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Mci102 (67.42.94.227)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 2:50 am: | |
Recently their was a discussion about small DC gensets. About 2 years ago, I attended a boat show here in Seattle and was impressed by a small diesel genny made by Fisher Panda. It was very compact, fully enclosed, and so quiet you couldn't tell it was running even standing right next to it. It was also $11,ooo.oo. A small DC genset made sense to me...,and this led to considering the Jenny made by "Ample Power". It's a single cylinder Kubota diesel with a belt driven external regulator alternator. The more I looked at it, the more convinced I could beat the $4,000.00 price tag.(It can be seen on their web page) The engine is a EL300EAR Kubota, it is available at EC Power Systems in Auburn Washington (800)-247-5899 for $1,201.33. A small ma & Pa company called "Associated Aircraft" (Kent Washington) built a knockoff of this unit,and I was was able to buy most of the parts to build it. The alternater (24 volts 100 amps)I bought from "Balmer" (they have a web site). Haven't bought the requlator yet.
The case for using a small DC genset is made at length in the book "living on 12 Volts". My coach is all electric with a 14.5 KW to keep it running when not plugged in. This, and other modifications I plan over the next few years will make it less of a "Pad Queen" |
Jimmci9 (209.240.205.68)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 7:38 am: | |
some of the trucking companies use a "starting machine'... in larger sizes, this is a 8-12hp gasoline engine pulling multiple alternators... with a set of jumper cables attached to the alternator's ouput.... they charge batteries very fast, to start a disabled truck....i made a 12vdc gen set, usind a 3hp horizontal shaft tecumpseh gasoline engine, pulling a '50s model ford automotive generator... hooked up to the original voltage regulator.... it will charge a battery lots faster than an electric charger....and is portable....made for less than $150....if you wire "around' the voltage regulator, the generator will start the gas engine, if the battery has enough charge... |
Scott Whitney (66.82.9.62)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 9:09 am: | |
I have always thought a very small DC genset would be nice. Because for fast charging, I already have the 6KW genny w/ 3Kw Heart inverter/charger. But what would be great is a very small gas engine that just keeps a constant float charge coming in 24/7. It would have to be very quiet, fuel efficient, and made to run a long duty cycle.
It would work similar to solar from the end user's point of view (not in function, obviously) in that it would not provide adequate power for any one large load, but would just keep a small steady charge going.
I think the trick would be finding a suitable engine. I am thinking along the size of chain-saw. But I doubt you could run that kind of engine for hours and hours on end before it croaked. I know they make some pretty cool model RC car and airplane engines, (air cooled, though) but I'd be worried about duty cycle on those. Plus, they are expensive for the larger ones.
What would be perfect would be miniturized, water cooled automotive type engine or something. Maybe a carburated two-banger with a little radiator and muffler, direct-driving a Japanese-car-sized alternator, all in a box about the size of coffeemaker. . .
You guys remember the plastic model V8 engine complete with moving pistions, and a clear block so you could see inside?, need to make one of those in metal that acutally ran. . .
Where to find such an engine?
Scott |
DonTX/KS (66.82.9.20)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 10:22 am: | |
I had one Scott, Coleman sold such a unit. It produced 120v, 12v and 24v. The 120v portion was unique, in that rpm only controlled output, NOT frequency. On 12v you could hook it onto a dead car battery, and it would start by the time you got into the drivers seat. I got the 24v option, so I could jump my aircraft when needed. So small, it came with a shoulder strap.
Drawback was, since it was a small two stroke engine it screamed nosily, and did not seem to efficient on fuel either. Don't know if they still make and market it or not. |
Tim Brandt (Timb) (12.8.192.60)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 11:08 am: | |
Scott,
Here is a mini V-8 like you describe. A bit pricey though
http://www.conleyprecision.com/ |
BrianMCI96A3 (65.160.215.64)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 12:47 pm: | |
There was this guy I read about... he had a thing for a particularly rare Ferrari, but like nearly everyone else on this planet he did'nt have the cash for one.
Amazingly, he had access to a machine shop, and he began making an exact one third scale copy of this car himself, piece by piece, bit by bit, including the 12 cylinder Ferrari engine.
To top it off, as if that isn't awesome enough, now that he is done, if you turn the tiny key to the on position, needles jump lights come on...turn it to start and the little Ferrari engine will fire up and if there was someone small enough to fit in the cockpit you could drive it away.
Of course the engine alone is probably close to the cost of a nice bus conversion!
Brian |
timb (12.8.192.60)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 4:42 pm: | |
I believe this is what you are looking for
http://www.fine-art-models.com/e/gallery/scerri/
They have a video of it running on the site. |
Phil Dumpster (24.16.243.37)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 5:18 pm: | |
Small water cooled engines like what Scott wants are such a limited specialty item that I doubt you'll find one mass produced.
It would definately be nice if such small powerplants were made, but I suspect they would cost at least as much as if not more than a 5kw generator.
For quiet operation, it would have to be water cooled. For economy it would need a fuel injection system. For convenience when mounted under the floor electric start would be needed, although a rope starter could be routed to any convenient location. A relatively large flywheel to handle surges and maybe even a countershaft to quench vibration would be nice.
Wish such an animal existed at an affordable price. |
mci102 (168.156.112.40)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 8:19 pm: | |
Phil
I think your dream is here right in front of you. The engine I referenced, the Kubota EL300EAR is mass produced, fuel injected (diesel) water cooled (with it's own built in radiator and fan)has a large flywheel and electric start. This engine is largely used to run electronic road signs, that means it will run 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week on pints of fuel. Power ranges from 4hp to 6hp (6hp has a countershaft and runs at higher rpm). They can be made so quiet that you can hardly hear them run. |
Johnny (4.174.112.51)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 8:34 pm: | |
Don't many quads use water-cooled 250-600cc single-cylinder 4-stroke engines? I think so. That might work. |
Derek (24.85.245.203)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 10:39 pm: | |
You'd have to muffle it and build soundproofing, those suckers are loud. |
Johnny (4.174.67.172)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - 8:12 pm: | |
Only at high RPM's (many tach over 10K) and WOT. At lower RPM's & throttle, my friend's Bombardier (a 450, I think) is no louder than many cars. |
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