Micro CoGen.

Quote from: Henry W on August 07, 2021, 09:07:00 AM
VP Fuels sure makes lots of different blends. Thanks for the info.
I found out I can buy C9 about five miles away. I ask how much and it's $80.35 for 5 gallons.   Wow!!!

I don't pay nearly that much. It's available locally at the pump for $8/gal. Keep in mind that the good fuel you can purchase at Homeless Depot and Lowes is $22 per gallon, minimum, and it's not as good.

Quote from: mike90045 on August 08, 2021, 12:15:01 AM
I go to my local airfield and fill up my 5 gallon cans from the aviation gas pump, 100LL works fine in the chainsaws and weed whackers.  They start on the 2nd or 3rd pull after being idle for months ( and yes, I run them dry before storage)  Run it in the 4 cycle gear too, absolutely fine.

100LL is mostly "aviation alkylate and/or reformate. It's a wonderful fuel, often results in a crisp running engine, and also never goes bad. However it will foul sparkplugs and the lead salts do accumulate in the engine oil/muffler etc. Causing an acidic situation with available moisture, resulting in corrosion. The fuel is, in an non technical way, dry, and can affect some carbs and fuel shut off valves, as it will shrink some viton needles in the needle and seat, dry out some diaphragms in small engine carbs and so on. It's a great fuel with a few downsides.

Quote from: Henry W on August 05, 2021, 08:25:33 PM

cujet, what is VP  C9 fuel?

I can get ethanol free 89 octane gas. But I believe it still has a short shelf life.

VP C9 is a product from a race fuel company. It's a race+storage fuel. 96 octane. It never goes bad, ever. The reason is the pure composition. It's pretty obvious when using it, that things run wonderfully on it.

VP fuels (the company) is, without a doubt, the premier fuel company for race gas. They are not new, and make some truly epic race fuel products. One "classic" product they have produced nearly forever is called C16. It's a leaded race fuel with 118 octane R+M/2, you've probably smelled it at the race track! Glorious. They also make the EXACT aviation fuel that was used in World War II, 115/145!!!! (and an even better variant with 160 octane!!!)

Here is their master fuel table, it's not easy to make an unleaded, high octane, NON OXYGENATED fuel.

https://vpracingfuels.com/master-fuel-tables/

An old thread, but it's worth bumping. I have an EU2000is that I use occasionally. It has no way to drain the fuel or empty the carb. So I use VP Fuels C9 (a race fuel that lasts forever) in it. I've had the thing for about a decade now, and it always starts with that fuel. No need to do anything to preserve it, the fuel is that good!!! I can get the fuel locally for about $8 per gal. About double the cost of Ethanol Free unleaded.

My buddy has the same EU2000 and uses pump fuel, he's on his second carb, and has cleaned it out multiple times. Keep in mind, the passages in the carb are absolutely tiny, bad fuel will ruin it in short order. I love this little generator, but it's an emergency standby unit for me, and therefore absolutely must work when needed. In the end, it's an expensive unit, and it's worth the little bit of money to use good fuel.

Here is a list of commonly available "race fuels" that do not contain oxygenates and

VP C9 fuel
Sunoco Optima fuel
Sunoco 260 GTX (note other forms of Sunoco 260 contain ethanol or oxygenates and are not appropriate for storage fuels)

Very nice little unit. I like it. Simple, easy to work on!

Excellent! Glad to see it's back up. I'll try to be a little more active there. Love my Listeroid engines.

I've been wanting a diesel oxidation catalyst for my 2 listeroids, my Kubota diesel and my mini Changfa. Quite simply, I can't stand the smell of diesel engines. My old VW TDI had an exh leak and smelled horrible, so I know the engine was making stinky exhaust. But the single catalyst (it did not have the more modern system) did a wonderful job of cleaning up the smell.

I'd love to find similar catalytic converters for my engines. Looking on Amazon and Ebay, all the diesel specific cats are gone. Most are simply universal cats.

Even the name brand guys no longer carry diesel cats.

Quote from: Henry W on July 19, 2021, 01:26:06 AM
Could cheap efficient Hydrogen Generators be made to produce enough hydrogen to run an internal combustion engine powered CHP unit to run a home?

Is there a possibility that this could work?

Hydrogen is energy intensive to produce using conventional means. However, it is possible to use the waste heat of a nuclear reactor to disassociate hydrogen from oxygen. The process starts in earnest at about 3000 degC. and by 4000C, it's really impossible to keep the atoms together.

But to produce hydrogen on your own is a non starter. Not because it's too difficult, but because it uses too much electrical energy. The energy you can get out exactly equals the energy you put into the process. Unfortunately, we can't combust hydrogen at 100% efficiency, so there is always a loss.

Might as well directly use the electrical power from the solar cells or generator.

Oh that's too bad, lots of good info there.

What can we do to save it? Or can we migrate the information here?

I'd like to resurrect this thread, mostly because I had a thought about the discussion on ash.

Very high performance 2 stroke engines, such as dirt bikes and Kart engines have better longevity with additives that produce ash. In fact, those additives are some of the very same additives 4 stroke and diesel engine oils contain. The combustion event produces ash deposits, which must be scavenged out. Even so, it's possible to use conventional 4 stroke motor oil in 2 stroke engines with very good results. In fact, up until the 1960's it was common to use 30W or 40W oil (with additives) in 2 stroke engines.

I don't know what to make of this and the relationship to diesel engines.

Maybe it's the micro particulates that cause the wear and not specifically the additives.

I've used WMO in diesel engines with OK results. (VW diesel rabbit) However, the oil had settled for years and I drew from the top of the barrel. At the bottom of the barrel was a thick, hard sludge that contained the wear particulates from many engines.

Honda specs the little EU1000i at:

3.8 hours, 0.6 gallons, 900 watts. 5.7KWH/gal
or
8.3 hours, 0.6 gallons 225. watts. 3.1KWH/gal

I'd like at least 3000 lumens and 5000 would be better. Otherwise, why bother. That's why I picked a minimum of 2ea 23W, 2700K CFL's.

I've got a tractor in there, and I'd like to be able to see properly for the few minutes I'm in there, searching for stuff.

I tried one of those HF "solar flood lights" and it's beyond horrible.

I do have 24V, 44AH lead acid aircraft batteries. And I have some stupidly expensive LED strip lighting from the corporate jet. But, it's nowhere near bright enough.

I have 2 sheds without light or power (and I'm not going to run power there) . I'd like to install 2ea. CFL's in each shed. I can do it with small inverters, batteries and a small solar panel.

Or I can try to use an older UPS ty-wrapped to the roof. And simply hook a small solar panel to the battery. Turning the UPS on/off would power the lights. I've got a few older UPS's hanging around. Or, I could simply purchase small, new ones that turn on/off easily.

Any thoughts?

I just discovered this thread.

Amazing! I wish I had the time to experiment with such projects. These are the things that really interest me. Nice job!!!!!! 

Here in South Florida, not much steady wind, but plenty of solar.

While I don't use the 24V tap daily, I do occasionally use it for long periods of time, draining 3 of my 6 batteries.

I've just replaced a set of batteries after about 8 years of use. Interestingly enough, all of them were weak, bloated, and low on voltage. I'm not sure the 3 that had the 24V load were any weaker, or any better. It simply does not seem to matter in the end.

I've never been able to get "superb" life out of my golf cart batteries. Probably due to the Florida heat.

Unbalanced charging never seemed to be a problem.

I have charged the 24V set on occasion with an external charger. In an attempt at balance. Not sure that mattered either.

I've been watching the "power jack" you tube video's.

I'm not sure what to think. One guy is getting rated power, with great efficiency out of one faulty and one good set of PJ inverters.

Some of the other guys have had bad luck. But, the unit I'm looking at is not well represented on YT. It's the newer model, with higher voltage input.

I'm ok with spending $225-250, for a real world 500-600W output. I'm not OK with spending $1300 for a "good one". That's stupid money for such little power.