Picked up half a megawatt worth of Caterpillar power, think I'll make a PTO generator

[1010]

I certainly wouldn't want my tractor running at full throttle sitting still for hours. That is why fish pond tractors are avoided at a sale.
I can burn 18 gallons of diesel in my 75hp tractor in less than a day with a 709 cutter.

 

[strantor]

To the OP, the biggest problem I see is, the amount of fuel that little tractor is going to drink, powering that big gen head. Plus, adding another gear box? Even more loss'.

Fuel consumption is by far MY biggest worry in a power outage, I could run out and not beable to get more? The other thing is, who wants to pay, 10, 15 or even more per HOUR just to have electricity?

NO one in this house is that spoiled, that it's worth it, to pay that price, just for juice!!

SR

I don't see why a larger generator head would cost more in fuel than a smaller one. Sure, it will take some grunt to get it up to speed, but once at speed shouldn't represent that much more load. The only additional load I see would be the big cooling fan, which I think I can probably remove, since I will only be running it at 5% to 10% it's rated load.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I certainly wouldn't want my tractor running at full throttle sitting still for hours.

Me either, that's why I don't own a tractor that I have to run "full throttle" to get pto speed...

SR

 

[Sawyer Rob]

There's a lot more "rolling resistance" in a big gen head, than there is in a smaller one. On top of that, you are adding a gear box of some kind and that will add even more.

Your tractor has pretty limited hp., I'm sure it will run it, but I bet you it's won't be very fuel efficient compared to a smaller kw head...

SR

 

[strantor]

There's a lot more "rolling resistance" in a big gen head, than there is in a smaller one. On top of that, you are adding a gear box of some kind and that will add even more.

Your tractor has pretty limited hp., I'm sure it will run it, but I bet you it's won't be very fuel efficient compared to a smaller kw head...

SR

Ok point taken on the rolling resistance, but Don't all PTO generators have a gearbox?

 

[strantor]

I certainly wouldn't want my tractor running at full throttle sitting still for hours. That is why fish pond tractors are avoided at a sale.
I can burn 18 gallons of diesel in my 75hp tractor in less than a day with a 709 cutter.

I don't suppose I have to gear it such that it produces 60Hz at 540 PTO RPM. I could gear it for mid-range RPM and see how well that works.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I don't suppose I have to gear it such that it produces 60Hz at 540 PTO RPM. I could gear it for mid-range RPM and see how well that works.

IMO, you don't have near enough hp to gear it any other way than to run your tractor at pto speed.

As for your gear box question, yes most do, BUT bigger boxes have more rolling resistance too, they should be sized properly, not waay over sized like a truck rear end.

SR

 

[radios1]

try this, they are between 45 and 75% efficient, compared to a diesel or gasoline engine powered generator,(a few percent efficiency) and YES, they are available surplus from retired aircraft.. BOEING B737: AUXILLARY POWER UNIT (APU)

 

[MossRoad]

try this, they are between 45 and 75% efficient, compared to a diesel or gasoline engine powered generator,(a few percent efficiency) and YES, they are available surplus from retired aircraft.. BOEING B737: AUXILLARY POWER UNIT (APU)

Here's one off of a 747. It's only 2500HP. :laughing:

eBay

 

[Industrial Toys]

If power is that critical, why not just go on E-Bay and buy some nice appropriately sized, quality, used, low running Diesel, Generator. End of project and story.

I have a 1000# cutting flywheel in my 15" PTO chipper meant for a larger HP tractor than the 70 something JD I have. Our tractor has a tough time getting that flywheel moving and I'm sure the PTO clutch doesn't like it. That large genend rotor could be similar.