How to make a mini generator??
I would like to make a small generator able to give about 16volts @ 10amps, and power it with a small constant speed model airoplane engin, would this be possible??
I doubt your plane engine will be able to provide the power necessary. To get 16V @ 10A (1600W) you would need about 3.5HP (standard lawnmower engine) and your plane engine is probably only about 1HP or so.
Once you get a decent engine, an alternator from a car will work fine...Most alternators should produce about 15V at light load, which should be close enough to your 16V...
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Why make one when you could get a electric motor to use as a genarator.
Sure you could get the pefect size then
I dont know what you are trying to do with this, but if you are going to use it @ home, why not just get a 120-->12v transformer, and some diodes to make a full wave rectifier. This will give you a large amount of current to play with depending on the size of the transformer that you can scrounge up. Remember that the 120v that you read from the wall socket is the RMS voltage so after you rectify it on the 12v end you will end up with about 16.4 volts DC.
just throwing out a few more options.
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Isn't 16v @ 10A is 160W? This is 0.2 HP...Originally posted by Aaron Cake:
<STRONG> To get 16V @ 10A (1600W) you would need about 3.5HP (standard lawnmower engine) and your plane engine is probably only about 1HP or so.
</STRONG>
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Yeah, its 160watts, and so, therefor, would a small model plane engin be big enough??
well, I actually wanted it to power my computer..I dont know what you are trying to do with this, but if you are going to use it @ home, why not just get a 120-->12v transformer.
Like when we go on camping trips and stuff..
Yaa I was wondering about that too, last I checked 10 times 10 was 100 and not 1000. Yes a plane engine would be big enough to do just that. 1 horse power is about 746 watts. I know an OS FP40 is about 1/2 of a horse. The alternator method would probably work great, assuming that you can build the mechanical parts. It would probably be eaiser to search the used adds for a generator. And it would probably be a lot less noise. Personally, for camping I would buy big batteries and store them in the trunka and charge them on the driving part of the trip before I would try something like this.Originally posted by SkinnyBoy:
<STRONG>Yeah, its 160watts, and so, therefor, would a small model plane engin be big enough??
well, I actually wanted it to power my computer..
Like when we go on camping trips and stuff..
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Ahhhh, OS engines.
The engin I have is a glow chief 35, and I have only succedded in getting it running 3 times..
The fuel cost my $10 for 1 litre..
I wanted to build something like that years ago when I was involved in R/C. I wanted to build a gas powered R/C tank and since the transmission parts, clutches, gear boxes with reverse were very hard to fabricate in my workshop, I thought that I could use an internal combustion engine to turn a DC motor for electric power generation and two separate motors (through two separate speed controllers) to drive the tracks. It is feasible and I found out later that a lot of people have already done it in R/C submarines and to charge the batteries while the ship is surfaced. I also use it in one of my .60 size R/C helis to power an onboard video camera without the use of a very big (heavy) battery pack.
However, for this paricular use I don't think it will be practical because:
1) R/C engines (4 strokes too) are VERY noisy (even with a big muffler)
2) Dirty
3) Difficult to start (unless you carry a heavy electric starter - which means another 12V battery)
4) Need a 1.5 V battery for the glow plug, during starts
5) You guys already mentioned that glow fuel is expensive
6) A static airplane engine needs to have prop on it's crankshaft to be properly cooled. Without it, it will overheat very fast, lean, overspeed, be inconsistent, unreliable - not to mention that it will be destroyed in a few minutes running time (loose compretion, bearing failure etc).
7) You have to find a way to adjust the throttle as the load will not be constant (it depents on the current you draw).
The only way you could (but shouldn't after all)do it is with a R/C car engine that has a pull starter at the back of the crankcase ,a head with big cooling fins and a small fan somewhere on the crankshaft blowing air on it.
Of course all the other technical problems are still there for you.
I hope I convinced you Skinnyboy, because this is way out of the subject of this forum.
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