Homemade 1.8kW Inverter-Generator

I built this a Generator a couple of years ago, because we used to have alot of power outages, and I didn't like what I saw at Home-less Depot and Lowe's. Used it several times for power outages, our Ham Radio club's annual Field Day, and places where there is no AC. Although it puts out only 1800W, its battery-Inverter arrangement allows the gen-set to run in silent-mode (engine shut down). I have about 500Ah extra capacity I can add, so at 1kW load, I can run on batteries for about 6 hours (conservatively), and about 10 hrs at 500W load, before the engine need to be restarted to charge the batteries.

I found the engine, alternator, inverter, and generator frame, all new, all on eBay. The Alternator, in case you didn't hear in the video (lots of noise) is a 140A OEM unit, and the engine is a Briggs & Stratton 6.0hp vertical-shaft, electric start. Xantrex makes the inverter (a Pro-Sine 1800 with 12V input, hard-wired 120VAC output), and the frame was from a Coleman 6500 generator. Wheels are pneumatic, and the steering mechanism turns via custom-made brass fitting.

The engine drives the alternator by a K-6, 6-rib serpentine belt. Engine pulley is 7.00" dia., and the alternator pulley is 5.00" dia., from an old Ford smog-pump.

I am no longer seeking suggestions for a its name- I'll just call it my 1.8kW Inverter-Generator.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Generator
• homemade generator
• home-made generator
• homebrew generator
• home-brew generator
• homemade gen-set
• home-made gen-set
• DC gen-set
• start-cart
• alternator
• inverter
• homemade inverter-generator
• home-made inverter-generator
• homebrew inverter-generator
• home-brew inverter-generator
• Delco CS-144
• OEM
• battery
• Anderson Power Pole

[MyKubotaAUS]

where can i buy one?

[SSD99]

@MyKubotaAUSI It's for sale if you're interested.

[SquirrelFromGradLife]

I actually do have a question for you, if you don't mind me asking a probing your mind. I'm not an expert on this, I have heard somewhere in regards to a RC kit plane I bought for my nephews that a brushless permanent rare earth magnet electric motor was much more powerful and efficient than a cheaper old style motor with brushes.

I might be wrong but that alternator uses brushes right? Would it be more efficient to find and use a "used" permanent magnet electric motor instead of the alternator?

[SSD99]

@SquirrelFromGradLifer: Your brush question is valid. Alternator brushes ride on slip-rings, carrying relatively low Field current (usually 2-3 amps). DC Generator brushes ride on a commutator (a segmented slip-ring that performs the AC-DC rectification) carrying the full Armature current, up to 30A or more. So for an Alternator, brush -v- brushless doesn't really affect Alternator efficiency. A Permanent-magnet unit still requires regulation, not easy to do at high current.

[SquirrelFromGradLife]

Why the 6hp engine? with only a 1800W inverter your engine is 6000W at max load. A 3 hp engine would do just fine running at 50-75% load where the fuel economy is best.

[SSD99]

@SquirrelFromGradLife: good question- you're the first one to niotice the combination of the compoonents chosen. First, my ehgine if 6Hp, not 6kW (I wish it were!!!). 6Hp thanslated to 6 x 746W/HP = 4,476W, under absolutely ideal conditions. In reality, each HP makes about 500W power, so, theoretically, the engine should stall at about a 3kW load. Since the Alternator is 140A x 14.4V, max power out to the Inverter and batteries is just over 2kW, well below the 3kW limit.

[Marleyites]

@SSD99 I'm interested. very.

[nocurs]

Here's a name, "SSD99-POWER-6PACK"

[SquirrelFromGradLife]

@SquirrelFromGradLife Found my own answer. Milspec brushless alternators from C.E. Niehoff & Co that can actually be bought brand spanking new as surplus from the military at a fraction of the price they paid for them originally...weird...

[SquirrelFromGradLife]

@SSD99 I took notice because it looked rather good. I'm sorry I thought you said 6 kW in the video.

A suggestion which might be somewhat over engineered, but you said you could slow the engine down to idle under very light load and it struck me that some kind of controller that monitored the battery level and load taken from the inverter and then controlled the engine rpm/start up automatically if the engine have EFI or electronic management or just a thingamagic that controlled the throttle.