Micro CoGen.

Deeiche,

......but two hours south of you, the bastards are charging us $2.25 86 Unleaded and $3.29 diesel !!!!!!!!

I ordered a spare cylinder head, IP, and injector from here.

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/group/Diesel-engine-and-parts/214623_100085766/1.html

Parts arrived from China in about 3 weeks, and looked about as good as any I've seen.

"............(this is me & the boss)......"

Your wife is with you? 

Could your "kitchen table" folding panels be used in the fold down position as walls of sorts when not in use to protect the electronics from the elements?

I just don't seem to clog filters Jens....
I wonder if our centrifuging methods were different.

I put about 50 gallons in a drum,
Heat it to 180 degrees F
Turn on the centrifuge and allow oil to be sucked by the pump from the bottom of the barrel,
through the centrifuge, and then dumped back in the top of the open barrel.
As I am powering my setup from my witte generator (running WVO), energy isn't a concern.
I allow the looped oil to clean for approximately 24 hours.  YES 24 hours.  That may be why my filters don't clog.
OR..........
Maybe I just get better (cleaner) oil from my restaurant then you, and my centrifuging is overkill.
I just know that I've run thousands of gallons in my vehicles, and I change fuel filters about once or twice a year.
The only time I've had to change a known filter clog was when I got a bit of hydrogenated oil that was too thick when it cooled down.

I've had GREAT success with a dieselcraft centrifuge.  I powered my first unit with a carbonator pump from flea-bay.  I also have a dieselcraft copy that works just as well.  Thousands of gallons of WVO has paid for all my parts many times over.

You might save a bit of money making your own centrifuge, but it will cost you a bunch of time and stress (will this thing blow up?!?!?).

A reasonably priced setup could be made with parts like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MCCANNS-E400397-CARBONATOR-SODA-CARBONATION-PUMP-1-3-HP-MOTOR-/380795181981?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58a9295b9d

http://www.ebay.com/itm/65-GPH-CENTRIFUGE-for-WVO-OIL-and-BIODIESEL-/121057829074?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c2f9be0d2

A gear pump will last longer, but for a cheap way to start and see if centrifuging will work for your application, these will work.

Veggie,

From an efficiency standpoint, your generator looks like 1/3 of the fuel energy goes out the exhaust, 1/3 becomes waste engine heat, 1/3 produces mechanical energy to turn the generator, and 1/3 becomes sound 

Joe,
...."Is it possible to get this data published in a map format or spreadsheet"

Sounds like you just volunteered for your first job on the forum 

....."Why don't you modernize the governor and add correction of fuel load based on generator load ?"

Easy for you to say.
Jens, do you have a copy of  "How to modernize your governor and add fuel correction based on generator loads for dummies"



Bill, this is the first I've mentioned to anyone about possibly selling.  You aren't too late 

I am the one who sold the Listeroid, and got the Witte.
Yes, it is BIG!!!  Actually TOO big for my needs.  I am in the process of acquiring another 6/1, and will be selling my Witte CD-12.
It's just too big for my arm (hand crank, not electric) and my loads. 
I bought the Witte hoping it would power my whole house air conditioning.
It will handle the constant load, but with 800 lbs of flywheels, the governor has a problem keeping up with the AC cycling on and off.  It takes almost two minutes for the engine to slow down enough for the governor to react to the 4000 watt AC load, and by then once the governor starts to add more fuel, the generator has slowed down to about 52 hz (should be 60 here) and the ST head voltage drops to under 190v (should be around 230).
Long story, it doesn't serve my needs well, and I will be looking for it to find a new home within the next year (as soon as I get my 6/1 here)

Yep!!! looks like the CD (mine is rated 14hp) sitting in my workshop...... Yes, I'm drooling over parts like the injector/pump, and the geared flywheel (mine is hand crank!!)

I thought Kubota was Japanese..

Thob,
".........he frequency of the alternator (in Hz) was almost exactly the RPM of the engine.  That made for an easy tachometer"

I have a 6.5 Turbo Chevy Suburban that uses the alternator for the tach.  A common problem is people replacing a bad alternator with a gas motor version (different size pulley) and then wonder why their tach isn't reading correctly 

Ding-Ding-Ding........ We have a winner!!!!

D34, What a simple elegant solution!!!!

I read your suggestion, and slapped myself in the forehead.

No charge controller needed, and I can try to sell my extra 2000w of panels.
All I need to buy are some batteries, cables etc.
This is why I'm so glad to be part of this forum.  Briliant minds around the world coming together to solve problems.

Thanks for everyones suggestions.

D34, where do I send the beer?

Deeiche, here in NM (Catron).

Mad_Labs, OH, if I were offgrid it would be a whole different story.  This property just had grid power brought in (cost about $23,000).  This system will ONLY be used for emergency backup for freezer if the grid should fail.  I just can't justify a $500 charge controller (the other stuff I already have, or I wouldn't even bother with this project) for a small chest freezer that may hold $300 worth of food while we are away.
I'd go the UPS route if I didn't already have the panels, and grid-tie inverter with pass through capabilities.

I respect your suggestion and would go that route if my situation were different.