Generator and powerhead testing

[DMM]

Gentlemen
I have an option to purchase a tr3 lister Petter diesel motor with a stamford 15.7 kw generator head.
Hours on unit he says low., gov't maintained, single phase with circuit breaker box
I have not physically seen the unit. Have seen and heard it run with phone video but choppy and poor visuals.
My issue is that how do I check out the lister motor and generator? Loading the head with 15+ kw with a load bank is challenging.
It sits in a workyard. I looked into paying a generator tect. but He could check the lister but did not have a load bank for the power head. He said he would have to get a load bank at $500 a day plus his time, but I know that I could rent one for $150.00/day.I thought that was shady. So! I am looking at other options that do not require me to make a load bank not enough knowledge and time.
So! having said that does anyone give me pointers or ideas as to how to accomplish testing this unit before I purchase..
Any help would be appreciated..


David

[dieselgman]

Before we had our load banks we would simply use a number of electric heaters to apply loading to a genset. The small 1500 watt units are cheap and reliable and also allow for incremental steps in the loading process. That is certainly a lot less costly than a $20,000 instrumented load bank unit and they are a lot easier to transport and handle.

dieselgman

[BruceM]

Great suggestions, Glort.  I'm wondering if you might have some experience with separating hydrogen and oxygen and/or low pressure compression of hydrogen?  It seems a shame to have excess solar capacity not doing something useful, and from what I've read hydrogen storage in propane tanks at pressures under 160 psi should not cause embrittlement of the steel tanks; that's only at high pressures. Hoping your experiences might shed some more practical light on this engineering fantasy of mine.

[dieselspanner]

Back in the day when there was a shipyard in Poole, (Dorset UK) they had a big tank which they would fill with sea water and drop the plates in, to load test the genny's.

Just depends how big your balls are and how long the lead between the genny and the tank is, i guess!

Cheers Stef

[BruceM]

Thanks Glort. Agreed, on the seriousness of safety required for safe use of hydrogen. Scrap aluminum in water/lye is a dandy heat and hydrogen generator. I made balloons of garbage bags many years ago. Was thinking of a scrap aluminum to hydrogen generator to make it on demand, by tilting a tank with aluminum on a rack and water/lye solution. Heat generated is substantial.  Hydrogen alone, light off a bag- no big deal, nearly invisible blue whoosh.  Hydrogen mixed with residual air or oxygen- very loud, shockingly strong BANG.

My intended use was hydrogen for backup water heating (home and domestic) and cooking. Alas, not enough proven gear out there and dangerous to experiment with homebrew. Mixed with an inert gas to allow direct use in propane appliances/regulators it could be very handy. As is, in regular gas appliances it burns too damn hot and makes all kinds of nasty toxic oxides burned in air. Stainless steel wool for a catalyst lowers the combustion temps some, but then no standard gas appliances can be used. Converting back to electricity seems absurd to me, also. 

[Tom]

The unsolved problem of hydrogen embrittlement makes it a non-starter for me. There is a fellow with an early 60's Ford falcon ranchero that runs on hydrogen. He used LP components. A full Tank is good 23 miles.

[oldgoat]

The upper and lower explosive limits for hydrogen in air are 75% and 4% the only other gas I know of that is touchier is Acetylene.  Solid connections on the  electrolysis setup is a good idea.

[buickanddeere]

4800 watt "milkhouse" heaters work well. I have picked up five used working inits over the years for about $20 each.