Jenbach Compressor

[1966Crew]

Hi all, I am a long time lurker very much interested in slow speed diesels. I have an oppertunity to buy a Jenbach air compressor that is a diesel engine and compressor combined.

Do any of you know about this type of unit? The engine is a 20 hp air cooled single turning at 1550 rpm. The unit is made in Austria and from what I can tell is now owned by GE. I wonder about parts and longevity.

What I would like to do is slow the engine down and belt drive a generator head off one of the flywheels much like is done with the Listeroids/Listers. Since this unit is mounted to it's own trailer I think it would make a cool mobile genset!

I found some pictures of the same type of unit I am interested in on the web. The one I am interested in has a cowl over it unlike the ones shown. Links to them follow.

http://www.oldengine.org/members/diesel/Portland/Portland112.htm
http://www.oldengine.org/members/diesel/Portland/Portland111.htm
http://www.reaganwiseman.com/data/toys/dieselcompressor.html

I did contact the guy at reaganwiseman to get his thoughts but have not gotten a responce yet.

Thanks
Jon

[hotater]

78 cubic feet per minute at 100 psi?!   WOW!  They must run gang jackhammers off those.  That's a cool machine.  Never heard of one before, but I'll sure keep my eyes open....

...what could I do with that much air......

[swedgemon]

There have been several engine/compressor designs which have worked well.  I have seen an air-cooled VW engine with two power cylinders running on one side of the engine, turning two compressor cylinders on the other side of the unit...it was mounted in a VW bus and the guy sand-blasted additional names on tombstones.  There was a set of plans available for building this, many years ago.

Another design was by Gimmerschmidt (sp?).  These units were usually used by utility companies for street work.  They had a gasoline model (a Ford 351 with one bank of cylinders for power and the other bank for compressing air) and a diesel model (a Cummins V8 diesel with one bank for power and one for compressing air).

Swedgemon
GM-90 6/1

[bitsnpieces1]

  An air compressor my Father described to me as put together during WWII in the Army, consisted of two(2) gasoline V8 engines.  The flywheel end of one was bolted to the flywheel end of the other. One was run as an engine and the other ran as a compressor.  The compressor one had the intake and exhaust valves and pushrods (but not cams etc) removed and poppet valves installed in the manifolds at the block ports to give suction & exhaust.  Aalso had the distributor guts removed but plugs left where they were.  He said it would produce enormous amounts of air. 

[Thomas]

There was a set up like that  bilt by Shram not sure of the spelling it used a four cyl. there were also fords and I thank you could get bilt on almost any engine you wonted. I thank thay went out of bis in the late 70's but thay were a good set up. Tom T

[1966Crew]

Hey guys, here are a couple of photos of the unit I am looking at. All in all the compressor looks pretty good.

I still have not gotten a word back from reaganwiseman about his thoughts on being able to disable the compressor portion. He has rebuilt his so he should know.

From looking at some of the pictures it looks like the compressor piston runs perpendicular to the diesel piston. I know from the compressors we sell at work that they will freewheel when open to atmosphere. Not sure what kind of parasitic losses would incur though.

Those are some big flywheels! Going to take a long belt to get a generator turning.

I will know tuesday if I get the unit or not.

Thanks
Jon

[1966Crew]

Hi all, just thought I would update you all on the compressor I was looking at. Well I was outbid. The dang thing went for more than I thought it was worth. Oh well such is life.

This unit was being sold at a state surplus auction and they use a sealed bid system. I really dislike that type of system but I guess it works for them.

It was for the best. Imagin trying to get parts for that thing!

Thanks
Jon