A diesel must do a lot better on fuel usage than a gasoline engine. I
had a 15 KW gasoline generator running a Dialarc 250 that would get
about an hour and a half on a 5 gallon tank of fuel. Have you checked
the fuel consumption under a load?
BobH
I still have to wire it. I have a 10 kW electric room heater that I
made a while ago, it will make a nice test load.
See the above link for more extra pictures, I added pictures of
fittings that I put on the can. The purpose of tee fittings is to
maybe add a tank cleaning setup that would filter fuel through a
filter and water separator. Right now the extra outlets on tee
fittings are plugged.
i
congrats and good luck.
seeing your photos made me wonder, if you lose the fuel line prime on the
generator do you have to go through a procedure (venting the line, etc.) to
reestablish the prime? just curious. on a compact diesel tractor if you
run the tank dry you have to go through a (hassle!) procedure to re-prime
the engine.
reason i was wondering, this group, people working on projects, exchanging
ideas, seeing your project made me wonder, made me think, if i ever needed
to plumb up a bunch (9) fuel tanks (are ALL your jerry cans EXACTLY the
same?) i think i'd try to make a fitting (clamp on seal, feed, return and
vent) that goes onto the fuel filler neck, so i wouldn't have to modify the
can itself at all, but that would necessitate repriming the engine every
time i needed to change cans or refill the can. i'm not criticizing your
project. i'm just wondering out loud, after seeing your project, if it
would be possible. an exchange of ideas, modifying someone else's work.
b.w.
This generator generally sucks in much more fuel, than it actually
consumes, at least under light load. It returns the excess back to the
tank via the return line.
Thus, it can work through and keep running, even if it has a lot of
air in the incoming line. It uses its fuel and returns the air back
into the tank.
For example, right now I have a 10 foot long fuel line, and it had no
problem at all starting and continuing to run, even when the entire
line was empty when I just connected this new fuel line.
No, they are different.
The diesels that I have seen, are very good at repriming themselves if
there is still some fuel in the fuel filter, injection pump etc. They
would get rid of the trapped air in short order. My familiarity is
with Cummins/Onan and Kubota engines that I bought, used and sold.
This Onan also easily primes itself from fully empty, after a bit of
cranking.
I personally want to have one jerry can as fuel tank, and just refill
it as necessary, even while the generator is still running.
I have a big Racor fuel filter, which I want to put in the incoming
line, with a fine 2 micron element in it. It will both filter the
fuel, as well as separate water from diesel.
My immediate plan is to make a welded frame from 1/2" pipes, that
would be the skeleton of the enclosure. After that is done, I will
have a good place to mount this Racor filter.
i
I am glad for your sake that you don't have a priming problem.
Maybe my stuff is older, but I've sure had to bleed injectors on
different tractors and trucks to get them to fire if someone ever
let them run out of fuel.
--
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
My folks had an 8kw propane generator installed, I had to dig the trench
between the 120 gallon tank which has to have head space hence is often
called a 100 and the generator. When full it still won't last but about
five days blackout. I know diesel uses less especially at idle but you are
stating 20kw generator. How much fuel do you plan on having? Is the object
to fill in for rolling blackouts of a few hours due to uncertainty of the
future legislation of electric generation and the lack of risk takers to
build plants or is the object to protect the contents of a freezer full of
food after a hurricane or like event? Is there a like ordinance against
outside propane tanks? I know propane is a racket, the second fill may well
cost two and a half times the first.
I suppose you are going to paint it yellow for diesel. you can use oxygen
or argon fittings on those pipes for the lines coming out and a short hose
plugged when taking it to the fuel depot. That must be a newer version
jerry can mine have an approximate three inch opening with a spin off plug
on a chain.
I hope you aren't looking for compliments from aircraft grade welders about
those beads. Was this a clean off the paint first or after? or a little of
both?
Fran
I believe so. It's been a while and I may be wrong by now. I bought
one more can of algaecide and will put it in every one again.
The issue with algae is that it appears when there is water in fuel. I
do not believe that there is much in the fuel that I have.
So does diesel fuel.
The generator can run about 5-8 hours on one jerry can. I will simply
refill the tank as necessary.
I did, at some point, buy a bigger tank, but I changed my mind about
using it due to fuel management and environmental concerns.
i
That will last you around 36 hours or so, presuming like most houses
your base load has the generator at idle and only slightly of idle for
heat/oven/etc.
Sounds about right. On the other hand, it does not need to run
continuously. In a terrible emergency, I would ration fuel, in a small
emergency, I would just buy more fuel when I run low.
i
Keeping food cold, water to flush and drink, power to run furnace blower. All
those
things can be cycled.
You hook up power to the fridge, wait for the thermostat to kick out, turn off
generator.
Pick an interval for powering generator.
Being able to watch tv and other stuff doesn't matter. Light a colemen lantern
and read a
book in the mean time.
Okay, charge your laptop, recharge the ups running your dsl router so you can
stay
connected between generator starts. Maybe charge the iPhone too.
Power off a bit too long, get your AK out.
Wes
--
"Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect
government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home
in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller
Rationing fuel is ok if you have reason to expect a really long outage,
but for the more normal day or so max it's easier to just run the
generator full time and get on with your life as if there was no outage.
But do you know if its going to come back on in an hour, a day, a week,
a month and so forth? Or is it simply "hope"? <G>
My power was out Friday night..er..Saturday morning at 2:18 and stayed
out for 10 hours.
First rain of the season did it. As it always does here in the desert.
Transformers etc etc dry out in the summer and the first wet we
get...poof..
It was between 5 and 15 seconds from the time the rain started to Poof!
Took out about a 1/4 mile radius best as I can tell..about a 1/2 mile
"square". I simply fired up a Coleman lantern..put it in the bathroom
for the ol lady..and used two more and worked in my reloading shop for a
few hours before going to bed.
Didnt bother firing up the genny..gas is in short supply at the moment.
Shrug
Gunner
"Aren't cats Libertarian? They just want to be left alone.
I think our dog is a Democrat, as he is always looking for a handout"
Unknown Usnet Poster
Heh, heh, I'm pretty sure my dog is a liberal - he has no balls.
Keyton
about Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:52:33 -0800 did write/type or cause to
appear in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:
Couple years ago, the power went out at home. A fact I did not
find out until after work - at 1 AM. Was out for four days. Most of
that was no problem, power was on at school and work. And I had a gas
grill on the "patio" so I could cook dinner. (Grilled Lamb chops,
with honey mustard ... yum!"
But finding my way home the first night, in a hall where the
emergency lights had given up hours before - was "fun".
pyotr
-
pyotr filipivich
We will drink no whiskey before its nine.
It's eight fifty eight. Close enough!
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