Genset shed ideas needed

[cujet]

I am looking for thoughts and ideas on how to build an inexpensive, fairly easy to construct, small generator shed for my 20/2.

Here are the particulars:

1) I live on 2 acres of mostly woods (pines).
2) One neighbor is not too close, the other is too close for a listeroid to run all day (too bad, as this is the garage side) AND, 3000 acres behind my house with nobody.
3) I do not want the shed directly behind my house, as the wind is likely to carry exhaust smell to the house.
4) This leaves one logical choice, nearby to my raised vegatable garden on the far corner of the property.
5) I do not want to cut down trees, so the shed must be reasonable (not 20x20)
6) I would consider a very small "enclosure" if possible. Due to hurricane loads.
7) I cannot get a concrete truck back where the lister shed will be.

Not that all of this matters to y'all. But, I cannot have exhaust by the garden either, maybe a tall exhaust stack?

I sure would like thoughts on how to make a tough, small shed for my genset.

Thanks!

Chris

[okiezeke]

How 'bout a 8' by 10' shipping container with underground exhaust?

I'm thinking of using a 20' container for my 2 gen sets, both with underground exhaust.  Nearest neighbor is mile and a half, but don't want to smell diesel exhaust either.  Containers are cheap here, couldn't build frame const. for the same amt.

Zeke

[rbodell]

If that is all your putting in a 20 footer it might be a lot of wasted space. My whole house is a 20 footer.


I have been planning to temporarily set mine up about 10 feet from the house to see how it works out so I can salvage exhaust heat for this winter. My house is really quite well insulated and quiet. I didn't realize how much so until the other night. I felt something vibrating the house. When I went outside, I saw 6 military hillicopters flying overhead at about 200 feet altitude. If I couldn't hear them, I don't even need a muffler LOL.

[mobile_bob]

put your exhaust under the garden

the co and co2 are useful to the plants, and the nitrogen compounds have been shown to replace
a good part of the needed fertilizer

there is a group of canadian farmers that have gotten a grant from the canadian government to do just that
they have shown that they can replace something on the order of 90% of the fertilizer commonly used by
injecting the tractor exhause (diesel) underground when the drill in the seed.

a thought

bob g

[okiezeke]

Bob,

Who, what, how???  Plants need their nitrogen as nitrates.  The nitrogen in exhaust gas is largley nitrous oxide.  How is the conversion made??  In Nature, lightning can do the trick, or organic systems like legumes.  Educate me please.

rbodell,

Wow, a whole house out of a 20' container?  That's pretty close living.  I'm thinking of getting a 40' for storage, a 20' for the gen sets and asociated tools, while living in our 32' camper trailer and building a 30' by 30' house.  Might take a while to get the house built, so may add a screened porch onto the camper.  The containers do seem to be cost effective.  Wonder, do they make 10' containers?

Zeke

[rbodell]

rbodell,
Wow, a whole house out of a 20' container?  That's pretty close living.  I'm thinking of getting a 40' for storage, a 20' for the gen sets and asociated tools, while living in our 32' camper trailer and building a 30' by 30' house.  Might take a while to get the house built, so may add a screened porch onto the camper.  The containers do seem to be cost effective.  Wonder, do they make 10' containers?
Zeke

well, I opened the doors to make it 24 foot LOL. I lived on a 24 foot sailboat with 9 feet of living space for a lot of years. I bounce around in this house. As for being cost afective, I have 5K invested in the house. Here are some pictures. http://rbodell.com/housing.aspx also here http://picasaweb.google.com/rbodell

I do have a 40 footer that I use for a shop. I guess you can tell where most of my time is spent LOL.

Yes they do make 10x8x8 footers.

[mobile_bob]

Zeke:

the story was reported in Farm Show Magazine about a year or so back
i have the copy somewhere, maybe buried in my service truck

i have no idea how the plant synthesizes nitrous oxides, but they seem to not only be able to use them
but thrive quite well on them,, and

there is no detrimental effect on the crop for food consumption

if i can find it, i will post the groups name and phone number or contact info.

rbodell:

you are my hero!
a real inspiration to us all, i spent about 2 years in a apartment we lovingly called the "cave" it was ~220 sq/ft total
i found it very functional, could entertain on other adult even when my 10 year old was over for a visit.
talk about efficient, and low cost.

you place when you are done with it could be readily sold and moved anywhere in the world.
not many folks live in a place like that.

bob g

[rbodell]

Z
rbodell:
you are my hero!
a real inspiration to us all, i spent about 2 years in a apartment we lovingly called the "cave" it was ~220 sq/ft total
i found it very functional, could entertain on other adult even when my 10 year old was over for a visit.
talk about efficient, and low cost.

you place when you are done with it could be readily sold and moved anywhere in the world.
not many folks live in a place like that.
bob g

sell it? heck I'll just put the tractor and lister in the shop and load  them both on a truck and take them with me. No packing either

[captfred]

Hi Chris

Here's  a photo of  my 8 X12 generator shack.



Mine is 8 X 12 interior space, 6 inch concrete hollow block walls (filled) with a 4 inch poured re-enforced concrete roof and 6" X 12" bond beam.  The footings are 16" X 16"poured concrete with a 6 inch floor slab. Mine was poured by hand, you should be able to rent a mixer to do the heavy work.

For an 8 X 10 concrete/cinderblock shed I reckon (and i'm regularly wrong) you'd need a coupla yards of concrete each for the footings and slab with another  3 plus for the roof and bond-beams.  Rebar, plyforms and form lumber,  you're on your way.  Done right, should be good for 200 mph plus winds.

Cheers, Fred

edited for photo link problem

[cujet]

I am not sure I am up for mixing bags of concrete in the hot Florida summer. Sounds like a good recipe for heart attack and heat stroke.

Maybe I will build a small wooden shed, just large enough to house the lister and radiator. Put the fuel tank outside. Mount the thing on railroad ties or something.

Thanks for the good ideas! Keep 'em coming.

I could lower a 20' container via helicopter.

Chris

[ronmar]

I would go concrete pad and cinderblock with the fuel and cooling tower outside.  That will isolate most of your valve train noise.  As for exhaust, I havn' tried it, but I like the idea of a 55 gallon drum as an expansion chamber with a 10'-15' stack comming up from that.  The exhaust pulse dissipates into the drum and the output at the stack is a steady gentle woosh with not nearly the whump found at the head exhaust port.  Your only other issue might be soil type as the vibration may travel quite a ways in the right type soil.  I have a detached garage that is about 10' from my house and my engine/generator/frame are just setting there on the concrete floor as I build up the system components.  You can't hear it in the house, but you can barely feel it(about 50').  With the garage door open as it is when I run it, if I walk down my driveway(about 160') I can barely hear it and that is only because the exhaust noise from the peppercan exhaust is echoing off a dense row of trees opposite the garage door opening.  If I just turned the exhaust straight up to the sky, I doubt I could hear it that far away.  You also need to get the power to somewhere you can use it so the farther away it is from your distribution panel, the more and heavier cable you will need to wire it in.

Ron   

[Tom]

Hello Chris,

One thought that might work well in your area, particularly for hurricanes is a septic tank. Just make a flat spot to set it down and bolt your lister to the floor. You would need to rent a concrete saw to cut a door. I just installed a 1200 gal tank with interior dimensions of approximately 6 1/2' wide x 8' long x 5' high. It might be just big enough. The cost out here in CA was $1640 delivered on a flat bed truck with a crane to set it into place.

And a concrete bunk..er.... generator shed could be handy for other purposes.

[captfred]

Chris

What about a small pre-fab steel building, no chopper needed for delivery.

Cheers, Fred

[cujet]

That septic tank listeroid would be one smelly genset! What an interesting idea. I am afraid that a helicopter would be necessary to deliver that too, as I cannot drive a truck back to the "listeroid" spot.

captfred, what kind of pre-fab steel building do you mean? like a mini aircraft hanger? How small can they be? What do I use for a floor?

Thanks,

Chris

[cujet]

I had thought about making a small wooden enclosure with durock sheet rock for the walls. That should reduce noise to a minimum. However, I am not sure that noise is too much of a problem, as this thing might be far enough away. In other words, complete silence is not necessary, just mild noise reduction.

By the way, my gasoline fire/water pump is in a small wooden enclosure made of 4x4's and decking planks. It is painted green and matches the woods nicely. It looks great and very professional.