So I drag this thing home today............

[kenny chaos]

........and its got a 16hp engine on it that I need for another project. Through a system of pulleys and belts, it's hooked to four automotive generators and the city used this to jump start their big equipment. I'm at a loss for what this piece would be referred to as.

Could this thing, minus the motor, be the beginning of an awesome wind generator system?

 

[Valhalla]

Call it, in it's previous life, a "Power Unit" or a "Jumper Wagon," you have some fun project work ahead of you.

 

[JustWood]

Azz kickin' gas powered jump pack ! BOOYAH !

 

[kenny chaos]

Azz kickin' gas powered jump pack ! BOOYAH !

Want it?

 

[Valhalla]

Put a hydraulic pump and a big piston on it; build a big mother splitter with the 16 HP!

Use the generators for your wind power dream!

Think big! Nothing good comes easy.

 

[kenny chaos]

I got a different 16hp engine a couple years ago and that went on my processor.
Bringing dreams to reality.

 

[Highbeam]

So you've got 4 alternators rigged up to be driven together. They are all 12 volt and probably your typical GM one wire units making 50 amps each for a grand total of 240 watts at full speed. Yeah, that thing could have been run with a tiny engine and the 16HP was just overkill since a single HP is almost 750 watts.

City shop crews are notorious for coming up with contraptions like this.

 

[kenny chaos]

Are you sure about that math?

 

[North of 60]

Im not sure about nothing if I dont see pics. :coolcheese:

 

[pastera]

The alternators are probably about 70 amp - common and cheap

So
13.8 volts * 70 amps * 4 alternators = 3.8kW output

Alternators are about 50-60% efficient
output/efficiency = input
3.8kW/.55 = 7kW on the belt

745 Watts = 1hp

7kW/745 = 9.4 hp

The motor is large but not overrated if you wanted it to last or had the pulleys set up to run the motor at less than 3600 RPM.

Aaron

 

[Jags]

The alternators are probably about 70 amp - common and cheap

So
13.8 volts * 70 amps * 4 alternators = 3.8kW output

Alternators are about 50-60% efficient
output/efficiency = input
3.8kW/.55 = 7kW on the belt

745 Watts = 1hp

7kW/745 = 9.4 hp

The motor is large but not overrated if you wanted it to last or had the pulleys set up to run the motor at less than 3600 RPM.

Aaron

This is more like it. More than likely the 16HP engine has a true rating of around 11-12HP, so its probably close to the right size. (even the old Kohler 12HP cast iron buggers had a "true" rating of a little over 9HP)

 

[Highbeam]

Dang it, I dropped a zero. Aaron did a great job but assumed way bigger alternators. When I bought a generic "one-wire" alternator for my bulldozer the standard issue was 45 amps but my modern pickup truck has a 105 amp so a 70s might be on there.


I want to see a photo too.