Your last generator Maintenance Run

[3930dave]

Just a couple of things'

1. The engine on my generator started to vibrate apart at the engine case at about 100 hours of use. Fortunately I saw the puddle from loosing near a 1/2 quart of oil before the motor seized. I used a die grinder to give me access to the fasteners through the generator housing adapter to tighten things up. ( a very poor design!

2. Low oil sensor should have stopped the motor. Must have to be really low. Don't trust them!

3. Low oil sensors can indicate and also be ruined by moisture condensation in the oil and crank, so change oil yearly, even if oil is clean. Water is a poor lubricant.

4. Keep generator away from grinding dust.

Good points Mike, esp. re oil/sensors.....

What engine manufacturer ? Approximate size/hp ?

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Default Re: Farymann 43F Diesel governor questions??
Apparently Farymann diesels are not a common engine around here.
I have however modified the govenor so it will maintain any required speed.
I have it set at 2400 rpm which is at peak torque.
My recient fuel consumption testing was as follows.
I filled a 5 gallon container with 15kg of diesel, 30 plus pounds.
The fuel container was suspended and the fuel hose inserted thru the top taking care not to influence the scale reading.
Generator was connected to my 24 volt battery pack and started.
Main power was disconnected so the inverter would power the entire house.
I ran the test for 5.75 hours while carrying on normally in the house.
Load ranged from 2 to 4kw.
12.76 lbs of fuel were consumed which converts to 1.77 gallons which is 0.309 gallons per hour or 3.24 hours per gallon.
I'm quite happy with the results and will continue to find ways to reduce consumption further.
90cummins

Is that diesel spinning an alternator, or does it have a 24v head integrated ?

Rgds, D.

 

[daugen]

Farryman(sp?) is an ancient British engine builder, I think of hit and miss engines; I'm surprised that thing runs at 2400 rpm and not much lower, but may
be a more modern design.

Direct drive 3600rpm gens have their place, most of us have them, but think about what is going on now with extended runs due to power outages.
Some of those outages are going to go for months perhaps. Going to be very interesting to see how all these gens hold up, many to usage they were never intended.
Folks had better turn those 3600rpm gens off regularly and let them cool off, change the oil after a few days, easy to suck it out and pour it back in.
1800 rpm gens, let them run and earn their keep. I turn mine off every 8 to 12 hours for at least half an hour and check the oil then. The Generac uses
zero oil, boy they have good oil rings on their pistons I guess. Pennzoil full synthetic, 5/40 in that.

I bet there's going to be a shortage of gens for awhile, most headed to Caribbean.
And for fun, I bought a few shares of Generac, see if they can ride this business wave for awhile.
With global warming and more severe storms, backup gens are going to be a lot more common.

 

[daugen]

farymann 43f - YouTube
marvelous little engine, looks strongly built

 

[90cummins]

Is that diesel spinning an alternator, or does it have a 24v head integrated ?

Rgds, D.

This is a military model MEP-952b 28volt 200 amp DC APU.
It is totall enclosed (very quiet and weather proof) and the engine directly drives a Niehoff 280 amp 6 phase alternator.
The engine is made in Germany and is a direct injected single air cooled diesel with a displacement of 700+ cc's.
The unit can be started with a hand crank and actually starts quite easily.
It has air intake and oil heaters as starting aids in sub-zero temps.
So far I'm quite happy with its performance supporting my 28 volt battery bank.
If the SHTF this unit could support my home running 24/7 if needed for 10 days on 72 gallons of diesel.
However that figure would likely be 30 gallons or less using the batteries as renewable energy.
90cummins

 

[3930dave]

Farryman(sp?) is an ancient British engine builder, I think of hit and miss engines; I'm surprised that thing runs at 2400 rpm and not much lower, but may
be a more modern design.

Direct drive 3600rpm gens have their place, most of us have them, but think about what is going on now with extended runs due to power outages.
Some of those outages are going to go for months perhaps. Going to be very interesting to see how all these gens hold up, many to usage they were never intended.
Folks had better turn those 3600rpm gens off regularly and let them cool off, change the oil after a few days, easy to suck it out and pour it back in.
1800 rpm gens, let them run and earn their keep. I turn mine off every 8 to 12 hours for at least half an hour and check the oil then. The Generac uses
zero oil, boy they have good oil rings on their pistons I guess. Pennzoil full synthetic, 5/40 in that.

I bet there's going to be a shortage of gens for awhile, most headed to Caribbean.
And for fun, I bought a few shares of Generac, see if they can ride this business wave for awhile.
With global warming and more severe storms, backup gens are going to be a lot more common.

Probably tight tolerances on your Generac for sure, but a decent synthetic will have good performance in terms of volatility (burn-off, NOAK).

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

This is a military model MEP-952b 28volt 200 amp DC APU.
It is totall enclosed (very quiet and weather proof) and the engine directly drives a Niehoff 280 amp 6 phase alternator.
The engine is made in Germany and is a direct injected single air cooled diesel with a displacement of 700+ cc's.
The unit can be started with a hand crank and actually starts quite easily.
It has air intake and oil heaters as starting aids in sub-zero temps.
So far I'm quite happy with its performance supporting my 28 volt battery bank.
If the SHTF this unit could support my home running 24/7 if needed for 10 days on 72 gallons of diesel.
However that figure would likely be 30 gallons or less using the batteries as renewable energy.
90cummins

Thanks for the description 90; excellent high-rel system for home use.

Rgds, D.

 

[daugen]

Probably tight tolerances on your Generac for sure, but a decent synthetic will have good performance in terms of volatility (burn-off, NOAK).

Rgds, D.

thanks.
My last 20kw was the same way, the oil level never moved, ever.
I think one time after three days of running I added a little oil, probably to make me
feel better, not the machine....

 

[90cummins]

YouTube video of my 10hp Yanmar driving a 450amp DC alternator

Yanmar 1hp Diesel DC backup Generator - YouTube

I made this video to demonstrate my 24v DC backup charger I made to support my 570ah battery backup system.
I have tested it to a maximum of slightly over 200 amps @ 28 volts.
My test data has been lost due to a computer crash but my memory recalls approx. 6 hours per gallon with the engine running at 2700 +- rpm.
After I built this I found the MEP-952b APU on E-bay that was weather proof and equipped with low oil & over temp shutdown features.
Hope you enjoy the video.
90cummins

 

[3930dave]

Re: YouTube video of my 10hp Yanmar driving a 450amp DC alternator

Yanmar 1hp Diesel DC backup Generator - YouTube

I made this video to demonstrate my 24v DC backup charger I made to support my 570ah battery backup system.
I have tested it to a maximum of slightly over 200 amps @ 28 volts.
My test data has been lost due to a computer crash but my memory recalls approx. 6 hours per gallon with the engine running at 2700 +- rpm.
After I built this I found the MEP-952b APU on E-bay that was weather proof and equipped with low oil & over temp shutdown features.
Hope you enjoy the video.
90cummins

Thanks for posting that 90.

I like your build and use of Anderson connectors..... I'm a fan of using DC directly where possible. DC heads like that are pretty scarce up here - nice output capability, in a relatively compact head :thumbsup:

You've accomplished at home what was done with the (big) industrial systems I worked on years ago - looking very good, IMO.

Rgds, D.