[Vwdiesel] Genset talk for BEGINNERS ---- (using the VW diesels)

[Area31 Research Facility]

Hagar,

You speak of using past discussions on power generators.  This is a mailing
list, live discussion group.  I am not aware of how to search or access
archives.

I am limiting my electrical load at 1800 RPM use and the throttle is
physically prevented from going past about 60%.  The governor cannot pull it
open any further than this.  It will maintain speed to about 9 kW at this
margin and then further load will make the RPM droop.  If the frequency or
voltage goes below a threshold the plant control will disable the fuel
solenoid and manual attendance by the operator is required to re-start.  I
don't see how I can hurt the little puppy if I'm careful.  I am aware of
lugging dangers. It's bearing hammering and cylinder wall wash from excess
fuel plus carbon fouling right?

The experiments at 1200 RPM were experiments and then only into a very small
constant load with no governor.  I see no danger of creating lugging in that
mode of operation the way I set it up.  The load would only be charging
batteries in any case for 1200 RPM use.

I think the worst case scenario will be when I'm arc welding at 1800 RPM
with it where it will go from little load to max load repeatedly.  In this
case the governor does yank the throttle open hard, but as I said, only so
far.  I haven't yet tried the welder on this power plant.  If it looks like
the engine won't like it, I won't do it.

You are not thinking correctly about the cost of electricity.  It is much
more expensive than seven cents a kW/hour.  I pay at least $150.00/month for
the priviledge of being connected and being sent a bill every month before I
use a single kW of juice. This makes the first kW hour I buy cost $150.00.
In this are all sorts of other line items like delivery charge, debt
retirement charges, etc.

Even with a $350.00 electric power bill every month I cannot afford to burn
two litres of fuel an hour 24/7 as that will cost more, so I am going to try
to burn less than a quarter of that and let the wind also charge my off-grid
system. To burn <1/2 litre per hour I need a smaller, highly efficient
diesel power plant, not the VW system.  The VW Diesel will cost no more at
two litres per hour using store bought fuel in co-gen mode while I'm
actually working in the shop than the utilities of electricity and propane
heat.  The fact that I can run waste oil obtainable for only the cost of
gathering it makes the VW cogen idea attractive.  I do not plan to run the
VW system 24/7.  That would cost too much fuel without even looking at
maintenance and wear costs..

I plan to build a second plant for the shop in the same size range as this
newly built VW as a backup or prime and rthen use this VW as backup.  Today
I obtained a car with a 2 litre Nissan, NA 4 cylinder diesel engine.  If I
part out for the engine it could become my other shop power plant.

Rob

----- Original Message -----
From: "H . Hagar." <h_hagar at prcn.org>
To: <vwdiesel at vwfans.com>
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2005 4:13 PM
Subject: [Vwdiesel] Genset talk for BEGINNERS ---- (using the VW diesels)


again ?
----- Original Message -----
From: H . Hagar.
To: vwdiesel at vwfans.com
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2005 12:51 PM
Subject: Genset talk for BEGINNERS ---- (using the VW diesels)


The absolute worst WORST load on a Rabbit 1980 diesel engine is an Electrcal
load. ----- you may quote me.

The VW diesel is a LIGHT duty    HIGH speed diesel.  --- --at 1800 RPM ?
a proper governor will detroy that engine tut vit.

At 1800 RPM the load has to be carefully calibrated so no LUGGING takes
place.

If you doubt me ?   Take you Rabbit out to a big hill and do not shift
down ----just
mash the pedal to the floor.     Speed governors go wide open --the minute
they sense a load.

So if you want to (insist) on murdering a fine little engine ?   ---go to
it.

We had lots and lots of talks here under Gensets.?------use them.

I like that little VW marvel -----BUT it is DELICATE  ---the head will twist
if you let it
and   overheating is a NO NO. -------I think it a fine choice for making a
stand alone
emergency electrical supply.  ----In that role LIFE is of no importance as
far as
wear is concerned.
For co-gen ?   forget it  ----economics of scale will kill you.  ---Go sling
Burgers at a MacJob
and your time is better spent --money wise.

Take a close CLOSE look at your hydro-bill ----and forget about going off
line.
I challenge  ALL of you to post the highest price per Kw/ hr   then we shall
see.    Here
it is about 0.07 dollars Canadian  ---and going up UP.

Letting the scumbags speculators on wall street determine my bill is NOT
acceptable to me.
Was it Enron ? that screwed things up here a while ago ---sick SICK SICK.
Biggest mess we ever had.

Like Val Christian said ---there are motors  and what not very sensitive to
frequency
and I will add Power Factor.  ------        Powerfactor is very important. .

Not to worry if you run resistive loads ----the well pump and freezers is
the problem.

My aircompressor cost me a penalty     ---1.50 Dollars Canadian    ---too
much for my
liking ----POWER FACTOR penalty. ---It took me 10 minutes to correct that
---never had a penalty since. ---that was years ago.

Lowest cost I ever heard of ?    Lorens ---- shit he is on easy street ----
on top of that he probably
seldom have interuptions.

Hagar.

PS :    Loren has that Grand Coulee dam in his back yard ----sure nice.

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