby and back again will need to be approved by your local authority and normally carried out by an authorised electrician.
Any automation system would need similar local authority approvals/ certifications.
No such thing as per room power transfer.
Either it's the installation on generator or mains.
Control normally done via a mains detection relay and appropriate delay relays.
Not a job for an amature.
sam1211:
What I need is instructions and mainly the code to program my Arduino to do all the things an expensive power automator can do.
The introduction took way too long and I apologize for that.The generator starts by pressing the start button long enough.
12V battery, 5KW, 4 stroke gasoline. I do have an UPS but it's low power, ideally I need it to be capable to deliver 2000W over 230v for long enough to start that engine. For testing is good enough.
I'm thinking a sound sensor can do the job of telling to the board if the engine is on, off.
I also want temperature monitoring of the carburettor, schedule no load startups in blizzard, and gradual, one at the time per room power transfer. I am confortable handling high power electricity and I will not attempt doing this before making I understand the heck of what I'm doing.
Nothing to apologise for. Your introduction is easy to understand which many introductions are not.
Sorry, but if you are new to programming this is going to take a lot of learning - like 6 to 12 months of hard work. If you are already familiar with programming but have never programmed an Arduino the learning curve will not be so steep, but it will still be substantial and may still take 6 months. Creating a computer program is not as straightforward as following the instructions to build a Lego model. It involves learning and testing and failure and learning - even for experienced programmers.
What seems like a simple process of starting a gas (petrol over here) engine is not simple for a computer program because computers are completely stupid. Sound is very simple for a human, but not for a PC and it is completely beyond the capability of an Arduino because it is too slow and has very little memory. You may be able to detect the engine is running by measuring the RPM - but that probably won't give a reliable indication for a few seconds later than a human would know the engine has started and the starter motor will running all that time.
Identifying the components needed to interface between an Arduino and an engine and learning how to use them with very simple programs will take time.
Then there are the components needed to detect when the motor should start.
However in my view the biggest obstacle to progress is all the safeguards that need to be included and which would be a normal part of a commercial product. Failure of the safeguards could result in a fire, serious personal injury or death.
Whatever you choose to do no engine can start sufficiently fast for a seamless transition from mains to generator and you will need a substantial battery and inverter to bridge the gap. Spending a bit more on the inverter so you have time for human intervention might be the most practical solution. It should be possible to arrange things so that heavy loads (such as heaters) are only connected to the system when mains power is available.
...R
Plus what @bluejets has said
Thank you for the answer.
bluejets:
No such thing as per room power transfer.
Not a job for an amature.
Well, it has to be if I don't want to sped thousands on a server grade ups.
Guess I have to become more pro then.
zwieblum:
What do you need to know?
A lot it seems. I'm gonna watch programing tutorials and consult a friend of mine that works with contactors and timers on as part of his job description.
I took a different approach to power cuts. I don't get as many as you by far, but I get what I consider to be too many. Instead of trying to supply the full load I worked out what I really need and only supply that. What I really need is some light and an internet connection. I have a 48V lead acid battery and a charger and inverter. All it powers is some table lamps and my router. That's enough for me. I can read a book and I can check the internet on my phone. The house is well enough insulated that loss of heating for an hour or 2 doesn't really make much difference. Work out what's important to you and power that from your standby system and leave everything else off in a power cut.
PerryBebbington:
I took a different approach to power cuts.
We do have thick blankets here, and my house is decently isolated.
I guess I find this kind of automation way cooler than RGB and smart fridges. Good luck to everyone and stay healthy!
sam1211:
I guess I find this kind of automation way cooler than RGB and smart fridges.
I totally agree with that! However, I also agree with all the other comments about the complexity and difficulty of doing what you are trying to do safely.
sam1211:
I guess I find this kind of automation way cooler than RGB and smart fridges.
Just be cause you can does not mean that you should
I like the concept in Reply #7
...R
You may get your jollies, by looking at a PLC with the extra power-control components, but that simply buys the hardware - you still need to develop your own software.
Debugging could blow your transfer switch off the wall, or electrocute a city linesman down the road.
Or, as suggested, get a meaty UPS, auto-start generator, and the local sparkle to install a transfer switch where it’s needed.
There’s quite a lot of things that could go wrong, and you really don’t want to be responsible for involuntarily cancelling your insurance in the same event that kills your friend, electrocutes the linesman, and burns the building down.
"What I need is instructions and mainly the code to program my Arduino to do all the things an expensive power automator can do."
I think somebody should come up with a way to breed a very large shrimp. That way, you could ride him, then after you camped at night, you could eat him. How about it, science? - Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy