DIY 12V Generator Charger - 7 Belt Drive Update
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- 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.
Thanks for your time and testing. I have been running one of these types of generators here in the Alaska bush for over twenty years but have learned some new things from you. Don't pay attention to those dummies who want quick and incomplete answers.
I stumbled across your video that comes after the 10 part series and now I’m watching it through for ideas and info regarding 12v diy power generation. I appreciate your knowledgeability and how you plan, do, check, adjust.
Thanks! It was a lengthy series and not for everyone. A how-to video it is not.
Nice build. Good tips for anyone who is considering using spare parts to make a diy dc generator. Although, if one had to buy all new parts, one would probably have to pay much more for that system than if one simply bought a good used portable generator. For example, I bought a 5kW petrol generator for 300$. It will produce more than 5 times the power of your setup & it probably costed less than your total cost in materials & time.
Thanks for sharing!
A B,
I have gone the $300 generators and the $4000 3.5kw generators before. And basically you are paying about $10 for every hour of useful life. That is, you May get 30 hrs out of a $300 generator. His little 1200w DC generator isn't really optimized IMO, but it still gets at least 2x the watts/gallon of gas as those cheap generators though, and is much quieter.
The inverter generators are really the only way to go if you are to buy one off the shelf, and then only the 3 named brands are even worth the price tag.
I agree that buying a yard sale or Craigslist generator for cheap and spending some time repairing it makes far more sense, unless your aim is to learn to engineer your own project, which is what this guy did.
But why didn't he do a better job of analyzing what he had and what he wanted? Buying a new alternator that was essentially the same as the one he had could have been avoided had he looked up and read the specs on what he had and how it operated.
A lot of the info about engine driven pulley systems (in that last 4 minutes) I would have overlooked considering - thanks for pointing those things out.
i have wanted to build a dc generator, and you have just saved me a bunch of time and money by learning from your experiences. thanks for the info, keep up the good work and please post more updates!
Cool setup. I studied the social sciences but this technical engineering and mechanical stuff is still very interesting. Dry, but fascinating!
For anyone who might be trying to do something like this with a 10si style alternator; I recently built a setup with a 100amp rated 10si style jegs alternator which originally came with a 2.25"x3/8" pulley and was not able to find anything similar to the 5" pulley featured in this video for the 10si's 0.67" shaft. The best alternative I could come up with was a pulley from early 90s ford trucks which takes dual 1/2" v-belts and has a 2.95" OD. Paired with a 3.75" dual v-belt sheave on the 6.5HP predator 212cc I've been able to pull ~35 amps continuous at engine idle (actual rpm unknown, 880rpm cut-in on the alt) and ~65 amps peak at ~25% throttle without cooking belts. The alternator pulley I used replaced the following: Ford / F1HZ-10344-A, F1HU-10A352-AB, GP688, ALT-C-005, F1HU10A352AB, F1HZ10344A, GP-688/24-2106/202-14006. Also worth noting I replaced the stock fan on the 10si with a bi-directional one off ebay and run it CCW without any issues so far.
Aaron Dryden, I have tried to rig up a setup like what you have with a Lifan 6.5Hp engine that has a 3/4’ shaft and a Delco 10 SI alternator. I keep melting my drive belts whenever I get to hook up to a battery that needs a little charge. When the battery that I hookup to doesn’t need much if any then all is good but when the need is there I can melt a belt quick. You mentioned “cooking belts” so you are the one person that I need advise from. I do not know if you will ever see this message but I hope you do.
@@dnsar2619 The key for me was going with dual 1/2" kevlar belts. I tried it with a single rubber lawn and garden belt while I was waiting for my final pulleys to come in the mail and it started smoking bad at around 25 amps. I've been running the same pair of kevlar belts for about a year now and they are holding up fine with peak loads on the rig being around 80 amps.
Thanks for adding all the extra technical stuff!
I haven't read all the comments so ignore this one if it's been mentioned before. How about the use of a third pulley, perhaps an idler pulley? This would reduce the angle of attack tension on both the generator and motor pulleys. This is how vehicle pulley systems operate. Look at any car and you will notice typically they have no more than 90 degrees of belt contact on the pulleys. In your case you are running two 180 degree pulleys.
For high load pulleys such as alternators vehicles typically have as close to 90 degrees as possible for maximum friction and minimum bearing load. 90 degrees is optimum. The idlers are there to enable the belt to wrap around the pulleys adequately and at least one idler is always necessary for use as an automatic tensioner. In my system I need to manually tension the belt.
I like this series, the failures and improvements are informative.
First off awesome video. Very informative. As far as one of your viewers stated I wouldn't worry about the angle of attack for your pulley system. To decrease your angle of entry would mean decreasing the friction cause by the belt. By reducing the frfiction of the belt you create more of a chance of it slipping. My best suggestion would be to use a gear style system to remove the chances of it happening at all. Just a thought
Any time large currents are sent through wire there is a voltage drop. The larger the current the greater the voltage drop. If you are sensing the voltage at the alternator the field current will inappropriately decrease, limiting the voltage and the current. That's why some alternators have a separate voltage sense wire (#14 or smaller) which goes directly to the battery terminals. No appreciable current flows through the sense wire so there is no voltage drop and the regulator senses the voltage at the battery and not at the alternator. It looks like your alternator has a sense terminal, and it looks like it is directly connected to the B+ (battery) terminal. As an electrical engineer type myself, the ideal would also be to have a negative sense wire from the alternator going directly to the negative terminal on the battery, but I have not seen that implemented. Good luck.
On heavy equipment it is common to use a double sheave pulley and V belt set up to transmit full power to a heavy output alternator.
Thanks for going into the tech stuff, not enough of that on RUclips. Subbed. Don't want to go too big in the pulleys though, adding more mass at larger diameter will start to leech power.
best detailed video on this topic on youtube... for sure...
Fantastic as always... Thanks for your time and knowledge!!
I'm off to buy parts for mine based on your knowledge and experience!.. Thanks again!
I used a 10hp bs engine with two very old truck generators
It’s a great booster for big riggs and equipment
You said with the larger pulley you were able to keep the revs of the engine proper, and no struggling. I personally would have looked for a 8+ inch cast iron pulley, they have those for air compressor setups.You get a nice flywheel effect on it and it will quieten the engine as well. Also look into fin silencers, they are special high temp rubber posts that fit in between fins.Ducati used them on desmonic bikes. Good luck with it.Also you may want to experiment with a friction electric starter.
It is a standard 27si-100 100 Amp alternator. The field current is about 5A at maximum voltage and current.
Few thing to consider.
1) increase the power to the field (coil)
2) add a heavier free wheel into the mix
You have now inspired me to build one
I RUN MINE WITH A 5 1/.2" PULLY ON ENGINE & 2" ON ALT. I RUN THE ENGINE A 1/2 THRODLE & GET 107 AMPS AT 14.5 VOLTS
what you could do is use a shaft compiler to extend the shaft and place some more pulliy's and belts on the drive. you will have to build a stabilizer at the end of the shaft.
Glad these videos helped! Part 8 is posted.
I have the same setup 2hp motor. 5 in pulley on my motor and 2in on my alternator. I'm only getting 18amps out of my alternator. To my charge controller seems to run fine no belt slipping. Could you tell me why Thanks for the information God bless you 👉👍👍👍
A cogged belt would be an idea, but v belts are far easier to come by. I'm not sure how a chain would work at these speeds. It would certainly be noisier and messier considering it would need to be regularly oiled and splatter oil all over, etc. Chains don't rely on friction, don't have hysteresis loss as they bend around the sheaves, and are pretty efficient though.
Do you have a parts list for your entire build? Great stuff man. Love the final build-out when it's all done.
Wrecking yard Best Buy and lawnmower shop for old engine
I also converted the small Honda engine to run on LPG.. I took an old regulator off of a Coleman pop up..which BTW did not provide enough flow..I then bought an adjustable 20 psi max regulator from northern which gets the job done without melting the Honda clone..I then purchased a bicycle spedo off of the internet for 30 bucks that is used for automatic usage..it won't keep cranking unless it starts..it is fully automatic..it will turn the gas on for 5 seconds if it dosent start it will cycle for 20 seconds and try again..after 4 times it won't try anymore and you have to manually push the button and turn the gas switch on..it will still run on gasoline but is much better on propane..if you want to do this with yours PM me and I will give you the breakdown of the parts list and specs
They sell a direct dampened adapter so you don’t need a belt. I built a generator with a small one cylinder Diesel engine.
might you have a link or mfg info for that ? thanks
yes, Gear ratios are important, The current output curve from the alternator depends on RPM, the higher the Alternator RPM results in higher AMP output, there fore a larger pully on the drive motor and a smaller pulley on the ALT results in more RPM at the ALT and less strain on the drive motor, I run a system that only needs 30-60 amps, and i run a 6 inch drive with a 2 1/2 alt pulley, i get all the amps i need and if i need more, I will increase the drive pulley diameter, yes, its that simple.
It's not that simple and this video series explains why. Your setup is extremely inefficient and would be non-functional for the type of setup I cover here.
@@knurlgnar24 what is more efficient - a gasoline motor running at full speed turning the Alternator to get 85 AMPs OR a gas motor running at say 1/2 throttle giving you the same power output?
the AC delco alternator that you are using is inappropriate for heavy usage.. the problem that I encountered with the dodge alternator was obviously the voltage regulator had to be replaced once every 3 months..the belt..and I had problems with the rectifier diodes several times.. oh and also the valve springs on the Honda clone are inadequate.. but I worked through everything and it still kicks ass..I upgraded to a 180 amp alternator.. I'm not currently using it more than several hours a wk because my wind turbines are taking up the slack
also using teeth belt will help a lot, you not need to tight it so much like standard belt. Good job man!
Nice video of it running
Mr Knurlgnar, I love the stuff you do, very inspirational. In fact I think you may have been the first RUclips channel I ever subscribed to.
A few years ago I built kinda a mini version of your power bank. It has 2 deep-cycles of 125A each in a container with all my electronics mounted on top of it. Power meters, chargers, Inverter etc. Then I have a few feet of 2 gauge going to a 250A connector. Then I wired my Grand Caravan directly from the alternator to the same connector in the back of my van.
All that being said to explain, that when I have my little 800w inverter going and I start the engine I often see charging voltages up to and even exceeding 200A from my alternator at less than 1500 rpms, about 15.5v. Now I know its a much bigger engine and just about double the alternator capacity (200A I think) as your little generator setup, but it seems to me that you should be able to achieve a much higher efficiency on your 6hp(?) setup.
So if we had 100% efficiencys, 6hp should be able to generate around 4475w right? Even around 60% overall efficiency should put you in the neighborhood of the 2600 or so watts that I'm able to obtain of an auto alternator.
Anyway, I was curious what your thoughts were on this.
* My goal is to add a dedicated 24v alternator that will put out about 5kw at low rpms, as I've tended to spend a bit of time living out of the vehicle lately. But I also have a 20' 2 gauge jumper cable that will easily attach to the battery bank in my trailer to power everything in case of outage. And should be quieter and cheaper than a dedicated generator in both long and short term, not to mention 10x the lifespan. Oh, and yes I do run a ceramic space-heater off it, on 750w to warm it up in the mornings and melt our Alaskan ice off the windshield, as in your other video ;)
I'll watch for your response. Keep up the inspirational work!
If your driven pulley is smaller than your driver you produce faster rpm in direct relation to the radio. Eg 2 inch driven with a 4 inch driver the ratio is 2-1.. For every rpm the driver turns the driven will turn 2 times
I used a Honda motor with a 5/8" threaded shaft, I pressed the hub of a Toyota Landcruiser water pump which fitted on the Honda shaft and secured it with washers and a nut, then bolted on the Landcruiser water pump pulley, It uses a 17mm belt section, I cant remember what pulley I put on the alternator. Its all fitted into a water pump cage
If your alternator RPM is too low, your alternator will overheat at higher amperages because the fan RPM is too low.
Consider that 100 AMPS @ 6000 alternator RPM is getting you twice (roughly, I know it's not a linear relationship) the cooling power as 100 amps at 3000 RPM.
One way to save your belt from pulsing so much is add a small flywheel to the output shaft. A machine shop could make you one fairly cheaply or an aftermarket wheel could be added. I am building a generator from a toyota pruis engine from the salvage yard with a honda ima motor for my needs it will output about 144v at 50amps which is enough for my needs. I was going to do the toyota prius generator but they have issues with the stator burning up so I went honda.
Great video once again, my own generator has a large alternator (not an automotive one) driven by a Honda GX340 via a coupling.
I can understand the coupling have a hard time with the pulsed torque reversals with these single cylinder engines though. Fortunately mine has limited use and hence has not failed yet...
Good to see your projects but somewhat amazed at some of the criticism, I guess it's normal.
A few good posts in the comments... ie adding some "flywheel" effect at the engine end would reduce the snatching effect on the belt. I know you have also stiffened the baseboard now, sometimes a good idea to physically brace the alternator top mounting to the engine....
Not being critical, I have a project in mind myself and find yours interesting.
I keep thinking about re-configuring this setup to direct couple it again but never do because this belt setup is so lenient and reliable. Adding mass to the flywheel would indeed help the coupling and I am confident that I do not have the optimal setup here, so please share your experience!
***** i noticed in the earlier vid with the direct drive, it appeared you had the fan seperated from the housing by the mounting plate which appeared to make the fan usless in cooling, i would think direct drive would be the route too
Why didn't you put that alternator right next to the engine? The output terminal/diode end could be on the same side as the engine pull starter. You could use uni strut to make a rigid frame for both and get rid of the wood. Even a belt gaurd would be easy to add. I have an Ample Power Genie 150 12 volt 150 amp large frame alternator powered by a single cylinder water cooled Kubota diesel.. Everything the battery bank loves including bulk charge and float. It is belt driven as well, slightly overdriven, dual belts. The alternator field control has a small computer to control charge output for AGM cells. Its like your unit after tons of R&D, scads of engineering and money thrown at it. I like the simplicity of your unit. Ain't no such thing as a money pit as long as you have fun. Keep up the good work!
The way the fins are built, they will only work when rotating one way. If they go the other rotation they won't cool at all & the unit will overheat.
so on the excite wire that powers the field why don't you use a pot knob or potentiometer so you can crank the field voltage up and get more when you need it and turn it down when you only need the minimum and save the gas this is widely used in the auto stereo competition field
Those belts work well on things like snowblowers and tractor drive systems. They have and idler pulley the get the torque on the belt. You might get better results with an arm with a spring holding the idler down on the belt. Just a thought :-)
I had a tensioner type of system on an earlier setup that my dad and I worked on when I was in High School, but unless the system is designed to be maintenance free for the life of the device I find it a simpler, less expensive, more reliable, and overall better solution to have fixed tension setup. Either way would work of course.
If your doing a one to one ratio you might as well make a coupler to connect directly to the crankshaft
Try direct drive with a chain coupler. It has a little forgiveness for misalignment. Or use a drive tire coupler.
A chain is an option, but it's not oiled and runs at high speed so wouldn't last long.
makes a great battery charger . i got a ford alt 12 v dc 130 amp had a blown regulator so i bypassed it used a rheostat in place it adjust field only thing is needs 5 hp or more to spin at speed. iam makeing a electric version of what you did with a gas engine and a constant run generator. i dont see gas as in need to make electric. have fun.
have you tried using some kind of fly wheel as a store of energy?
I was thinking the same thing.
The problem is that this alternator will not charge a fully dead battery. It needs field current to excite. That comes from the battery. You either need to use a generator or find an alternator that has permanent magnetism that will excite the field. It is not very useful in an off grid situation.
This will most certainly charge a fully dead battery.
no,you get high rpm by putting small pulley on alt. and larger on motor.you can put that big pulley on motor and small on alt. and run your motor much slower and get high rpm on alt.you wont stress those bearings in the motor for sure.the alt may just have brass bushings,the motor has sealed or open on one side constantly being lubed by engine.if you are running 5in. on both you will get the same rpm as motor.drop the alt pulley half that size and you won be stressing the motor.you will get higher rpm on the alt. and more out put from alt.if you want torque you lower the motor pulley to get more power at lower rpm or raise the alt. by 4 times the amount or way mor actually to get torque at both ends.you need a smaller pulley at front,and depending you need at least 3 to 4 thousand rpm on alt to get the energy you want,just make sure you get a wide belt or better yet a serpentine type.then even under a load you can run at idle and get high rpm at alt.like a motorcycle you go down 1 tooth on front and it is equal to 8 to ten teeth on the back,increasing power or torque.you want rpm,s at the alt so u go up on motor and down on alt.naturally if you use super small on engine,depending on the load,and big on alt you might have to throttle up some.but with six hp,i dont think you will be pulling down the engine.its 4 stroke,and they are made for torque.u are spinning the alt at the same as engine,that to me is wasting energy.you need to run engine at about 1,500 rpm and gear the alt with smaller pulley and it will easily turm 3,000.if this is where you get good amps and thats not too much rpm on the alt.
For your base, use 3/4 inch 9 lamination MARINE Plywood. MUCH stiffer & no flexing.
That's why I like timing chains better than any timing belt on any automobile I really do know I am a real ASE certified Master auto technician what plenty real of experience
Try using a clog timing belt. No slipping. I'd put a idler on the belt for tension
A dampener pulley like on a automobile crankshaft. or even a boat propeller rubber hub which allows for slippage when stressed would illiminate belt oscillation and vibration .
leece neville makes all kinds of alts and use serp pulley rarely slip when torqued got 8 320A Leece nevilles never slips even under full load i used a twin cyl engine and cast iron pulleys from old air compressors like 10-12" pulley some what heavy to increase flywheel action also use leece neville alternators that have 3 phase AC taps and also variable dc regulator used by CB'ers to run big amplifiers
I built one out of a Honda clone from harbor freight.. 78 amp Chrysler alternator with external regulator..old 15 amp generator off of a wheelhouse lawn tractor(so that I could have remote start)..an 8 inch pulley from tractor supply..and also one of those Kevlar belts..which by the way suck..but yes it would keep 4 ..8d agm batts filled and prety much run my whole house
1:1 ratio means that direct drive should have been used. Direct drive means no maintenance, no friction losses and no strain on the alternator bearings.
RUN THE
DAMNED THING ALREADY!
He is out of gas maybe 😁
Yeah…..just run the damned thing and pour all of the details at the end (btw…we don’t care about the table dude…of course you already tested on it)
When you increase the size of the engine pulley, you increase the amount of horsepower required to turn the alternator. This is why cars and trucks need lower gear ratios to get going and can't start out from a dead stop in high gear.
Nice build but your overthinking it. When I was a teenager I fastened a 12" pulley in place of the blade on a 3.5 hp lawn mower. Cut a hole in the deck and pounded it into a mount for a Delco alt. Wired to an old style "block" regulator. The engine has to be started before you can put a load on it but it works like a charm. Have been using it for 40 years like that and it has never failed me yet. I use it mostly as a portable battery charger but I have run things off an inverter just fine.
I found that 1-1 was the best ratio for mine as well..
630 dislikes from people that don't know what's going on lmao.
Many people just want a quick 1 minute clip to keep their interest and I understand as I sometimes want that myself. That isn't what I do in my videos though, and it's OK if some people don't like it. Thumbs up or thumbs down youTube still counts it as user interaction so I guess I shouldn't care so much!
@@knurlgnar24 well you got a sub from me i love these types of videos
@knurlgar24- have you test fuel consumption? I'm curious to see how it does...
its cool but it would be great to talk about the wiring on the alternator itself.. alternators generate AC current correct and need to self excite themselves to produce DC current right?
I'd say a set of sprockets and a chain solves pretty much all the issues mentioned
Chains are much less forgiving than belts. I'd say it presents new less solvable issues.
I built an alternator generator to use while we're at camp. Mine eats through the V-Belts like they're an after dinner dessert... LOL
I used a 3" pulley with my setup though. I see the link you provided below for the 5" pulley. I can only seem to locate a 4.45" so I'm assuming that that is what you chose. My question is where did you get a large pulley for the alternator?
My setup uses a GM 65 Amp alternator. A Predator (Harbor Freight) 6.5 HP (212cc) engine. 12 105 AMP Deep Cycle Batteries. One 1500 / 3000 Watt Inverter and several Hard Start Capacitors for turning on the A/C, Refrigerator, Freezer, etc...
The alternator pulley was sourced from Jegs. I would highly recommend that one as it is good quality, reasonably priced, and the alternator pulley is the most difficult part of making a proper setup from my experience. The predator engines should be pretty good for this application given their 212cc displacement - remember that displacement and not HP is the important parameter. Good luck with your build!
The next video will show it running. Sorry for the wait everyone! I recorded these a while back and realized afterwards that I didn't have much footage of it actually running. whoops.
That's very nice which way does the alternator need to turn so he can produce electricity left or right
Either way works OK, although the brushes are often designed to have a longer life one way vs the other. The major issue is that the fan must spin the correct way to cool the alternator. One can purchase bi-directional fans which work 'good enough' both directions.
Thank you 😊
So i built one of these, how do you keep the alt from flexing the bracket under load
Question. Why use an alternator, when a generator would produce the power more efficiently. Then you could convert the AC to whatever you want. Also for less loss in the belt switch to a tooth belt they are very efficient.
Belt losses are fairly small and toothed belts are specialized, V belts are available everywhere.
A generator run through a 100A battery charger is actually less efficient than what I have here, but likely a more practical solution overall since the generator has other uses as well. Still, this is what I've wanted to build for years so I finally did it and it works great.
A generator by itself is not a solution since it requires running 24/7 which is unacceptable for my uses.
Of course you can use _direct drive-_ *all* _small_ *generators* use _direct drive._ So your first thinking was *correct* after all.
Depending on how much current you put in to the alternator i think you could theoretically have 6HP, or 4474W of energy here. 4474W / 12V = 372A with a little rounding. 372 amps going through that alternator though would probably melt the windings just after shutting down your neighbors pace maker. LOL
This engine can only output around 3hp after accounting for practical considerations, and after accounting for other additional losses the maximum output is around 100A.
You are gret, repling to every one
Cool video doing a 1to 1 I’m surprised you didn’t go for direct drive and save on cash and pulleys and belts
I tried that earlier in the series. One problem is the rotation direction, the other problem is alignment. Unless alignment is absolutely perfect you need a compliant interface like a spider and spider dog couplers designed for reciprocating loads are rated for finite lifetimes and fairly tight tolerance requirements. I came to realize that a belt was a better option. Simple, tolerant of misalignment, easily replaceable, nearly as efficient, and it spins the alternator the correct way which is more important than many people claim - the brushes are offset and intended for rotation only 1 way.
@@knurlgnar24 I know what you mean yet most generators use this method and the easiest way is to add rubber to the engine frame mounting to minimise vibration and also using a solid coupling … but what you’ve done works and is still a great job it’s not a criticism anyway great job 👏…. I’ve seen some they made for production that are retailing at good money they use a wireless automatic start and interface I wonder if you could add something like that to your system?
Why isn't there an idler pulley? Makes all the difference in the world for belt control and slippage. When running, watch the belt on the non-tension side and you will see what I mean.
so ive seen a number of videos on this. you seem knowledgeable. the part i am grey on is back in the i don't know 70s , voltage regulators were a separate part of a car found on the firewall like some clinoid. somewhere in the 80s they moved to having them built into the alternator.( if my memory serves me this why they stopped calling them generators and started calling them alternators as well as why back then the part went from a 30 dollar part to over 100) so don't all alternators come with a voltage regulator built in? my goal is to power 1 or 2 100 ah battery's for a generator. my application is smaller and for camping. i don't want to have to worry about over charging. at what point is the battery fully charged (?13.5v) and if the alternator is putting out 14ish is that safe enough. as i understand it you need the voltage to be higher than what you want to charge to. i am running some solar panels but as you can imagine sometimes the usage exceeds the daylight needed to recharge. likewise i could run a microwave at places with no hook up without draining my house batteries.
Hi like your video .i have a stupid question can the alternator be turned around to make a smaller unit also do you have a video explaining all the wiring setup.thanks in advance
Maybe you answered this somewhere else but why didn't you use a PMA and charge controller? You are producing 1200 watts max with this setup and a PMA will produce 4-6000 watts with same engine. I use a thermodyne PMA and put many more amps in my battery bank.
Great video. Sad it took me this long to find your channel. I'm curious. What is the frequency of the ac before it hits the rectifier?
I don't remember how many poles the alternator has but I'd guess 7500hz or so on this setup. I could be wrong there.
Seeing action sticks with you. Just words make me sleepy 💤
Hi, I love your videos and they have helped me in lots of ways.
I live on a boat and on the odd occasion it would be nice to run a 240v electric fan heater when motoring short distances.
Can I somehow use the alternator's AC output (before it gets converted to 12v DC) to run the fan heater?
Any advice greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Keep up the great videos.
Now get black iron pipe and make a GEET vapor fuel system and get waste oil tank & thanks Paul Pantone
look at the fysher and pikel power generator and add that as well as the alternator
can you share some more details? I have always wanted to build one like that
This is part 7 of a multipart series, with an additional part to come this spring. I share many details of what to watch out for in the series. If you have specific questions I can try to answer them.
The whole video is about the pulleys. What about the wiring?
you should use a one wire alt charges at a lower rpm. 2500 rpm will work great equal pulley dia.
why somepeople put one diode in the red wire that come out from the
alternator ?i dont undestarnd. in try to do the same, i bought a geo
metro car alternator it has regulator and rectifier
,have the bateries, but i think that someting is not working,cause I
charge the batteries and then they run out when they are used
I know this is old, but if anyone looking to build one. Think about your Time, Part Cost$$$ etc... At Harbor Freight, I was able to get a small Generator 900W for $89.00 (December 2017).
Is it possible to mount the alternator so the shafts line up, then put a lovejoy to connect the shafts directly? If the ratio is 1 to 1, this would eliminate pulleys/ belt completely.
I tried exactly that earlier on in this series and the coupler was shredded within 15 minutes of running under load. Alignment was not perfect and may have contributed, but was fairly good. Lovejoy couplers, I later found with research, are not rated for reciprocating use such as directly coupled to a single cylinder engine.
hey - this time you had a wire from 12 v to that OTHER terminal on the alternator. ????
If you're doing a 1-1 ratio use a lovejoy coupler. You would have no energy loss due to friction
Tried that in earlier videos in this series. It didn't end well for practical reasons. I'd suggest belt drive for most applications.
I agree with tbbw below. An awful lot of talk about slipping belts with is a solved problem.
I,v watched all most every vid you put out, VARY SMART in the field, iv got a 4 in 1 hf jump , power pack. Is it safe 2 use the 4 in 1 2power my 750 wat inverter also from hf?
I have a challenge for you. Design, build and test a serpentine-style belt drive system. You could test multiple ranges of diameters and belt widths. My gut says a 4 groove or narrower serpentine belt would have fewer frictional losses because the belt is thin and more flexible but has plenty of surface area to avoid slippage. Seems like a potentially large advantage. What do you think?
Oh, and add a nice heavy flywheel to the output shaft if possible. That will smooth the pulses from the engine and make the whole thing vibrate less.
kevin9c1
I used a cast iron pulley to increase the flywheel moment of inertia, but additional weight would undoubtedly be helpful. And you're absolutely correct in that a serpentine belt would be better and more efficient but they are not widely available, so for practical reasons I chose to use a simple single V belt.
***** Actually they're quite common. www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Result.aspx/_/Ntt-serpentine/Ntk-Keyword/Nty-1/N-26306%204294948355/Ne-600091
That's a listing of all the 4-rib serpentine belts that Napa carries, in lengths from 22-5/8" to 94-5/8". You'll find many that are in stock at your local store. And that's just 4-rib. They also offer 2-rib up to 14-rib (and a single 15-rib offering) in different length options. MANY choices.
kevin9c1
The link is broken. Are there also standard pulleys I can put on the alternator and standard pulleys I can put on a 3/4'' keyed engine shaft? And will they remain available and in stock for all time? I'm not saying it can't, or shouldn't, be done. It's just not something I'm going to mess with because the parts are not anywhere near as common. I can go to any farm supply store and pick up what I need this way.
***** Pulleys are where you might have a problem but if you were really concerned that you might break one you could always just have a spare of each. The belts, on the other hand, really are quite common. We've had serpentine belts on cars since like 1987.
What is the parts list on the final build ? I'm going to run a 6.5HP HONDA engine.
Have you considered using a bicycle or motorcycle chain and pulleys with teeth? Just to ease up on the tension.
use a Motorcycle Chain & Sprocket, they're much stronger and wider variety gear ratios.
Try mounting motors on rubber shims.
This guy knows what he's talking about but my question is can you put a small diesel engine on it like one of those Chinese diesels
Absolutely. Those have a much better torque curve than gasoline engines too so you don't really have to worry about some of these details if you go that route.
you have made a video about something so simple so overly complicated
Why not use a higher current alternator that is made for car audio competitions?
unijabnx2000 Most high output alternators aren't "made for audio competitions." most audio competitions actually require you to turn the car off and run off batteries, with many events actually restricting the number of batteries you can use to 2. That being said, I'm sure he could have grabbed a 270 amp high output alternator but that amperage is unnecessary for what he is trying to achieve.
I compete in car audio. I have a chunky DC power high output alternator as well as 2 nice AGM batteries. I can't use my alternator in most comps.
Alec Westmoreland Cool story bro
After you load the engine doesnt it slow the engine down and somewhat regulate the rpm's?
If Chapter 8 does not have a video of the setup running I will not watch Chapter 9! jk. I will...
The bigger pulley goes on the engine not on the alternator thats why you cant get max eficiency