generator ideas

[glennd]

I have aquired a 40hp diesel engine. Been trying to come up with a good practical use for it. We have several power outages per year and I'm currently wanting to make a standby generator and this engine would easily power the whole house. Found a 50kw generator head for $1,500 and was pretty impressed with the double throw 200amp cut out switches at $450. With switch, wire, enclosure, generator, etc... it's looking like it'll run a bit over 3k, that's a lot for me but a good deal for a 50kw set up. If anyone has a better suggestion for this engine or already assembled their own generator, I'd appreciate any tips. Thanks: Glenn

 

[chim]

At 100% efficiency, you'd get just under 30KW with a 40HP engine. Reality would be less than 100%. One horsepower = 746 watts....................chim

 

[rrw1238]

In other words 30 KW would be a full load for that engine? I agree. 30 KW per hour is a lot of electricity. More than you would need to run most farms. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[glennd]

Need someone with a conversion chart to tell me what the HP is. It's a Deutz rated at 61KW. They didn't put a hp rating on it, just the KW. I was guessing, perhaps wrong. That said, 30 KW would be plenty and save me a bit of $$$. The lower kw generator is about $400 cheaper, but want to get it close to engines rated capacity in case it ends up somewhere else in the future. 20kw would run the house with the A/C. Yeehaw. Thanks and keep that info coming.

 

[chim]

Horsepower X 0.7457 = Kilowatts

Kilowatts X 1.341 = Horsepower

And one I never ran into:
Horsepower (Metric) X 0.9863 = Horsepower

.................chim

 

[glennd]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Horsepower X 0.7457 = Kilowatts

Kilowatts X 1.341 = Horsepower

And one I never ran into:
Horsepower (Metric) X 0.9863 = Horsepower

.................chim )</font> Many thanks for the information. That's incredible. Must stay focused on the gen. and put aside the homebuilt backhoe idea that just crept up. Did I mention it came with a hydraulic pump¿ Thanks again: Glenn /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[EagleEye]

one things for sure...you're neighbors will love you because you'll have enough extra juice you'll be powering a couple, two, three of them as well /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

 

[fractal]

I always heard it was 2 hp to generate one kw. Just checked hardydiesel.com and their 18kw unit has a 36hp motor. If this holds true, your 40 hp motor would match up with a 20kw genset. Still more than adequate for a home emergency generator.

 

[chim]

Fractal, I didn't realize the efficiency was that low when I said it would be less than 100%. I have installed numerous generators, and never noted the engine HP on the shop drawings. Good info.

I have an old Onan LPG genset at my house, and at 5KW it provides enough 120V power to run the freezer, furnace, fridge, water heater and a "candle circuit" which gives a small amount of light and a receptacle in each room. Since the furnace and water heater are also LPG, they don't require much power. The only 240V loads are a range, clothes dryer and central air. I figured we'd just do without them. If worse came to worse, the microwave is 120V and there's always the BBQ grille.................chim