Micro CoGen.

I have the EB300D and am using a 24 volt 250 Balmar  alternator and regulator in my setup. looking at the horsepower and torque chart i found that peak torque  and best B.S.F.C match at 2400 rpm so that is what I use.  I see about 75 amps initial rate of charge to my 420 AH 24 volt battery bank DC at 80% SOC.  It goes into float at about 3 hours .  I have a 1.5:1 ratio in my drive so my alternator is turning about 3600 RPM so never a cooling issue. I burn about a pint an hour. I run about 30 hours a year.  I have been using this system since 2007.

Thanks again Bob for the great advice over the years.

I've built two more of these gadgets for friends  using the  little Thermoking 430 CC twins (little Yanmars) and they use a bit more fuel. We run those at about 2700 for best consumption and same drive ratio.  The twins are 12 volt units using ARS 4 controllers by Balmar and one is a, LN 2800JB the other a 110-555 Load Handler. 

All in all, we have produced pretty cheap electricity for some less than wealthy (some might say poor) off the gridders in my neighborhood. We scavenged the Thermokings from dead refrigeration units and gotthe controllers and alternators off Ebay at really good buys. Beats the heck out of 10 dollars a day to feed gas into a traditional genset and then charging inefficiently using an AC approach. Took a little 'splaining to the friends to get them to try it. The results speak for themselves, though!

mike

I have a SDS-D-128 Sunpump, 160 watts of pre-owned Solec PV80, 80 ft deep foot well, and 9000 gallons of storage. My tanks are on the hill above my house. 25 ft up for two and 45 for the third. System is on line for 4 years now. Doesn't pump fast at 1.5 gpm... but I always have water.

Used to burn 1 gallon of gas a week to pump water.  No mas!!

Works for me.

I suggest a little solid research into really good consumption numbers as a first solid step (the spreadsheet is yer friend!!). Build from there based on how long a reserve do you desire. I can literally go a year or more (I have a Sun Mar composting toilet).

mike

That's a good price!!

I have a 24 volt  series 94 Balmar... they are about 500 bux more.

Zena looks pretty good to me.

Takes me roughly 1200 to 1800 watts to reach float on my battery bank (each day in the winter.  That is the reading I get off my MX 60. 

I have no ghost loads at all except the idle current of the the Magnum inverter which is .3 amps as indicated on my Trimetric.

My well is solar powered.

I use propane for refrigeration.

Water heating is solar batch with a propane backup.

Waiting for my wood fired hot tub heater to come in.

Oddly, the 7 watt (rated) LED lights use more current than the the 14 watt CFLs I used to use 1.2 amps vs .9 amps as displayed on the Trimetric.

I rarely use more than one light at a time. The computer maybe 1 hour a day.

I use about the same amount of electricity in a year as I used in a month when I was on the grid.

My son refers (jokingly) to me as the electricity Nazi when he visits.

mike

I run 2200 rpm  on my EB300. It is both peak torque and best fuel consumption RPM.  Been doin that  for 3 years or so. Call it about a pint an hour or so.  Pretty thrifty for the charge I get out of it. I use a Tiny Tach.

I run about twice each week, November to mid March. About 3 hours at a stretch till I reach float on my battery bank (420 AH at 24 volts). March till November I get a full solar charge each day.

mike

He could save himself a lot of money and trouble by dumping a bunch of that electric stuff...  Solar the well pump.  Propane for the water heater and refrigerator. Get a stove top toaster.  He'd be left with a load that a 1000 watt Honda EU1000 would handle.   The only assumption I'm making is that his water tank is on a hill or higher elevation. Bring a 5 gallon bottle of propane and the EU 1000 with 5 gal of gas and he is good for a week.

Add a solar batch water heater system and he is golden.

Just  a thought from an Off Grid guy.

Cheers

mike

jeff

I have several charge regulators.

I started with the Xantrex copy of the ARS 4 Balmar. its a 12 volt model and works just like the ARS 4 that I also have.  Charge and mode status is shown by  an array of colored LEDS.  Both work just fine and  the cost was reasonable.  At one time or another they have been connected to LN 2800 JB  and Load handler 160 amp alternators using 9 rib J type belts.  Plenty of power in the  eb300 to charge a battery bank composed of four L16 HC Trojan batteries.

I recently converted to a 24 volt power system based around a MS4000 Magnum inverter.  To this I added a MC624 Balmar regulator and 25 volt alternator. The biggest reason that I changes was that a good deal presented itself in the Balmar alternator It is a bg husky brute and I two a "at sea" repair kits in  the deal. 

12 volt controller and alternator used in a 24 volt application will work fine using Mobile Bob's white paper.  I have done it using one of the ARS 4 units and a 2800 JB.

All  these units I have built are currently in operation  amongst my poorer neighbors. Mostly we have used 6.5 HP Hondas (or whatever was available) until we could find small diesels.. I stumbled into a couple of 430 cc Thermoking/Yanmars.  We run those at peak torque as well for best fuel consumption. I recall about 2400 RPM.  WE would use Biodiesel but we don't use enough fuel to avoid shelf life issues.

As to pulleys, I used SH and JA tapered bushings from McMaster-Carr, 2.5 inch on a JA for the alt and 4 inch on an SH the powerplant (the bore on the SH had to be opened up to match the stub shaft on the EB300, (I used the same stub shaft that  drove the hydraulic pump).  Pulleys and bushings were a bit pricey but fit like a dream and  it doesn't look Okie-fied.

I used the original control box that came with the  Kubota and all is copacetic.  A Murphy panel would be just fine too.  I have a Murphy module and am going to convert to have  both over temp and low oil pressure shut down. I also picked up a couple of  start/run solenoids but I haven't carved out the brackets yet from tool plate.  Too many projects on t he table.

My EB 300 has enough gumption for me to run my 4' by 5' CNC router table on the battery bank and inverter.  I have a 3 phase Onan/Cummins DKD to run the spindle and dust collector. Gota spare single phase  850 Kubota and leroy comer 7 KW unit just cuz i have it.

I probably don't a have more than 1500 dollars in the whole lot of stuff and that was mostly on the the MC624 and Balmar alt. Just lucky I guess!

cheers

mike

I run my eb300 at 2200 rpm which is both peak torque and lowest specific fuel consumption point. torque is king over horsepower in this case.

I use a 2:1 gearing for the alternator so it is spinning at about 4400 for good cooling and output.  My alternator is a medium frame Balmar 24 volt 250 amp unit so it is not working real hard.  I got a great deal on  the alternator and controller on fleabay saved almost a grand.

I run 48 volt PV arrays and an MPPT charge controller to get an earlier start on charging due to my compromised insolation situation lots of tree shading. By doing so I get usable charge about an hour earlier in the day.

My leads off the alternator are 4/0, 105 c, 600 volt, rated   copper.  Leads are as short as possbible.

I used a 13 rib micro v belt and QD  sheaves (taper lock) from McMaster Carr.

My EB300 was originally equipped with a hydraulic pump and that was all deep sixed and the flywheel drive flange now holds the QD mounted sheave.

mike

I use a DC alternator.  It has been through two iterations. 

first was a 12 volt, 160 amp,Leece Neville 2500JB  and Xantrex controller, then a 24 volt, 250 amp Balmar alternator and ARS 5 when I when to 24 volts.

It's nice and compact and thrifty on fuel. 

Been running about 4 years and am thriilled with it.  My fuel tank is too large though.  For the amount I use it The tank will hold about a couple years with of fuel.

The 12 volt version charged the 12 volt 840 amp hour  bank just fine  from 80% SOC to full in about 3 hours.  Initial rate of charge 90 amps or so.

Charge time for the 24 volt bank  takes about the same time, amps corresponding lower because of the 24 volts.

I always charge till it indicates "Float" on both the Balmar and my Trimetric 2020 (about 4 hours). The Trimetric will indicate less than an amp of charge at that point.
In both cases, call it  2 quarts per charge.

The B300 is a great unit.

mike

Dittos on the Kubota EA(B)300.  I've been using one ofthose for 4 years wita balmar 250 amp alternator.  Works fine , lasta long time! 1 pint per hour for fuel consumption. It'sa champ!!

I got one of Henry's Farymanns.  Trying to decide to use it for stationary pwoer or to power a 20 foot launch....Hmmmmm!!!

I have a 439 cc Yanmar twin (thermoking) taht I built for the poor, old folks, up the hill.  that has kept them ion power for 3 years now. Little over one pint per hour.

mike

have you looked the El Sid pumps, they are very efficient?

http://www.altestore.com/store/Solar-Water-Heaters/Circulating-Pumps/El-Sid-Brushless-DC-Pump-for-10W-Module/p485/

Trim

Mine was pretty much centered centered looking in the pump mounting hole.

No changes in pump shims, right.

Is your RPM/output Frequency too high. Is the linkage connected to the solenoid bound up a bit pulling the throttle lever to far ore high speed adjustment screw out of tolerance.

For the sake of brainstorming,  what was the first indication of trouble?

Maybe stepping this thru will be of value? I'm game if you are! RogerAS has a lot of time on these little powerplants too.

Do you have a Kill A Watt that we can use to measure AC Frequency?

mike

mike

Trim

Sorry I'm a bit late as it has been no solar collection for days and my Kubota is my only backup right now.  I'm off grid and not wanting to possibly break the only backup power source.

I pulled my pump and I see much the same as in your picture. Biggest thing I found was the need to get the rack pin engaged in the arm slit and the Pump element and to the sleeve indexed properly.

Do you have smokey exhaust? If so, what color? 

Is yours a Next Generation 120 VAC genset or an Amplepower DC charger?

mike

I'll take mine apart tomorrow and see what I see.

Fiji? Is this backup for a off-grid system?  (That's what mine is.) Be interesting to hear your experiences and share some ideas!

mike

Trimi

"Have I screwed up the pump?"

Probably not,  I've had mine apart and back together successfully!?!?!? Of course spotless cleanliness is next to godliness.

I'm running an EB300D, so a bit or difference involved. I'm using manual WSM 60199-0.

Sounds like the rack might not be properly centered on the control sleeve inside the pump. Illustrations in my manual are on page S-95. Regardless, it will be in the Service section at the rear of your book if a different pub. the WSM manuals all use a similar format.

That's where I would start.

Sorry, I didn't mean to be pedantic!

If you need a book (sounds like you have the same one), just pm me with your e-mail.

mike