Fw: [Vwdiesel] Anyone else use a VW diesel or Changfa for an electricpower generator?

[Area31 Research Facility]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Area31 Research Facility" <stephensrw at stn.net>
To: "raymond greeley" <rgreeley2 at hotmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 10, 2005 11:15 PM
Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] Anyone else use a VW diesel or Changfa for an
electricpower generator?


 Ray,

 Thanx for the compliments.  I was not referring to a car type battery
 charging alternator (they contain built in diodes to make DC and speed is
 not important except that more speed makes more power until something
 explodes) but rather a big one (mine weighs about 500 lbs) designed to run
 at a synchronous speed of 1800 RPM to make 60 cycle sine wave electricity
 just like the ulility.  You must run an electronic or mechanical throttle
 controlling speed governor on your engine to drive one of these
 alternators.You want to maintain the RPM under all loading conditions to
 1800 RPM within a few percent.

 I was able to find a mechanical governor off a vintage Hobart welder in a
 junk yard that was perfect for my application and works extremely well.  I
 drive it from a single belt that shares the crank and waterpump pulleys.
 The Pierce Governor Co. makes suitable governors that are available today.
 http://www.thepiercecompany.com/html/governors.html

 www.utterpower.com has good deals on the ST alternator heads for DIY'ing a
 genset to make 60Hz 'utility' power..

 Regards,
 Rob

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "raymond greeley" <rgreeley2 at hotmail.com>
> To: <stephensrw at stn.net>
> Sent: Sunday, April 10, 2005 9:52 PM
> Subject: RE: [Vwdiesel] Anyone else use a VW diesel or Changfa for an
> electricpower generator?
>
>
> > Nice work and even nicer idea- to use the tech available to reduce
fossil
> > fuel usage.  I live in chicago rehabbing homes, storing up nuts to move
> > rural. I've identified several sites and think solar thermal  will be a
> big
> > part of what i do. It is my intention to use vw diesel for a gen set
> > I think shawn's idea of using a longitudal engine's bell housing is a
good
> > one. Being unfamiliar with
> > alt's, do they normal come with a chart of energy production at various
> > rpms. I see references to
> > permanent magnets alts though, i haven't researched the difference.
Does
> > one type of alt work better for an engine bolt up as compared to
> > a wind mill gen. I hope you keep the td engine as a car and find na
> engines
> > for your power station
> > and push the tech further in independent power sources. the site your
work
> > is planned for is
> > utterpower.com
> >
> > ray
> > >From: "Area31 Research Facility" <stephensrw at stn.net>
> > >To: <vwdiesel at vwfans.com>
> > >Subject: [Vwdiesel] Anyone else use a VW diesel or Changfa for an
> > >electricpower generator?
> > >Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 19:45:36 -0400
> > >
> > >Hi All,
> > >
> > >I had been thinking of using a VW diesel for a long time in a standby
> power
> > >genset for my farm estate.  The attraction to this particular engine
was
> > >extremely good fuel economy, the ability to run the engine on WVO, WMO,
> or
> > >used automatic transmission fluid, and well size matched for a direct
> drive
> > >1800 RPM alternator in the 10-15 kW range. At such a slow speed
compared
> to
> > >the life in a car and all the other benefits in care and feeding that a
> > >stationary installation can afford an engine including no cold
> temperature
> > >starts, I figured on much longer service life.  As a plus, automotive
> > >engines are fairly easy to get and cost a lot less than similar sized
> > >industrial engines.  Being a water cooled engine they last longer and
are
> > >quieter than their air cooled cousins and co-generation is possible.  I
> am
> > >using the engine coolant to preheat waste oil fuel and also to heat my
> shop
> > >building.
> > >
> > >I began my DIY power plant back in January of this year and started
with
> a
> > >1984 NA 1.6D from a Jetta.  Unfortunately the engine was in really bad
> > >shape
> > >and I have had to replace it but I was making good power for a while
> during
> > >testing.
> > >
> > >Last week I obtained a 1980 NA 1.5 and have been trying to coax a
grunged
> > >up
> > >Bosch FI pump back to life.  I seem to be having success and have
finally
> > >achieved good starting and running now with no smoke, with no load yet
on
> > >the crankshaft.  Today I am re-installing my flex coupler to the big 3
> > >phase
> > >alternator (12-15 kW rating thereabouts) and hope to try the engine
under
> > >load this evening or tomorrow.
> > >
> > >I have built this plant from the ground up and am very proud of my
work.
> I
> > >can email a picture file to anyone interested or contemplating a
similar
> > >project.  George at www.utterpower.com will be doing an article about
my
> > >project.  One of the obstacles to using this engine in a genset is the
> odd
> > >flywheel on flex plate arrangement that makes it difficult to put a
> > >conventional pulley on it as it cannot support side loads.  The way the
> > >sterter is mounted away from the engine doesn't help either.  I have
> > >designed a flex coupler that appears to take the extreme abuse that a
> > >coupler in this location will see.  My design can be DIY'd by anyone
with
> a
> > >lathe, drillpress, 3/8-16 tap and arc welding capabilities.  Using an
> > >almost
> > >impossible to start engine gave the prototype coupler a real worst case
> > >abusive workout.  The rubber components in the coupler were actually
> > >smoking
> > >they got so hot on more than one day  while I was wasting my battery (
> and
> > >poor starter!) trying to start the beast.  I propose to make my coupler
> > >design public domain as a contribution to the alternate energy/home
power
> > >crowd who need all the help we can get trying to survive despite the
> > >enormous mess all the damage that the well funded utility companies
have
> > >created.
> > >
> > >In my searches for an affordable replacement engine I located a
driveable
> > >Jetta with a 1.6 TD in it.  The engine was rebuilt recently and I
> witnessed
> > >it cold start not being plugged in at -20C.  It took right off first
> > >cranking.  I was impressed.  I am buying the car tomorrow, so I hope to
> be
> > >driving a VW turbo diesel soon as well as using a VW diesel at home for
> > >electrical power.  I have to build a second VW diesel powered genset as
a
> > >backup to this plant and I also have plans to DIY a 10-15 kW wind
turbine
> > >on
> > >my property this year as part of plans to go off-grid and be energy
self
> > >sufficient.  I can no longer afford rising utility bills and the
> crippling
> > >cost of car gasoline.
> > >
> > >I am also planning to build a small co-generating DC genset out of a
> single
> > >cylinder Changfa Chinese diesel for just the house. I am looking at the
> > >15HP
> > >and 18HP models. It will provide domestic got water using my hot water
> tank
> > >as the cooling hopper for the engine, and will charge the 48 volt
> forklift
> > >batteries when the wind turbine cannot.  The house will be on
inverters.
> > >The VW diesel plants in the workshop are to power and heat the workshop
> > >(3500 sq.ft.) and to provide electrical backup to the house when
needed.
> > >Initially (now) this first VW diesel plant wll serve to provide
emergency
> > >power for the house and shop in te case of utility outages, and to
> provide
> > >economical 3-phase power to run my machine shop.  My rotary converter
> that
> > >I
> > >now use is very inefficient and the power bill to run it is very
> expensive.
> > >That alone is justificationenough for a VW powered genset.
> > >
> > >I could use some advice about the Changfa single cylinder horizontal
> > >diesels
> > >I am looking at.  They both have swirl chambers but the CR is
different.
> > >The
> > >15 HP @ 2200 RPM (903 cc) engine has higher CR at 20:1.  The larger 18
HP
> @
> > >2200 RPM (1093 cc) has a CR of just 17:1.  Since I plan to run this on
> well
> > >filtered waste transmission fluid  I'm not sure which compression ratio
> > >would be better for me.  I plan to run the engine 24-7 at around 900
RPM
> > >and
> > >load it to maybe 3 kW max for battery charging.
> > >
> > >Regards,
> > >Rob
> > >
> > >_______________________________________________
> > >Vwdiesel mailing list
> > >Vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> > >http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/vwdiesel
> >
> >
> >
>