All,

Has anyone made or designed a small water cooled diesel unit that will
power an AC Generator, DC Alt., run a high pressure pump for the
watermaker, and run the refrig. compressor all at once?

I have seen some adds in the mags for units but would rather make my
own due to price and parts used on the comercial units. Hence project
"Three Mile Island".... takes shape.

I want to have a unit i can run 1.5 hours a day or less that will make
water, charge the batts, cool the food, and make by products of a hot
water tank. All for just a bit of diesel, maintenance, and upfront
cost. I would also like to install this so i can drive from my real
engine in the event of a major failure of my "3M island" smaller
engine. (lay shaft?) Please review and comment on the following
design so far.

Initial Demands:
1. AC Generation
2. Dive tank compressor (clutched)
3. Refrig compressor (clutched)
4. Water maker pump (clutched)
5. DC Alt Drive

Initial Specs and HP demand:

1. 4800 Watt DC (max of 2 200A alts((overkill for needs)) = approx 6.4
hp
2. dive tank = 3 hp for 3.9cfm (not running most of time, will switch
out with other clutched unit if demand on engine is too high)
3. Fridge compressor = 4 hp (includes water cooling for condensor)
4. h2o maker pump = 4hp (from specs)
5. DC gen 4000 watts = 6hp

This all totals around 14 hp, with plenty of fudge factor built in on
the 200A alts. I see plenty of diesels in this range. I may elect to
go for a genset that has a PTO on it. This would provid a starting
platform to begin with. So with all that out....

I am looking for input on:

a. Any other ideas or input from those who have built a "3M Island"
b. Engine suggestions
c. Component suggestions (alt, fridge pump, and so on. Brand names?)
d. What else should i run with it?
e. If you have something to sell (engine, alt, pumps, so on)

Cheers

D

Subject: Genset / DC/ H20 MKR / Fridge / Air Compressor Project?
From: (Aluminumhullsailor)
Date: 10/6/03 7:40 PM Central Daylight Time
Message-id:

All,

Has anyone made or designed a small water cooled diesel unit that will
power an AC Generator, DC Alt., run a high pressure pump for the
watermaker, and run the refrig. compressor all at once?

I've been thinking of a variant of this for a smaller installation, should I
decide to 'build a boat'. (say, 28 ft trailerable cruiser with 18 hp diesel
drive and 3 to 5 hp diesel genset for all else)

KISS principle (keep-it-simple-stupid) would say, . . .. get one AC diesel
genset, then use that AC to run regular AC power equipment and have a rectifier
unit to supply DC for charging batteries.

Earl (who does not have a boat) Gasner


I have seen some adds in the mags for units but would rather make my
own due to price and parts used on the comercial units. Hence project
"Three Mile Island".... takes shape.

I want to have a unit i can run 1.5 hours a day or less that will make
water, charge the batts, cool the food, and make by products of a hot
water tank. All for just a bit of diesel, maintenance, and upfront
cost. I would also like to install this so i can drive from my real
engine in the event of a major failure of my "3M island" smaller
engine. (lay shaft?) Please review and comment on the following
design so far.

Initial Demands:
1. AC Generation
2. Dive tank compressor (clutched)
3. Refrig compressor (clutched)
4. Water maker pump (clutched)
5. DC Alt Drive

Initial Specs and HP demand:

1. 4800 Watt DC (max of 2 200A alts((overkill for needs)) = approx 6.4
hp
2. dive tank = 3 hp for 3.9cfm (not running most of time, will switch
out with other clutched unit if demand on engine is too high)
3. Fridge compressor = 4 hp (includes water cooling for condensor)
4. h2o maker pump = 4hp (from specs)
5. DC gen 4000 watts = 6hp

This all totals around 14 hp, with plenty of fudge factor built in on
the 200A alts. I see plenty of diesels in this range. I may elect to
go for a genset that has a PTO on it. This would provid a starting
platform to begin with. So with all that out....

I am looking for input on:

a. Any other ideas or input from those who have built a "3M Island"
b. Engine suggestions
c. Component suggestions (alt, fridge pump, and so on. Brand names?)
d. What else should i run with it?
e. If you have something to sell (engine, alt, pumps, so on)

Cheers

D

Balmar has one: http://www.balmar.net/PDF/BC00002.pdf based on a Yanmar
2 cyl marinized industrial diesel. Aquamarine has one based on a
Kubota: http://www.aquamarineinc.net/aquagen.html

Both are 12VDC and use inverters to get 120VAC. Easier to regulate the
frequency that way and still keep the watermaker happy.



Aluminumhullsailor wrote:
All,

Has anyone made or designed a small water cooled diesel unit that will
power an AC Generator, DC Alt., run a high pressure pump for the
watermaker, and run the refrig. compressor all at once?

I have seen some adds in the mags for units but would rather make my
own due to price and parts used on the comercial units. Hence project
"Three Mile Island".... takes shape.

I want to have a unit i can run 1.5 hours a day or less that will make
water, charge the batts, cool the food, and make by products of a hot
water tank. All for just a bit of diesel, maintenance, and upfront
cost. I would also like to install this so i can drive from my real
engine in the event of a major failure of my "3M island" smaller
engine. (lay shaft?) Please review and comment on the following
design so far.

Initial Demands:
1. AC Generation
2. Dive tank compressor (clutched)
3. Refrig compressor (clutched)
4. Water maker pump (clutched)
5. DC Alt Drive

Initial Specs and HP demand:

1. 4800 Watt DC (max of 2 200A alts((overkill for needs)) = approx 6.4
hp
2. dive tank = 3 hp for 3.9cfm (not running most of time, will switch
out with other clutched unit if demand on engine is too high)
3. Fridge compressor = 4 hp (includes water cooling for condensor)
4. h2o maker pump = 4hp (from specs)
5. DC gen 4000 watts = 6hp

This all totals around 14 hp, with plenty of fudge factor built in on
the 200A alts. I see plenty of diesels in this range. I may elect to
go for a genset that has a PTO on it. This would provid a starting
platform to begin with. So with all that out....

I am looking for input on:

a. Any other ideas or input from those who have built a "3M Island"
b. Engine suggestions
c. Component suggestions (alt, fridge pump, and so on. Brand names?)
d. What else should i run with it?
e. If you have something to sell (engine, alt, pumps, so on)

Cheers

D

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

I'd go the other way -- buy a 5KW genset (we took the Northern Lights
5KW around the world trouble free) and run everything else on 240V
60Hz electric motors. Sure, you probably lose around 5-10% in the
diesel generator electric motor process, but it's a whole lot
simpler than a lot of clutches. Among the advantages are that you can
run everything when on shore power -- with your proposed setup you
have to run the engine to have refrigeration, even at the dock -- and
that the refrigeration compressor can be a cheap, sealed, household
type unit made for the purpose instead of a reworked automobile air
conditioning compressor.

I choose the 5KW because it will handle everything one at a time,
although you might want a bigger motor on the dive compressor -- a 5KW
will start a 2hp motor which will take 40 minutes to fill a tank.
Obviously if space and budget allow, a bigger genset will do better.
We're putting two 9KW Northern Lights on Fintry.

Your power estimates are a little off.
An old style watermaker (big high pressure pump) will take 2hp. The
new ones take less.

You can't do 4KW DC on 6hp -- 4KW is 5.36Hp and you start right off
losing 10% in the diodes at 12V. Figure on 8hp at the very least. (Or
am I confused because both your #1 and your #5 are DC? One is
probably AC.)

The fridge is way high. Figure 1hp.

Jim Woodward
www.mvFintry.com



Glenn Ashmore wrote in message news:DBrgb.53834$sp2.50917@lakeread04...
Balmar has one: http://www.balmar.net/PDF/BC00002.pdf based on a Yanmar
2 cyl marinized industrial diesel. Aquamarine has one based on a
Kubota: http://www.aquamarineinc.net/aquagen.html

Both are 12VDC and use inverters to get 120VAC. Easier to regulate the
frequency that way and still keep the watermaker happy.



Aluminumhullsailor wrote:
All,

Has anyone made or designed a small water cooled diesel unit that will
power an AC Generator, DC Alt., run a high pressure pump for the
watermaker, and run the refrig. compressor all at once?

I have seen some adds in the mags for units but would rather make my
own due to price and parts used on the comercial units. Hence project
"Three Mile Island".... takes shape.

I want to have a unit i can run 1.5 hours a day or less that will make
water, charge the batts, cool the food, and make by products of a hot
water tank. All for just a bit of diesel, maintenance, and upfront
cost. I would also like to install this so i can drive from my real
engine in the event of a major failure of my "3M island" smaller
engine. (lay shaft?) Please review and comment on the following
design so far.

Initial Demands:
1. AC Generation
2. Dive tank compressor (clutched)
3. Refrig compressor (clutched)
4. Water maker pump (clutched)
5. DC Alt Drive

Initial Specs and HP demand:

1. 4800 Watt DC (max of 2 200A alts((overkill for needs)) = approx 6.4
hp
2. dive tank = 3 hp for 3.9cfm (not running most of time, will switch
out with other clutched unit if demand on engine is too high)
3. Fridge compressor = 4 hp (includes water cooling for condensor)
4. h2o maker pump = 4hp (from specs)
5. DC gen 4000 watts = 6hp

This all totals around 14 hp, with plenty of fudge factor built in on
the 200A alts. I see plenty of diesels in this range. I may elect to
go for a genset that has a PTO on it. This would provid a starting
platform to begin with. So with all that out....

I am looking for input on:

a. Any other ideas or input from those who have built a "3M Island"
b. Engine suggestions
c. Component suggestions (alt, fridge pump, and so on. Brand names?)
d. What else should i run with it?
e. If you have something to sell (engine, alt, pumps, so on)

Cheers

D