A idea - modify a stroke outboard engine for congen

[muskeg]

This is just a idea that has been addressed somewhere...

How would a 4stroke outboard engine work for a cogen setup?
I can get 10hp chinese models for approx 2grand.
They are already silent, liquid cooled and compact.
Converting to propane or nat gas is theroetically possible.
In my case I would use it for charging a my 24 volt battery bank and heating my basement slab...
Lets explore the idea...got to be cheaper than a Freewatt unit..

[Crofter]

I thought of an outboard as a pony starting motor for my listeroid because of the ease of tying it in to heat the big girl up.

Sounds like an interesting plan as the skeg is a good part of the way towards being an exhaust to water heat exchanger too! Dont know anything about the chinese brand outboards but the Japanese ones are pretty efficient and tough.

[SHIPCHIEF]

Muskeg
What did you have in mind?
Can you give us a link to the engine site or a description of the attachments and operation?
My Onans are all air cooled, but I'd be afraid to let the heated cooling air blow into a 'manned space' for fear of an exhaust leak.
A water jacketed engine running on natural gas (or propane) to make electricity, plus use the waste heat to warm the house and heat the water?
That would only be running ahead of the "professional" future energy planners who have posited the same...but done very little to make it happen.
I see possibilities.
Scott

[muskeg]

 What I have in mind...
adapt the leg to drive a battery charging alternator,
  The cooling water and exauhst would run into a barrel with a chimney to carry gases away.
Some sort of heat exchanger to transfer heat to a house...
  A 4 stroke engine would be cleanburning.

I saw  a similar thing done to make a ice boat in a 1960s' popular mechanics magazine.
Maybe one of you guys have seen the plans article?

[rbodell]

  I saw  a similar thing done to make a ice boat in a 1960s' popular mechanics magazine.
Maybe one of you guys have seen the plans article?

Man I miss those Popular mechanics plans. My favorite one was an air compressor built from two 6 cylinder gas engines. One to power it and the other as the compressor. Man that thing was scarry.