temporary backup electrical

[Tul01]

Hi guys, don't know if this is the right location. The father in law and I are looking at getting a PTO style generator for our 55hp tractor to power our 2 yards and his business. We need to be able to hook and unhook as we are about a mile apart. I have been able to find that we should be able to power about 30KW with our tractor. My questions are 2 fold I can't find any info on whether a generator or an alternator is a better choice (my dad had a 20KW alternator on our dairy farm growing up), but now all I seem to find is generators from the companies on the internet. Does any one have any knowledge in this area, mine is quite weak. Also a couple of websites refer to using an underpowered tractor and still being able to run and produce the power proportionate to the HP of the tractor. That is if our tractor can turn the 30 KW for 30 KW, it can turn a 50KW generator for 30KW? This would give us the option to upsize our tractor in a couple years which is the plan anyway. Thanks. Brent

 

[CCWKen]

A backup generator is an alternator. It produces alternating current. The term generator is more common in that it generates electricity. It just so happens to produce A/C current in this case. And yes you can drive a 50kw alternator with an undersized engine. You just can't produce the 50kw. As current draw goes up, so does the load on the engine. So, if you keep the draw at or below your engine power rating the alternator doesn't care.

 

[schmism]

wasnt the good rule of thumb 2 tractor hp per KW output... so 55hp tractor = 25 KW (ish) generator

youll need some 100amp plugs on your quick connect system for 25-30KW output

I suggest something like

called pin & sleeve connectors. 100amp is common for that size in both 220v single and 3 phase (4 pin) connections

24-32KW generators are common size for PTO hookup, you shouldnt have any problems finding one.

 

[Tul01]

Thanks for the replies. We've pretty much decided on a 40-45KW unit. Just looking around at what's available in our area, especially in the event we ever need service work, as well it would possibly be shuttled between 3 power poles in our yards, so we will be needing some kind of "quick adapter", just like in the photo, thanks schmism.

Just wondering if anyone had any comments/problems/suggestions with their units with the recent ice storms across North America before we go drop a bunch of cash.

Thanks
Brent

 

[Soundguy]

I have a 12.5kw unit from northern tools, and my stepfather has the 25K unit. both work great.

ditto what the others said.. a 30kw tractor can push 30kw from a 50kw gen.. etc.

tip.. mount it on a 3pt carry-all or trailer. Mines on a carry-all.. works great that way.. good for mobile work onthe farm not near power.. like welding up a fence or gate ont he opposite end o fthe property without dissasembling it..

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

forgot to mention.. search the other forums.. there are dozens of threads on backup gens and pto genssets.

soundguy

 

[Pilot]

Perhaps you have already thought these things over, but if not, here is food for thought:

You haven't said what your needs actually are. Do you really need that much power?

Most generators sold around here run about 4-8KW. Our 6.5KW unit powers about half our household stuff, including the well, fridge, furnace blower (propane), most lights and some other stuff. Good for the power outages that happen 2-4 times per year. In December we were on the generator for 38 hours.

6.5KW units go for around $600-800; the more expensive ones have electric start.

For the money you would probably spend, you could probably have some good sized generators at each place and have money left over.

In this area, we lose power when the weather gets nasty. In December, if I had had a pto powered generator, I would have had to unhook the generator about 4 times in 20-25 degree weather with 15 mph winds, so I could plow the driveway. Hassle.

You can get propane powered generators that come on automatically, hard wired into the house, all you have to do is change the oil periodically.

It all comes down to how much power do you really need, how much you want to spend, and how much inconvenience do you want to put up with. Think about running the tractor back & forth to share the generator. When the generator is away, the lights go away also.

 

[LBrown59]

I would have had to unhook the generator about 4 times in 20-25 degree weather with 15 mph winds, so I could plow the driveway. Hassle.
When the generator is away, the lights go away also.

.

This is where a stand alone shines.

 

[Soundguy]

In this area, we lose power when the weather gets nasty. In December, if I had had a pto powered generator, I would have had to unhook the generator about 4 times in 20-25 degree weather with 15 mph winds, so I could plow the driveway. Hassle.

...It all comes down to how much power do you really need, how much you want to spend, and how much inconvenience do you want to put up with. Think about running the tractor back & forth to share the generator. When the generator is away, the lights go away also.

If you can't live without lamps for a couple minutes.. then yeah.. you need full house backup..or a second tractor!..

soundguy

 

[whistlepig]

If you can't live without lamps for a couple minutes.. then yeah.. you need full house backup..or a second tractor!..

soundguy

You have to have heat up here in the North during winter. If the power goes out in the winter the generator stays on 24/7. We have a pellet stove for back up heat. Draws about 200 watts and it will heat the whole house. We don't use the pellet stove for primary heat because we have geothermal. We have a 6500 watt Honda generator. This will run the pellet stove, well pump, two fridges, the TV, and some lights. If you live where well water is the only water available a generator is pretty much a necessity. For sure if you have livestock to water.

 

[schmism]

Perhaps you have already thought these things over, but if not, here is food for thought:

You haven't said what your needs actually are. Do you really need that much power?

if your running any kind of dary farm or confinement lot your going to need 20-50KW to keep it running. You dont have the option of letting it go down else face large financial losses.

 

[Tul01]

The reason that we want to keep it mobile is that the father in law has a pet cremation business with 2 crematoriums and a large walk in freezer as well as boarding kennels housing up to 70 pets. Winter, need to run heat for the boarding dogs, summer, need to keep the crematoriums running and freezer going or you know what would happen. The manufacturer says we need 30kw to power the crematoriums, that would be max, and knowing how they run they run on much less after start up. The other reason for mobile is we may well be expanding to a second building, on the adjacent 12 acres, in that case we would simply need to keep the freezer cold in the summer and the pipes from freezing in the winter. Thanks for the suggestion to search the other forums.

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

why not go with a propane powered stand alone generator so you still have the tractor for other duties?
Also, I've heard it's not entirely good for a tractor to run long periods of time when not in motion -- although that could have been referencing idling/operating without a load, which the generator would be, but it's a consideration.