Your last generator Maintenance Run

[Industrial Toys]

I saw some video, where some "totally in the dark" young person thought maybe you could power your house with a bicycle/generator. You would have to be on some mighty powerful drugs to cook supper or dry a load of laundry.

 

[Dakota_male]

You’re right, without losses @ 746w /hp. He would have to be superman

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

Or a centaur maybe.

 

[Dakota_male]

Or a centaur maybe.

Lol,good one!

 

[3930dave]

There is most everything on Ytube, so they might have them there..... but they pre-date cheap consumer video options by quite a bit.....

As a kid, I remember seeing horse-powered treadmills..... one I recall was on a small mill that processed something like turnips, another was a dog-powered one that ran a butter churn. Set up at a county fair.... I'm not quite old enough that they were an necessity ! :laughing:

Seeing a decent-sized draft horse having to walk on a inclined treadmill (30 deg or so), just to get enough torque to do a relatively small amount of mechanical work..... set my kid perspective on how useful electric motors or IC engines are.....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

You’re right, without losses @ 746w /hp. He would have to be superman

Any doubt ????? That science education is lacking ?

Rgds, D.

 

[Dakota_male]

Has anyone else experienced Perkins engine sticking thermostats?
My Perkins 20KW diesel generator tripped on engine high temperature during a weekly test last week, it was -15C .
Before the test run start my block heater comes on 3 hr before. After the generator starts it run for 1 minute then transfers over to house load est. (3-5000w load). 10 minutes into it test it trips, alarm page was high engine temp. trip. It had done once this before and after a restart it engine temp runs normal. The top rad hose was warm not hot. I’m suspecting the thermostat is sticking. Anyone else have this same problem?

 

[aczlan]

I would use an IR thermometer to read the temps on the top and bottom hoses as well as the thermostat housing, or just take out the thermostat and put in a pot of water to see what temp it opens at.

It could also be a bad impeller on the water pump, or a bad temperature sensor.

Aaron Z

 

[Dakota_male]

I would use an IR thermometer to read the temps on the top and bottom hoses as well as the thermostat housing, or just take out the thermostat and put in a pot of water to see what temp it opens at.

It could also be a bad impeller on the water pump, or a bad temperature sensor.

Aaron Z

It think you are right and I am going to have to remove the thermostat. I did the IR scan, checked the sensor (the engine was hot) and even built a snow guard to ensure fresh air cannot get blocked by snow.
The funny thing it only happened when it痴 really cold weather too. First time I thought it was fresh air intake,then a bad sensor. Antifreeze check and was good for -40

 

[3930dave]

It think you are right and I am going to have to remove the thermostat. I did the IR scan, checked the sensor (the engine was hot) and even built a snow guard to ensure fresh air cannot get blocked by snow.
The funny thing it only happened when it痴 really cold weather too. First time I thought it was fresh air intake,then a bad sensor. Antifreeze check and was good for -40

If you've had a good look at the battery and sensor wiring already (salt-air), then I'd also load test the battery. If the battery is getting a bit tired/off, then it could be hauling enough out of the charging systems (esp. at low temps) to start dropping DC voltages down too low for the controller.

If you're not finding any electrical faults, I'd be inclined to change out the thermostat at this stage.

Nothing weird going on with coolant levels ? Thinking off-chance, air in the coolant system......

Air and fuel filters are current ?

Rgds, D.