Small Diesel Generator

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Pablo

Pablo

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Oct 28, 2002
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Everson WA - Pacific NW USA
Right before I passed out last night I was thumbing through my backlog of tool catalogs. One cheapie tool place had a very interesting diesel fuel generator....I should have grabbed the 'log this AM, because I can't remember the specs. It was small 6.5K as I recall, 4 gallon tank, 10HP, something like that....ITC(??) brand (??). $800 or so. Am I dreaming, or have I posted on this before?

Any thoughts on Small Diesel Generators?
 
Yes, they are out there. I have seen several as you describe on Craigslist recently, although I think your price is probably off.

I too wonder about their advantages. I would think they would be quieter, more efficient and longer lasting. Most small gas generators are not really designed for continuous usage.
 
What is your intended purpose, backup or occasional usage?

Diesel fuel does not store well. In my personal case I would go for this as I use an oil furnace to heat my house so I always have a decent supply on hand to power one.

Although I do have propane also(hot water/cooking) and would look at that.
 
Build an enclosure for a heated pool. Then you'll have something to soak up the waste heat 24/7/365 while generating electricity synchronized with the utility. Go large and get the overly priced Capstone Turbine so you can switch from NG to #2 depending on which is cheaper on a seasonal basis. Lay heat conductive pipes under the entire lawn and driveway ..then build a green house for year round veggie production.

You can appear very green while living very large. Tax avoidance may pay for a decent amount if you pay for it correctly.
 
Pablo, what about propane generators? IIRC, it has ~72% of gasoline's energy content so it's a bargain at current propane prices ... at least for now.
 
Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
Build an enclosure for a heated pool. Then you'll have something to soak up the waste heat 24/7/365 while generating electricity synchronized with the utility. Go large and get the overly priced Capstone Turbine so you can switch from NG to #2 depending on which is cheaper on a seasonal basis. Lay heat conductive pipes under the entire lawn and driveway ..then build a green house for year round veggie production.

You can appear very green while living very large. Tax avoidance may pay for a decent amount if you pay for it correctly.


The FIL looked into this at least for modrate-term backup in case of hurricanes in the USVI. He has commercial freezers to run, and found that he couldnt use his pool to cool a 20kWe diesel genset.

It certainly was the hope though. A slipstream could be used...

JMH
 
We had one of the cheapie diesel generators in the $800 price range at work years ago. It was as loud as any gas engine, especially under load. Also hard to start when cold and the rope starter backup took two hands. We didn't use it much so I can't comment on it's reliability though it seemed to be quite a bit more efficient on fuel for it's size.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
Build an enclosure for a heated pool. Then you'll have something to soak up the waste heat 24/7/365 while generating electricity synchronized with the utility. Go large and get the overly priced Capstone Turbine so you can switch from NG to #2 depending on which is cheaper on a seasonal basis. Lay heat conductive pipes under the entire lawn and driveway ..then build a green house for year round veggie production.

You can appear very green while living very large. Tax avoidance may pay for a decent amount if you pay for it correctly.


The FIL looked into this at least for modrate-term backup in case of hurricanes in the USVI. He has commercial freezers to run, and found that he couldnt use his pool to cool a 20kWe diesel genset.

It certainly was the hope though. A slipstream could be used...

JMH


First you've got to need a heated pool or already have a heated pool and face the cost of electricity to do it. It's much more practical if you've got some "already outragous" stuff you're doing anyway. You need about 5000^2' of living space that requires heating ...it would be nice if the pool room requires the typical 85F+ ..and ..heck..a greenhouse/sunroom that can take advantage of the cogen capabilities.

There are plenty of Mainline homes that have pool rooms that are bigger than some people's houses and they're kept @85-90F year round on electricity or NG ..plus heating/cooling the house ..etc..etc. to the tune of thousands/month in combined costs. They're just not into the potential maintenance or "issues" that may be included with a cheaper/more productive way of coping with it.
 
IIRC, the issue was that it would heat the water up too much to be useful (i.e. over 105F), if run for any useful amount of time... Which can be nonstop for days down there when hurricanes hit. And it is a 20k gallon pool, I believe.

Its not a matter of doing impractical things, its a matter of the pool being usable at all after dumping all sorts of heat... Remember, 20kWe genset is probably a 30kW engine, and thus is dumping roughly 60kWth into the water, when at full load.

Then again... Im not entirely sure who was doing the thermodynamic calculations for him...
 
Well, you probably can't soak it all up with a 105F limit, but it would only be one part of a more complicated cooling system.
 
I'd put some money into a real transfer panel, it makes life easier especially if you have to explain stuff to wives or children through written instruction or over the phone.

Extention cords through a cracked window= ghetto.

Dsc_0196s.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: Pablo
Here's one on flea bay: Would this PODS be worth the cash?

Just as a small second back up to my gasoline gen?


do you really need multiple backups? Do yo have lots of perishable product or a medical need that drives it?

Unless youre anticipating LONG durations without grid power, i cant see why one would need multiple if you already own a good one...
 
He's worried about having to go "commando". It's easier to store months of fuel for a small diesel than for a gasoline gen.

Figure it as Pablo's survival camp housing association style
grin2.gif
 
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