| Author |
Message |
mcibusnut
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 19, 2005 - 5:31 pm: | |
I am wondering is it possible and adviseable to use an air cooled gen set in a bus bay that is well ventilated. I have found an 8.5 kw run by a lister diesel which produces 40 amps at 120/240 continuos rating at 1800 rpm.I was wondering what other bus nuts thought about them are they too loud will they over heat ?? I would be replaceing a 6.5 kw kubota water cooled any thoughts. |
Jim Wilke
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 19, 2005 - 5:55 pm: | |
I would not use an air cooled genset. It is possible to get enough air through the bay if you cut big enough holes & duct the outgoing air well. But it is impossible to get the genset to be quiet due to being air cooled.
I would (and did) use one temporarily if I could not find or afford a water cooled diesel set.
What is wrong with the Kubota? 6.5KW is 54/27 amps at 120/240V.
Jim-Bob |
Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 19, 2005 - 6:54 pm: | |
I personally have a gasfired Onan 12.5k genset that is air cooled. It has a duct with a very hefty fan inside it to draw air... I plan on using that duct to direct the exhaust air to the underside of the bus (which has benefits in cold weather), and having an input duct opposite the exhaust side, to allow for ample crossdraft...
As long as you set it up properly, why shouldn't it work?
-Kevin |
Geoff (Geoff)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 19, 2005 - 7:01 pm: | |
Lister air-cooled diesels are tough, but very noisy and would not work for a convertsion. I know-- I had one and got rid of it! They are also designed to sit outdoors with lots of air.
--Geoff
'82 RTS CA |
mcibusnut
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 19, 2005 - 8:21 pm: | |
the kubota only has a 30 amp breaker and it keeps poping off when the weather is hot and there is a large load ie two roof top ac and other electric items on other than that nothing |
James Maxwell (Jmaxwell)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 19, 2005 - 9:35 pm: | |
MCIbusnut: Your Kubota 6.5 should be up near 50 amp output, not 30 @120v, or 26-27amps on 220v hookup. Perhaps someone installed a wrong breaker(s)? If it is wired 220v, do you have the roof airs on separate hot legs of the 220. I have a 7kw set up 120v output and it has a 50 amp breaker and I believe the rated capacity is 54-55 amps. Your Kubota should walk w/2 roof airs with power to spare for other things. I would find the rating plate on the alt. head and size the breaker accordingly. I would think that preferable to switching to an air cooled unit. If it is wired for 220v service, you need to balance the load on each leg. |
mcibusnut
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 19, 2005 - 11:07 pm: | |
unit is wired 120 and thanks alot i will look at the name plate for the rating the breaker that is in the gen set i think came from the factory like that i will let you all know thanks for all your help so far i will update tommorrow |
Jim Wilke
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 8:56 am: | |
Your Kubota should have a "four wire" generator end. (two separate output coils which can be connected to produce either 120v only or 120/240v) It should have a double pole 30 amp breaker. The "neutral" legs should be connected together. Each 120 volt "hot" leg should go through one side of the breaker. If your coach is 120V only they would be combined after the breaker for 120. If your coach is 120/240, they would go separately to your panel.
If your breaker is not that type or hooked up that way, you are not getting full output.
If you want, e-mail me directly with questions.
Jim-Bob |
T. (Bluegrass)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 11:31 am: | |
My 8.5 Kubota does the same thing and I have 50 amp breakers, It has done this since I bought It from Dick Wright, but It only does It when I am traveling down the Rd. and the wind Is blowing a certain way and It does not get cool enough, when I am sitting parked everything Is OK, My Gen set Is In the forward bay I have made a door out of expanded ss because It would not run where I originally put It, In the AC hole.
Tony |
James Maxwell (Jmaxwell)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 21, 2005 - 1:20 am: | |
If the 2 Lines are combined after the 30 amp twin breaker, he will be limited to 30 amp service. More than 30 amps on the combined line after the breakers will trip them. |
Frank allen
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 21, 2005 - 1:13 pm: | |
I have a onan 7 kw air cooled marque, does a great job is very quiet and very smooth, i love it, never a problem, replaced my onan air cooled deisel which was a noisy peice of junk, it had a great gen but a lousy engine . kept vibrating apart.
Frank Allen
4106 |
Jim-Bob (Pd41044039)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 23, 2005 - 9:55 am: | |
Mr Maxwell,
Let's assume that we are using a 120/240 panel like you have at home.
If the gen end has 4 AC output wires coming out of the housing, then it has two coils, each capable of 1/2 of the total output. The breaker is a double pole so that it protects each coil. If you combine AFTER the breaker, for 120V, then each coil can produce 30 amps before it trips that side of the breaker, causing the entire breaker to trip. Since the coils (legs) are combined, they automatically share the load so the breaker won't trip until it has 60+ amps total.
If the unit is hooked up 120/240, then the wires are NOT combined at all after the breaker & go separately to the panel. BUT if you have 40 amps on one side of the panel, you WILL trip the breaker on the genset even if there's 0 amps on the other side. Hence, balancing the load is mandatory on 120/240 setups. That's why it's easier to hook up the genset 120V so you don't have to figure out & adjust how much is on either leg. When you run 120V, you get full output with no load balance problems.
You must use only 120V appliances to do this. Your panel & "shore cord" system will be set up 120/240 so it can use 120/240 campground power which can be adapted to 30A 120 and even 20A 120 with the proper adaptors. (Frequently 20A 120 is all you get when parked at a friend's house)
A proper switching device must be used to separate each electrical source, shore, gen & inverter (if you have one) from the electrical panel. Sometimes these are rotary switches, sometimes circuit breakers with sliding interlocks so that only one source can be selected.
Jim-Bob |