TerraLiner:12 m Globally Mobile Beach House/Class-A Crossover w 6x6 Hybrid Drivetrain

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3. What should be the size and brand of a Supplementary Diesel Generator?


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Now in my research a few months ago I discovered that Kohler seems to have a long-standing commitment to mobile power generation, to serve a wide variety of markets and needs:


2 pages


And as it turns out, Kohler makes a perfectly good 12.5 KW generator that's turbocharged, weighs 313 kg, or 690 pounds, and that uses an engine that produces only 22.6 HP at 60 Hz, and 18.9 HP at 50 Hz:


4 pages from PDF


The same model also produces 15 KW for the same weight, so presumably one would want to go with the higher wattage number – see http://ps.buckeyepowersales.com/PDF/mobile/15EORDB.pdf .

Kohler also produces larger diesel Gen-sets that are turbocharged: a 16.5 KW Gen-Set – see http://www.kohlerpower.com/mobile/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13361&categoryNumber=12961&prodnum=56661 and http://www.kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g3044.pdf ; and a 20 KW Gen-Set – see
see http://www.kohlerpower.com/mobile/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13361&categoryNumber=12961&prodnum=232861 and http://www.kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g3044.pdf :


4 pages


They use the same engine (33 HP at 60 Hz, 25.9 at 50 Hz), just different alternators, and both weigh 358 kg, or 790 pounds. This may seem rather heavy, until once again, one remembers that many Class-A premium motorhomes in the United States will be fitted with 20 KW Kohler generators. For some preliminary discussion of different possible turbocharged diesel generators that might work well at high altitude, see post #35 at http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...BEST-High-Altitude-Solution-for-Heating/page4 .

Now there is no question that given all the solar-panel coverage that I will be specifying for the TerraLiner, a 20 KW diesel generator might be too big. Furthermore, the 20 KW Kohler generator weighs 358 kg, and that's a great deal of weight for a generator that produces only 20 KW of power. The Jenoptik produces 120 KW, and it too weighs 350 kg!! Even the 15 KW Kohler still seems too large, and weighs only slightly less, at 313 kg, or 690 pounds. I only reference them here because they are the smallest diesel generators that I have been able to find so far, that are also turbocharged. Turbocharging is critical for functioning at high-altitude, e.g. on the Altiplano or the Tibetan plateau.

So if anyone comes across a much smaller (and lighter!!) diesel generator, one that produces just 5 – 10 KW, and yet comes straight from the factory already equipped with a turbocharger, PLEASE POST!!!

A small engine like that would consume much less fuel than the 182 HP Steyer engine powering the Jenoptik. The purpose of the Jenoptik generator, recall, is to replenish the battery bank while the vehicle is underway, i.e. while the electric motors are draining the battery bank in a serious way. The Jenoptik is designed to operate at maximum efficiency at a certain (high) and constant RPM. The electricity that it puts out when doing so, just will be 120 KW. Now like a Class-A premium “all-electric” American motorhome, the TerraLiner when boondocking may need 10 KW – 20 KW to keep all systems running, but it won't need 120 KW. So all that the TerraLiner will probably need, when boondocking, is a generator that can produce 7 – 15 KW on a cloudy or rainy day, when the solar cells aren't working so well, and the batteries are beginning to drain down. By way of contrast, if one uses the Steyer/Jenoptik to keep the batteries “topped up” while boondocking, one will find oneself starting/stopping/starting/stopping the Steyr engine, because it will recharge the batteries so comparatively quickly. It will have to feed the batteries in “bursts”, and this may not be the most efficient system, and may reduce the life of the batteries.

So it seems to me that running a smaller, low-HP generator continuously, and keeping the batteries continuously “fed” – or simply left alone – makes more sense. After all, if the solar panels produce 6.5 KW, and a small diesel generator produce 15 KW, 21.5 KW combined should be enough to take care of all electricity needs when boondocking, without having to touch the batteries. Even with two AWG's running, and two or three big air-conditioners, and the Watermaker going full steam as it recycles shower water, and the washing machine running, and the induction stove, and a microwave oven….. You get the picture. Even in such an extreme scenario, hopefully 21.5 KW should be enough? Emoticon

Furthermore, running a small generator in the 7 – 15 KW range makes sense because that way one won't be wearing out the 180 HP Steyer motor!!! In the following page from a Newell Coach newsletter, the VP of customer service makes a strong case for using the generator provided (a 20 KW Martin Diesel) to power the A/C, instead of relying on the main engine and its alternator:


1 image from PDF


The exact model of “Martin” generator that Newell specifies is a bit difficult to determine, because Newell is not very forthcoming about the models it uses on its webpages. Instead, Newell simply states that its generators are 20 KW, and very low-noise – see http://www.newellcoach.com/features/standard-equipment/ , http://www.newellcoach.com/features/specifications/ . One has to search around a bit to figure out what model this generator perhaps might be.

As near as I can tell, Newell has used two brands of generator in the past: Martin Diesel, and Kohler – see http://www.newellcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/NewellNews_Vol34Iss3.pdf , http://www.fmcmagazine.com/back-issues/2013/october/7483-newell-2020p?tmpl=component&print=1&page= , http://www.fmcmagazine.com/back-issues/2013/october/3287-newell-2020p.html , http://www.luxurycoachlifestyle.com...kw-kohler-diesel-generator-wont-power-ac.html , http://www.luxurycoachlifestyle.com/forum/search.php?searchid=3549 , and http://www.luxurycoachlifestyle.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4138 .

The Martin Diesel CGS series of generators seems very attractive, because they are designed to be very low-noise – see http://www.martindiesel.com/index.htm , http://www.martindiesel.com/Products/products_generators.htm , and
http://www.martindiesel.com/Products/Generators/CGS Series.htm.

But of course the Kohler 20 KW what we've already seen is none too shabby neither – see http://www.kohlerpower.com/index.htm , http://www.kohlerpower.com/mobile/category.htm?categoryNumber=12961&sectionNumber=13361 , http://www.kohlerpower.com/mobile/filterresults.htm?categoryNumber=12961&sectionNumber=13361 , http://www.kohlerpower.com/mobile/f...mber=12961&sectionNumber=13361&filter_1=60 Hz , http://www.kohlerpower.com/mobile/d...oryNumber=11861&filter_1=60 Hz&prodnum=232861 , http://www.kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g3049.pdf , http://www.kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g3044.pdf , http://www.kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/adv7391.pdf , and http://www.kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/adv7394.pdf .

So again, Newell provides its 13.7 m long coaches with a a 20 KW generator, as do all “luxury” or “premium” Class A motorhomes in the United States that come equipped with all possible electrical amenities, including massive Air-Conditioners. But they don't have solar like the TerraLiner, and they won't have the TerraLiner's huge battery bank, because it's a hybrid vehicle.

On this basis, I then “guestimated” that a 7 - 15 KW supplementary generator should prove sufficient for the TerraLiner. This is just a rough ballpark guestimate. No, I have not yet done all the power calculations for all the different kinds of electrical appliances the TerraLiner will use. After all, right now we're in the middle of a discussion about AWGs, and not once in this thread have we yet discussed Air-Conditioning…..emoticon We don't even know what brand and model of Watermaker Bliss Mobil uses, and that information would help tremendously.

Furthermore, the exact size of the supplementary generator that will ultimately prove necessary, will only become clear after all the TerraLiner's systems have been specified in minute detail, and an engineer has made all the calculations. So for now, I've simply been specifying a chamber big enough to accommodate the bigger, 20 KW Kohler. The 20 KW Kohler with in-line radiator is 1.204 m long, x 59.4 cm high, x 68.7 cm high. But the radiator can also be installed remotely, in which case just the generator is 1.048 m long x 56.8 cm wide x 60.6 cm tall.





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4. Searching for a much smaller, Turbocharged Diesel Generator


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Now if the final power calculations reveal that the 20 KW Kohler or even the 15KW/12.5 KW Kohler are unnecessary, what 10 KW generators might be available? Where can we find appropriate generators, if the final calculations determine that only an 8 KW or 10 KW supplementary generator is necessary? The problem is, any such generator would still have to be turbocharged. And in the research I conducted a few months ago, I was simply unable to find such a smaller, turbocharged gen-set.


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Warning: the next few sections are not for the faint of heart, or for those who have difficulty following numerate reasoning. Things will get quite technical, and will be interesting only to truly committed petrol-heads and engineering gurus……emoticon

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On the “High Altitude Heating Thread” I posed something like the same question:

Does anyone know of smaller engines (under 25 HP), or smaller complete Gen-sets (under 12.5 KW), that are turbocharged?

The only really useful response I received was from dwh, who wrote:

I'm pretty sure that a Fisher Panda uses the same Kubota engine as that which was used in the Hackey's generator, which IIRC they bought from Next Generation Power Engineering.

(Personally, I prefer the design of the NextGen unit over the FP for various reasons, and I believe the NextGen is half the price. For one thing, the NextGen uses the Markon Alternator, which is a sweet alternator.)

Kubota does make some of their small diesel engines with turbochargers (though not the *really* small ones - like the EA series). Still, it should be no big deal to have NextGen whip up a genset using a Kubota engine with a turbo - the smallest of which appears to be the BG/O3-M Series, which is a 35hp unit as opposed to the 7hp unit in the NextGen and FP - driving some suitable alternator:

http://www.kubotaengine.com/assets/documents/BG Full Line.pdf

It may even be possible to just buy one of the Kubota brand gensets with a turbo, but I don't find that mentioned in any of the product literature:

http://www.kubotaengine.com/products/generators/gl-series

All of these links proved very useful.

Next Generation Power Engineering is a specialized company whose main, driving agenda is to produce the most rugged, dependable, compact, and low-noise generators possible. For instance, under “Marine Generators” one finds a wide selection of various products, some Gen-Sets produced by Next Generation itself, others provided by Next Generation as a middleman/distributor – see http://www.nextgenerationpower.com/marinegen.html .

Under “Phasor Marine”, for instance, one finds some very interesting Gen-Sets in the 6 – 10 KW range – see http://www.nextgenerationpower.com/heat.html , http://www.phasormarine.com , and http://www.phasormarine.com/generators.htm , http://www.phasormarine.com/k3-10kw.htm , http://www.phasormarine.com/pdf/gpdf/k380.pdf , http://www.phasormarine.com/k3-9-5kw.htm , http://www.phasormarine.com/pdf/gpdf/k395.pdf , and http://www.phasormarine.com/k3-8-0kw.htm :


2 images from PDF, both 9.5 and 10
1 photo


In the second flyer, whether the generator produces 6.5, 8, or 10 KW, all of these Phasor Marine Gen-sets weigh 386 lbs, or 175 kg – a good deal less than the Kohler 12.5 KW. In fact, almost half the weight – recall that the Kohler 12.5/15 KW Gen-set weighs 313 kg, or 690 pounds. So getting 10 KW of energy for 175 kg seems a “deal” in comparison to getting 12.5 KW for 313 kg. But granted, the Phasor Marine Gen-sets are not turbocharged, whereas the Kohler is.

Also interesting for me is the weight of the Phasor Marine 12.5 KW Gen-Set: 456 lbs, or 206 kg:


1 image


See http://www.phasormarine.com/k4-12-5kw.htm , and http://www.phasormarine.com/pdf/gpdf/k4125.pdf . This compares very favorably to the weight of the Cummins 12.5 KW generator, which weighs 765 pounds or 347 kg, or about 140 kg more than the the Phasor Marine– see post #35 at http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...BEST-High-Altitude-Solution-for-Heating/page4 . And so too, once again it compares very favorably to the Kohler 12.5 KW: the Phasor Marine 12.5 KW is 107 kg lighter!! But the Phasor Marine 12.5 KW is not turbocharged.

After that the weight of Phasor Marine products rapidly escalates, and the Phasor Marine equivalent to the Kohler 20 KW – a 21 KW model – weighs 775 pounds, or 350 kg, which is no better than the Kohler's weight of 358 kg – see http://www.phasormarine.com/k4-21-0kw.htm and http://www.phasormarine.com/pdf/gpdf/k4210.pdf :


1 PDF of Phasor 21 KW


And at least the Kohler is turbocharged, and Kohler is an internationally recognized “name”, whereas the Phasor Marine 21 KW generator is neither turbocharged nor as widely known.

But both the Phasor and the Kohler have this in their favor: they both weigh much less than the equivalent Cummins 20 KW generator, also not turbocharged, which weighs in at a staggering 403 kg. In other words, the Phasor and Kohler weigh 150 kg less than the Cummins – see post #35 at http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...BEST-High-Altitude-Solution-for-Heating/page4 . Parenthetical note: beating Cummins when it comes to weight does not seem that difficult. When researching diesel generators for the “High Altitude Heating” thread, I very quickly came to the conclusion that Cummins Gen-sets are the “fat boys” on the block, and seem to have particularly bad weight/performance ratios.

Next Generation also produces its own-design “KEEL” line of generators, with power ratings up to 27 KW – see http://www.nextgenerationpower.com/keel.html and http://www.nextgenerationpower.com/Info/Support/Keel.pdf . But the KEEL 10 KW generator weighs 530 pounds, or 240 kg. So the Phasor 10 KW generator seems a better deal, weighing 50 kg less.

Going in the other direction, Nest Generation also produces its own 5.5 KW generator, which it claims is the shortest, most compact 5 KW unit on the market. It uses a 2-cylinder, 10 HP Kubota engine – see http://www.nextgenerationpower.com/5kwmarine.htmland http://www.nextgenerationpower.com/Info/Support/5-5Specs.pdf :


2 images from PDF


QUOTE

A 10 hp, 2-cylinder Kubota diesel engine provides fuel-efficient power. It is freshwater cooled and completely marinized. The 60 Hz AC power it produces is enough to run any array of appliances and electronic devices, along with two typical air conditioning units. Operation speed is just 2,800 rpm, rather than the 3,600 rpm typical of high speed gen-sets. This drastically reduces noise and vibration while extending operating life.


UNQUOTE

And here is the 5.5 KW installed in a truck-tool box – see http://www.nextgenerationpower.com/mobilervtruck.html and http://www.nextgenerationpower.com/mobilesampleinst.html :


1 image


“Big” this generators is not. This one weighs just 270 pounds, or 123 kg.



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5. Smaller Diesel Engines for Generators Just Aren't Turbocharged: Kubota


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5.5 KW is probably too small for the TerraLiner, because if it's raining a great deal, and the solar is not working very well, the supplementary diesel probably needs to produce at least 15 KW, so that the batteries don't run down too far before it gets sunny agin.

My bigger worry has simply been that smaller generators below 12 KW never seem to be turbocharged. In the Kubota product literature that dwh referenced, for instance, “T” stands for turbocharged. I've circled the first “T”-type engine to appear in the list in red, and it's a 4-cylinder, 36.3 HP engine that alone weighs 450 pounds, or 204 kg:


4 Kubota PDFs charts


Whereas what I really need to find is a an engine that's equivalent to a Kubota D1005-E3BG – the engine used in the Phasor 6.5 - 10 KW Gen-Set illustrated above – but that's turbocharged:


4 Pfs of engines


I circled this engine in purple in the third image above. This Kubota generates 11.7 HP of continuous power, and on its own, it weighs just 240 pounds, or 109 kg. Note that the PDFs immediately above describe the two variants on the industrial version of the D1005-E3B, and not the “generator” version. This industrial version produces 19.6 HP of continuous power, and weighs 93 kg (205 lbs).

So when constructing a 10 KW Gen-Set using the “generator” version of this engine, Phasor Marine in effect added another 66 kg, to arrive at a final Gen-Set weight of 175 kg.

As dwh then wrote, if all else fails, one could simply commission Next Generation Engineering to fit a turbocharger to one of its smaller Gen-Sets. Next Generation repeats throughout its website that it is happy to create tailor-made, special configurations of generators to suit the specific applications that individual customers have in mind. It also seems to have considerable expertise in the creation of custom enclosures to minimize sound.

So if all else fails, it's great to know that at least one such custom fabricator exists, specialized in providing perfect Gen-Set solutions. And no doubt there exist other such custom Gen-set fabricators.

How much might a custom-built turbocharged generator of this sort weigh? Again, Phasor Marine's 6.5, 8, and 10 KW Gen-sets all weigh the same: 386 lbs, or 175 kg – a good deal less than the Kohler 12.5 KW, and almost exactly half the weight of the Kohler 20 KW. Even with a turbocharger added, the weight of this 10 KW custom unit should still remain below 200 kg. Bolt-on turbocharger kits for cars typically weigh about 50 lbs, or 22 kg.

Furthermore, recall that the Phasor Marine 12.5 KW Gen-Set weighs 456 lbs, or 206 kg. With a turbocharger added, perhaps its weight might increase to 225 kg, or even 250 kg. But that would still compare very favorably to the Kohler 12.5KW/15KW: recall that it weighs 313 kg, or 690 pounds. So even with a turbocharger added, the Phasor Marine 12.5 KW might eliminate 60 – 85 kg of weight. It uses a four-cylinder Kubota V1505-BGE engine, which according the first Kubota chart above, produces 18 HP in continuous operation. Whereas the Kohler's engine produces 22.6 HP. So presumably the fuel consumption of the smaller Kubota will be at least as good as the Kohler's, and possibly better.



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6. Kubota Turbocharged Industrial Engines


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Note that in the Kubota charts above, “T” stands for turbocharged. Here is a list of the Kubota engines that are so designated, along with their HP and their weights. I've combined the information on this chart with the listing to be found at
http://www.kubotaengine.com/products/engines/kubota-engine-line-up . This is a listing of Kubota line-up of engines before 2013, but no more recent listing seems available at present – see http://www.kubotaengine.com/products :


GENERATOR ENGINES:


V2003-M-T-
E3BG
http://www.kubotaengine.com/v2003-m-t-e3bg
32.9 HP, 204.0 kg (449.7 lbs)

V3600-T-E3BG
http://www.kubotaengine.com/assets/documents/26_v3600t_26.pdf ,
V3 series, generator engines: 52.6 HP, 284.0 kg (626.1 lbs)
V3 series, industrial engines: 74.3 HP, 275.0 kg (606.3 lbs)
V3800-DI-T-E3B
http://www.kubotaengine.com/assets/documents/29_v3800dit_26.pdf
64.4 HP, 280.0 kg (617.3 lbs)


INDUSTRIAL ENGINES

Kubota D1105-T-E3B
http://www.kubotaengine.com/assets/documents/12_d1105t_30.pdf
27.4 HP, 97.0 kg (213.8 lbs)

V1505-T-E3B
http://www.kubotaengine.com/assets/documents/15_v1505t_30.pdf
36.5 HP, 114.0 kg (251.3 lbs)

Kubota V2303-M-T-E3BG
http://www.kubotaengine.com/v2003-m-t-e3bg ,
27.4 HP, 204 kg (449.7 lbs)

V2403-M-T-E3B
http://www.kubotaengine.com/assets/documents/24_v2403mt_27.pdf
48 HP, 188.0 kg (414.5 lbs)

V2607-DI-T-E3B
http://www.kubotaengine.com/assets/documents/v2607_di_t.pdf
55.3 HP, 235.0 kg (518.1 lbs)

V3307-DI-T-E3B
http://www.kubotaengine.com/assets/documents/28_v3307dit_26.pdf
62.5 HP, 268.0 kg (590.8 lbs)

V3800-CR-T-E4B
http://www.kubotaengine.com/assets/documents/V3800_CR_TE4_TIE4.pdf
74.3 or 99.9 HP, 324.0 kg (714.3 lbs)

V3800-CR-TI-E4B
http://www.kubotaengine.com/assets/documents/V3800_CR_TE4_TIE4.pdf
114 HP, 324.0 kg (714.3 lbs)


In other words, Kubota does make a lightweight turbo-charged version of the D1105-E3BG, but for industrial use, as opposed to generator use. Here are the PDFs of the two engines, the non-turbocharged first, and the turbocharged second – again, see :


4 images


For some reason the non-turbocharged generator version weighs more: 109.0 kg (240.3 lbs), and produces only13.5 HP. Whereas the Kubota D1105-T-E3B turbo version weighs 97.0 kg (213.8 lbs), and produces 27.4 HP – again, see http://www.kubotaengine.com/assets/documents/12_d1105t_30.pdf .


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This turbocharged Kubota even weighs less than the D1005 BG used in the Phasor 6.5KW/8KW/10KwGen-Sets already discussed above:


2 images: just one of the versions

According to the chart above this Kubota non-turbo engine on its own weighs 109 kg (240 lbs) in its “generator” configuration, and produces 11.7 HP. But note that the industrial version of this engine weighs less, 93.0 kg (205 lbs), and produces 19.6 or 20.4 HP of continuous power. Again, the pdf above describes the industrial version.
So when constructing a 10 KW Gen-Set, one might simply ask Next Generation to use the industrial, already-turbocharged Kubota D1105-T-E3B , and the resulting unit may actually be lighter – by 12 kg – than Phasor Marine's 10 KW generator, simply because it's using a turbocharged engine that weighs 97 kg, instead of a non-turbocharged engine that weighs 109 kg.

Now the turbocharged Kubota D1105-T-E3B produces 27.4 HP, so if anything it would “overpowered” for the 10 KW generator. What larger generators might it power instead? Consider Phasor Marine's 12.5 KW generator, for instance. This generator uses a Kubota V1505-E3BG, which weighs 126.0 kg (277.8 lbs), and produces 18 HP of continuous power. Again, see http://www.phasormarine.com/k4-12-5kw.htm , and http://www.phasormarine.com/pdf/gpdf/k4125.pdf , and http://www.kubotaengine.com/assets/documents/13_v1505_30.pdf :

1 pdf of Phasor, 2 images

1 pdf Kubota


Here again the PDF describes the industrial version of this engine, which produces 29.1 HP of continuous power, and weighs just 110 kg (242 lbs).

So if it were possible to switch the 18 HP, non-turbocharged engine in the 12.5 KW Phasor, to the Kubota industrial turbocharged instead, one that produces 27.4 HP, one could get a 12.5 KW generator that once again weighs less – 29 kg less. Instead of weighing 207 kg (456 lbs), it might weigh 178 kg.

I am not an engineer, and so I don't know if such a thing is possible. But if it were, 178 kg would be a fantastic weight for a 12.5 KW, turbocharged generator.


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7. Possible 15 KW and 17.5 KW Kubota/Phasor Generators


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Let's go even further. Phasor Marine also makes 15 KW, 17.5 KW, and 21 KW generators – see http://www.phasormarine.com/k3-15.htm , http://www.phasormarine.com/pdf/gpdf/k3150.pdf , http://www.phasormarine.com/k4-17-5kw.htm , http://www.phasormarine.com/pdf/gpdf/k4175.pdf , http://www.phasormarine.com/k4-21-0kw.htm , and http://www.phasormarine.com/pdf/gpdf/k4210.pdf :


3 pdfs


The first two use the Kubota V2003BG engine, while the 21 KW generator uses the Kubota V2402-M-E3BG.

From the Kubota chart, we discover that the V2003-M-E3BG engine for generators produces 24.4 HP, and weighs 200.0 kg (440.9 lbs) – also see http://www.kubotaengine.com/assets/documents/20_v2003m_28.pdf :

1 pdf, 2 images

Again, the PDF is for the industrial version, that produces 34.7 HP of continuous power, and weighs 180.0 kg (396.9 lbs) .
So here too one might be tempted to think it possible to substitute the Kubota D1105-T-E3B turbo version that weighs 97.0 kg (213.8 lbs), and produces 27.4 HP – again, see http://www.kubotaengine.com/assets/documents/12_d1105t_30.pdf .
This would knock 103 kg off the weight of both the Phasor 15 KW and 17.5 KW generators. The 15 KW generator weighs 308 kg (680 lbs), while the 17.5 KW generator weighs 347 kg (765 lbs). With 103 kg knocked off their respective weights by substituting a turbocharged 27.4 HP engine, they would then respectively weigh 205 kg (for 15 KW) and 244 kg (for 17.5 KW). This would compare very favorably to the Kohler 12.5KW/15 KW turbocharged generator, which weighs 313 kg (690 lbs), as well as the Kohler 16.5W/20KW generator, which weighs 358 kg (790 lbs).

Put it this way: it seems theoretically possible that a Phasor Marine 17.45 KW generator reconfigured with a turbocharged Kubota, at 244 kg, could weigh about 114 kg less than a 16.5 W Kohler, at 358 kg. But again, I am no engineer, so I have no idea what may be “missing” from such calculations. It's clear that across the board Kubota's engines for generator applications weigh more and produce less power than its engines for industrial applications. So simply substituting a turbocharged industrial engine into a Gen-set may actually be very complicated, and not at all appropriate.


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8. A Possible 21 KW Kubota/Phasor Generator


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What about the 21 KW Phasor generator?

This uses a Kubota V2402-M-E3BG , which seems to be an older engine. When you search for it in Google, you get the V2203-M-E3BG instead, which produces 27 HP, and is clearly much too small for a 21 KW genertor – see http://www.kubotaengine.com/v2203-m-e3bg . A much more likely, equivalent candidate would be the V2403-M-E3B generator engine, which Kubota lists as producing 29.6 HP in its generator version, and 39.4, 40.8, and 48 HP in its various industrial versions (continuous power):

3 Kubota Pdfs, 6 images

Note that the last PDF is a turbocharged version, and all of these PDFs are for the industrial version.
The V2403-M-E3B weighs 204.0 kg (449.7 lbs) in its generator version, and 184.0 (405.7) in its industrial version – see http://www.kubotaengine.com/v2403-m-e3b , http://www.kubotaengine.com/assets/documents/22_v2403m_27.pdf , http://www.kubotaengine.com/assets/documents/23_v2403mdi_27.pdf , http://www.kubotaengine.com/assets/documents/24_v2403mt_27.pdf , http://www.kubotadieselmotors.com/catalogo/catalogo-kubota/Kubota_Diesel_Engine_V2403-M-E3B.pdf , andhttp://www.kubota.de/motoren/daten/V2403M_deutsch.pdf . Again, I have no idea why a generator version of this Kubota engine should weigh 20 kg more, and produce so much less power.
Here the turbocharged Kubota D1105-T-E3B would no longer prove sufficient as a substitute, because it produces only 27.4 HP. But theoretically we should be able to substitute the V1505-T-E3B turbo industrial generator, which produces 36.5 HP of continuous power, and weighs only 114.0 kg (251.3 lbs) – see http://www.kubotaengine.com/assets/documents/15_v1505t_30.pdf :

1 pdf Kubota, 2 images
1 image again Phasor 21 KW

This would knock 90 kg off the weight of the Phasor 21 KW generator, which weighs 352 kg (775 lbs), giving it a weight of 262 kg instead. Again, this would compare favorably with the Kohler 16.5W/20KW generator, which weighs 358 kg (790 lbs).




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9. Are These Calculations Reasonable?


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Note that on Kubota's chart of specifically “generator” engines, its very first turbocharged engine is the V2003-M-T-E3BG, that generates 32.9 HP, only slightly more than the non-turbocharged V2403-M-E3B, which produces 29.6 HP:

Here the graphic that shows aspirated versus turbocharged

And oddly enough, on the chart these generators weigh exactly the same: 204.0 kg (449.7 lbs) – see http://www.kubotaengineparts.com/pages/Brochures/UnitDetail/106551 , http://www.kubotaengine.com/v2403-m-e3b , and http://www.kubotaengine.com/assets/documents/24_v2403mt_27.pdf .

2 pages of Kubota generator chart
page 7 from Kubota literature

See http://www.css-club.net/kubota_catalog/pdf/03-M.pdf .

Again, the second chart immediately above only describes the industrial version of the V2403-M-E3B, which weighs 184 kg, and produces 41.7 HP of continuous power; and the industrial version of the V2003-M-T-E3BG, which weighs exactly the same (!), and produces 47.5 HP of continuous power. According to the larger Kubota comparative chart, the industrial version of the V2403-M-E3B weighs188.0 kg (414.5 lbs), and produces 48 HP of continuous power.

Again, I don't know what specifically distinguishes an industrial Kubota engine, from one intended for generator use. Perhaps someone who understands generators and engines could explain the difference, and why one always weighs more than the other, at least as far as Kubota engines are concerned?


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10. Searching for a Small, Factory-Made Turbocharged Diesel Generator: Kohler.


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So it does seem at least possible that perhaps some kind of smaller, turbocharged generator could be configured by Next Generation; and that the resulting generator might weigh less than the equivalent Kohler turbocharged generators on the market.

But before giving up the search for a factory-made, “out of the box” model, I thought I'd do a bit more research, in order to confirm that a smaller turbocharged Kohler does not in fact exist. The following is a fairly comprehensive list of the generators that Kohler makes for vehicles recreational and commercial vehicles:


QUOTE

Kohler Vehicle Generators

- 9EFORDB/EFORZDB
- 12.5EFORDB/EFORZDB
- 16.5EFORDB/EFORZDB
- 33EFORZDB
- 10EORDB/EORZDB
- 10ERG
- 13ERG
- 15EORDB/EORZDB
- 15ERG
- 20EORDB/EORZDB
- 30EORZDB
- 40EORZDB

Kohler commercial and recreational vehicle generators are available in both diesel and gas models. Keeping size, noise, weight and emission to a minimum. KOHLER diesel generators offer heavy-duty power in a lightweight package. Available in both 60 Hz (10-40 kW) and 50 Hz (9-33 kW) these little powerhouses are built to be quiet and compact with minimal vibrations.

Key Specifications/Special Features:

Compact
- Because of their small, compact size, KOHLER generators allow customers to maximize the use of their vehicle space

Emissions Compliant

- CARB and EPA Tier 2 emissions compliant requirements

- Reduced engine noise emissions due to innovative designs in the engine block, crank case and fuel injection pump.

Easy to Maintain

- Single-side access makes routine maintenance checks and serviceability easy

UNQUOTE

See http://www.thegreenbook.com/products/kohler-vehicle-generators/kohler-power-systems/ .

Or even better, here is Kohler's comprehensive guide to the Power Ratings of all the Gen-Sets that it sells – yes, that's right – all of them, across all industrires. See http://kohlerpower.com.sg/common/pdfs/Ratings Guide.pdf :


2 images


If you've ever tried searching on Kohler's various websites, you will immediately recognize how valuable this chart is. In one place every Gen-Set that Kohler makes is listed.

The Kohler Gen-Sets that I initially researched are listed in the bottom right corner of the second page. Here is a zoomed-in version of that chart:


1 image


So I ran through the list, searching for the Kohler technical PDFs that would describe in detail all Kohler “mobile” generators under 25 KW. Here are the models, the links where I found the technical information, and their status as “Turbocharged” or “Not Turbo”:

9EFORDB
http://www.pss-online.de/kohlermobile/G3-42_9EFORZDB.pdf
Not Turbo
259 kg, 570 lbs; 16.9 HP engine; 9 KW

9EFORZDB
http://ps.buckeyepowersales.com/PDF/mobile/10EORDB.pdf
Not Turbo
259 kg, 570 lbs; 16.9 HP engine; 9 KW

10EORDB
http://ps.buckeyepowersales.com/PDF/mobile/10EORDB.pdf
Not Turbo
259 kg, 570 lbs; 16.9 HP engine; 10 KW

10EORZDB
http://www.pss-online.de/kohlermobile/G3-42_9EFORZDB.pdf
Not Turbo
259 kg, 570 lbs; 16.9 HP engine; 10 KW

12.5EFORDB
http://www.pss-online.de/kohlermobile/G3-43_12.5EFORZDB.pdf
Turbocharged
313 kg, 690 lbs; 22.6 HP engine; 12.5 KW

12.5EFORZDB
http://ps.buckeyepowersales.com/PDF/mobile/15EORDB.pdf
Turbocharged
313 kg, 690 lbs; 22.6 HP engine; 12.5 KW

15EORDB
http://ps.buckeyepowersales.com/PDF/mobile/15EORDB.pdf
Turbocharged
313 kg, 690 lbs; 22.6 HP engine; 15 KW

15EORZDB
http://ps.buckeyepowersales.com/PDF/mobile/15EORDB.pdf
Turbocharged
313 kg, 690 lbs; 22.6 HP engine; 15 KW

16.5EFORDB
http://www.kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g3044.pdf
http://www.kohlerpower.com/mobile/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13361&categoryNumber=11861&prodnum=56661
Turbocharged
358 kg, 790 lbs; 33 HP engine; 16.5 KW

16.5EFORZDB
http://www.kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g3044.pdf
http://www.kohlerpower.com/mobile/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13361&categoryNumber=11861&prodnum=56661
Turbocharged
358 kg, 790 lbs; 33 HP engine; 16.5 KW

20EORDB
http://www.kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g3044.pdf
http://www.kohlerpower.com/mobile/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13361&categoryNumber=12961&prodnum=232861
Turbocharged
358 kg, 790 lbs; 33 HP engine; 20 KW

20EORZDB
http://www.kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g3044.pdf
http://www.kohlerpower.com/mobile/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13361&categoryNumber=12961&prodnum=232861
Turbocharged
358 kg, 790 lbs; 33 HP engine; 20 KW

25EFORZDB
http://www.kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g3045.pdf
http://www.kohlerpower.com/mobile/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13361&categoryNumber=12961&prodnum=241161
Turbocharged
526 kg, 1160 lbs; 49.9 HP engine; 25 KW


From this, it would appear that the lowest-power generator that Kohler provides with turbocharging, is 12.5 KW. And perhaps not even that anymore. On the most recent version of its webpage that lists generators intended for use in recreational vehicles, the lowest-power generator is now 16.5 KW – see http://www.kohlerpower.com/mobile/filterresults.htm?categoryNumber=12961&sectionNumber=13361 . The listing for generators for commercial vehicles is no different – see http://www.kohlerpower.com/mobile/filterresults.htm?categoryNumber=11861&sectionNumber=13361 .


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11. Small Kohler Turbocharged Marine Generators


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But what about Kohler's line of Marine Diesel generators? Kohler's home generators are probably not the best way to go, because they would not be engineered for the shocks and bumps of travel. But the Marine generators would be. Here is the full list:


1st zoom in from PDF:


We would be particularly interested in the smaller, specifically diesel generators that produce 25 KW or less:


2[SUP]nd[/SUP] zoom in from PDF:


At first this line of investigation did not seem promising: Marine generators operate at sea-level, so why would then need turbocharging? A boat is not going to sail up to 18,000 feet on the Tibetan Plateau. And indeed, my first exploration of a 15 KW unit was not promising: it is not turbocharged – see http://www.kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2173.pdf and http://www.kohlerpower.com/marine/filterresults.htm?categoryNumber=8361&sectionNumber=13461.

But further investigation demonstrated that a small handful of Kohler Marine generators are turbocharged. Here is the complete list – see http://kohlerpower.com/marine/filterresults.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&viewAll=true . I've inserted copies of the PDF specifications for those that are turbocharged, so they're ready-to-hand to digest:



5EFKOD
http://kohlerpower.com/marine/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&prodnum=21540202
http://kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2147.pdf
Not Turbo
222 kg, 490 lbs; 10.1 HP engine; 6 KW

6EKOD
http://kohlerpower.com/marine/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&prodnum=21540602
http://kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2147.pdf
Not Turbo
220 kg, 490 lbs; 10.1 HP engine; 6 KW

7EFKOZD
http://kohlerpower.com/marine/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&prodnum=21540802
http://kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2148.pdf
Not Turbo
249 kg, 548 lbs; 14.5 HP engine; 7 KW

9EFKOZD, 1-Phase
http://kohlerpower.com/marine/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&prodnum=21541002
http://kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2149.pdf
Not Turbo
279 kg, 616 lbs; 19.6 HP engine; 9 KW

9EFKOZD, 3-Phase
http://kohlerpower.com/marine/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&prodnum=21541202
http://kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2150.pdf
Not Turbo
280 kg, 618 lbs; 19.6 HP engine; 9 KW

9EKOZD
http://kohlerpower.com/marine/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&prodnum=21541402
http://kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2148.pdf
Not Turbo
249 kg, 548 lbs; 14.5 HP engine; 9 KW


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13EFOZD
http://kohlerpower.com/marine/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&prodnum=69261
http://kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2138.pdf
Turbocharged
344 kg, 760 lbs; 26.1 HP engine; 13 KW


INSERT PDF 4 images


13EKOZD, 1-Phase
http://kohlerpower.com/marine/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&prodnum=417761
http://kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2171.pdf
Not Turbo
395 kg, 870 lbs; 25.5 HP engine; 13 KW

13EKOZD, 3-Phase
http://kohlerpower.com/marine/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&prodnum=417861
http://kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2182.pdf
Not Turbo
395 kg, 870 lbs; 25.5 HP engine; 13 KW

13EOZD
http://kohlerpower.com/marine/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&prodnum=69561
http://kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2136.pdf
Not Turbo
339 kg, 750 lbs; 22.6 HP engine; 13 KW



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14EOZD
http://kohlerpower.com/marine/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&prodnum=69661
http://kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2137.pdf
Turbocharged
339 kg, 750 lbs; 22.6 HP engine; 13 KW

15EKOZD, 1-Phase
http://kohlerpower.com/marine/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&prodnum=417961
http://kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2173.pdf
Not Turbo
339 kg, 750 lbs; 22.6 HP engine; 13 KW

15EKOZD, 3-Phase
http://kohlerpower.com/marine/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&prodnum=418061
http://kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2172.pdf
Not Turbo
395 kg, 870 lbs; 25.5 HP engine; 15 KW

15EOZD
http://kohlerpower.com/marine/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&prodnum=69761
http://kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2138.pdf
Turbocharged
344 kg, 760 lbs; 29.1 HP engine; 15 KW


INSERT PDF


16.5EFKOZD, 3-Phase
http://kohlerpower.com/marine/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&prodnum=426161
http://kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2175.pdf

Not Turbo
476 kg, 1050 lbs; 34.1 HP engine; 16.5 KW

17.5EFKOZD, 1-Phase
http://kohlerpower.com/marine/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&prodnum=426261
http://kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2174.pdf
Not Turbo
476 kg, 1050 lbs; 34.1 HP engine; 17.5 KW

17.5EFKOZD, 1-Phase
http://kohlerpower.com/marine/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&prodnum=130561
http://kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2140.pdf
Not Turbo
377 kg, 855 lbs; 30.1 HP engine; 17.5 KW

17EFOZD, 1-Phase
http://kohlerpower.com/marine/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&prodnum=70361
http://kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2139.pdf
Not Turbo
382 kg, 845 lbs; 30.1 HP engine; 17 KW

19.5EFKOZD, 3-Phase
http://kohlerpower.com/marine/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13461&categoryNumber=8361&prodnum=426361
http://kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2177.pdf
Not Turbo
490 kg, 1080 lbs; 34.1 HP engine; 19.5 KW


I stopped at 19.5 KW, because after all, Kohler makes and still sells 16.5 KW and a 20 KW turbocharged generators for use in recreational vehicles. These two Kohlers use the same engine, just different alternators, and they have the same size and weight:



4 images


So for a 20 KW generator, this Kohler's weight of 358 kg (780 lbs), suddenly looks very good, especially when compared to most of the Kohler Marine generators seen above. One has to backtrack up to mere 11 KW Marine generators, before one finds generators that significantly beat the weight of this 20 KW Kohler mobile.

But how about the smallest Kohler marine generator that's turbocharged? The one that produces just 11.5 KW? Unfortunately it's not much better: it too weighs 349 kg (770 lbs), and so compares unfavorably with the 20 KW Kohler mobile, which weighs 358 kg (790 lbs).

In fact, the only turbocharged generator that I've come across so far that does compare more favorably with the 20 KW Kohler, is the Kohler generator already mentioned, the one that produces either 12.5 or 15 KW, and that weighs 313 kg, or 690 lbs. – again, see either http://www.pss-online.de/kohlermobile/G3-43_12.5EFORZDB.pdf or http://ps.buckeyepowersales.com/PDF/mobile/15EORDB.pdf .

But note the following: the Kohler 20 KW weighs about 100 lbs or 35 kg more than the Kohler 15 KW – in other words, it weighs just 10 % more – and yet the Kohler 20 KW produces 25 % more power…….


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12. Thinking a bit more about a larger, Turbocharged Diesel Generator:
Cummins


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Here I might add that if it turned out that having a turbocharged Kohler 20 KW was the way to go – just like Newell coaches, for instance – then I might not go with Kohler.

Rather, I'd want to explore Whisper Power some more, a European manufacturer that I just happened to come across that's big in the world of marine generators. And so too, surprisingly enough, I'd want to explore Cummins.

Under “Recreational Vehicles”, the Cummins range tops out at 12.5 KW, with a generator that weighs 357 kg, or 787 lbs – see http://power.cummins.com/rv/generators , http://power.cummins.com/content/rv-qd-12500 , https://powersuite.cummins.com/PS5/...nary_Asset/pdf/Consumer/specsheets/a-1483.pdf :


Pdf, 4 images


Bigger than that, and one has to enter the world of Cummins “Commercial Mobile” generators (see http://power.cummins.com/cm/generators ), where a number of models produce roughly the equivalent of 20 KW -- for instance, see http://power.cummins.com/content/commercial-sd-20000 and https://powersuite.cummins.com/PS5/...nary_Asset/pdf/Consumer/specsheets/a-1538.pdf (404 kg, 890 lbs, 20 KW, not turbocharged); and http://power.cummins.com/content/commercial-qd-19000 and https://powersuite.cummins.com/PS5/...nary_Asset/pdf/Consumer/specsheets/a-1582.pdf (422 kg, 930 lbs, 19 KW, not turbocharged). Neither of these generators is all that attractive when compared to a Kohler 209 KW.

But since I checked last, Cummins has come out with a new 20 KW model that appears to be a completely new kind of generator technology, one that uses a hydraulic engine – see http://power.cummins.com/content/commercial-hg-20000 ,
https://powersuite.cummins.com/PS5/...nary_Asset/pdf/Consumer/specsheets/a-1459.pdf :


5 images from PDF


Quote

“Fully-integrated power system that includes the hydraulic pump, motor generator, filtration system, oil cooler and reservoir in one complete, compact, and lightweight package.”

Unquote

And here is the incredible thing: it weighs just 309 kg, or 679 lbs. In other words, 100 lbs less than the Kohler 20 KW. The only problem is that it seems dependent on the vehicle's main engine from which it somehow draw hydraulic power, roughly 42 HP. I am not certain of this, and so perhaps anyone reading this could clarify what is actually going on with this generator? If it were a completely autonomous, stand-alone generator, it would also be on the compact side of things: 1.133 m long x 49 cm wide x 43.9 cm high, or .24 cubic meters. Whereas the Kohler 20 KW generator measures 1.048 m x 56.8 cm x 60.6 cm high, or.36 cubic meters.
But again, I don't really know how to interepret this Cummins generator. If it lacks its own engine, then any weight saving is largely illusory. The whole point is to not use the Jenoptik 182 HP engines to generate power while boondocking.



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13. Thinking a bit more about a larger, Turbocharged Diesel Generator:
Whisper Power


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Whisper Power does make a series of turbo-charged high-power generators, and the smallest one, the M-GV 50, is comparable in weight to the big Cummins 20 KW generators classified as “Commercial Mobile”, just discussed immediately above: the M-GV 50 weighs 400 kg, or 882 lbs . However, the M-GV 50 generates a whopping 33 to 50 KW – see http://www.whisperpower.com/4/21/products/generator-systems-(high-power).html , http://www.whisperpower.com/4/21/161/products/generator-systems-(high-power)/m-gv-50-genverter.html , http://www.whisperpower.com/phpimg/wp_product_download_1cb62b18531caa25015_0a_d-gv-50-datasheet.pdf . It is “freshwater cooled”, so presumably it could be integrated into the heating system of the rest of the vehicle.

As near as I can tell, none of the smaller generators that WhisperPower makes are turbo-charged. But WhisperPower does make a very interesting series of “programmable RPM” generators:

“Instead of adding an alternator with fixed speed on the back of the fly-wheel, we have designed a very compact permanent magnet alternator (PM), located just behind the engine. As a result, these systems are much smaller and lighter compared to traditional generators.”

See http://www.whisperpower.com/4/2/products/generators-(programmable-rpm).html .

The same technology seems to be incorporated into WhisperPower's high-power turbo-charged generators, which perhaps explains the M-GV 50's comparatively light weight – see http://www.whisperpower.com/4/21/products/generator-systems-(high-power).html . The WhisperPower M-GV 50 produces over twice the power of the Cummins 20 KW, but it weighs the same. And it produces three to four times as much power as the Cummins 12.5 KW, but weighs only 60 kg more.

The WhisperPower M-GV 50 is about the same length as the Cummins 12.5 KW, but it is wider and taller – length 1062 in mm (41.8 in), width 868 mm (34.2 in), height 830 mm (32.7 in).


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14. Thinking About Generator Fuel Consumption


****************************************


In terms of comparing fuel consumption, the M-GV 50 is quite a bit worse than either Kohler discussed so far. The M-GV 50 states its fuel consumption in a European way, as 220 g/kWh. But I found a handy web-discussion that explains how to translate this into Liters, and then U.S. gallons per hour – see http://onlineconversion.vbulletin.net/forum/main-forums/convert-and-calculate/2144-g-kwh-to-gal-h . Turns out that the M-GV 50 consumes about 46.58 Liters per hour at full load, or 12 U.S. gallons. But again, it's a variable-speed generator, so perhaps it could be run at much lower speeds, still produce power efficiently, and perhaps consume much less diesel fuel?

By way of comparison, the Kohler 12.5/15 KW generator consumes just 1.34 gallons (5.0 liters) per hour at full load and 60 Hz, and 1.15 gallons (4.3 liters) per hour at 50 Hz. The Kohler 20 KW generator consumes 1.93 gallons (7.3 liters) per hour at full load and 60 Hz, and 1.47 gallons (5.6 liters) per hour at 50 Hz. So let's just say that these Kohlers seem much more fuel-efficient than the WhisperPower M-GV 50.

Unfortunately, I could not seem to find the fuel consumption figures for any of the “Next Generation” or “Phasor Marine” generators discussed above; the webpages seem to merely assert that they are “fuel efficient”.

So let's stick with calculating possible generator-based fuel consumption on the basis of the Kohler 15 W generator. The assumption here needs to be that even if it is the rainy season and the solar cells are operating at only 50 % efficiency, they would still add perhaps 3 KW to the motorhome's power supply. And let's assume that, like a Newell Coach, during the summer when the TerraLiner is running its Air-Conditioners full blast, it will need at least 18 KW. So if the Kohler 15 W generator consumes 5 liters per hour, that works out to 120 liters per day, or 840 liters per week, i.e. about half the size of the fuel tank.

But the nice thing about having a huge battery bank, is that if the sun suddenly comes out for a few hours, the solar cells will kick in at 100 % efficiency, and would be adding an additional 3 KW to the system. The Kohler 15 W generator could then scale back to perhaps 75 %, consuming 3.8 liters per hour instead of 5 liters. And so on.

The nice thing about having a huge battery bank is that this also means one could run energy-intensive appliances in the middle of the night, when there is no solar, and yet one wouldn't necessarily have to leave the Kohler engine running. One would instead just drain down the battery bank, and solar power the next day would replenish the batteris, assuming that one were not continuing to run energy-intensive appliances during the day.

So I see a turbocharged, relatively light-weight generator like the Kohler 15 KW as performing a kind of “safety” function. It can kick in when needed, but at other times the 6.5 KW produced by solar, combined with the huge battery bank, may prove enough. And it may even prove possible that the “safety” diesel generator only needs to produce 10 KW, like the one offered by Phasor Marine.


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15. Additional Gen-Set Manufacturers to Research, and Gen-Set Volume


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Now what I wrote above was for the most part a product-offerings analysis of just two major manufacturers, Kubota + Phasor marine, and Kohler. But Kubota and Kohler are premier manufacturer, manufacturers with stellar reputations, a global sales force, and presumably near-global service depots. I then strongly suspect that similar exercises in analyzing the product offerings of other companies will turn up similar results, e.g. Gen-Set brands like Fischer-Panda, Martin Diesel, , Hatz, Power Tech, Lombardini, Kirsch, etc. I would be especially interested in investigating Kirsch further, because it specializes in creating super-rugged Gen-Sets for military applications – see http://www.kirsch-energie.de/fileadmin/user_upload/redakteur/pdf/Referenzlisten/Referenz_MIL_en.pdf , http://www.kirsch-energie.de/en/home.html , http://www.kirsch-energie.de/en/products.html , http://www.kirsch-energie.de/en/products/special-generating-sets.html , http://www.kirsch-energie.de/en/products/special-generating-sets/integrated.html , http://www.kirsch-energie.de/en/products/special-generating-sets/variable-speed.html , http://www.kirsch-energie.de/en/products/military.html , http://www.kirsch-energie.de/en/products/military/integrated.html , http://www.kirsch-energie.de/en/products/military/variable-speed.html , and http://www.kirsch-energie.de/en/products/electrical-drive-systems.html .

Returning to Phasor Marine, dwh's idea of having Next Generation Engineering configure a smaller Gen-set with a turbocharger does look very attractive. If an industrial turbocharged Kubota could be substituted, simply wonderful: as documented above, the weight savings would be enormous.

But even if one had to go with a more “conventional” solution, using an add-on turbocharger, the weight and size involved for the smaller Gen-sets would be negligible. Phasor Marine's 6.5, 8, and 10 KW Gen-sets all weigh the same: 386 lbs, or 175 kg – a good deal less than the Kohler 12.5 KW, and almost exactly half the weight of the Kohler 20 KW. Even with a turbocharger added, the weight of this 10 KW custom unit should still remain below 200 kg. Bolt-on turbocharger kits for cars typically weigh about 50 lbs, or 22 kg, bringing the Phasor Gen-sets' total weight to about 197 kg. So it does seem at least theoretically possible to equip the TerraLiner with a 10 KW supplementary turbocharged generator, one that weighs roughly 200 kg. If just 10 KW of power were needed to top-up the TerraLiner's solar capacity, then this is clearly the way to go.

Without the turbocharger added, the Phasor 10 KW would measure 27.5” x 18” x 22.5” (70 cm x 47 cm x 57 cm), or 0.188 cubic meters, which is almost exactly half the volume of the Kohler 20 KW generator. The Kohler 20 KW generators measures
1.048 m x 56.8 cm x 60.6 cm high, or.36 cubic meters; see
http://www.kohlerpower.com/mobile/detail.htm?sectionNumber=13361&categoryNumber=12961&prodnum=232861 and http://www.kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g3044.pdf .

Note that the 20 KW generator that Kohler sells for home use is much worse in terms of volume: it measures 1.219 m x 66.5cm x 73.4cm high, and occupies 0.595 square meters of volume – see http://www.kohlergenerators.com/home-generators/products/20RESA&id=RES_CON_0415 , http://www.kohlergenerators.com/common/pdf/g4209.pdf , and http://www.kohlergenerators.com/common/pdf/adv8424.pdf :


6 images from PDF
3 images from PDF



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