questions to those living offgrid with battery/inverter...

[Jedon]

Mad_Labs, you seem to have done some interesting projects, do you have a webpage or blog or posts on other forums where we can check them out?

[Halfcrazy]

We live off grid with 3000 watts of solar panels and a 1000 watt wind turbine we have used magnum inverters a lot and have good luck with them. I have probably 20 installs using magnums and have had 2 failures 1 was not magnums fault. My system uses a power line 6/1 charging my battery bank when the sun and wind don't shine

[rcavictim]

We live off grid with 3000 watts of solar panels and a 1000 watt wind turbine we have used magnum inverters a lot and have good luck with them. I have probably 20 installs using magnums and have had 2 failures 1 was not magnums fault. My system uses a power line 6/1 charging my battery bank when the sun and wind don't shine

The wind was really shining here today!  I wish I was ready for it.

[Halfcrazy]

I am very impressed with the progress so far on the Crawler/Turbine It looks to be such a massive project and the attention to detail is perfect. I can not wait to see pics or video of it making its first watts

[mike90045]

I'll be able to let ya'll know in January '10, how my install goes.  Xantrex 6048, small 400ah batterybank, listeroid (Metro) genset imported from from Gotts Cove Marine, and a 3KW PV array.  I've got slab's poured, and pole mount in the ground, cement cureing now.

[rcavictim]

I'll be able to let ya'll know in January '10, how my install goes.  Xantrex 6048, small 400ah batterybank, listeroid (Metro) genset imported from from Gotts Cove Marine, and a 3KW PV array.  I've got slab's poured, and pole mount in the ground, cement cureing now.

Mike,

Looking good but not clear what this is we're looking at.  Care to tell us more?  Are you going to build small sheds over those slabs?

[Wizard]

Concrete curing is critical that kept damp for a week to two weeks to reach full strength.  Letting dry out too early leads to crumbling concrete.

Cheers, Wizard

[mike90045]

Been getting mist - rain - clouds last week, so the cure is going nicely     Drizzle today.  Nicely cured.

Yep, those are the pads for the sheds. both are 6" thick, 8x12.  Keeps the building under the size required for permit.  Simple stick frame sheds, but gen shed will have a 6' chainlink fence gate for a door. Should keep it vented pretty well.   I think I'll have to get a glow plug though, who's a good source for them nowdays?  (Engine is supposed to be a Metro brand).

Genset will set on some rubber cow mat (or conveyor belt, or something with a bit of give). May have to put some plywood under the frame rails to keep from mashing the rubber down too much. If the rubber mat does not work, then I guess I have to get another block of concrete in there to damp it down with.

[rcavictim]

Mike,

That cow mat is great stuff between vibrating, walking prone heavy metal and a concrete floor!

[rcavictim]

I am very impressed with the progress so far on the Crawler/Turbine It looks to be such a massive project and the attention to detail is perfect. I can not wait to see pics or video of it making its first watts

Thanx for the positive FB.  I will be soooo relieved when it is all done.  It has been a really tough go.  I am having a tough time coming up with an affordable plan for DIY blades however.  What I need is pretty high tech because of the required low weight and ability to withstand certain non-trivial cyclic stresses, and pretty huge times four units required.  As the man from the movie "The Right Stuff" said, "No bucks, no Buck Rogers!"

[Halfcrazy]

I got my glow plug from cmd and the plug is recessed into the plug it didnt help me at all i still had to give her a shot of ether

[BruceM]

George's utterpower glow plug unit is first class- the glow plug tip extends out into the chamber.  It is so effective that it affects timing, you want to turn it off as soon as she's running...if I switch it on while running, my timing is advanced a bit too much.

[mobile_bob]

boy this thread is meandering all over the place, from life with batteries and inverters, to concrete cure times, and now glowplugs?

oh well,

as for glow plugs, there are two distictive types, those that are a slow heat, and those that are "flame on" types for rapid heating.

as for placement, if the glowplug is recessed it has to heat more cast, if it extends past it likely will be into the injection stream
and cause a dramatic shortening of the delay period

the delay period is defined as the length of time from the point the fuel has begun to be injected to the point in time when
the fuel begins to ignite as indicated by a sharp pressure rise in the cylinder, typically the fuel starts to inject at ~18 degree's
followed by a delay period of approx 13 degree's to the point of sharp pressure rise which happens at ~5degree's btdc.

now if you have a glowing hot tip within the injection stream, the indicated sharp pressure rise will likely be much closer to
the initial point of injection (perhaps as soon a 10-15 degrees btdc), reason of course is the temperatrure of the glowplug tip
is far above the normal compression heat of the cylinder.

i would expect the extended tip if energized would make for a very sharp knock while running most especially after the engine
has made it up to temperature.

bob g

[rl71459]

My C-201 Genset has a very significant change of tone if you turn on the plugs while its up and running!
almost as if a load had been turned on! It reminds me of turning the distributor (Retarding Timing) on a
gas engine. Another thing I find interesting is that the change seems instant when switching them on
and off.

Rob

[dubbleUJay]

boy this thread is meandering all over the place, from life with batteries and inverters, to concrete cure times, and now glowplugs?

oh well,

as for glow plugs, there are two distictive types, those that are a slow heat, and those that are "flame .......................
bob g

Someone on this forum once said a very long time ago,  that we should consider taking the best parts of posts in a thread and maybe do a White Paper on it for future reference.
This info of yours on glow-plugs are excellent and I'm not sure if I were a new member, I would find it under Batteries & Inverters!