DIY 12V Generator Charger - 10 Demonstration and How to Build
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- čas přidán 17. 07. 2024
- Please skip to the 2nd half if you just want to see it running.
Link to purchase an appropriate engine for this project:
amzn.to/2KXWlnE
Part1 of the 10 part series showing the details of construction of the generator:
• DIY 12V Generator Char...
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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links may be affiliate links. I may get a commission if products are purchased using the links provided.
Video demonstration of the exhaust setup:
• Quiet that Generator w...
Battery bank details:
• 1000Ah Battery Bank Pa...
How to power your house with an inverter during a power outage:
• How to Power your Hous...
This is a detailed multi-part video series in which I build a gasoline powered 12 volt DC generator and battery charger. I cover the why's, how's and reasoning behind the decisions I make and include the mistakes I make along the way so that you can avoid making the same ones.
I do not have any special fabrication skills (and it shows) so this project is one that most anyone with enough time and motivation can successfully complete.
I cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information or improper use of this information. I assume no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Be sure to read and follow all safety instructions for any equipment seen or implied in this video, and use safe practices when working with potentially dangerous equipment. No information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user. - Věda a technologie
We have used the czcams.com/users/postUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y for probably 30 hours with our camper and it’s been great! The noise level is really only noticeable when running the AC and other appliances like the microwave, hair dryer, or coffee pot. It’s not huge like other ones and it has wheels so even at 90lbs, I can move it!
A suicide lead. I swaped mine for an iec plug from an old kettle. Only slightly safer but it's the best way I could think of without hard wiring and using a changover switch. I use an antique engine to charge my battery bank using an 80 amp car alternator when there's not enough sun for my solar panels. I enjoy seeing other peoples setups and learning from them. Thanks for posting.
I'm not any kind of electrical wiz, but I do learn a little from each of your videos. I sure do wish I could have a battery setup like yours, but I don't have money for that.
I really appreciate that you exposed your challenges as well as your successes in the video series, and especially appreciate that you used Anderson PowerPole Connectors for your DC setup, but you should never, ever setup a PowerPole matrix where your connectors interconnect with different colors. Give your setup another thought - your connectors should connect with like colors on the opposite side.
Nice overview at the system level. Perfect for charging the batteries on cloudy days.
I'd do it differently, but I very much enjoyed watching this. Well done! It does what you built it for. Thanks for posting!
Great video. Love the technical details that you certainly spent a lot of effort researching. Great Help. Thanks.
Your setup really helped me i had no idea they sold 5in pullys for cs130's and i was at a loss on the tensioning system...good to know that something simple can work this well
nice setup! I am off the grid and have simular set up. during winter months I just let it run 24 hrs 7 days a week do to short days and not enough sun. Runs my whole house. I all so run a PMA with a 440 charge Controller instead of a alt. Works great. Nice setup again.
Glad to see someone this set up. Planning to build one myself, but on 24v setup. Way cheaper than buying a generator, as well it takes less fuel. Great job. As to silent your setup you gotta make an enclosure to it and add some foam to insulate on the inside. Just leave some air vents, for the engine to cool down, and as your setup you may add a propeller for more efficiency.
I actually did this on an inverter generator a few years ago. Quiet? sure. But I couldn't find a reasonable way to prevent it from running hot enough to reduce the life of the unit unacceptably. I would have needed an enclosure the size of a shed with a reasonably large powered fan - which would waste a good portion of the electricity. I determined that I was better off just adding a muffler for future applications.
BTW I agree that a 24V setup would be better!
Or change to a Diesel engine. These doesn’t gets as hot as gasoline and they are more fuel efficient, lower rpm and more torque.. Mont a car propeller on the engine shaft. That way you won’t use electricity to power that, and will be bade by the engine while running. Mechanic propeller, not electric.
I had something like this set up but hatted all the noise extra wiring so I had an idea I bought a wrecked motorcycle had the stator rewound to a 200 watt stator and hooked it up to my batteries. works great electric starter etc. and runs very quite FYI I did hook up a 14"12V fan to the radiator. cost $150 for bike, $30 for fan at wrecking yard, $100 to rewind stator so for under $300 awesome charging system
CAN U DO A VIDEO of YOUR SET UP? TY
late to the party, but thoroughly enjoy your videos. was curious aside from time, effort, and the batteries, how much did you have to invest in your little setup. I am working my way through a similar setup, but with solar as my primary battery charger. have been trying to figure out what I can do for a secondary/back up charger. this looks great, as well as looks to be semi portable from a emergency sense. love any input. will definitely be spending a lot of time catching up on your other videos
I have two Briggs and Stratton engines I purchased from Harbor Freight, a few years ago, just for this. Video has me motivated and informed.
Nice work! My dad had something like this to charge boat batteries. Which you could add another belt and pump water out of the well. While not the best water pressure when the power went off we had water.
Thanks for sharing with us.
Thank you.
It's funny making a comment about a video that's over 3 years old now, but I just wanted to say that using larger pulleys, instead of small ones makes life much easier on the belt IMO. A bigger radius reduces friction/heating of the belt increasing it's life. You are a lot like I was. I used to cobble stuff up like that using wood, straps, angle iron, hose clamps etc. I mean, you did a nice job there, don't get me wrong! Ya, if we had access to a machine shop where one could weld up frames using iron, that would be the ticket.
Bigger radius would mean a bigger belt. Also he is using about the biggest pulley that is easy to find that fits the alternator without more modifications.
So a few things that would help your set up.
1 if you are running 1 to 1 why not ditch the belt and use a direct drive and get your 10 percent back.
2. If you pull the regulator rectifier out of the altunator and run wild ac for the run to the batterys and re install the regulator rectifier there your line loss will be much less.
That is great advice, also save a lot on copper wire which must be over three hundred dollars for 1/0 welding cable.
That series where you built this was one of your greatest hits. Though I can't really use anything like that here. I live in a condo so I have to think small and quiet.
Even in my neighborhood it is difficult due to the small lot sizes. One of those inverter/generators from Honda/Yamaha or the like may be your best bet. They can be modified with additional custom exhaust features for more flexibility. They certainly won't be as silent as advertized (all small engines are loud regardless of what they claim) but they are about as good as you'll get within reason.
Nice setup I did mine with a Honda engine with a 3 1/2" on the engine and Factory V groove pulley and it did 10 12 volt batterys at 14.3....this is when I was at 12 volts am now at 48 volts
I like this, thanks. I have converted a self propelled push mower to a Gen. with a simular setup.. alternator ran off of belt drive for self propelled, to a 63 amp alt, charging two 1000w car batteries, that powers a 1000w inverter.i also use it to jump start cars,wheelers, motorcycles, even my camper anything. I've got $60.00 in my setup and it's paid for its self many times
Believe guys those batteries videos and this one was worthy watching for me ,imagine a sollar setup and thins charging method as backup for some like me it's gold 😄
i have built one but i use an alternator out bmw. it puts out 140 amps. putting the whole thing on wheels is essential. i use mine almost every day starting low batteries around the
company yard so i don't have to drag around extension cords for battery chargers. i only have 4 horsepower but that give out 60 amps and more with ease. put enough charge in a battery to start a large machine in 15 minutes.
Impressive amount of time and effort put in here. I appreciate you sharing not only your successes, but the failures as well. Since you've already discussed the hazards of backfeeding from an inverter, I'll ignore that issue. I do wonder if you've considered alternate fuel sources. Since my primary use of a generator would be as a backup to a off-grid wind/solar system and a generator can sit for extended periods. As we know, the shelf life of gasoline is limited. Could your system be converted to a dual fuel or propane only system?
You are helping others so good on you. Keep it up.
Nice set up
Thank you for your excellent research and taking the time to go in depth on the engineering. Ignore the low brow non STEM grasping cretins... Can you elaborate on the claw type couplings? I've read that the new urethane spiders can withstand up to 1100 RPM, would that make direct drive reliable? Also, where do you source your pulleys/woodruff keys, belts etc?
I saw a youtuber use an ordinary heater hose!
Great explanation knulgar, regarding my cs130 alternator. Thank you. I have not yet loaded it to the peak for longer duration than 2 hours. Also, my smaller engine, 2hp, which i had on hand, is not capabile of fully driving this alternator at peak output. These two factors maybe why i havent experienced any short commings yet with the cs130. Also i am only charging a battery bank of 600ah (golf cart 6volt batteries series/parrall).
With a 2hp engine I am sure that you'll continue to be just fine! That smaller engine isn't going to be capable of overworking the alternator so it's a non-issue I would think.. With the benefit that CS130s are so common they practically give lightly used ones away at salvage yards.
You should look around for a busted generator that's for sale cheap to get the frame and gas tank and transfer everything to it. That way you will have a sturdy frame and a bigger gas tank. Or make a frame and get some gas tanks from used riding mowers.
Great video knurlgnar! Though still kinds suprised you havnt invested into a proper interlock system. You spent all the money on inverter, cabling, and engine. A $20 double pole breaker and ~$150 interlock kit more would make this setup much safer than with suicide cords. Great job on muffler and exhaust btw!
What are suicide cords?
@@blackz06 male to male
Since the ratio is one to one, you could make a more compact unit by mating the alt to the engine through a male and female spline shaft
Can you explain what you mean?
Hypro adapter
You never want to direct drive an alternator. The pulses of power from the engine don't play well with the bearings in the alternator. Its best to have a belt, or rubber coupler between the engine and alternator, it dampens the spikes considerably. Things last longer, everybody happy.
Unless you use a large flywheel. The mass itself is used to absorb the pulses, and if a large enough wheel is used, it becomes a mechanical battery. Storing and releasing energy as supplied and demanded. (Edit: consider this, using an RPM based on-off switch, to control the alternators rotor windings. Flywheel slows down below limit, cut power to alternator, Flywheel speeds up, then once above speed set, turn back on the rotor windings. Balance is achieved with minimal issue. Or use a bigger engine. 20hp for every 100amp worth of alternator)
But hey... that's just my take on your question.
May peace be upon you, in all facets of life. Stay safe out there.
just found your video and I really enjoyed it a lot. Have been trying to build using a one wire gm alternator and a weed eater motor. Making the driveshaft is a nightmare without
machining available. I have been looking for horizontal shaft motor for some time. On budget so trying to buy used stuff. No I'm thinking going new. Need to watch the build parts for pully and belt info.
I have no machining skills and agree that mating up the two can be a problem - that's why I ended up with a simple pulley system on a wood board. I certainly wouldn't recommend a wood platform but it does work just fine and takes almost no skill to fab one up. The focus of this project was on the technical side rather than fabrication and it shows. If I were doing this project today I'd just get the $100 horizontal shaft engine from Harbor Freight.
connect the voltage scence line of the aultarnator to the battery not in the the out put of the aultarnator because there is a line voltage drop and to prevent voltage drop many aultarnator have scence line and i can see that the alutarnator that you used in this video also has one and you have connected it to the out of the aultarnator.... if you put the scene line on the battery then it will maintain 14.4v on the battery but put more load and higher voltage on the out put post of the aultarnator...
Hi Knurlgnar24, thanks for getting back to me. I am currently collecting the different parts or pieces to build my own version of a similar generator. I will be mounting everything on a Wheelhorse lawn tractor around 1990 vintage. I have more than one of these tractors so I can mount on another tractor very easily. My hope is any extra power will be stored in the batteries when refueling is needed. I am hoping to use batteries rated for 1000 cranking amps. My question boils down to this "How long should my pellet stove run on a single battery?" According to the owners manual for my stove it will draw a maximum of 4.2 Amps at start-up and 2.8 amps to run. I will not hold you to exact times, but if I can get some kind of idea it would be very nice. ...... Thanks again. ....... Keith
I have a similar alternator setup with a leece neville 130 amp truck alternator, I use it in the field for charging flat batteries, I connected a small diameter (maybe 8 mm copper) jump start cable to the alternator with the alligator clamps to the batter, if I try to use larger jumper cables it stalls out the engine.
I am building something like this but I am using a large 7Kw 55.5v brushless motor as the generating section. The motor will also start the engine and will be used on a 24v battery which will be right next to the generator as I would imagine the voltage drop on those cables to be huge.
Haven't yet watched the build videos, and certainly not read all the comments, but it occurs to me that if you're driving the alternator 1:1, why not direct drive the alternator and nix the belt altogether?
Also, would it be worth considering a voltage sensing capable alternator (like Chevy CS series) to offset voltage drop (though with the voltage reading at your bank, you probably already are?).
Now off to watch your build vids! :)
Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Xxx Charles Rotterdam Nederland....
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이것 기름 가득 채우고 몇시간쓰나요.?
First!, You made us wait for that I'm sure I watched the other 9 videos 2 yeas ago waiting for you to start the engine :-) Can you briefly mention the safety precautions you take to avoid back feeding and inverter destruction?
Coolkeys2009 I have a few videos out there on safely connecting to the house. One is how NOT to connect an inverter to your house and the other covers the many safety issues with this 'backfeed' technique.
***** wonderfully informative videos, for those that stumble on this channel can you please mention how important it is to disconnect the house from the grid before operation if you are going to backfeed your house with a secondary voltage, for the safety of utility workers. You can't mention it enough, a simple lockout on the main breakers would suffice. Keep up the good work Knurlgnar24 knowledge is power.
***** Your videos are awesome! They cover every category I can think of, for the most part. Although, I have to ask you, why a alternator over a dc motor?
Danyal Ahmad
DC motors that can be used as generators use brushes which are unreliable. Alternators use slip rings which can run for thousands of hours without service. In addition, they are more common and much less expensive for a similar build quality. Alternators are mass produced, field tested for millions of hours in various equipment, and readily available. Most brushed DC motors can only operate for a few hundred hours at full load before failure while alternators run for a few thousand.
***** Alternators produce AC electricity, and must be run at a extremely high rpm to get a good 120v out of them. However a DC motor obviously produces DC electricity, and is very easy to get power out of. I can actually spin them with my hand and get a easy 12v out of them. I have tried using several used Treadmill motors, from ebay for only about $50 each. Where has I have purchased busted up Alternators from the junk yard for the same price. Also, Alternators need some input to start generating. I would guess that that there is a difference in current between the two. You are right about how long they survive, for the most part. I think a DC motor running 24/7 will survive about 4 years. Its hard to say how long a alternator will survive, in the best scenario possible they'll run 100,000 miles. I'm just trying to say there's cons on both side! How much output do you get from it? I'm pretty sure you can get real good results with a 6 horse power engine. And this is all based off of me using a Professional Series electric drill which wasn't ever close to 1/2 horsepower. Have fun experimenting, that's all I can say. Please tell me if I have made any mistakes.
So how long does it take to charge those batteries. Do you re charge them when there drained? or run the motor while using the power?
thats the same I want to do bit with a dual ad244 gm alternator. where I can find the inverter that you use on your setup. thanks for sharing 😃😃👍
have you considered getting a slow speed diesel like an old Lister diesel and use that to power your system
That is an under drive pulley! for under driving the alternator so the belt doesn't come off.
yes its called a racing pulley but it under drives the alternator.
Love it. Nice job. I've done the same thing. Works great. Thanks for sharing.
You still use it today? I see the video is 7 years old.
Still have it, still works. I generally use a standard generator and an industrial battery charger now instead. Fun project though and this simple system is infinitely repairable unlike my more complex setup today.
I have an old school 16 horse Briggs. I was thinking about putting on a 200 app alternator.
What is your thought of a external regulator that's adjustable up to 15.5 vols
Ive also built, destroyed and rebuilt this same machine half a dozen times now...finally i have one that works without melting belts, rectifiers, regulators, coil windings and so on. Automotive alts are absolutely not the answer. They're not meant to charge deeply discharged battery banks because that requires continuous high load output. They just can't do it. Permanent magnet alternators with external, heavy duty rectifiers are the way to go. They dont load down the engine because they're not trying to reach any 'goal voltage'. They simply put out what you put into them. The resistance is fixed so your output is controlled by rpm. Fans are important though...for the engine, alternator and rectifier. I have a 24 volt bank and my generator, with a 1/1.5 rpm ratio puts out 1800 watts at full throttle and 350 watts at just above idle. Been running it this way for some time with no loss in power or visible stress on the belt and you can just hear the engine is running easier. Thermodyne makes the bests PMA's money can buy.....check them out.
The alternator I use in this video works great. You need the right alternator and the one in this video can do 100% continuous duty without any problems. It is a simple 27si without any modifications.
@@knurlgnar24 my house runs completely off grid year round in Wisconsin so i have to recharge often come November thu march. I used almost part for part what you built and yes it does work great but running full tanks of gas day after day through the bad winter weeks i ended up melting down 6 alts last winter trying to draw 80-100 amps charging a 1000Ah 12V bank. Got expensive. The new setup is so so much more efficient. I get roughly 3.5 kwh per gallon of gas because the output doesn't drop as voltage rises. Its actually less load on the engine/alt as voltage rises. Very happy with everything mechanically... next step is full automation tied to my charge controller with a gene start/stop function. Love your vids though bud.... learn a lot.
@@ak-joe2038 Congrats on the off grid house! There must be some miscommunication between us as I don't fully understand what you are saying, I assume you switched from the car alternator to a PMA? Interestingly enough I have been tinkering with changing to a 48V battery setup and bought a PMA and charge controller for this setup to increase efficiency and output. I haven't set it up yet so while I have all the calculations and such done I can't say whether it will all work out. I'll check out Thermodyne
@@knurlgnar24 at fisrt i was using a 10si 125 amp delco. Worked great but didnt last. After 6 of those i went to the thermodyne dual core 1212 pma and 300 amp rectifier. Very happy now.
@@ak-joe2038 Good job! I don't know why those 10si alternators are so popular - the design just isn't very good on them. I was happy to find the 27si that stays cool even at constant full load. A PMA would add more efficiency. Sounds like a good setup you have. I bought a WindBlue alt (still in the box) and calculated all the curves for the battery/engine/alternator/charge controller on paper and it all pencils out but I mostly expect the alternator to not perform to spec. Any idea if WindBlue is any good?
I built one about 10 or 15 years ago and it work fine. But I found a one wire alternator that worked way better. It didn't load up the engine as much.
You Rock knurlgnar! I had the chance to drive all over creation last night to get a free 4 cycle weedwhacker (for a similar DIY generator... but smaller) !! but I fell asleep. (stupidstupidstupid)
(troy bilt) prolly not the best quality! id better follow your lead and save up for a Subaru Robin or some such!!!
keep up the good work! my whole idea is to perhaps have a motorized-bicycle, mini generator, and WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE!!! built around one easily swappable engine! then just acquire a few identical engine units, learn to service them to the bone, and always have at least two up and running at any given moment!
(this is sort of like an 'ultimate road trip accessory' type thing rather than an 'off the grid home' type of thing, but similar tech and yeah I need to get my butt in gear!!!
one critique! not sure if you have dogs or cats or small children around ever, but I would add some safety features on there (at a minimum and enclosure for the pulley system!)
I think one of the most important parts of DIY is helping to shepherd people towards safety oriented design. build it so that anyone could safely use it and laminate an 'instruction page' and staple it on there!
that way when you have two broken legs and your neighbor has 1.5 broken legs and the power is out and its 28 below you can be like, "Hey buddy, I don't think I can make it, Can you crawl down to the garage and start up the emergency generator so we can run the space heater."
"its safe to operate and the instructions are posted on the side, here take my headlamp, and if youre not back in 15 minutes ill try to call for help"
yep
Have you considered wiring the remote sense terminal on the alternator to the battery post?
I have two similar batteries which I like to use in my van to power a small fridge and some other low powered appliances. I plan to use a charging relay which will switch the two batteries parallel to the existing car (starter) battery if that one has reached full charge. I have heard I have to modify the alternator to output less voltage (then the standard 14.4 V) by having a diode in series with the sensing wire to the alternator, which should make the alternator put out about 13.7 V - since a diode takes about 0.7 V away from the sensing voltage thus preventing the field coils reaching the standard voltage.
This is supposedly needed to prevent overloading the batteries.
May batteries are Northstar NSB 100FT (RED) which float charges at 13.6 V and boost charges at 14.1 V.
Are your batteries different or did my source err too much on the side of caution??
can you use this for a range extender in an electric car?
In a system with two battery packs, when one of them is almost depleted, the electric motor switches to the fully charged and then if you want you can switch on the "range extender" to charge the depleted one.
Can you charge a battery and run a motor at the same time so you have one battery pack?
This is brilliant, i have an old chinese inverter generator with electric start, the windings have shorted and gone bad in the unit but the engine is still good, and i think i have just figured out what im going to do with it. My renogy inverter has a gen start function and if i can wire a remote starter to the old generator starter then i will have an automatic gen start function whenever the batteries are low, which will be great so i dont have to go outside and start the thing!! Fabulous ;)
A cheap electric start is an electric drill connected to the pull start clutch. Simple concept that I've used manually in but I haven't personally automated this. Just a thought.
@@knurlgnar24 oo im planning to go all the way with this. You see, on my cheap chinese inverter, the starter still works just fine. The "generator" part of it is what failed. But i could remove the generator and the inverter parts, and just have an alternator attached to the engine as you have, except i will use shaft drive. Then I wire an in-expensive remote starter to the starter and install an electric choke with a new manual carburator such as you have (to get rid of the original electric auto throttle carb) and i think i will be in business!!
Can you run 2 ALTERNATORS @ the same Time either on a 2ND PULLEY or Larger BELT in a TRIANGLE style set up?,
So here s my question. When charging the battery bank how do you achieve a balanced charge on all those batteries with them hooked up like that or is it not an issue? Thanks.
I would recommend converting the engine to run propane and hydrogen as well. Less maintenance with those as they burn cleaner and won't varnish up your tank when it sits unused for long periods of time like it would with gasoline. Also, I would either run your exhaust pipe up and put a hole in the wall to outdoors, or cut a hole in your garage door to run the exhaust out (or build a frame that blocks the entire open part of the door except for a hole) to run the exhaust out. As is, leaving that gap could allow the exhaust to re-enter the garage if there is even a slight breeze blowing toward your garage door. Additionally, I would put a battery operated carbon monoxide and smoke detector where you have the generator running to alert you in case something goes wrong.
I put a DeWalt 7,000 watt genny in my metal shed. I cut two hole in the wall of the steel shed. One has the exhaust pipe from the generator coming out of it. The other allows for a grounding wire to come from the generator into a grounding rod that I put in the ground outside the shed. I have the carbon monoxide/smoke detector in there as well as a 120v fan and a light bulb hooked to a 12 v battery that runs continuously whenever the generator is running. (The heat builds up in the shed when the generator is running hard and the light allows me to refuel at night.) We had once gone 13 days without power after a small hurricane and this worked very well for us. Great video. Thanks for all of your hard work in putting it together.
He said he did not have the stuff laying around to do that.
hey i have and idea why dont y have 2 alternator and connect it in parallel
. and use tye engine to run both of them
Have 10 motors 20 gen....than you can power the house..
Could you run your generator with a 12 v election motor powered with a small battery to get it started? Great video!
Ha! Very nice! But when you said, "Etcetera" I heard the "Little boy"voice from the movie Split. Creepy but nice. The setup is what I'm about to build "AGAIN" but need the right pullies this time. Nice setup though. I'll post mine soon to
very good. thankyou!
How many 12 volt lights can you run off that with a inverter for a 110 power source.
Finally! It works
What took so long ?
How about use at very slow speed with large flywheel and running of natural gas
for inside use ?
first the engine would not have enough torque to run it with a LARGE flywheel second natural gas is as poisonous of an exhaust and needs to pump outside. and then do you want to provide the natural gas he is not on a line
hi buddy good stuff, you can install a fuel cell of hydrogen to make the fuel instead gas is great idea
Great video! I bet I could make that battery bank stretch more than 1 day. I would stick to only running the necessities. It gets real expensive running a gas generator for an extended amount of time. Can you hook up one of those natural gas/propane conversation kits to that engine? That's what I got for my geni and it saves me a fortune.
Thanks for posting. I enjoyed watching your videos and learned some things alone the way. I built a 12v power plant like this once but I think the motor was too small. It would start and run just fine then bog down and stall. I wanted it for running spotlights to do some night fishing in Arroyo City, Tx.
If someone wanted to build a "portable air conditioner" how big of a motor do you think it would take? In other words, a gas or diesel powered, stand alone system such as yours, but for cooling air instead of charging batteries. I drive a truck "over the road" and have to comply with idle laws in certain cities and states. Some things I prefer to build myself from scratch.
Amazing build...Peace
I read the avg home uses 920KW of energy. This set up was shown to work with 5kw. How many kw does this set up support. Also how much was all this.
Great setup and video!! How long does it take to recharge the batteries?
It outputs about 80A indefinitely under normal operation so it depends on your batteries. This 1000Ah battery bank shown in the video would be around 12h from nearly dead to full. In reality when the batteries were in use the engine was always running when I used it to keep them full, except at night when I wanted quiet.
Knurlgnar, I've enjoyed the videos focusing on the Battery Bank / Inverter system. They were the motivating factors which led me to the Samlex 3000 which you spoke so highly of. I did call the factory and the US rep for these particular Inverters and they were responsive, informative and a great help for our particular application. Currently we are running 8- 12 volt deep cycle with a 774 Ah total rating,
Your # 10 video shows a new duel 20 amp outlet , pigtailed to a 220 Volt drier plug. I understand the connections ( not show ) for the L-1 - L2 connections but how did you wire the neutral in the duel outlet plug.? I assuming you had to tie them together , sharing the neutral from each neutral from the Inverter to share as a common neutral at the point of connection to the drier receptacle. " Assuming " usually gets me in trouble so would you please clarify how you dealt with the neutral as it could affect the ground fault circuit of the Inverter.
NH Hbbyloggr
You are exactly correct. The neutral was shared between the two outlets and the 'hot' was connected to the corresponding hot phases. It would be best to test this setup with an ordinary 120V load on each phase to ensure it is all connected properly before using it with an inverter. As always, be aware of any safety issues.
*****
Thanks for clarifying. Also because of the conflict with the GFI you do not connect the GROUND ? I see there is a separate grounding lug on the rear of the set. Do you use that at all to " bond" to the house ground? Thanks for your help. NH Hbbyloggr
NH Hbbyloggr
I actually didn't connect the GND to the inverter in this case to avoid GFI issues. The grounding lug is a no-connect internally in the inverter and is only there so that you can guarantee the inverter case is electrically grounded. It's required to be there per UL spec but isn't really necessary even for safety except for specialized applications.
*****
Thank you. That ties up the loose ends and now I can eliminate possible " oh crap " moments. Happy New Year !
I don't understand saying no ground ok or 2 grounds both wrong dangerous.
Thank you knurlgnar for all the videos on the 12vdc generator. I cant imagine all the hours and money you put into this project. I bought a Predator motor yesterday and need to order the parts. Would you please give me the part number of the 5 inch pulley form Jegs. Is the Kevlar belt used for the two 5 inch pulleys 4 L 36 inch? The alternator is a 27si OEM? Thank again !
Why do you not recommend the cs130 alternator? I use cs130 alternator on my simular setup. I do like the remote voltage sense monitiring function the cs130 provides. What are your concerns?
schickmann The 27si also has a remote sense option but I chose not to use it. The CS130 would work for short term use, or for charging a small battery bank as in 1 or two batteries in many cases. It was designed to be GMs first small frame high output alternator and they had significant trouble with it overheating - which is why the regulator has an inhibit function when the regulator overheats. They also used bearings that are small which do not last long under high stress conditions, especially if the rotor gets hot due to full field current for long periods of time at lower RPMs (as it would in an efficient configuration). When the rotor gets hot the length of the shaft expands and the needle bearings in the back housing get crushed and bind, quickly failing. They made some improvements over the years but the design remained weak throughout its life. The CS144 would be a good choice, as this one is the larger frame (like the 27si) and runs cooler. Some alternators are capable of full field continuous operation at any RPM with a long service life, and some were only designed for peaking loads. The CS130 was designed for peaking loads.Glad it's working for you though. I am sure it helps that it isn't crammed into a hot engine compartment!
At the end of the day when there is a Blackout over Christmas who will be laughing. Well done
any reason why you choose a "belt" drive ? chain driven is more efficient. please correct me if Im wrong. thanks for the video.
Check out Delco AD244 alternator for good heavy duty output. Custom versions do 150A, 200A and 300A. All the car audio guys use them. Easy to have over 100A output.
Can you tell anything about the total efficiency of this generator ? How much fuel do you need to generate 1 KWh?
as a master automotive tech I was complex where you where getting your info for the alternator? As I have rested hundreds and do so at 2000 rpm and load of about 2/3 of the rated output.
Also are you running a internally regulator alternator? And has its own diodes inside so why the momentarily switch that looks way under rated. Unless you have it on the field side. And lastly why do you have your battery's 40 plus feet away from your recharging unit I would say for all the optimization you have done that your willing to give up line loss.
He would not have any real loss with the cable he is using. Batteries are in his basement, gas motor in garage to vent, pretty easy to understand. The alternator needs voltage to start if you have done so many alternators why would you ask that? He doesn't run his house on the alternator, it is ti charge up the batteries if the solar is not keeping up. May not be the best setup but the only dangerous part is the 2 ended AC cord.
Building one of those is on my things to do list.
It had been on my 'to do' list for about 12 years before I finally got around to it. :)
Cool...thank you.
great info! What conversions did you do to the dual outlet pigtail? Or maybe you could show the inside? Do you think that a 3000 watt inverter with two batteries hooked to a running vehicle would be sufficient for temporary power outages while plugged into a dryer outlet with the main breaker to the panel off? Those little engines are too loud, I would prefer to just use a vehicle like my truck.
don't do a pigtail for the outlets if you back feed out you can kill a lineman working on the power. Use a proper switch to disconnect your house from line before using any generator. If you are looking short term buy a heavy duty extension cord and run it from the generator to your refrig or what you need with the generator outside.
Now that you know you want a 1:1 ratio you could replace your belt setup with a Lovejoy style coupling in the future if you find one that is inexpensive or free.
Where does the momentary switch hook too?
Is the generator strong enough to run a fan? So you could mount it in a box and drop it over the generator😊 would help some against the soundwaves 😊
does this set up use less gas than a regular generator that makes 120v at like 3k rpm? This is only worth doing if it actually saves fuel since alternators generate alot of ac at low rpms and those other generators are dc so they have to be turned faster hence the loud generators that use tons of gas. So im assuming you can get the 120 v conversion at very low rpms maybe even just idling the motor?
NO!
Thanks for sharing 👍
About 10% loss for belt setup. Why not mount alternator straight on output shaft, as you are running 1 to 1 anyway?
SprucePlywood he ran this with a love joy coupler and the rubber spider in the coupler didn't like it.
Hypro adapter.
How much amp of that alternator was ?
Didn't see where anyone mentioned the venting of he hydrogen gas... if you drain your batteries down, charging will generate quite a bit... nice job.
hey you could use a bobcat alternator for a hydraulic pump and it makes 55 amps and 24 volts to charge how many car batteries at once. or put a bunch inline to make a huge emergency power for a house. full house power requires transformer for each one.
Nice build clean .
Great job can you tell us how your generator is hooked up to your battery bank great build
He did
Hi,
How do u know when the batteries are fully charged and stop the alternator from overcharge them and/or damage them?
Also, when u connect the plug from your inverter to your house, do you turn off the main power switch on the panel?
The alternator will not overcharge the batteries, it has a charge controller built in
I'm looking for a generator for a VAT's ( vertical axis wind turbine) your pulley and belt system look's ideal. Your thought's?
a treadmill motor is better for wind turbines, alternators wont get the RPM needed to generate enough power
thanks in advance!
how much did you spend overall?
May i ask you how long it takes to fill or load the batterys to their max and then how long the batterys last at a full draw. i hope that makes sense. absolutely amazing brilliant set up .. how talented you are. also if i may .. how much would this cost to do
Go to a store and buy one!
Could you tell me what all would I have to get and do, to make an electrical engine with a altinator? Also to have it recharge the battery at the same time?
that makes zero sense
Love this series, I have a question! I have an old riding mower with a 13.5hp, 358cc motor, what size alternator is a good match? I was thinking a 24V model, your thoughts? Thanks! Joseph
Pulley sizing will be the most important factor, but with an engine that size something in the 100A 24V (or 200A 12V) would probably be about right. If your engine is a flathead maybe a little less. (you can always adjust pulley sizes if your estimates end up being off a little to rectify the situation) Be sure to get an alternator that can produce its full load continuously - something made for heavy equipment, busses, etc. No modern car alternator can do this unfortunately hence my use of the 27si 1980's alternator in this video. I like the 24V alternator approach. They are more pricey but tend to be excellent quality due to the equipment they are made for and are more efficient. You should be able to get 70%+ efficiency easily out of one of them which is pretty good for a DC alternator.
Very very nice job you've done there.
Thanks for sharing.
I have a big farm, and I wanna put on a hydraulic wheel ( a wheel turning with running water) instead of the generator, can we make it happen ????
You'd have to gear it up with a few sets of pulleys but, yes, no reason it wouldn't work if you match up the torque curves. A 27si alternator will start generating power at around 1000rpm and hit the sweet spot around 3000rpm. They can spin up to around 15k rpm on occasion without damage so they're pretty durable that way even if you get the ratios a little wrong.
yes i'll give it a try and i will let you know
Thanks a lot
Love your videos. I have sort of the same set up. Same size motor but knock off make. Alternator was planned for a wind turbine so it has been changed to magnetic rotor with the rare earth magnets. I had the same problem with the pulleys and ended up with a close set up to what you have.
Question off this subject. Have you dealt with grid tie inverters much? Why I ask is I have a 300 watt one that I wondered if there was a way to make it in to a regular inverter since its already pure sine wave.
KSfixitman Interesting that you ended up with a similar setup! I have not worked with grid tie inverters much, but I doubt you can 'convert' one into a stand alone inverter if it is not designed to be one. The inexpensive ones generally rely on the grid waveform to operate and augment the crests with additional voltage to shove some power backward into the lines and they don't really have the smarts or components to operate as a proper stand-alone inverter.
That makes a lot of sense. I was kind of thinking it would not be possible but I thought Id ask. Thanks for the response.
I haven't watched the other videos, but why isn't the inverter connected to the generator and the batteries charged via the inverter and a decent charger? Isn't that better for the batteries? And also, how many days will it take to charge this huge battery bank that are connected in series? For me it takes around 12 hours to charge one 100 amp-hours battery with an 8 amps charger from 12.5 volts to ca. 13.1 volts - The inverter cuts off at 12.5 volts when I am using the battery.
Please forgive the uninformed but I am new to this and leaning as much as I can.
Can you put a double pulley on the motor shaft and with a longer base add a second car alternator to provide twice as much charging for your battery bank or do you need a larger motor?
How do you determine how much resistance an alternator will have when attempting to hook up a motor to it? Choosing the correct size motor cubic inches vs any alternator?
Thank you for sharing all your knowledge. I am of the visual type learner and just love watching your videos. Peace, Reese.
This engine is approx 180cc and is appropriate for a 100A alternator. If you wanted to power two 100A alternators you would need an engine with about 360cc. At some point you would get to better engine designs than a typical utility engine like this one and they would be more efficient, but for any reasonably priced engine that ratio is about what you'll need to ensure it won't bog down under load.