PTO Generator added to Yanmar

[Alan]

Has anyone looked at installing an AC generator on a 3 cylinder Yanmar diesel engine?. I have been looking at 3-4 KW diesel with a price tag of $4-5k. I investagated adding a 3-5 KW geneator to the Yanmar. If you get a 3600 rpm unit the size is small. Adding an electric clutch and generator the price tag was around $1k. You would have to be docked or anchor and run the engine at a certain RPM to get the right speed at the generator which depends on pulley sizes. It sounds like a good solution because you do not need to add another mechanical system. I plan to run my central A/C which should be a 16,000 btu/hr cooling system. Any experience out there ??????

 

[fm]

what do you mean.

We are looking for a affordable and silent generator that runs our 8,000 btu air conditioning system and that fits on our 94' 29.5.But, as I was reading your request, you wrote something about buying an electric clutch and generator for 1K. Is that in addition to the electric generator? or Is there another way to run the air conditioner, other than with an electric generator?, connecting some gadget to the engine, for 1K?, what do you mean? Iwould like some information on that and where to get it, how does it work?

 

[Alan]

More information on PTO Generator

A power takeoff generator (PTO) is a small ac generator which you mount on your existing engine in your sailboat. Normally, a package generator has another power plant, be it gas or diesel engine. Here, I just trying to use my inboard engine on the sailboat to drive this new ac generator for ac power while at rest. The alternator on the engine charges the battery while running and I would only engage the electrical clutch when I need ac power. Like I said before you would need to turn the ac generator at some predesigned speed so that the generator turned at 3600 rpm which would provide 60 hertz for running normal American appliances.

 

[Derek Rowell]

Driving the PTO generator...

While it sounds like a good idea, I question the practicality of it on an H34. First, 5kw is several horsepower, and it is unlikely that the existing alternator/impeller v-belt system would be able to handle that power level on a take-off shaft. So you would have to add additional pulleys etc in front of the existing ones There's not much room at the front of the engine compartment. In addition, the Yanmar is on flexible mounts and moves around a bit on port or starboard tacks. To maintain the belt tension I think you would need to mount the clutch/generator to the Yanmar block somehow.Good luck - let us all know about your plans as they develop.Derek

 

[Tom FitzGibbon]

Saw an Article Once

The surveyor we used when buying our boat has a website, and I remember reading an article about an engine-mounted generator once. I found the URL - http://www.marine-surveyor.com/newsletters/9711.html. According to this article, the price is a lot higher than $1K, but the article is from 1997 and prices may have fallen. Hope this helps.

 

[Clyde Lichtenwalner]

AC from main engine

A PTO requires that the main engine run at, say 1800 RPM and produce about 5 hp, a fairly noisy proposition for a good nights sleep. If you are interested, I did see a system at the Annapolis boat show that replaces the standard alternator with a high voltage DC alternator (110 v I think). The high voltage DC fed an inverter that produced 110 v AC. Because of the power produced, it required a revamped belt system. As I recall this elegent unit cost about $5k not including the heavy duty belt drive. I rejected it because of the expense and the fact that the main engine had to be run to generate the AC. If you are interested, I may still have the brochure. I'm sure they had a web site as well.