Building a Diesel Fueled, Liquid Cooled Generator Part 1

Discussion in 'Blogs' started by BTPost, Apr 28, 2012.


  1. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    It is Spring 2012, and I want to finish a Project that I started three years ago. The idea was to
    Design, and Build, a Diesel Fueled, Liquid Cooled Generator with CoGeneration capabilities
    built into the Design. Co-Generation in this instance means that we can use the Cooling
    System BTUs, and Exhaust System BTUs to do productive work, while the Genset is
    producing Electrical Power. Out here in the Alaskan Bush, we pay a High Price ($4.35US/USG)
    for our Diesel Fuel, and since We paid for all those BTUs when we bought the Fuel, it seems
    such a waste of Good Money, to throw them away heating the Great Out-of-Doors, instead
    of recovering as much as possible, for use in doing Productive Work. (Heating the living
    spaces of the cabin)

    The basic Genset is a Chinese, Twin Cyl, 4 Cycle, 1800 RPM, Diesel Engine, Rated at 20 HP,
    and turning a Stamford/Newage UCI164-16 Brushless, 4 Pole, 12 KW, Genend..... I was given
    this unit, in New, Unused, still on it's original Pallet, but in Dry Storage for 10 Years, by my
    Brother, (The Engineer) when he redesigned in Home Backup Power System from Diesel
    Fueled, to a Dual-Fueled Propane/Natural Gas Setup. It came with most of the accessories,
    except Fuel Tank, Heat Exchangers, Radiator, and Frame. These things I designed, adapted,
    and, or, scrounged from the local BoneYard.

    The Frame was originally on a new Marine Genset that was shipped in for a Fishing Vessel,
    but made the New Genset to big to go down the Hatchway, into the Engine Room, so was
    abandoned here, in the BoneYard. I cut it into it's component parts, resized them, for the
    Chinese Gensets Mounts, and then had my Fabricator, weld them back together to make
    the Frame. (Picture 1) Then added the supplied Engine/Genend Mounts (Picture 2)



    and Rubber Isolation Pads, Mounting Bolts, and finally the Genset, bolted to the Frame.
    (Picture 3)

    The above was accomplished in Spring of 2011, and the project was sidelined, while I
    worked on the CADD Design of the Radiator, Heat Exchanger, and drawing the complete
    Frame/Genset in a CADD Document, so I could figure out just how the Cooling System,
    and CoGeneration components, needed to get mounted, to my Frame/Generator to make
    up the complete System.

    Part 2 of this Project Blog shows the Project up thru the Spring of 2012. I saved the Radiator, and it's Frame, from a scrapped 20Kw Genset, and found that if I added some Mounting Pads, to raise it up about 6" off the frame, it was a perfect fit for the Hand Crank, that went into the Crank Shaft Pully, on the front of the Engine. (Picture 4) Next was customizing the mountings for the Electric Cooling Fan, that will blow air thru the radiator, and getting it mounted, inside the Radiator Frame. (Picture 5) Then I needed to connect the Radiator to the Engine, with temporary Cooling System Hoses, that I bought from NAPA in town, (Picture 6) and fill the Cooling System with fluid.


    Part 3 of the Project starts in the Fall of 2012. I will fabricate some rails to be welded between the Main Frame, to hold the Starting Battery and connect it to the Genset Electrical System. then go for "First Start". Once that is done, then I will start fabricating the mounts for the Cooling System Heat Exchanger, that will go where the top Cooling Hose is now. Then design an Exhaust System Heat Exchanger for the Exhaust System.

    More pictures to follow, as the Project, progresses......
    Original Frame. Frame:Engine Mounts. Mounted. Pads& Bolts. IMG_0689.
     
    jollyrodger13 likes this.
  2. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Why not find a marine heat exchanger for the cooling jacket heat recovery? Might still need a radiator for periods when heat demand is low, but that would be easy to handle with a three way valve. (Sylphon or equal.)
     
  3. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    I have practically no idea what I am looking at, but it's pretty cool!

    I changed the oil in my truck the other day. ;) Yup, *stretches*, top that.
     
    Tully Mars likes this.
  4. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    Bump because I have added some of Part 2....
     
  5. oldawg

    oldawg Monkey+++

    Yeah great Brokor, But when you can do the oil AND the filter you'll deserve a colbeer.[touchdown]
     
    Tully Mars and Brokor like this.
  6. Georgia_Boy

    Georgia_Boy Monkey+++

    BTPost, great project! Love rail installs, keeps the system organized rather than ad-hoc sprawling. We had a fellow cruiser that absolutely hated any hours on his main engine so he built a rail system to supported all of his ancilliary needs:
    A big RO (Reverse Osmosis) system that could run together or separately from other subsystem needs.
    He was a big HAM and so had all sorts of pure DC and hi-power requirements.
    His co-captain req'd many (power based) creature comforts and so there were a series of independently running alternators for those apps. He ran (clutch control) some ambulance alternators as well as small case GM hi-output (135@). Beyond the H2O req'mts, radio stuff, he had a dive compressor online as needed for tank refills, this in addition to his sat-com and cell-phone plus additional 'house' needs. Oh yeah, his autopilot like mine was a large hydraulic ram that used small (flat water motoring) currents all the way to avalanching needs in high following seas when the ram had to play "catch-up" when the stern swung over when a particularly nasty wave which lifted her skirts higher than the average bear in the train of those wanting/desiring to gang-up and set on top of the 1st wave/swell. Any way, electrical power req'mts can be a somewhat, predictable situation but when ol'man weather invites Mr Murphy then it is not only power needs that get ugly!
    Keep the project photos coming. I miss playing with rail based larger systems.......
    GB
     
  7. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    I got your diesel. It'll run your camp -- Blown 2 stroke.
    The Wartsila-Sulzer RTA96-C turbocharged two-stroke diesel engine is the most powerful and most efficient prime-mover in the world today. The Aioi Works of Japan 's Diesel United, Ltd built the first engines and is where some of these pictures were taken. It is available in 6 through 14 cylinder versions, all are inline engines. These engines were designed primarily for very large container ships. Ship owners like a single engine/single propeller design and the new generation of larger container ships needed a bigger engine to propel them. The cylinder bore is just under 38" and the stroke is just over 98". Each cylinder displaces 111,143 cubic inches (1820 liters) and produces 7780 horsepower. Total displacement comes out to 1,556,002 cubic inches (25,480 liters) for the fourteen cylinder version.
    W_8ab1bbb2eb.
     
  8. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Another view --
    big engine.
     
  9. toydoc

    toydoc Monkey+++

    Now, if I could fit that in my pickup. WOW!
     
  10. oldawg

    oldawg Monkey+++

    Talk to Gator. Them cajuns would have it in a jonboat by Sunday afternoon.
     
  11. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    I will be adding some pictures, and maybe even a video, of First Start, to this Blog Thread here in the next few weeks. All the summer folks are gone, and I now have some time, to work on the project, again. I also scored a Single Cyl Yanmar Diesel that used to run a 4Kw Genhead. The Genhead died, and the previous Owner disassembled it from the engine, and then stuck it under his Cabin for 15 years. The engine is free and should be a runner, so I just need to figure out how to do something with it's Tapered Output Shaft.
     
    jollyrodger13 likes this.
  12. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    There are tapered bushings very readily found that will adapt a tapered shaft to a straight bore sheave or gear. With or without Woodruff keys that would be preferred on a taper.
     
    jollyrodger13 likes this.
  13. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    I wonder if they make such a bushing, that would adapt to a LoveJoy Coupling? I could then mount a 3600 rpm Genhead, in-line directly off the end of the Output shaft, and not have to worry about Belts, or much in the way of alignment....
     
    jollyrodger13 likes this.
  14. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Wouldn't be surprised. Check the Grainger's website, might have it there.
     
    BTPost likes this.
  15. Gator 45/70

    Gator 45/70 Monkey+++

    You could alway's put your coupling on rubber hammer snug,Peen the shaft and then drill it out and install a 1/4 bolt thru the shaft and coupling,Use a self locking nut.Just thinking...
     
  16. toydoc

    toydoc Monkey+++

    I've had lovejoys break the coupling so you might want replacement parts.
     
  17. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Lovejoys aren't the strongest. I've used a lot of Falk, have never had one fail, either the elastomer or metal grid type.
     
  18. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    LoveJoys are what I have here, Now. So that is what I will have to use. Might get to that project later in the winter... We will See... getting the 12Kw China thru "First Start" comes first.....
     
  1. chelloveck
  2. 3M-TA3
  3. Bandit99
  4. STANGF150
  5. DKR
  6. Bishop
  7. Murfylang
  8. deMolay
  9. Bishop
    Here is how you make a warfbow. [MEDIA]
    Thread by: Bishop, May 17, 2019, 0 replies, in forum: Bushcraft
  10. techsar
  11. Zimmy
  12. Benjamin A. Wood
  13. Benjamin A. Wood
  14. Benjamin A. Wood
  15. Benjamin A. Wood
  16. hot diggity
  17. Bishop
  18. Bishop
    Ok made some old school matches today. [MEDIA]
    Thread by: Bishop, Jan 12, 2019, 2 replies, in forum: Bushcraft
  19. chelloveck
  20. Bishop
    Thread

    Socket mold

    Here is how I make my slingshot ammo with a socket. [MEDIA]
    Thread by: Bishop, Dec 2, 2018, 6 replies, in forum: Bushcraft
survivalmonkey SSL seal        survivalmonkey.com warrant canary
17282WuJHksJ9798f34razfKbPATqTq9E7