Quote:
Originally Posted by oil pan 4
Got a new generator.
It's a generac 17,500w rated 26kw surge.
The engine is a 922cc, 30 hp V-twin with a straight keyed shaft (typically generator engines have tapered shafts that can only be used with a generator).
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I will need to ecomod it a little bit. From what I am finding it sucks down between 1 and 1.3 gallons of gas per hour.
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If you run it at capacity, it will suck a lot more than that. 17.5kw is ~23.5hp, ignoring conversion losses from engine output to electrical output. Not likely to do better than .5 lbs per hp per hour with a carb'd, fixed timing, air cooled engine, so minimum 1.95 gal/hr with gas at 6 lbs/gal.
Natural gas (previously mentioned) is a good idea; a bit lower output but much cleaner running and longer life. If you're really hard core, conversion to electronic injection/ignition would probably some good from an efficiency standpoint because it could go lean with more advance when running at lower output. Google 'microsquirt'. Only problem is that you'll probably burn more fuel creating the fuel/timing maps than you'll save over the life of the genset.
I've thought for a long time that the most efficient generator for home use would be a bigger version of the little inverter-generators: the generator head feeding DC to a big inverter. The engine could run near idle when demand is low & only ramp up in rpm/power when needed, because the inverter would control AC voltage and frequency.
Charlie