Use a 12 valve to power generator?

[PKozlowski]

Ok, I know there are easier and cheaper ways to make a home

stand by power plant... . But... . It wouldn't be as fun.



I'm wondering if anyone has ideas about using a 12 valve Cummins

to power a generator for my house?



The reason I say the 12 valve is they're not computer controlled.



Any thought or ideas?

Some of my questions are is there an adapter

for the engine to the gen set?



What about controlling rpms?



What about they type of generator?



Just toying with this idea.



Thanks

Pete

 

[AKaiser]

We had some sort of B5. 9 at my office in Iraq, so I know it's done. The engine was a kind of a light teal green.



Like this http://www.cumminsindia.com:8080/xsql/cumminsIndia/CIL/PGBU/pdf/brochures/New Prime Rating Chart.pdf



Those are pretty large generators for a home, but might be right for a business or farm.

 

[tgee]

See them all the time, mostly B3. 9s though. Different flywheel and housing. Electronics control a servo on the throttle shaft on some, others have fixed throttles, pump governer senses load and maintains speed. Teal green is probably an Onan.

 

[MMeier]

Wow, a 78 liter Cummins!! Did I read that right, anyone have a pic?

 

[AKaiser]

Wow, a 78 liter Cummins!! Did I read that right, anyone have a pic?

It's a mining V-18.



http://www.cummins.com/na/pages/en/products/mining/engines/qsk78/index.cfm



I have seen some massive engines leaving the Lafayette, IN CAT plant before that make a QSK 78 look quite small. Like a 333 Liter 3618 V-18 ship engine. They have a 111 L Inline 6 called a 3606, and an inline 8 3608 at 148 L. http://www.cat.com/cda/layout?m=110082&x=7

 

[PToombs]

I have seen a Cummins 3. 9 that runs on Propane or Natural gas, weird!

 

[AKaiser]

I have seen a Cummins 3. 9 that runs on Propane or Natural gas, weird!

Nothing weird about it. Running diesel engines off LP or LNG was done in the 50s and 60s so it's nothing new. Cummins Westport is the LP/LNG engine manufacturer, IIRC.

 

[rbattelle]

I think this would be an awesome project! Regarding the controller, how about contacting Cummins and asking them how they might be able to help?

If they can't help, try Onan.

Ryan

 

[rbattelle]

It dawned on me today how you can adapt an automotive 12v to run a generator: use the cruise control circuit to control RPM!

Piece of cake.

Ryan

 

[PKozlowski]

Now that is a good idea!

 

[JCutter]

There out there, not for sure how its all hooked up but my dad has worked on a few of them. Ill ask and see what he says.



He has a generator hooked up to his house that automaticlly turns on when the electric goes out and auto shuts down after it comes back on. Its sitting in a semi sleeper and it even pulls fuel from a bigger tank when the little one gets low. Its neat how he has it hooked to the house. It runs the hole house with everything on if you wanted to.

 

[Schlickenmeyer]

Was thinking this the other day. Man, can you imagine the size stator that thing could turn??

 

[JEstes]

That would be cool! Just make sure you have a way to disconnect the genset/house from street power.

 

[PKozlowski]

Ya could you imagine! I'm going with BIG! hahaha



Ya a transfer switch is a must for sure.

 

[XJSuperman]

The company I work for specializes in hauling generators. We haul for CAT, Cummins, and many other smaller manufacturers.



We see the 5. 9L on MANY MANY gensets. I've pulled a few myself mounted on trailers with my 1 ton (when I still had it). Nicest one I pulled was a 100 kW with a 250 gallon tank. It was surprising how similar the motor used for the genset is compared to what's in the trucks.

 

[JDarr]

i think the 5. 9 onan is a 150kw gen maybe a 200k ive seen them they still make the 12v for that

 

[JCutter]

Sorry i forgot to ask dad until last night. He said that they use them alot and they usually put them with 100kw gen. It takes about 150hp to turn the 100kw gen. He wasnt real sure since he hasnt been around them to much lately. He did say that the newer ones were bigger since the hp keeps going up.

 

[OKish]

I have seen a Cummins 3. 9 that runs on Propane or Natural gas, weird!

i know cummins makes b series gas engines.

heres a pic of it

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[Alan Reagan]

It can certainly be done and for the short periods (I assume you are wanting to do this for backup generator), but I believe there is a difference in the way continuous duty versus variable duty engines are set up. The generators are continuous duty (I know there is another term but I can't think of it). I see them on ships all the time and they are built to run at a constant speed under varying loads where a truck engine is running constant load at varying speeds.