Feds

Let's pretend for a minute that I wanted to convert a carburated car engine into a stationary generator engine.

How would you set the engine up to run at a constant RPM regardless of load?

misterstyx69

iTrader: (142)

..Hmm..what about using the Cruise control?..
Set up the engine to Run "so fast"(Say 60 kph in 5th).Take a look at what the speed is compared to in RPM(say 2 k Rpm), and set the Cruise.
Will it work?

Terrh

iTrader: (7)

you need a governor.

They're pretty simple - cruise control is the same concept.

R.P.M.

iTrader: (3)

zip-ties, or a pair of vise grips on the throttle cable.

right gehtto.

dreadseb

You need to use a screw type throttle, I'm not exactly sure what the brand/technical name for them is, we use them on irrigation pump engines here. I would also suggest getting a few murphy switches for oil pressure/water temp

Righty

iTrader: (4)

And as soon a he does, he can post up in the ghetto thread ;D

Buggy

iTrader: (8)

If you really wanted to get technical with it you could put some kind of a crankshaft position sensor on the crank to monitor the RPM and then have an actuator on the throttle. When the sensor sees a drop in RPM it can move the actuator to open the throttle. Only one problem, you'd have to be an electronics genious to figure out how to make that work. Know any electronics people?

Feds

I've looked around at it a little more. The internets are filled with people doing exactly what Buggy suggested. I may even be able to modify a Megasquirt that I have kicking around to do the job. Just need to relate tach signal to throttle opening on a PID loop.

There are also fan-belt-driven governors, or the aforementioned cruise-control systems.

However, looking at the cost of a generator head vs. the cost of a used generator, I don't see much payback in doing this, other than the neato-factor. Unless anyone wants to donate a good used generator head to the cause.

mr.zoom

iTrader: (1)

If you look at a rig saver (mech governor/speed regulator) it is nothing but a mechanical switch activated by a small pneum cyl.

or you can go CVT if you got the cash.....

HEVNSNT

iTrader: (3)

Get a pulse converter to analog signal. Input into a PID controller (ie. temperature controller will work - Omron E5CN).

HEVNSNT

iTrader: (3)

^^ Oh and output from PID controller to an e-throttle

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like you want to use a small single cylinder engine to run a generator...

Grab that Megasquirt and convert it to EFI. That way you know it will start first try every time. Apply the BAC mod to the 'Squirt and find a suitably large idle valve in the wreckers. Now use closed loop idle to set your speed. Done and done.

Feds

^

Not Quite. I'm very likely going to be disassembling my B2000, and I have a Kohler light plant that I dropped and wrecked the intake, carb, and rad:

http://www.oldengine.org/members/frank/kohler1.htm

So, I have an engine (albiet an oversized one), a generator head, and an off-grid cottage that could use lights and such. All I need to do now is figure out how to keep the engine at XXX rpm at varying loads for 0 dollars.

The belt-driven governor would be the most straightforward adaptation, but possibly not the most cost-effective. Perhaps if I can scab parts from work, I'll look at Mike's idea. I suppose I could figure out how the original engine was governed and adapt that, but that would be too easy.

mr.zoom

iTrader: (1)

then replace the small pneum cyl into an actuator fed by engines'vacuum...