Good Luck 32Coupe, (and others)

Power may be disrupted for several days. Water is the big concern. High storm surge and much rain predicted.
This is why we prepare in advance.
Let us know how you make out.

Hwew,

This the warning I get when I visit the site now....

*** UPDATE ***

There are no more of these shafts available.

Hi keith71

The R175 engine has an internal gear pump and pressure lube system.
I tapped into the location where the metal oil screen used to reside.
Blocked it off, and diverted to the flow externally.

Regarding the little grey control box, it's a Scepter 4x4x4 inch conduit box from Home Depot / Lowes.
I wired in 3 circuits.
1] Push button starter switch
2] Double pole/double throw throttle actuator direction switch
3] Single pole toggle for coolant pump on/off

It was a bit tight fitting that into the 4x4 box as you can see in this picture....

<click picture to enlarge>

New build almost finished.
A Changfa R175 coupled to a 4kw head.
(Max output is more like 2.5kw)

The unit has an external oil filter which added almost a liter to the oil capacity.
I suspect I can extend oil change intervals with this mod.
Also added is a throttle linear actuator which will allow future automation such as remote start/stop and throttle control.
You can see the actuator open the throttle just before the engine starts.
When the actuator is extended all the way to full stop, it sets the engine at 60hz speed. The max extension (60hz setting) is adjustable via a slotted mount at the back of the linear actuator

The small fuel tank is a temporary installation for testing purposes.
I only ran it for a few seconds because the cooling system has yet to be added.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k1TiayS5N8

Thanks mikenash,

"Certainly if you extended that pipe by a couple of metres and put fins all over it and ran it through a bathtub full of sand . . ."

I think if I could build a reliable, small, safe waste oil burner, I would not need the sand at all.
Just run the burner constantly along with some safety shutdowns which cut the fuel supply if needed.
I do agree that  an oil burner/heater is the most efficient way to heat with used oil.
Also needed would be a method of rapid/easy cleaning since waste oil leaves a lot of ash and crap in the burn pot.

Does the burner in that picture have a forced air supply or is it self-drafted?

*** PROJECT CANCELLED ***

After modeling the idea, the numbers do not make sense for a micro system.

Summary....
==========

Specific Heat:
Water = 4182
Sand = 830
Sand holds only 20% of the BTU content capability of water for a given volume.

Raising a 50 gallon tank of water from 68f --> 180f requires ~46,725 BTU's
To store the same amount of heat in 50 gal of sand would require a temperature rise of approx. 900f

Heat transfer factor
Water = 13
Sand = 0.06
Roughly 200 times slower transfer rate in sand. (It holds heat very well ! )
But heating the sand bed would take a considerable amount of time.

So how do the new commercial sand heat storage systems get around these obstacles.
1] They heat the sand to 1800f or more by circulating molted nickel or molten salt through exchanger tubes in the sand bed.
2] With super high differential temperatures, they can rob heat from the bed at greater rates than my proposed 400f project.

For smaller heat reservoir systems water in king. It has the highest specific heat value and storage properties of any readily available media.

I came across these heating strips which look interesting.
They are made by Wattco.
240 VAC
750 watts
Max. Temp of 1000F
Length = 23"

So 3 or 4 of these would use the 2250 to 3000 watts from a listeroid.