Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Using car alternator to power a sub for surface travel

[Alex <spm2@nomad.ignorelist.com>]

Well I was looking at sailboats and quite often they have a little 10HP diesel
engine in them. If you could get one of those it would be great as a generator.
I would prefer diesel because of the fume issue and also because of the greatly
reduced fuel use. Then I was thinking you could get 3 automotive alternators
and hook them in series to get 36V (or 14.4 * 3 = 43.2v for battery charging)
and run like that. This is the cheapest solution I could think of for getting
12 / 24 / 36v / whatever power. With all the tools used to make the sumbarine it
shouldn't be hard to make a support for 3 alternators with the belt going
around all 3 and then around the engine pully. The chassis of the alternators
have to be insulated though. Each alternator only has to run at about 2000 RPM
and they can put out something like 50 amps. Of course if you want you can
modify the voltage
regulator / exciter controller  to allow it to go over 14.4v and then double
the speed of the alternator and make it put out 24v instead of 12v. You could
even use one alternator at 6000RPM and make it put out 36v at 50A directly if
you wanted. In a car the alternator spins at 2 - 3 times the engine speed, so
it's designed to operate 6000 RPM continuously. To run an alternator at higher
 voltage you need to do one or more of 3 things: Increase the current to
the field (exciter) windings which will make it put out more voltage (which is
how the regulator to regulates 14.4 at 1500RPM all the way to 15,000RPM), with
the field windings maxed out, increase the speed, and if the output voltage is
above somewhere around 40v the internal 3 phase rectifier may need to be
bypassed and another one that can handle higher voltage used instead.

Alex



On 18-Apr-2010 ShellyDalg@aol.com wrote:
> Just a random thought while I was putzing in the shop  yesterday........
> With a little gas generator like the 1800 watt camping ones that Coleman  
> makes ( real quiet too ) and a transformer a guy MIGHT be able to run a sub 
> on  the surface with just the electric thrusters. 
> Two Minnkota 101's running at half speed need about 1650 watts.....and  
> those little generators will run three hours on a gallon of gas.
> The little generator could be lashed down on the deck and fired up while  
> cruising on the surface. When you reach your destination, just put the 
> generator  inside, close the hatch, dive, and away you go.
> ( I obviously have WAY too much time on my hands )
> Frank D.

-- 
Mailed with XFmail on 23-Apr-2010.
God saved Noah, but Noah had to build an ark!



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