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DIY genset controller.

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rossw:

--- Quote from: Burnit0017 on January 21, 2012, 06:17:18 pm ---Wow, very nice. Do you have photos of the sensors?

--- End quote ---

Which sensors?

Lemme have a look at the pics and see... I probably don't actually.

rossw:
The alternator is still attached to the engine here (it was removed before I finished, it never actually ran - there is no fan belt, no mechanical water pump - nothing off the front of the engine at all).

The oil pressure sensor is shown here in the centre of the screen. I removed the normal "idiot light" pressure switch and replaced with this analog sensor.


You can see one of the two hot water sensors here in the thermostat body, there is another on the other side (before the thermostat itself) but it is obscured by the 1.25" barb for the radiator hose.  (You can see the red wire going to it though)
You can also see the magnetic pickup for the speed sensor, the long all-thread looking thing at about 10 oclock on the flywheel.


I can't find a picture of the cold sensor. It is just a thermister strapped firmly to the copper pipe of the return water. The whole lot is then lagged (thermally insulated).

Since I built this, I've added another batch of logging, and plumbed in additional pumps and valves, so my wood fired boiler can contribute heat in the winter. I used DS18B20 sensors in stainless steel cans for an additional bunch of sensors. Will go take some extra pictures if you're keen on knowing more?  I now also monitor the exhaust (after heat-exchanger) temperature, cold water, warm water (after the exhaust heat exchanger), hot (flow to tanks), cold to and hot from the boiler, air temperature and a couple of other things. In time, I will probably re-build the genset controller using more modern sensors and hopefully eliminate some of the noise that seems to plague normal "automotive" grade sensors.

ghurd:
All of a sudden my design for a "battery voltage based, speed controller for a lawn mower engine powered battery charger" looks a little obsolete.

But it is going to have LEDs light up, and be chrome plated. 
Always works better if chrome plated with blinky lights. ;D
G-

Wolvenar:
So ghurd, were you still planning that flashy lights small gen control ?

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