St. Phatty
Active member
I could have titled that "Questions about Motors for Sustainable Energy" but I think "Sustainable" is sometimes used to glamorize what is basically a re-spin of Mid 20th Century technology. Electric motors & alternators.
I just ordered an alternator for an 84 GM truck, which is a good example of the V-belt kind of alternator, and a good candidate for any "3000 rpm in, 14 volts out" type of projects.
I was looking for an alternator to, for example, pull some electricity off the creek. To make that work I need a paddle-wheel and a transmission to increase the paddle-wheel speed. The alternator I bought needs 3000 rpm to make it happy. A paddle-wheel ... 30 rpm maybe.
The alternator is about 70 Amps out, so it's a 1 kilowatt device (14 volts x 70 amps).
So that's all well and good except for, the creek is way down, no rain, on our way to a drought.
The creek doesn't have the elbow grease to spin the transmission that gives the alternator its 3000 rpm.
So that set me out looking for lower power devices. I called motorcycle dealers and asked about motorcycle alternators, but motorcycles mostly or all use stators and regulators. The stator is build into the engine. It's not something you can bolt down, attach a belt and some wires to.
There is this thing called a diesel mule, which I guess is about a 1/2 size car alternator.
https://www.discountstarterandalter...950-kaf-950-mule-2510-diesel-all-year-models/
That is 12 volts and 40 amps, 480 watts, so exactly 1/2 of the car size alternator.
Since there's a fair number of mechanical geniuses & cumulative mechanical know-how etc among IC Mag members, I figured this would be a good place to ask.
So I'm basically looking for an alternator that takes a little less elbow grease (power) than the Kawasaki diesel mule. Like a quarter-size or tenth size alternator.
Anybody know where to get one of them ?
Anything from 100 watts to 300 watts. 12 volts, 8 amps to 25 amps.
Some motors can perform a similar function, when you turn the gear by hand. You turn it, and it puts out a voltage and some current.
ANYTHING THAT WORKS
It doesn't even have to be DC. A drier motor can be very useful, you turn it and it puts out, I think, an AC voltage.
Since I'm looking for something that is 1/2 the size of a motorcycle motor alternator stator, I thought maybe there is some existing thing. Like an ATV part.
Something that if it works, I can buy a second one.
I asked one shop I buy motors from and they had about a 10 kilowatt 300 pound ferris wheel motor for sale.
I just ordered an alternator for an 84 GM truck, which is a good example of the V-belt kind of alternator, and a good candidate for any "3000 rpm in, 14 volts out" type of projects.
I was looking for an alternator to, for example, pull some electricity off the creek. To make that work I need a paddle-wheel and a transmission to increase the paddle-wheel speed. The alternator I bought needs 3000 rpm to make it happy. A paddle-wheel ... 30 rpm maybe.
The alternator is about 70 Amps out, so it's a 1 kilowatt device (14 volts x 70 amps).
So that's all well and good except for, the creek is way down, no rain, on our way to a drought.
The creek doesn't have the elbow grease to spin the transmission that gives the alternator its 3000 rpm.
So that set me out looking for lower power devices. I called motorcycle dealers and asked about motorcycle alternators, but motorcycles mostly or all use stators and regulators. The stator is build into the engine. It's not something you can bolt down, attach a belt and some wires to.
There is this thing called a diesel mule, which I guess is about a 1/2 size car alternator.
https://www.discountstarterandalter...950-kaf-950-mule-2510-diesel-all-year-models/
That is 12 volts and 40 amps, 480 watts, so exactly 1/2 of the car size alternator.
Since there's a fair number of mechanical geniuses & cumulative mechanical know-how etc among IC Mag members, I figured this would be a good place to ask.
So I'm basically looking for an alternator that takes a little less elbow grease (power) than the Kawasaki diesel mule. Like a quarter-size or tenth size alternator.
Anybody know where to get one of them ?
Anything from 100 watts to 300 watts. 12 volts, 8 amps to 25 amps.
Some motors can perform a similar function, when you turn the gear by hand. You turn it, and it puts out a voltage and some current.
ANYTHING THAT WORKS
It doesn't even have to be DC. A drier motor can be very useful, you turn it and it puts out, I think, an AC voltage.
Since I'm looking for something that is 1/2 the size of a motorcycle motor alternator stator, I thought maybe there is some existing thing. Like an ATV part.
Something that if it works, I can buy a second one.
I asked one shop I buy motors from and they had about a 10 kilowatt 300 pound ferris wheel motor for sale.