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Honda cogen unit

B

Bughunter

Jan 1, 1970
0
No, but I'll take one of these if it can be adapted to run on propane.

I do have an Honda EU3000 generator (not cogen), and it's a superior piece
of equipment. Very clean power, low noise and reliable. The Honda 4 stroke
outboard motors are the cleanest, most efficient and reliable out there.

With Honda's reputation, I don't think I'd look any further.
 
D

danny burstein

Jan 1, 1970
0
In said:
have anyone any experince of this unit.

Also, does anyone know of any other cogen units around?

In the late 1970s there was the "totem" based on a Fiat engine. It was
alpha tested in the US and had some limited success in Europe.

A quick glance at web pages suggests there are still some around. Many of
the pages were non-English so I can't be sure, but it looked like it was
still available in some areas.
 
D

danny burstein

Jan 1, 1970
0
Did you notice that it is only and 1kw electrical producer? An tad small for
my needs.

A key question, not obvious from the writeup, is whether these
are gangable/stackable.

If you could hook up a half dozen of these, with automatic ramping and
start/shutdown of units 3 - 6 as needed, things could get quite
interesting.

Note that one very nifty feature of some of Honda's EU series of portable
units is that you can run two together. You've got to keep them both
rnning, but that could be worked out for a larger assemblage.
 
M

Melodie de l'Epine

Jan 1, 1970
0
SQLit a écrit :
Did you notice that it is only and 1kw electrical producer? An tad small for
my needs.

I have worked on and or around some co-gen's must were over 1000kw.


The whole point is the size and power! Plenty of 1MW cogen out there,
but pretty much nothing (with a few exceptions such as this) for
domestic users...

And being grid connected, you can still run your washing machine...

I'd like to know how many dB it makes, as the small sized cogen units
I've heard about before were all noisy (to noisy, for example, to be put
in a kitchen or bathroom)

Mel
 
N

News

Jan 1, 1970
0
SQLit said:
Did you notice that it is only and 1kw electrical producer? An tad small for
my needs.

I have worked on and or around some co-gen's must were over 1000kw.

1 kW will provide about half the electricity needs for the average home.
Have ultra low energy appliances and use gas where you can instead of
electricity and even more.

It is grid connected so you can use your appliances all together, but I
would aim not to, avoiding buying in too much electricity
 
N

News

Jan 1, 1970
0
Nice! I want one! Be interesting to see if you could run
(economically) run it 24x7 in a net metering environment, or if it
only makes sense to run it in place of your hot water burner...

Probably the case. Although it will not reheat water that quickly, not a
25kW gas boiler for sure. Having some switching arrangement to also heat an
electric immersion water heater would be handy to use all its power in the
home. When calling for hot water it seems senseless to feed electricity into
the grid.
 
N

News

Jan 1, 1970
0
Melodie de l'Epine said:
SQLit a écrit :

The whole point is the size and power! Plenty of 1MW cogen out there,
but pretty much nothing (with a few exceptions such as this) for
domestic users...

And being grid connected, you can still run your washing machine...

I'd like to know how many dB it makes, as the small sized cogen units
I've heard about before were all noisy (to noisy, for example, to be put
in a kitchen or bathroom)

Mel

Here is a post of mine from 3 weeks back. One Stirling engine cogen unit is
available now (1kW), the whisspergen, and two are imminant. The Gledhill
webb site shows them. Surplus heat is stored in a thermal store for later
use

Look at:
http://www.gledhill.net/water-storage/ws-index.htm

Go to innovations -> mCHP for an overview of the approach using a Stirling
engine and thermal store. They are using/going to use an adapted thermal
store in their existing range to mate with a Stirling engine:
http://www.gledhill.net/water-storage/2000-range-index/boilermate2.htm

I have glanced at it and it appears they are to use off the shelf CHP
Stirling units. A PowerPoint presentation is linked that gives more info.

They are on about energy utilities remotely controlling these cogen units in
homes to supplement the national grid in peak periods.

Using thermal stores it is possible to nearly deplete the store of heat and
use the Stirling to re-heat in one long efficient burn. This eliminates
cycling.
 
N

News

Jan 1, 1970
0
danny burstein said:
In the late 1970s there was the "totem" based on a Fiat engine. It was
alpha tested in the US and had some limited success in Europe.

A quick glance at web pages suggests there are still some around. Many of
the pages were non-English so I can't be sure, but it looked like it was
still available in some areas.

It was based on the Fiat 127 engine, which these days is very old hat. They
may have replaced it with a more modern unit. I recall it produced about 15
kW. Appears way too much for a domestic house.
 
M

m Ransley

Jan 1, 1970
0
What is the life of the motor-unit. What is its cost . That will
determine its true value

Does the oil have to be changed 2-3 times a month 36 times a year?

1 kw is all I would need running 5-6 hrs a day or so. My bills average
175kwh. Im sure you need a battery bank and an inverter to make this
work.

If the cost and reliability are there it could be great.
 
N

News

Jan 1, 1970
0
m Ransley said:
What is the life of the motor-unit. What is its cost . That will
determine its true value

Does the oil have to be changed 2-3 times a month 36 times a year?

1 kw is all I would need running 5-6 hrs a day or so. My bills average
175kwh. Im sure you need a battery bank and an inverter to make this
work.

If the cost and reliability are there it could be great.

There may be more on the Japanese Honda site, this is the German one.
 
E

Ecnerwal

Jan 1, 1970
0
It was based on the Fiat 127 engine, which these days is very old hat. They
may have replaced it with a more modern unit. I recall it produced about 15
kW. Appears way too much for a domestic house.

I suppose it depends on the house. I'll be rolling my own diesel cogen
offgrid system, and figure 10KW (electric) is about the bare minimum for
my purposes - but I do more at home than sit around with a compact
flourescent light burning over my head. If I can't start and run about 4
hp worth of electric motors at once, I can't get my home-work done.
 
B

Bughunter

Jan 1, 1970
0
I found this link additional link. It has a few diagrams.

http://world.honda.com/news/2001/p010830.html

For sound output they says it's comparable to a typical air conditioner
compressor, whatever that is. Probably about 46db.

They also have a air conditioning unit that uses the same engine...
http://world.honda.com/news/1998/p980312.html

This little cogen system would compliment my 400 watt PV array, battery bank
and inverter quite nicely. My best power collection day was 24 amp hours at
50v. A 1kw
cogen running full time would double that electrical power and produce hot
water as well.

I already use a EU3000 generator with my system for periodic charging. I
just happen to be in need of a hot water heater.

The only thing I have seen is that they were testing them in Japan, and
nothing that says they have actually been selling them, or what the price
might be.

I'd seriously consider buying one of these if I could find one for sale.
 
W

William P.N. Smith

Jan 1, 1970
0
SQLit said:
Did you notice that it is only and 1kw electrical producer? An tad small for
my needs.

OK, so I need four of them.
I have worked on and or around some co-gen's must were over 1000kw.

Not many of us need a megawatt cogen plant in our house, nor do we
have the NG feed to support it...
 
B

Bughunter

Jan 1, 1970
0
farmerjohn said:
How can I get one of these, please don't tease me with just the adds. US
gov. probably wont let them in.

I think that there might have been "research" demonstration products. I have
not been able to find any for sale. Too bad, cause I'd probably have bought
one if the price was right, even if I had to have it shipped from overseas.
 
S

Steve Thomas

Jan 1, 1970
0
The Whispergen units have been marketed towards the sailboat crowd for a few
years now, mainly in Europe. If you care at all about cost, you can't afford
one.
 
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