Think I'm gonna buy this Perkins 8.5KW diesel generator

[AlaskanNoob]

Pour a little slab, build a little shed over it, and plumb a 500 gallon diesel tank into it. Maybe have the big diesel tank gravity feed into a smaller buried tank so that the earth warms it up or something. Probably won't do that initially and we'll see how it goes. Only gets to about -10F here and I think I can put an additive in the fuel if I need to.

Generator is liquid cooled. Will power our 5KW EG4 chargeverter to charge the lithium bank. Apparently for longevity, it's best to run the generator at 80% capacity. So that would be pulling 6.8KW and we'll be pulling a bit less than that at only 5KW.

About 9K all in.

https://www.centralmainediesel.com/order/Perkins-8-kW-Diesel-Generator.asp?page=Perkins8

 

[OzSolar]

Looks like a nice unit but I won't claim to be a generator expert, particularly diesel ones. Maybe now that I've responded others can speak specifically about that model.

Speaking only from experience in the midwest if you're careful about when you buy the diesel (summer vs. winter) it will have anti-gel additives in it. I use anti-gel fuel additives in my 35 hp John Deere tractor because there's no telling how long the fuel has been sitting in it. Just a few weeks ago it wouldn't start until I added them.

May I ask why a diesel generator? I think I know. Longer life between overhauls/replacements vs propane? Easier to get fuel in your location?

.64 gallons will get you 6 kWh. At $4/gallon that's works out to 43 cents for diesel fuel. (I think I did that math correctly)

 

[AlaskanNoob]

Looks like a nice unit but I won't claim to be a generator expert, particularly diesel ones. Maybe now that I've responded others can speak specifically about that model.

Speaking only from experience in the midwest if you're careful about when you buy the diesel (summer vs. winter) it will have anti-gel additives in it. I use anti-gel fuel additives in my 35 hp John Deere tractor because there's no telling how long the fuel has been sitting in it. Just a few weeks ago it wouldn't start until I added them.

May I ask why a diesel generator? I think I know. Longer life between overhauls/replacements vs propane? Easier to get fuel in your location?

.64 gallons will get you 6 kWh. At $4/gallon that's works out to 43 cents for diesel fuel. (I think I did that math correctly)



View attachment 194685

Biggest reason for diesel is because it stores longer and we can use it on our heavy equipment and also in our diesel heaters. Like to buy it in bulk but need ti to store as long as possible, and need options to use it in case we get too much. This way, if I'm coming up on its expiration and didn't need as much for the generator as I'd calculated, I can keep from wasting it by firing up the digger and building a pond or something. More flexibility.

 

[aenyc]

Biggest reason for diesel is because it stores longer and we can use it on our heavy equipment and also in our diesel heaters. Like to buy it in bulk but need ti to store as long as possible, and need options to use it in case we get too much. This way, if I'm coming up on its expiration and didn't need as much for the generator as I'd calculated, I can keep from wasting it by firing up the digger and building a pond or something. More flexibility.

If you have someone on your "team" that can service it, i think its an easy choice.

 

[AlaskanNoob]

If you have someone on your "team" that can service it, i think its an easy choice.

The wife and I will have to learn how to service it out in the bush.

 

[D71]

Some ppl I know from across the country run a tractor pto generator for emergency use. About half the cost if you already have a tractor. I’ve always thought what if need tractor to clear roads or something?. So asked dumb question - answer was they have more then one tractor. I would think a tractor would use way more fuel… 1 of them operates small dairy farm. Did you research tractor pto generators too? Do you have big tractor?

The Perkins you selected is probably a good dedicated choice and the Perkins diesel has been established in marine applications for a long time. Think some apps for auto too.. i heard about them being in a boat many years ago. Yachts.

Diesel can grow algae in it. Wrecks filters. Cause moisture which murders diesel fuel injectors if not filter water trapped. There are additives.

I’ve got a smaller gas gen for emergency use. I’m not in a zombie apocalypse hold out location. don’t think they exist - zombies - least ways not yet. what is the life span of a zombie?

Recommend this for the Bush.

 

[AlaskanNoob]

Some ppl I know from across the country run a tractor pto generator for emergency use. About half the cost if you already have a tractor. I’ve always thought what if need tractor to clear roads or something?. So asked dumb question - answer was they have more then one tractor. I would think a tractor would use way more fuel… 1 of them operates small dairy farm. Did you research tractor pto generators too? Do you have big tractor?

The Perkins you selected is probably a good dedicated choice and the Perkins diesel has been established in marine applications for a long time. Think some apps for auto too.. i heard about them being in a boat many years ago. Yachts.

Diesel can grow algae in it. Wrecks filters. Cause moisture which murders diesel fuel injectors if not filter water trapped. There are additives.

I’ve got a smaller gas gen for emergency use. I’m not in a zombie apocalypse hold out location. don’t think they exist - zombies - least ways not yet. what is the life span of a zombie?

Recommend this for the Bush.
View attachment 195180

Don't have a tractor, just a Kubota track loader and a Kubota excavator. We are considering selling one or both once we get our dirt work done and maybe picking up an electric tractor for chores around the place once the construction is done. But I don't know how much it costs, so might be cost prohibitive.

All Electric Tractor

After our heavy lifting projects are done on the homestead, would be great to sell the excavator and track loader and get one of these in our goal to be self sufficient. For relatively small tasks, a tractor would be a jack of all trades and in the summer when we do such tasks we'd have...

diysolarforum.com

Good to know on the diesel and algae. After we get the generator set up, our next project will be a wood gasifier.

We both carry Glock 20s everywhere we go on the property for bear defense. And we keep a Remington 870 Marine Magnum with Black Magic slugs in case we have to go big. Same shotgun the rangers up here use.

Wouldn't mind picking up that revolver for a chest holster too though.

 

[D71]

Diesel history. He had intended for diesel to be used on farms and for farmers to grow their own fuel.

Rudolf Diesel - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[AlaskanNoob]

I've got to figure out how I'm going to connect this generator to the EG4 chargeverter though, and to 12V power. Company said:

This unit does not have a receptacle panel - it has output lugs and is designed to be hardwired into.

You can wire in your own receptacle panel.

This unit requires a 600 CCA (cold cranking amp) 12 V battery or equivalent.

I was hoping I could just take my 30A-120V/240V NMEAL14-30 cable (220V) that I have plugged into the output receptacle of the Honda EU7000 generator (which then plugs into the Chargeverter) and plug it into this new generator. But I guess it's going to be more complicated than that. Maybe I can just take off the plug and then wire it directly into the output lugs.

I was also hoping we could forgo the battery that this Perkins generator uses, and instead just wire it into our 12V bus bar (supplied by an Orion from our 48V system) for the generator to run on. I don't know if that bus bar would provide the 600 CCA for it to crank or not though.

More things to figure out...

 

[aenyc]

Make sure you get your amps right.
Low voltge and high amperage require hefty wire.
I have to use 4/0 to carry 48V @200-300A

 

[AlaskanNoob]

Make sure you get your amps right.
Low voltge and high amperage require hefty wire.
I have to use 4/0 to carry 48V @200-300A

Same cable I'm using right now. Just need to figure out how to connect it to this new generator since it doesn't have a receptacle.

 

[AlaskanNoob]

Alright, so here are the output lugs.



The cable I have connected to the current generator (Honda 7000) to the EG4 is a 30A-120V/240V NMEAL14-30 and if I remember correctly, I think I wired only three of the pins up (two hots and a single neutral).

I'll confirm that, but then I suppose I'll just take the head off where it plugs into the current generator, and then wire up the two hots and the neutral wire to one of these neutral lugs shown here.

I also gotta confirm this Perkins generator is a floating neutral.

 

[AlaskanNoob]

Make sure you get your amps right.
Low voltge and high amperage require hefty wire.
I have to use 4/0 to carry 48V @200-300A

Just re-read this. You're talking about the DC cable. Is a cold cranking amp the same as an amp?

The generator needs 600 cold cranking amps at 12V to start. So my cable would need to be huge from the 12V bus bar to the generator and worse yet, the Orion that converts my 48V to 12V can't supply anywhere close to 600A so I will probably have to get a battery with the generator for starting. I can maybe have my 12V bus bar wired into a trickle charger that keeps the generator battery charged I suppose.

 

[aenyc]

600A@12V i would go with no less than a 4/0.

 

[OzSolar]

Just re-read this. You're talking about the DC cable. Is a cold cranking amp the same as an amp?

The generator needs 600 cold cranking amps at 12V to start. So my cable would need to be huge from the 12V bus bar to the generator and worse yet, the Orion that converts my 48V to 12V can't supply anywhere close to 600A so I will probably have to get a battery with the generator for starting. I can maybe have my 12V bus bar wired into a trickle charger that keeps the generator battery charged I suppose.

My 35 HP diesel tractor uses 4 AWG for STARTER battery cables. You might be able to get away with 6 AWG on your generator. My lawnmower has a larger engine than that generator and only uses 6 AWG.

You are going to need a battery to provide the surge to start the generator.

Take a look at the battery cables on the equipment you already have. You mentioned a few pieces of Kubota equipment on site. I bet they both have larger engines than that generator and neither will have cables larger than #2.

 

[AlaskanNoob]

My 35 HP diesel tractor uses 4 AWG for STARTER battery cables. You might be able to get away with 6 AWG on your generator. My lawnmower has a larger engine than that generator and only uses 6 AWG.

You are going to need a battery to provide the surge to start the generator.

Take a look at the battery cables on the equipment you already have. You mentioned a few pieces of Kubota equipment on site. I bet they both have larger engines than that generator and neither will have cables larger than #2.

I think we'll just buy the generator with the battery they offer. Was hoping we could skip the battery and start the generator off our 12V bus from our system, but there is no way that will work because our 12V goes through a Victron Orion 48/12 DC DC converter than cannot output anywhere even remotely close to 600 CCA.

So we'll just use their battery with the generator to start the thing, and wire a trickle charger to that battery from our 12V system.

 

[Checkthisout]

I think we'll just buy the generator with the battery they offer. Was hoping we could skip the battery and start the generator off our 12V bus from our system, but there is no way that will work because our 12V goes through a Victron Orion 48/12 DC DC converter than cannot output anywhere even remotely close to 600 CCA.

So we'll just use their battery with the generator to start the thing, and wire a trickle charger to that battery from our 12V system.

Cold cranking amps is the rating of the battery needed, not the actual amperage the starter will draw.

It's a puny little 4 cylinder Perkins.

The battery is rated so that it will start the engine in negative 20 temps along be able to operate the glow plugs or intake air heater or whatever it uses without the terminal voltage dropping too much.

Realistic starter draw is probably 150 amps max in the coldest weather, if that.

 

[Checkthisout]

My 35 HP diesel tractor uses 4 AWG for STARTER battery cables. You might be able to get away with 6 AWG on your generator. My lawnmower has a larger engine than that generator and only uses 6 AWG.

You are going to need a battery to provide the surge to start the generator.

Take a look at the battery cables on the equipment you already have. You mentioned a few pieces of Kubota equipment on site. I bet they both have larger engines than that generator and neither will have cables larger than #2.

Correct. Cold Cranking Amps spec'd by engine manufacturer do not represent how many amps the starter will draw.

600 amps would be 7200 watts, the starter motor would be able to crank the engine at 1800 RPM under full load.

 

[AlaskanNoob]

Cold cranking amps is the rating of the battery needed, not the actual amperage the starter will draw.

It's a puny little 4 cylinder Perkins.

The battery is rated so that it will start the engine in negative 20 temps along be able to operate the glow plugs or intake air heater or whatever it uses without the terminal voltage dropping too much.

Realistic starter draw is probably 150 amps max in the coldest weather, if that.

That's good to know. Even 150A is far too much for us given the Orion 48/12 DC-DC converter only supplies 30A max.

 

[OzSolar]

600 amps would be 7200 watts, the starter motor would be able to crank the engine at 1800 RPM under full load.