small diesel generator [RE-wrenches]

[Tom Lane, Energy Conservation Services]

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The weaknesses of an AC generator are noise and inefficiency when running
small loads for a long period of time.  Theproblems that this presents is
that most battery chargers and AC generators are extremely inefficient.
These smaller, lighter, often portable DC generators use Honda Yanmar or
Kubota engines.  The attachment is directly from the advanced DC generator
to the wires of the battery bank leading to the inverter.  The DC generators
are typically twice as fuel efficient as AC generators and allow you to run
it when it is convenient for you.  There are no battery chargers (typically
65% efficient) or power supplies involved in the process.  This provides
direct current at the chosen DC voltage direct to the battery bank AND the
inverter, whenever the solar power is insufficient.

An AC diesel generator can only recharge the battery storage bank with a
small charging current and, therefore, has to run a very long time.  Aside
from this technical handicap, the maximum efficiency of the standard AC
generator is 55% to 65%.  The AC generator must also run at 1800-rpm or at
3600-rpm (60-Hz).  At both RPM the engines do not perform to their maximum
efficiency.

Fischer Panda generators use a high tech, high voltage, permanent ceramic
magnet, synchronous generator that operates at a high frequency (400Hz) that
is rectified to 12 to 48 volts.  There are no brushes or rotating diodes and
the efficiency of this AGT diesel generator is rated up to 95%.  The running
time for the AGT diesel generator will be far less than the time needed by
other generators.  It might help to know that the noise level of normal
speech 60 dBA (decibel audio)

-Gator Tom
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Hugh Piggott" <hugh at scoraigwind.co.uk>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 1:29 AM
Subject: Re: small diesel generator [RE-wrenches]




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At 4:07 PM -0400 15/6/04, Tom Lane, Energy Conservation Services wrote:
>
>Fischer Panda Advanced DC diesel generators are the smallest, quietest,
>diesel generators you can purchase.  They are designed to support an
>alternative energy system with direct DC current to the battery bank of
your
>inverter system.

I don't see much point in generating DC from the engine if you have a
synching sine wave inverter nowadays.  Makes more sense to run a
small AC generator straight into the loads (via the inverter) and
avoid conversions as much as possible.  Get some battery charge at
the same time using the inverter.  When my battery gets low I don't
find engine charging very rewarding.  I prefer to use power direct
off the engine if possible and wait for wind to do a proper battery
charge.
-- 
Hugh
Scoraig Wind Electric
http://www.scoraigwind.co.uk/

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