The Listeroid Slow-Speed Co-Generator from Utterpower
Disclaimer:
Disclaimer: I assume no liability for what you may see on this page. In the same way that some people should never have any sharp objects, I do not advocate or encourage doing anything shown on this page. With that said, proceed at your own risk and enjoy the show!
CrazyJerry
The Challenge:
- Find a diesel engine and generator that will hold up over the long haul and not break the bank!
- Make sure there is a readily available parts base in case of a failure.
- Since I am my own warranty, simplicity and customer support are mandatory!
- Should be water cooled since excess heat will be utilized.
- Must be of a tolerable noise level since it will be inside the house on the main floor.
- Finally, it has to be fuel efficient or it will not be able to compete with the grid over time.
This may seem an easy task but on an annual income of less than $10k a year, this can be a challenge. Lucky there was such a unit that meets all of the criteria and the solution, the Lister style diesel generator!
These units meet all criteria, have an incredible lifespan if properly setup, and at one time were available from George at utterpower.com
Below is a great photo that George sent me when the power unit was loaded and sent from Washington to New York.
Check out the beefy frame on this 6 horsepower monster!
The Disassembly:
Since it is a very simple machine, it was partially disassembled and re-checked.
The Reassembly and Detailing:
The entire unit was a breeze to setup since George was quite thorough with the assembly, etc prior to my receiving it. A continuous-duty ZENA DC Welder was added as a battery bank direct charger. So it has an AC Generator running off one flywheel, and the ZENA DC Welder running off the other flywheel. After dolly-ing and detailing it up a bit, a masterpiece was born and here it is inside the Pump House!
Results:
The Utterpower Lister Generator runs superbly as George said it would! The AC output is constant and predictable and easily runs my whole house while providing some very welcome heat from the cooling system. The Zena DC welder keeps the big battery bank happy when there's no sun, and has yet to become more than warm to the touch (even when charging lithium batteries directly!)
The customer support from both Utterpower and Zena have been invaluable!
Fuel consumption is dependent on load, however, if this unit is running 5-6 hours a day pushing an average of 55 amps dc to charge batteries (peaks are substantially higher), 1/4 gallon an hour usage is typical. If the battery bank weren't so big, far less time would be spent charging and fuel consumption would drop dramatically.
Coolant temp runs about 215 degrees on the outlet and 180 on the inlet. This is thermosiphon through a radiator (7 pound pressure cap) - no water pump.
Exhaust pipe temp at the head will run about 275-325 degrees.
Engine temp in the base just below the dipstick threads hovers around 121 degrees.
The 3000 watt AC Generator, or the 200 amp DC Alternator seldom are more than warm to the touch.