Posted: 1/22/2009 7:56:38 PM EDT
|
Can this be done? Is it cost effective? Any links?
The power goes off at least once a year here and it would be nice to have one for that and SHTF. Thanks! |
|
You could make a battery charger using a small lawnmower engine and a alternator. That idea comes from a gentleman in Texas who posted it somewhere else on the net. Then get power from an inverter. If you use junked parts, cost might be FREE!! I would not cut corners on batteries, get something like 4 6 volt trojans (golf cart batteries) , wire them up right and you have at least 1000w of stored electrical energy. Now if you run the engine that amount of juice would be available pretty much all the time from standard sized 100 amp alternators. I suspect that alternator life might be affected by constant 80% duty cycle runs, but using common as dirt GM alternators means a replacement can be had pretty cheap.
Here is a link: http://theepicenter.com/tow082099.html that shows one way to do it. |
|
AC generators are so cheap these days...
Any commercially-made AC generator worth its salt (and this includes a cheap Chinese one) has an engine equipped with a cast-iron cylinder liner - which provides hundreds (if not thousands) of hours of operation between overhauls. Your average lawn mower engine does NOT have a cylinder liner, and is good for dozens of hours of operation. Basically, in order to equal the life expectancy of a commercially-made generator, you have to start with a pretty decent engine - certainly better than your average lawnmower engine. Efficiency is another consideration: Car alternators aren't very efficient. It takes a 5 horsepower gas engine to get 70 amps out a car alternator, which equates to around 1,000 watts (70 amps x 14 volts = approx. 1,000 watts). However, this same 5 HP engine will easily produce 2,500 watts in a commercially-made AC generator. This is because the AC generator head doesn't have to be small enough to fit inside a car engine compartment, and thus can be built for good efficiency. Finally, there's reliability: Most car alternators are belt-driven - and no belt lasts for very long. Also, car alternators aren't designed to produce maximum output on a continuous basis - and will run hot and suffer a shortened lifespan when forced to do so. |
|
by "making a generator", i assume you mean buying the individual parts (e.g., generator head unit and engine, etc.) and coupling them together. if you're handy, then it would be pretty straight forward. there are various websites were people have coupled a listeroid diesel to the generator head for an effect, although somewhat crude, generator. i don't know how much, or if, you'd save doing it on your own after you bought all the parts, even if you didn't factor in the value of your time to build it.
youtube video of a guy who made a portable generator using a listeroid. he even added electric start (normally the listeroid is started by opening an exhaust valve and spinning the flywheel and then closing the valve). |
|
Its archived .... or in the black hole void . Not sure if you can bump up archived stuff , you got to be team to visit the archive
He is still a active member over on RJsteads page you might try there. ETA: Tried to locate it for you ,Sorry my search fu is weak here. |
|
A couple yrs ago I took a tiny Honda WX10 4 stroke engine and mated it to a Kubuta type permanent magnet alternator [measures about 4 1/2" long by 3 1/2" dia] to make a highly portable package weighing about 13 pounds with safety covers & aluminum baseplate removed.
Output is around 15 amps at 14VDC regulated. Perfect for most basic survival things. It's quiet, and sips gas. It's a nice little unit for BO or carrying in your truck to get a start. I carry it in the mtns if my battery should go dead and I'd be stranded. Wrote an article about it but there wasn't much interest, you could probably find it with a search. |
|
Quoted:
IIRC Arfcom member Scoutmaster made a generator with a VW diesel engine. He did a write-up on it a while ago, complete with photos. Stay Safe, AGreyMan I did this. Only I used an Isuzu 4 cyl diesel and a 12KW head. All you need to know can be found HERE |
| Member Pighelmet made a ROCKIN' generator with a 3 horse Tecumse and a GM heavy duty truck alternator. Mounted it all on a plywood board and (I think) mounted that to a Red Ryder wagon. It doesn't make any more power than a ChinaMart genny, but everything on it can be sourced here and will last a loooong time. |
|
Quoted:
A couple yrs ago I took a tiny Honda WX10 4 stroke engine and mated it to a Kubuta type permanent magnet alternator [measures about 4 1/2" long by 3 1/2" dia] to make a highly portable package weighing about 13 pounds with safety covers & aluminum baseplate removed. Output is around 15 amps at 14VDC regulated. Perfect for most basic survival things. It's quiet, and sips gas. It's a nice little unit for BO or carrying in your truck to get a start. I carry it in the mtns if my battery should go dead and I'd be stranded. Wrote an article about it but there wasn't much interest, you could probably find it with a search. I remember it and was VERY interested, as I had a buddy with a little Honda WX10 powered water pump on which the pump failed. Told him to save it for me. I honestly had forgotten all about it, until reading this just now. Will call him next week! |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
A couple yrs ago I took a tiny Honda WX10 4 stroke engine and mated it to a Kubuta type permanent magnet alternator [measures about 4 1/2" long by 3 1/2" dia] to make a highly portable package weighing about 13 pounds with safety covers & aluminum baseplate removed. Output is around 15 amps at 14VDC regulated. Perfect for most basic survival things. It's quiet, and sips gas. It's a nice little unit for BO or carrying in your truck to get a start. I carry it in the mtns if my battery should go dead and I'd be stranded. Wrote an article about it but there wasn't much interest, you could probably find it with a search. I remember it and was VERY interested, as I had a buddy with a little Honda WX10 powered water pump on which the pump failed. Told him to save it for me. I honestly had forgotten all about it, until reading this just now. Will call him next week! Dave, that's where I got my engine too. 
Nice little engines. |
You can make your own DC generator. A lot of people make their own permanent magnet DC generators for home made wind turbines. As a matter of fact, if I get ambitious some day and I've collected enough hard drive magnets, I'm going to try it out. If the genny part works well I think I might just have to make a wind turbine that will go with it.
|
|
I've made several lawnmower generators they both lasted almost one winter each before
the engines wore out. one nice feature I came up with is to wire a 3 amp diode in parallel with a momentary NO push button and then in seties with a 35 watt tail lamp to the field. This alows you to start and warm the engine with no load, when warm push the button and the battery will feed the field until the alternator starts generating, and from then on. the other nice thing is that when the engine runs out of gas there is no drain on the battery otherwise you would need to run out and turn off the field. the other thing I found is you can double the output by using a 24v battey bank with little more wear on the engine {it just spins 500 rpm faster} after it's warm adjust the throtle to 20 amps or so depending on how hard you want your engine to work. |