IRCLogs for #armagetron in 2020-12-13 • ArmaNelgTron.tk

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[2020-12-13 06:48:04] <Z-Man> A reason for generator engines to have a larger replacement is that at the same power, they can run with less rotations per second, less explosions per second and therefore less noise, or at least less annoying noise. But you really have to check the power rating of the engine to know what it can deliver, this one (air cooled) only gets to 1.6 kW: https://engines.honda.com/models/model-detail/gxh50#Specifications and you have to account
[2020-12-13 06:48:05] <Z-Man>  for losses, of course.
[2020-12-13 09:17:51] -!- Armanelgtron changed nick to Armanelgtron
[2020-12-13 17:17:49] <Lucifer_arma> right, sorta.  Generator engines run at either 1600 or 3200 rpms, depending on the alternator.
[2020-12-13 17:39:36] <Lucifer_arma> actual fuel usage is based on electrical load, so when you turn something on, rpm's drop a tad and the governor opens the throttle to increase fuel input and stabilize at the stated rpm's
[2020-12-13 17:40:31] <Lucifer_arma> engine speed is determined by the alternator, of course, because the alternator determines what frequency is needed to output the 50/60hz signal you need (60 in the US)
[2020-12-13 17:42:25] <Lucifer_arma> a lot of the noise comes from the fact that they tend to be air-cooled, which means thinner walls all around, less vibration damping and more noise, not to mention the noise coming from inside the combustion chambers themselves
[2020-12-13 17:42:41] <Lucifer_arma> an air cooled engine can be pretty quiet, though, like the 150cc engine on my scooter
[2020-12-13 17:43:15] <Lucifer_arma> so, anyway, by going with a car alternator, the frequency of the alternator doesn't matter, so the engine only has to turn according to actual load.  It can sit at 1000rpms under no/small load, or it can increase as needed
[2020-12-13 17:44:01] <Lucifer_arma> the other advantage to the alternator is that it outputs a rectified and regulated 14V (spec, actual amount varies from 13.5-14.5, and you're expected to replace anything outside of that range)
[2020-12-13 17:44:22] <Lucifer_arma> the regulator also limits the current, which gives the advantage of simply looking at an alternator to see its max current output
[2020-12-13 17:44:54] <Lucifer_arma> so under all circumstances, a car alternator puts out a certain minimum voltage, and the only variance on engine speed is current available.
[2020-12-13 17:45:10] <Lucifer_arma> and of course there are losses there
[2020-12-13 17:45:34] <Lucifer_arma> so, with a scooter engine, I also get the CVT, which provides mechanical advantage over the load by varying gear ratio
[2020-12-13 17:46:12] <Lucifer_arma> a water cooled engine has thicker walls and also a bunch of water in it to damp vibrations, making most of the noise from the engine coming out the exhaust.  I'll be adding pulley/belt noise to the mix by stringing up the alternators to it.
[2020-12-13 17:46:32] <Lucifer_arma> all of that noise is easily managed by insulating the compartment, however.  This is bolt-on extra stuff I was referring to.
[2020-12-13 17:46:56] <Lucifer_arma> so honestly, for performance, I should expect at least 3kw out of a 50cc scooter engine of useful energy
[2020-12-13 17:47:36] <Lucifer_arma> the next biggest problem is cooling, however.  A water-cooled scooter engine just bolts the radiator right onto the engine itself and assumes that it's operating in a partially enclosed space, not a heavily sound-insulated compartment
[2020-12-13 17:48:07] <Lucifer_arma> so I'll have to add an external fan to ensure enough air circulation for cooling, which will add to basic electrical costs in operating the engine, subtracting from usable energy
[2020-12-13 17:48:25] <Lucifer_arma> then I'll use a power inverter to turn the DC power into AC power to run the air conditioning/microwave/etc.
[2020-12-13 18:32:04] <Lucifer_arma> I'll also have to do something to quiet the air intakes, both for cooling and for the engine itself.  I'll have to add an electronic governor that'll open the throttle when more current is drawn.
[2020-12-13 18:32:41] <Lucifer_arma> And I have to build all the mounting hardware and stuff.  The engine I'm looking at already has an electric fuel pump, but it sits under the gas tank.  I'll have to see if it'll self-prime sitting over the gas tank, and if not, replace it with something that will.
[2020-12-13 18:39:28] <Lucifer_arma> so why go this route in the first place?
[2020-12-13 18:40:13] <Lucifer_arma> solar panels output DC power, and charge controllers can be had that output 12V specifically.  I'm working on adding solar power to the RV, and I already have 100W of capacity (maximum, I haven't measured what it's actually outputting right now)
[2020-12-13 18:41:07] <Lucifer_arma> as I add solar panels and batteries, I decrease any generator draw overall, and I can add wind as well (not to be used while driving, of course).
[2020-12-13 18:41:42] <Lucifer_arma> the solar panels + battery need to power at minimum the fridge, furnace, water pump, and anything I personally need to plug in (laptop, cell phone, tablet, etc), and interior lights
[2020-12-13 18:42:19] <Lucifer_arma> during the hot texas summer, though, the air conditioners will run 24/7 and I'll need enough capacity to manage that, which is why I can't go without a generator at all
[2020-12-13 18:43:10] <Lucifer_arma> so, with enough power converters, I can make it so that shore power comes in as the AC signal provided and convert it to DC to put on the same power rail, so even if I park it in an RV park, I can still use solar + wind, reducing my overall use of power off the grid
[2020-12-13 18:44:06] <Lucifer_arma> if I do it right, I can also use the generator to reduce any grid dependency I have, so it behooves me to use a quality engine with low emissions that I can bolt on a catalytic converter if needed to further reduce emissions
[2020-12-13 18:44:33] <Lucifer_arma> when driving the RV, it'll be a gas hog, because that's how they are.  But when parked and just living in it, I can be quite green and have a very low carbon footprint
[2020-12-13 18:45:26] <Lucifer_arma> also, my youngest turns 18 this summer, and after that, income is the only thing that could anchor me to a specific geographic location, meaning I could head north to reduce AC usage
[2020-12-13 18:45:45] <Lucifer_arma> it's an open debate whether that reduces carbon footprint, considering the gas needed to make the drive in the first place
[2020-12-13 18:47:04] <Lucifer_arma> so yeah, now I need to pay my friend back with different money than I was expecting from selling the 50cc scooter because this is definitely the way to go :)
[2020-12-13 18:57:29] <Lucifer_arma> so the next question is: what's the minimum that has to be done before I can live in it?
[2020-12-13 18:58:32] <Lucifer_arma> Fridge + furnace + lighting + stuff I use + water pump, all powered 24/7 (some of these things obviously don't run 24/7).  Then the propane system needs to be overhauled, which I can do for a small amount of money
[2020-12-13 18:59:04] <Lucifer_arma> I can weld the propane tank, so any leaks there can be repaired.  I have a gauge to replace on it, the regulator, and then I need to go through the pipes to make sure there are no leaks there.
[2020-12-13 18:59:22] <Lucifer_arma> replace leaking pipes + add appropriate sealant to leaking fittings
[2020-12-13 18:59:56] <Lucifer_arma> so I just need adapters to hook up an air compressor so I can put the system under pressure to look for leaks, and overpressurize it (compared to propane pressure) to cause anything that's already borderline to go ahead and leak so I can fix it now
[2020-12-13 19:01:51] <Lucifer_arma> in the long term I'll be looking at water recycling and stuff to reduce the number of trips I have to make just to maintain systems, and if I can crack the sewage recycling problem, that would be an awesome achievement
[2020-12-13 19:02:39] <Lucifer_arma> best solution right now is a composting toilet, which converts shit from harmful sewage to fertilizer that's safe to throw in the dumpster
[2020-12-13 19:03:32] <Lucifer_arma> so I've been studying up on septic systems to see if it might be possible to create a biome that uses up all the incoming shit + toilet paper while also allowing to recycle the water
[2020-12-13 19:03:48] <Lucifer_arma> you know, a problem that lots of great minds have been working on for decades already
[2020-12-13 19:06:19] <Lucifer_arma> so anyway, while working on the generator, I'm also working on getting the fridge powered up where it's sitting and seeing if it'll run 24/7 on one panel and the few lead acid batteries that are in there
[2020-12-13 19:07:03] <Lucifer_arma> I want the minimum power requirements to be satisfied by solar + batteries
[2020-12-13 21:28:41] <-- Z-Man has quit (Ping timeout: 272 seconds)
[2020-12-13 21:33:02] --> Z-Man has joined the channel
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