High Output Alternators

[injin man]

Stumbled into these, other than the fact they are expensive what do you guys think:


http://www.zena.net/htdocs/alternators/mar_alt.shtml#Top

[Mad_Labs]

Those look pretty nice. They aren't cheap but I do like the replacement/repair policy. Any idea how long these folks has been around? I couldn't find a spec sheet for the alts, did you find that anywhere? I'd like to see the power curve etc.

Jonathan

[miket]

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.

[injin man]

They seem to know what the critics expect and give enough
detail to let you know they are aware of the claims that are
easy to dispute. These guys appear to have nailed the high
output alternator theme. There was a company in my complex
that either moved or went out of business called 'Hart a Gen'
they built pto powered hydraulic powered Alternators for Emergency
Vehicles, I cansee why fabricators would use these vs the
PTO.

This page has some stuff but it's in the bar on the left side.

http://www.zena.net/htdocs/alternators/altspec2.shtml#Top

[injin man]

Here's the literature page:http://www.zena.net/htdocs/ordering/litdown.shtml#Top

[admin]

when it comes to high output alternators, one has to sort out exactly what his end needs/goals are...

if you want to weld with the alternator?

if you want an intermittent power source?

if you want a continuous duty unit?

if you are more concerned with efficiency rather that brute output?

all sorts of considerations, and there will always be compromises that must be made.

no alternator is going to do all things for every application, or fill every need.

certainly not in the price point that the typical diy'er is going to want to pay, nasa maybe, but the rest of us?  nah!

bob g

[injin man]

It looks to me like they have a handle on continuos duty high output alternators.
These will obviously not be a panacea for the majority but with regards to needing
more power at the other end ie post Batt Bank these appear to have the right stuff.
I'll probably call them and ask some questions today. One will deal with rpm, since
they claim no harm at 10,000 rpm. Hot output vs cold output would be another.
These also don't appear to be magnet powered either and would like to know about
what supplies the 24volt power to the field.

There are many other major brand HO alternators these days, Delco has some
monsters also and of course they are expensive also, the difference is that these
guys are saying 'go ahead weld steel with ours' and if they fail we'll fix em,
I doubt Delco would do that.

One thing I saw discussed on another board was the ratio of amps to hp, the guy
there was saying 1 hp to 25amps, is this about right. We use kw to hp here.

[admin]

1hp to 25amps, comes from experience with small gas engines and delco car alernators

its a rough rule of thumb, and of course only relates to 12volt nominal systems.

diesel engines, and higher efficiency alternators seem to do a bit better in my experience (1hp will make 30amps)  this at 12volts nominal

you can do better with higher voltage systems, but likely the same ratio if you use off the shelf offerings from most alternator builders
that have to make the necessary compromises in efficiency in order to have a unit that will charge at both idle and highway speeds.

bob g