Puppeteer

Author Topic: recommend a good book on generators  (Read 11464 times)

981

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 48
    • View Profile
recommend a good book on generators
« on: March 09, 2009, 12:19:37 AM »
 ???Hello;

Wonder if you could recommend a good book on generators I am hoping to learn more about them.

A little of what I am looking for is about voltage phase and kHz i.e. changing 50hz to 60hz single phase & three phase transfer switches est.

I looked on amazon.com and it was overwhelming!

I would appreciate your advice.

Charles   

lowspeedlife

  • old iron for a new age
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 726
  • no i'm not no cowboy
    • View Profile
Re: recommend a good book on generators
« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2009, 01:16:13 AM »
Hi Charles, congradulations on your recent purchase, every one here will be interested in the cost of shipping it stateside. I don't have a suggestion for a book but frequency, or Hz is directly related to engine speed on a generator, you can speed your engine up (within the rim speed of the flywheel diameter) to make 60 Hz, the problem becomes that your voltage is going to go up also, maybe to where it would be unusable. switching from 50 t0 60 Hz was done on old military gensets that would be run both in the states & overseas. I am looking for info on how to install an old military frequency meter now & not having any luck.  Phase, as in three phase or single phase is not that difficult to under stand. AC voltage  looks like a wave, it rises from zero to the peak positive voltage then falls back thru zero to the peak negative voltage then repeats sixty times a second for 60 hz power, this is why they use the wave smbol for ac voltage. three phase has three hot legs that the peak voltage is 120 degrees out of "phase" from each other. this should not matter to you, since residential power is never 3 phase (hate to say never) single phase power is derived from one leg of three phase power, run thru a transformer (like up on the power pole) that steps it down to 240 volts, the center tap of the transformer is grounded giving you 120 volts from each side of the transformer to ground. Because it all comes from the same "phase" the peaks of the voltages rise & fall together. this is the power you should be concerned with as it is what you will be dealing with. a transfer switch is just a switch that has two places to input power into the switch, one from the power co, the other  from the gen set, & one output to the electric load you want to run, a three phase transfer switch will work to run single phase power thru it, though your electrical inspector may not like you using it that way. transfer switches just sense when main power fails, closing a set of contacts that starts your gen set then when the voltage from the gen stablilizes it opens the main power side & closes the generator power side of the switch. I would suggest the local library for books since you don't have to buy them to find out they don't contain the information you are looking for or maybe a course at the community college would help.  i hope this helps & doesn't confuse you.

   SR
« Last Edit: March 09, 2009, 01:19:49 AM by lowspeedlife »
Scott R.

5.7 liter diesel k-5 blazer. converting to wvo.
omega 20/2 listeroid

wrightkiller

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 843
    • View Profile
Re: recommend a good book on generators
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2009, 01:39:45 AM »
Hi Charles, congradulations on your  purchase,we here will be interested in the cost of shipping it stateside. and who you used to do so.............   so  we can get in on the fun to     OK BROTHER........ ;D ;D ;D ;D ;)


P.S. ASK ONE OF THE SPARKEY'S ON  THIS FORUM TO CHIME IN FOR HELP......WE HAVE A LOT OF SMART ONES HERE...... ;D
« Last Edit: March 09, 2009, 01:47:57 AM by wrightkiller »

981

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 48
    • View Profile
Re: recommend a good book on generators
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2009, 05:36:13 AM »
Thanks Scott & Wrightkiller

 Shipper was Shea International Essex UK to freight & ancillary to Bad Axe; Michigan USA was $1836.15 usd   customs broker USA Woodland Il. Customs clearance fee $125.00usd taxes epa homeland ect BS ect $298.25 for a total of $2254.40usd WOW!

Just bought a CS on e-bay # 130291006157 my English friend tells me it’s not so much the weight but the cubic feet (size) so at his suggestions I am removing it form the trolley and will leave that behind & pack the muffler and fuel tank in the water barrel.


I am looking for a lead on a fuel tank like the Lister 7 gallon fuel tank supplied with the CS I just bought as now would be the time to include it with this shipment.

All in all the real thing doesn’t come cheap but don’t tell my wife her Louis Vuitton hand  bag I gave her really came from China! LOL :o

Charles 

AdeV73

  • Guest
Re: recommend a good book on generators
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2009, 06:27:33 AM »

... for a total of $2254.40usd WOW!


 :o :o :o Yikes!

I got a rough outline quote for a 20ft container from Liverpool to Long Beach, including a leg at either end, of £2540 (~$3500); sounds like it'd only need 2 or 3 engines in it to be cost effective; and I reckon you could fit at least a dozen in... that included a trek through Panama; it should be cheaper to the East or South coast; maybe a touch more expensive to Washington or Canada. Of course, it doesn't include any bribery official government fees  :(

t19

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1437
  • Tanks and Lister... Heavy Metal
    • View Profile
Re: recommend a good book on generators
« Reply #5 on: March 09, 2009, 11:30:03 AM »
I had mine shipped by sea, in a sea container.  I was in no hurry for it so they put it in a container with a bunch of other stuff.

My cost to get it to Montreal from UK was $380, no Tax it was too old :D

I took the general deleiver route and did not have to ship on land cause I picked it up at the Port... Im sure that saved serious $
There is plenty of room for all of Gods creatures... right next to the mashed potatoes...

lowspeedlife

  • old iron for a new age
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 726
  • no i'm not no cowboy
    • View Profile
Re: recommend a good book on generators
« Reply #6 on: March 09, 2009, 12:00:21 PM »
Quote

 :o :o :o Yikes!

I got a rough outline quote for a 20ft container from Liverpool to Long Beach, including a leg at either end, of £2540 (~$3500); sounds like it'd only need 2 or 3 engines in it to be cost effective; and I reckon you could fit at least a dozen in... that included a trek through Panama; it should be cheaper to the East or South coast; maybe a touch more expensive to Washington or Canada. Of course, it doesn't include any bribery official government fees  :(


Yikes!! is right!. seems like they said you could get 20 single cylinder engines in a 20 ft container. now we need a place to store them (across the pond) until we have enough to ship.

   SR.
« Last Edit: March 09, 2009, 12:08:58 PM by lowspeedlife »
Scott R.

5.7 liter diesel k-5 blazer. converting to wvo.
omega 20/2 listeroid

AdeV73

  • Guest
Re: recommend a good book on generators
« Reply #7 on: March 09, 2009, 01:07:12 PM »

Yikes!! is right!. seems like they said you could get 20 single cylinder engines in a 20 ft container. now we need a place to store them (across the pond) until we have enough to ship.


I've got the space... what I'd need to do is get hold of a 20ft container to go in the corner of the yard - this can be filled bit by bit; then re-loaded into the shipping company's container when ready.The site is secure, accessible by wagons, and I've got the use of a stacker (fork-lift) as needed. What's more, I don't mind doing it. There's a couple of "buts":

 - 1, I can't afford a container off eBay, but I'll ask around locally, someone's bound to have one that's just begging to fall of the back of a lorry... so that's solvable
 - 2, I'm not back in the UK until April; and I'll only be there until October-ish, when I return to Spain for winter...

Those issues notwithstanding, if there's definite interest in having a containerload of engines shipped stateside, then I'm willing to help out. I can collect the engines from the vendors too, for the price of petrol (4ltr V8.... £0.90/ltr.... be warned, fuel is not cheap in the UK, and my car likes to drink it).

So.... if you'd be interested, drop me a PM. Assuming $4000 for a fully loaded container (20 engines) including all "extra" charges (hopefully!), that works out at $200/engine.

lowspeedlife

  • old iron for a new age
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 726
  • no i'm not no cowboy
    • View Profile
Re: recommend a good book on generators
« Reply #8 on: March 09, 2009, 01:16:14 PM »
That seems pretty reasonable to me! Now all we gotta do is find some more cheap original iron.  thanks Ade.

        SR.
Scott R.

5.7 liter diesel k-5 blazer. converting to wvo.
omega 20/2 listeroid

981

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 48
    • View Profile
Re: recommend a good book on generators
« Reply #9 on: March 09, 2009, 05:19:54 PM »
That seems pretty reasonable to me! Now all we gotta do is find some more cheap original iron.  thanks Ade.

        SR.

The hard part might be finding buyers in USA?
What do you think hit some old engine shows?
e-bay?

charles

mobile_bob

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2940
    • View Profile
Re: recommend a good book on generators
« Reply #10 on: March 09, 2009, 05:57:33 PM »
a good book written by one of the members of this forum, which you will find useful is

http://utterpower.com/home_power.htm

very good book covering most if not all you will need to know
written with the diy'er in mind

bob g
otherpower.com, microcogen.info, practicalmachinist.com
(useful forums), utterpower.com for all sorts of diy info

981

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 48
    • View Profile
Re: recommend a good book on generators
« Reply #11 on: March 09, 2009, 08:17:31 PM »
Hello

any one have a fuel tank for sale?

thank you
charles

MikeyT

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 68
    • View Profile
Re: recommend a good book on generators
« Reply #12 on: March 09, 2009, 09:42:28 PM »
These do come up on ebay (UK) ocassionally, 1 or 2 per month, in the $15 to $30 range. Have that friendly seller of your engine sit on it for a while, while you wait for one to come up, and then have it shipped to him to include with your engine.

compig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1264
  • 1953 Lister CS 6/1 SOM owner
    • View Profile
Re: recommend a good book on generators
« Reply #13 on: March 09, 2009, 11:16:21 PM »

Yikes!! is right!. seems like they said you could get 20 single cylinder engines in a 20 ft container. now we need a place to store them (across the pond) until we have enough to ship.


I've got the space... what I'd need to do is get hold of a 20ft container to go in the corner of the yard - this can be filled bit by bit; then re-loaded into the shipping company's container when ready.The site is secure, accessible by wagons, and I've got the use of a stacker (fork-lift) as needed. What's more, I don't mind doing it. There's a couple of "buts":

 - 1, I can't afford a container off eBay, but I'll ask around locally, someone's bound to have one that's just begging to fall of the back of a lorry... so that's solvable
 - 2, I'm not back in the UK until April; and I'll only be there until October-ish, when I return to Spain for winter...

Those issues notwithstanding, if there's definite interest in having a containerload of engines shipped stateside, then I'm willing to help out. I can collect the engines from the vendors too, for the price of petrol (4ltr V8.... £0.90/ltr.... be warned, fuel is not cheap in the UK, and my car likes to drink it).

So.... if you'd be interested, drop me a PM. Assuming $4000 for a fully loaded container (20 engines) including all "extra" charges (hopefully!), that works out at $200/engine.

Presumeably the container would be left in the USA then ?
DON'T STEAL , THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T LIKE COMPETITION !!!
Lister A
Onan W3S Genny
Petter A1
Villiers C45 industrial
Continental flat six powerpacket
ANOTHER Lister 6/1 CS SOM , temporarily !!!

AdeV73

  • Guest
Re: recommend a good book on generators
« Reply #14 on: March 09, 2009, 11:22:51 PM »

Presumeably the container would be left in the USA then ?


No - what would happen is the shipping company would turn up with their container on a lorry: I + whatever help I have then transfer the engines from my container to the shipping container, which then trundles off around the world -- leaving my container empty ready to accept more engines.  In fact, the only reason I need a container is because I don't have enough room inside my shed to keep 20+ engines ready to be shipped; and if they're going to be outside of the shed then they need to be in a secure lockable, watertight container of some description.

The only thing I'm not currently sure of is what the heck happens at the US end... i.e. the £2450 quote is for a point-to-point delivery.