ICE - Powerplants for the genset

[terry.kane]

Use this topic to post suggestions, questions, or answers regarding the heart of the range-extender: the ICE.

I'm partial to the SMART ForTwo CDI 40HP diesel engine but with Diesel fuel at >$4.00 per gallon, maybe we should look at other fuel sources right away?  How about dual-fuel: diesel (or biodiesel) and used cooking grease!

Copied from the original E-REV topic:

We've been talking about tracking down a small very-low-emission diesel engine. I found the following blurb at the site posted below. This may be the smoking gun we're looking for! If this 40HP CDI was sold in Canada in Smart cars, maybe we can find a wrecked Smart in a junkyard in Canada and get the engine! I'm excited about this possibility.

February 2004: smart fortwo coupe and cabrio cdi diesels to be sold in Canada beginning in 2004
3.8 liter per 100 km on the highway (62 MPG), 4.6 l/100km in the city (51 MPG) and 4.2 l/100km combined (56 MPG). It's the world's smallest cdi diesel engine with 3 cylinders and 40 hp.

http://www.whnet.com/4x4/diesel_2.html

Another nice thing about a CDI Engine (normally aspirated) is that it is compatible with Brown's gas (HHO) supplemented combustion...

I spent a few minutes this afternoon trying to track down a used 800cc CDI from a smart Fortwo. So far I found two of them and they quoted me $4,500 and $5,000 (plus shipping). Perhaps, with negotiation, we could get this figure down but it's not an awful number, I guess. The AC Propulsion document mentions a 15-25 KW requirement.

Update: another Canadian auto recycler quoted me $4,000 for a complete, used engine, 800cc/CDI.

[terry.kane]

This looks like a company who could easily adapt their production to introduce a range-extending APU.  I found this while doing some general surfing.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/34ucvf

"Idling" is a huge issue with the OTR trucking industry. Drivers have new, more restrictive rules about consecutive hours behind the wheel, etc.  So they spend a lot of time sitting in places like truck stops.  In order to maintain their comfort in the cab, they often run the engine, which is extremely costly in terms of diesel fuel and CO₂ emissions.  There are several emerging technologies aimed at this issue.

I'm going to try to get a price idea on this and other units made by PowerTech (http://www.powertech-gen.com/).  They have complete diesel gensets for various end uses in sizes from 3kW on up:
The 3kW unit is just 260 pounds. 
The 5kW APU is 425 pounds but that's with all the HVAC stuff that wouldn't be needed on the range extender.
The 8kW unit is 425 pounds and they quoted me about $7,000 - sold as an RV APU.
The 12kW unit is 620 pounds.

I'm wondering if we can find a wrecked RV and scavenge the APU or possibly talk to a local RV dealer and get a used unit and rebuild it.  I know a guy at Hometown RV in Carol Stream.  Maybe we can start there...

[rich.rezny]

You can look at some gen-sets on www.northerntool.com  The diesel units are not cheap.  My employer just installed one of those stand-by gen-sets at his house.  It is a Generac 16kw natural gas/propane unit and cost him around $4500.  It has enough power to run his energy hog home. I think the output is really 15kw on nat. gas and 16kw on propane. Maybe one of these types of gen-sets would do if it was wired correctly. It came complete with a transfer switch and sub-panel. Output is 240V single phase. I don't remember how many amps.

[ken.simmermon]

I just put a Onan 6.5KW 1800 rpm Generator on craigslist.

[roy.stuart]

I was at the Detroit Auto show in January 2008. I spent a lot of time talking to people involved with the Chevy Volt booth. Here is what they told me. They are tooling the Volt now and plan to start production in October 2008. Planning sales to start in early 2009. They have gone with Lithium-ion batteries  being manufactured by A123 Systems of Watertown, Massachusetts. This is the company that used Nanotech research to create a new and safer version of the lithium-ion batteries. They have modified the chemical structure of the lithium-ion by substituting iron for the cobalt used today. The aftermarket group in California who are modified the Toyota Pruis Hybrid into a plug in model are using these batteries. I feel based on the fact that GM is planning to build these cars in the Chevy Division  they are planning to build a lot of Volt auto. Time will tell if they follow up. I'm betting they will They told me they estimated  the cost to be around $25,000.00 Roy K. Stuart

[robert.berkemann]

Found new Kobota (Est. less than 15 hrs.) Model D1005E
3 cylinder diesel 24 hp.  Low idle speed 1150 rpm high idle
speed 3150 rpm. $1200
Possible ?

[rich.rezny]

Kubota engines are great small powerplants.  Is it turbocharged?  Many are and the turbocharger really improves the power and economy of operation.  Generator heads are usually reasonable for a 2 pole unit (3600 rpm).  A 4 pole unit is a bit more costly but only needs to turn at 1800 rpm. A direct drive would improve efficency. Belts waste as much as 15% of the available power according to one book I have.

[ken.simmermon]

That's a good deal, you have to see what type of shaft is on it, some can be very odd hookups but most can be adapted. Stay away from tapered shafts. My generator has a D600 and develops it's 14hp at 3600 rpm. I suspect it's running at 3600 to develop 24hp and should be normally asperated (no turbo)