Author Topic: Lister Petter AC1 to gen head ...  (Read 15002 times)

scrooster

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Lister Petter AC1 to gen head ...
« on: February 05, 2011, 06:34:14 AM »
Greetings and thank you for allowing me to post to the forum and pick your minds about an issue I am having.

I recently purchased a Lister Diesel AC1 engine that I intend to build a generator from.  I know this is going to be a long, drawn out, process of learning ... but I want to eliminate the trial and error as much as possible, hopefully, with your help.

It is made in the UK and I think most of these were made for marine use.
It is rated 3600 rpms at 6.5 hp. 

A SERIES

Power (kW)
2.1 ~ 6.1
Power (BHP)
2.82 ~ 8.18
Description
fixed/variable speed
single cylinder
diesel fuelled
air cooled
direct injection
naturally aspirated
electric start

Here are some pics:




Here is the link to the manufacturer's site:
http://www.lister-petter.co.uk/products_browse.php?browseAction=datasheets&productByType=3&seriesId=353

And here is the gen head I want to attach .... but I think I have to use pulleys to lower the rpms to the gen head to 1,800?

Anyways, would this be the proper gen head?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230576436853#ht_4697wt_907


I mean, is any of this even doable?  If it were you guys, would y'all attempt something like this?

scrooster

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Re: Lister Petter AC1 to gen head ...
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2011, 06:34:54 AM »
Here are the specs .... looks like it will turn clockwise or counterclockwise since mine is the AC 1.  Mine came equipped with the electric starter.

Basic Engine Characteristics
 single cylinder
 diesel fuelled
 direct injection
 air cooled
 naturally aspirated
 hand start (electric optional)
 decompressor lever
 inlet and exhaust manifolds
 lifting eye
 250-hour service intervals
 operators’ handbook
 SAE6 bell housing

Design Features and Equipment
 lightweight aluminium alloy crankcase
 large bearing surfaces for low bearing loads and long life
 clockwise or anticlockwise rotation
(AD1 clockwise only) looking on flywheel
 air cooling by means of a highly efficient flywheel-mounted fan
 designed for continuous operation in ambient temperatures up to 52°C (125°F).
 gear-driven lubricating oil pump which supplies oil at constant pressure to all important bearing surfaces
 replaceable cartridge-type oil filter
 mechanical governing provided for fixed or variable speed (depending on build)
 generating set governing available for 1500, 1800, 3000 and 3600 (AC1 only) r/min
 full power available at both the flywheel and the gear end
 range of shafts, reduction gearboxes and hydraulic adaptions available
 hold-down feet integral with the sump, for base mounting

Single Cylinder
Direct Fuel Injection
Min Idle speed 1,000 rpms

I mean, money is an object ... within reason.  I know I am probably going to want to connect the two with pulleys and belts, and I was even wondering if I could do a double-pulley system whereas it turn the gen head plus maybe an auto generator for charging batteries perhaps?  After reading all the other related threads in these forums, I feel like I am in the right place to get started, there seems to be a bunch of very knowledgeable people around ... what direction should I go in if this were you?
« Last Edit: February 05, 2011, 06:37:07 AM by scrooster »

Combustor

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Re: Lister Petter AC1 to gen head ...
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2011, 12:16:25 PM »
Hello Scrooster,
                     Your project sounds quite do-able.  Main limitations will be how much noise you can tolerate in your location.  A 3600 rpm single will be loud! Economy will improve at reduced revs, but power output also reduces. You quote about 8hp at max revs, so at 2800 to 3000 you should still have near 6hp. 
          A handy rule of thumb says you will get about 1kw for 2hp, so reckon 3kw max at 3000 rpm. A gen head several kw larger is ok, as the losses are not much greater, and starting heavy loads will be a little better. Assume your gen is 60 hz, (1800 rpm) so your pulley ratio will be 15 to 9 reduction, say 7.5" to 4.5" pulleys, or 8 to 5 would be ok. Twin A belts or poly vee in these sizes would be fine.
          If your need is for standby or portable power, mount on a solid frame and pin it on top of an old truck tyre, but for continuous run, vibration will loosen everything and cause you much pain, so bolt and grout it to at least half a ton of concrete.  Buy earplugs if you have to sleep near it. Good luck,  Regards,  Combustor.
Toys include- Lister CS 8/1, Lister VA SOM plant and some Aussie engines.
   "Old iron in the Outback" Kimberley, West Australia.

scrooster

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Re: Lister Petter AC1 to gen head ...
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2011, 05:47:27 PM »
Thank you very very much Combustor. That is exactly the sort of information I was hoping to glean here.

We own quite a bit of land here in the rural country of South Carolina so I am going to build a water well and genny shed, where one of our wells is located, for this genny about fifty feet from our home, and insulate the small building so as to muffle some of the noise hopefully.  Also, it is very hot in this part of the U.S., we have palm trees here, so I was thinking of attaching an oil cooler radiator type system and possibly a wrap heat sink of some sort to aid in the air cooling process.

I do not intend to use this set-up continuously but if we were to lose power in an emergency it would certainly be needed to run for the length of the outage, which I suppose in a bad situation could be for a few days perhaps, or more if another hurricane such as Hugo were to strike.

I am glad to know this is a good motor to build the genny from, thank you again Combustor.

Am I incorrect to assume this forum to be located in the United Kingdom? I may be wrong but something tells me it is as in the course of reading so many of the posts I recognize some of the British phraseology from my days training with the SAS up north of Newcastle, Northumberland and Carlisle, below Edinburgh and Glasgow.  I am of Scottish-English descent and my ex-wife is Scot, I met her when she was working at a hospital in Newcastle before they moved me to Reihn Main Germany - I was stationed in Vicenza, Italy at the time with the 509th Airborne Combat Team.  My wife and I stayed married for 24 years and had three lovely girls, all of whom are grown and proud to call themselves "3/4 Scot and the rest British" as they like to brag.

Anyways, thank you for your help friend. :)

Combustor

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Re: Lister Petter AC1 to gen head ...
« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2011, 12:02:37 PM »
Hello again Scrooster,
                             Thanks for the kind reply. If you are installing permanently, I would go for the solid concrete mount option. Not familiar with the inner workings of the AC1 engine in particular, it may have some provision for oil cooling already, but unless you are at max. loads and air temps exceed 40c, (say 105f) it should be fine.
External oil lines to coolers are a risk of leakage or vibration damage so not always an advantage.
        At 50 feet away you will still know it's there, but if you can build a solid wall, brick, concrete, stone etc. to a height above the engine on the side nearest the house it will reflect most of the noise away. OK if you don't have neighbours. Leave the rest fairly open for cooling.
       This site is US based, (not sure where) and supported mainly by a a group devoted to the old Lister low speed CS type watercooled engines and their Indian built clones.
They were a class of engine that simply refused to die, and any backyarder could fix them. We are happy to hear from other Lister owners and you will find a wealth of info to answer queries such as yours. The terminology here may well reflect the English origin of the motors and the Indians who now reprint the manuals with their products.
Indian English is now more "correct" than anything I have heard from the British lately. (Said by an Australian with tongue in cheek). Good luck with the project,
                                                                                                                                                                                                       
        Regards,  Combustor.
Toys include- Lister CS 8/1, Lister VA SOM plant and some Aussie engines.
   "Old iron in the Outback" Kimberley, West Australia.

gotcoinc

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Re: Lister Petter AC1 to gen head ...
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2012, 07:25:46 AM »
stanford newage makes an adaptor shaft and cover plate that will allow you to use a consumer direct drive alternator j609 interface no belts pullys to go bad
you can run at 1800 or 3600 the lower speed halves the power





Greetings and thank you for allowing me to post to the forum and pick your minds about an issue I am having.

I recently purchased a Lister Diesel AC1 engine that I intend to build a generator from.  I know this is going to be a long, drawn out, process of learning ... but I want to eliminate the trial and error as much as possible, hopefully, with your help.

It is made in the UK and I think most of these were made for marine use.
It is rated 3600 rpms at 6.5 hp. 

A SERIES

Power (kW)
2.1 ~ 6.1
Power (BHP)
2.82 ~ 8.18
Description
fixed/variable speed
single cylinder
diesel fuelled
air cooled
direct injection
naturally aspirated
electric start

Here are some pics:




Here is the link to the manufacturer's site:
http://www.lister-petter.co.uk/products_browse.php?browseAction=datasheets&productByType=3&seriesId=353

And here is the gen head I want to attach .... but I think I have to use pulleys to lower the rpms to the gen head to 1,800?

Anyways, would this be the proper gen head?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230576436853#ht_4697wt_907


I mean, is any of this even doable?  If it were you guys, would y'all attempt something like this?

listard-jp2

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Re: Lister Petter AC1 to gen head ...
« Reply #6 on: January 10, 2012, 11:29:12 AM »
stanford newage makes an adaptor shaft and cover plate that will allow you to use a consumer direct drive alternator j609 interface no belts pullys to go bad
you can run at 1800 or 3600 the lower speed halves the power


Something like this item for example:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150731085000?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

and this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Petters-AC-Flange-Adaptor-/150731080266?pt=UK_BOI_Industrial_Tools_Generators_ET&hash=item231845c24a


Or if your engine has an electric charging winding behind the flywheel:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Petters-AC-Flange-Adaptor-/150731082385?pt=UK_BOI_Industrial_Tools_Generators_ET&hash=item231845ca91

moesoo

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Re: Lister Petter AC1 to gen head ...
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2012, 08:09:59 PM »
hi:  jerry here from california.  i have an ac1 that has leads coming from flywheel area.  checked output and to my recollection it put out about 35 volts a/c--don't remember exactly.  is that elec. generation worth pursuing?  believe engine may have been used on an 'arrow board' for directing traffic.  good luck with project.  i am wanting to use one coupled with a 12v alternator to use as a battery charger.  thanks for your post.