Author Topic: Backup Generater  (Read 4869 times)

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Offline bj

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Backup Generater
« on: February 03, 2012, 04:10:15 pm »
 The motivation to build a gen-set was really water.  Water doesn't move here
without power, and when it gets to -40 C, no power is almost a guarantee.  Most
of the time it is line breakage, and that is usually a 5 to 6 hour repair.
     Heat is a secondary issue, as we have natural gas, and a natural gas fire-place
( 30,000 BTU).  I built the house with lots of insulation.  So, 6 hours is not that
much of a hardship.
      And then, of course is the coffee.  (might be higher on the list)
     The engine I chose for the gen-set was  a 12.5 Briggs, that had mega-hours on it.                                                       Too big an engine for the purpose, but I like overkill, and it was a vertical shaft.
     This was important, for space considerations.
     The motor still ran O.K., but used a bit of oil.  So, a total overhaul was in order.
     The alternator took a bit of time, waiting for it to go on sale.  Patience finally
won out, and a 4kw (5kw peak) belt drive was mine.  I could have used a belt on it, but opted                                          for a large Love-joy style coupling for simplicity.  The alternator was designed to
be Bi-directional, so that wasn't an issue.
     I made the stand from a selection of steel that was in my “not quite scrap” bin.
The motor base plate was 1/2 inch steel, so I could tap in any attachment holes.
The legs (4) are 3/4 inch schedule 40, and the floor plate is 1/4 inch.
     I spent more than a bit of time getting the alignment dead on, making battery
mounts, and getting the 12V system as bullet proof as I could.
     The whole thing sits on a sheet of 1/4 neoprene, with shock rubbers on the
mounting bolts.
      Once I got it all assembled, a test run pointed out a serious flaw.  Noise.
The 12.5 has a seriously loud exhaust.  After much messing around I settled
on two older style Acura mufflers in series.  This combined with the 10 feet of exhaust
piping to get out the wall, made for an acceptable noise level.
      A try-out, with shop and house furnaces maxed, a bunch of lights on, and
most importantly the coffee pot on, showed that the motor is lots big enough,
and the alternator runs at slightly warmer than skin temp.  All was good for about
two hours, then I noticed a change in engine tone.  Not rpm, just tone. The frequency
was holding at 59.9 hz., but the voltage was dropping.  A quick run to the shop to
throw the breaker for the air compressor solved it.  (lesson for future)
      All in all, for a total cost of $490, and some work, a success.  Of course, now
that it's done, there probably wont' be any power failures longer than 10 minutes.
"Even a blind squirrel will find an acorn once in a while"
bj

Offline ChrisOlson

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Re: Backup Generater
« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2012, 06:08:40 pm »
bj, I think I seen that before someplace.  But that setup is just plain NICE!

Does it have electric start?  I think I got a starter laying around my shop for one of those Briggs 12.5 I/C engines.
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Offline WooferHound

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Re: Backup Generater
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2012, 06:24:28 pm »
The best way to prevent a power failure is to prepare for one.

I was fortunate to have a Solar power system that was working wonderfully when we had tornadoes in April 2011. The power was off for 5 1/2 days and the Sun was beaming plenty too. So this year I have bought new batteries and some stuff that I needed at the time of the last outage.

So now I can guarantee anybody in the North Alabama area that there will be no significant power failures in the near future.

Are you recovering any heat from the exhaust ?
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Offline Watt

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Re: Backup Generater
« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2012, 06:25:14 pm »
bj, I think I seen that before someplace.  But that setup is just plain NICE!

Does it have electric start?  I think I got a starter laying around my shop for one of those Briggs 12.5 I/C engines.
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Chris

I agree, nice job.

Must be electric, I don't see a rope.
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Offline ChrisOlson

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Re: Backup Generater
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2012, 06:31:18 pm »
Must be electric, I don't see a rope.

I couldn't tell for sure.  It looks like it might have one of those wrap-the-rope-around-the-spool outfits on the top of the air screen on the flywheel.
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Chris

Offline Cornelius

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Re: Backup Generater
« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2012, 01:33:41 am »
That's the same engine i've got on my lawnmower, and the starter are right behind that cooling-fin one sees in the middle of the pic...

And the original muffler doesn't muffle much on my engine either... ;D

Offline bj

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Re: Backup Generater
« Reply #6 on: February 04, 2012, 05:42:40 am »
   Yup, you've seen it before, kind of a re-post from one that was on the other board.
   It is an electric start.
   It''s prior life was on a lawnmower, as well.  Replaced it with 22.5hp.  Cuts grass now!
   I keep a spare starter as well Chris, I took out the de-compressor, and once in a while
on a hot start, It kicks back bad, which will eventually take out the starter, so a spare is
worth having.  Makes me glad I'm not on the end of a pull rope.
   I'm not recovering exhaust heat yet Woof, but I have been thinking about it.  I do kind
of recover the cooling heat, as it is located in the house garage.  As it is an attached garage
I installed a wired in smoke detector, and a wired in CO detector, as well.
   Being that close to the house is why I was so anal about the noise as well
   Thanks for the comments
"Even a blind squirrel will find an acorn once in a while"
bj

Offline birdhouse

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Re: Backup Generater
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2012, 06:24:35 am »
bj-  nice work!  looks like a very clean install! 

i've never been around a genset that runs the exhaust through two car mufflers.  what's the sound like?  can you have a conversation a few feet away without raising your voice?    i know it's hard to describe sound levels via typing.  is it louder than a stock honda eu1000 at full load?

adam

Offline bj

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Re: Backup Generater
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2012, 08:45:24 am »
   Thanks Adam
   Inside, beside the genset, you can have a normal conversation at full load.  But that is only dealing
with mechanical noise.
   Outside, there is more noise, but not much.  Almost a normal conversation.  Opposite side of the
house, a person with good hearing might hear it, but I cannot.
    I usually get my better half to do the final sound checks, as her hearing is waaaaay sharper.
    I saw a Honda about that size at a local show and shine, and I was very impressed.  If I am comparing
with the right machine, I'd say not as quiet, but close.
"Even a blind squirrel will find an acorn once in a while"
bj

Offline ghurd

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Re: Backup Generater
« Reply #9 on: February 05, 2012, 05:13:48 pm »
If the last 1" of pipe is facing level or down, might try pointing it up.
It works wonders on the smaller motors I see in similar situations.
Need to make a drain so rain isn't going down the exhaust.
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Offline bj

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Re: Backup Generater
« Reply #10 on: February 06, 2012, 04:31:02 am »
    Makes sense Ghurd.   The last elbow is pointing down, my thinking being rain, but as it's
outside, I didn't weld that joint, so I'll swing it up and see.  Kind of aim the sound at the sky.
    If it works, I can always put one of those flappers on it for the rain.
    Thanks
"Even a blind squirrel will find an acorn once in a while"
bj

Offline Isaiah

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Re: Backup Generater
« Reply #11 on: March 09, 2012, 10:27:15 am »
Put gas stabilizer in the gas . Most of the gas we get from the local station's   only has a shelf life of a couple weeks and it makes a difference when the gen has been setting for a while and then you need it.! The eithonal in the gas will dissolve the rubber in the gas system. makes a gooy mess.
 Do not worry about putting to much stabilizer in . I was a dealer when they first came out with stable . I put 3 times the amount in a lawnmower  and ran it with no ill effects.
 I got a notice from iboat that the industry  will be able to use 15% ethional this year , so it might not be a bad idea to ask at the station what the % is  when you get gas for something that might set for a while.
We have to have back up here  and I try to run mine every so often to keep things freshened up.
nice space saver , nice job BJ
Isaiah

Offline bj

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Re: Backup Generater
« Reply #12 on: March 10, 2012, 06:32:49 am »
    Thanks Isaiah, and thanks for the warning.  I kind of took the fuel thing into consideration.  The
line from the tank is teflon inner, with SS  braid on the outside.  Expensive, but inert to just about
everything at normal temperatures.  A fuel shutoff at the tank, and a monthly run is on the calendar.
    I always run the carb to empty on it's exercise runs.
    So far, so good, and of course, since I finished setting it up, we haven't had a power failure longer
than five minutes.
"Even a blind squirrel will find an acorn once in a while"
bj