Jump to content

A genuinely silent generator


harrybsmith

Featured Posts

2 hours ago, Jennifer McM said:

Sorry, I posted the wrong link, this one is the one we're hovering about buying. It's a bigger capacity, and a few quid cheaper.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DVGYDL5/?coliid=IFQT10ALWX36F&colid=2UZ4AULM1CJJD&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

I love all the mixed capacities listed for that device. 78000mAh is s a big number that means 78Ah, but without knowing the voltage then an Ah figure is meaningless. Ahah! It also states 288Wh, so that means the Ah figure is at a voltage of... oh, 3.7V...

 

288Wh will give you about 18Ah at 14.4V allowing for losses. About 4% of a 440Ah bank. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Nightwatch said:

So being dim(ish) where electrics are concerned, you have to charge these units up from 240v and then you can withdraw the stored power when you're off grid. Would/could you charge this via an inverter with t'injun running ie. cruising?

Yes and yes. However, as I keep pointing out in this thread, the capacity is tiny for charging an average domestic bank of 440Ah. 

55 minutes ago, dmr said:

But surely if you have two battery banks then as long as you get a modern very efficient inverter and battery charger you would never need to run the engine at all ?

 

.................Dave

Perhaps you’ve spotted the flaw in the system... what do you think?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Mmm think the clue is in the price. The power output quoted is 150 wh . I think that means it would power a 1 watt device for 150 hours. I don't think it would make dent in your batteries . And thats the claimed output, I think it would be fine for charging phones or torches . Which is pretty much what it says its for.

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 01/11/2018 at 09:25, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I'll translate Cereal Tiller's post into plain English for you...

 

Get yourself two separate banks of domestic batteries. Arrange isolation switches so either bank can be isolated or brought into service (i.e. connected to your 12v domestic boat electrics), leaving the other battery bank disconnected and resting (or 'idling', to use CT's terminology). 

 

Get yourself an inverter and connect it to your 12v domestic boat electrics. Get yourself a decent mains three stage battery charger and connect it to the inverter. Now operate your isolator switches so as the connect one battery bank to your boat electrics while the other battery bank is disconnected (i.e. at idle). Start your engine and give the battery bank in service a good bulk charge using your alternator, up to say 80%. Stop the engine and switch over banks, start the engine again and bulk charge the other bank also to 80%. Neither charge will take that long as you are only going up to 80%. 

 

By now it is however 8pm and both banks are only charged to 80%. Connect the output of your battery charger to the 'idle' bank of batteries, and fully charge it up to 100% overnight. Eight hours of silent charging should do it. This will deplete your domestic 'in service' bank to maybe 55% so next day, in the daytime, run your engine for a couple of hours to bring them back up to 80%. Stop your engine. Use this bank as normal for a couple of days, charging back up to 80% as necessary using the engine but when it is time to give it the weekly charge up to fully 100%, first use the engine to bulk charge to 80% then use the previously 100% charged 'idle' set and the inverter and charger to charge the 'in service' battery bank to 100%.

 

Now switch over battery banks using your isolator switches and use the other bank for a few days, while the first battery bank sits waiting at 100% SoC ready to be used again. 

 

Repeat ad infinitum.

 

The point of this is to avoid ever having to run the engine for eight hours at a stretch waiting for the tail current to get down to 1%.

 

 

A few knowledgeable people have poked mild fun at this but seriously, can anyone point out to me why it won't work?

 

Many thanks...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

A few knowledgeable people have poked mild fun at this but seriously, can anyone point out to me why it won't work?

 

Many thanks...

It does work , I do it all the time...and to do a Proper Job a have another Charger which is set up for 15.5 Volts...for Equalising.

Edited by cereal tiller
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 31/10/2018 at 20:38, harrybsmith said:

Evening all, I've had a bit of a brainwave...

 

One of these popped up as recommended for me:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Portable-Generator-220V-240V-Flashlights-Emergency/dp/B07H3X4MLL/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541017601&sr=8-1&keywords=lithium+generator

 

It's a sizeable (but portable) lithium battery pack, a bit like the ones many people have to recharge phones only a good deal higher capacity (claimed 150Wh) and with the all important 12v output. I'm able to charge it up at work no bother, am I right in thinking that if I connected a boost converter set to 14.4v to the 12v output (along with a volt meter and ammeter) I could do a tail current charge on my batteries? If my batteries were below 80% ish discharged i'd give the engine a run first to do the heavy lifting, but rather than sitting with the engine running annoying all my neighbours it would be ideal to top 'em up with this.

 

(should add, 220ah battery bank, low electrical usage, on mooring without electricity hookup)

 

 

Nowt to do with the subject but must say i like your boat Harry our first boat was a 27ft Highbridge Crusader lovely craft indeed :wub:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

On 11/11/2018 at 17:24, Ian Fossett said:

I think its because the lithium battery just doesn't have the capacity. Have you considered a reasonable size solar? .

I do have 340W of solar (not massive I know) and that does do almost all of my charging in summer but struggles over winter (as all solar does). 

7 hours ago, Ian Fossett said:

Or of course you could actually solve the problem, save up and buy a decent quiet inverter generator like a Honda. 

 

I could, but I work long hours (own company) so running engines between the 8-8pm curfew can often be tricky. Seen as i'm only aboard for a small portion of the day my electricity usage is very minimal so one of these batteries (or similar) combined with my solar and occasional running of engines should work for me.  I've made my converter circuit and i'm just about to press go on buying one. Not the case for a lot of people, I know, but should work for me.

 

23 hours ago, Chas78 said:

Nowt to do with the subject but must say i like your boat Harry our first boat was a 27ft Highbridge Crusader lovely craft indeed :wub:

I shared a lock with the people who bought yours! They were just off to have a rubbing strake replaced. We compared notes... They are superb boats

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The best silent gwenrator would be something like a Honda EU20i, with an electric starter, encased in a sealed pod with a "snorkel" for air intake and exhaust and wiring. 

You lower it off the side of the boat down to the bottom of the canal then clamp the snorkel tube to side of boat then start it up. Acoustic engine noise will be silenced by the surrounding water which will also cool the engine casing/pod. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, magnetman said:

The best silent gwenrator would be something like a Honda EU20i, with an electric starter, encased in a sealed pod with a "snorkel" for air intake and exhaust and wiring. 

You lower it off the side of the boat down to the bottom of the canal then clamp the snorkel tube to side of boat then start it up. Acoustic engine noise will be silenced by the surrounding water which will also cool the engine casing/pod. 

 

 

Sound travels faster and further through water!  Instead if disturbing your direct neighbours, you’ll disturb all your neighbours!

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, cereal tiller said:

Thing is , All Silent Generators are noisy when loaded ,they are only Quiet when Idling off load.

 

This is my experience too. The only really quiet device is a Whispergen, if the OP can find one. 

 

Even properly cocooned generators costing £10k+ can still disturb neighbours from low frequency water-born sound transmission. 

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, magnetman said:

The best silent gwenrator would be something like a Honda EU20i, with an electric starter, encased in a sealed pod with a "snorkel" for air intake and exhaust and wiring. 

You lower it off the side of the boat down to the bottom of the canal then clamp the snorkel tube to side of boat then start it up. Acoustic engine noise will be silenced by the surrounding water which will also cool the engine casing/pod. 

 

 

Deleted

 

Edited by cereal tiller
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.