Micro 12VDC Generator with a Cox .049 Sure Start Diesel Engine

StevenStanleyBayes wrote:No, I have never seen a Glow Plug Engine.

Then perhaps you shouldn't try to reinvent the wheel for something that you have no experience with?

Glow engines have been around for more than 50 years and you can rest assured that everything has been tried in terms of how to heat the glow plug.

Putting out an untested circuit diagram for something you have no experience with serves no purpose, as I see it. There is only a risk of misleading other people that are also new to the hobby.

As an example, I have never seen a glow plug designed for 1.2V and I have no idea where you get that value from? Glow plugs are designed for 1.5V or 2.0V, with 1.5V being the most common value.

Surfer_kris wrote:

StevenStanleyBayes wrote:No, I have never seen a Glow Plug Engine.

Then perhaps you shouldn't try to reinvent the wheel for something that you have no experience with?  

Glow engines have been around for more than 50 years and you can rest assured that everything has been tried in terms of how to heat the glow plug.

Putting out an untested circuit diagram for something you have no experience with serves no purpose, as I see it. There is only a risk of misleading other people that are also new to the hobby.

As an example, I have never seen a glow plug designed for 1.2V and I have no idea where you get that value from? Glow plugs are designed for 1.5V or 2.0V, with 1.5V being the most common value.

The device I have suggested is gives a possibility for a voltage selection in a very large range and a display of a desired voltage with a great accuracy as well as is very simple and inexpensive.

I read somewhere most manufacturers suggest to use a 1.5V battery with a Germanium diode or transistor in secuence to reduce the 1.5V to 1.2V ad the Germanium semiconductors have a 0.35V drop. Also, a rechargeable battery is recomended which will also have around 1.2V output.

Some sources say Cox glow plugs can be damaged with 1.6V but may run with 1.5V, hence accuracy is necessary.

The driver gives many voltages for the user to use and can easily display anything between 1.2V and 1.9V with a jump of 0.1V with an 8 position rotary switch, which, as mentioned is avsilable and inexpensive from AliExpress.

Because the device can give many voltages, there is no way to mislead anyone.

Mistakes with the schematics are possible but the person who wants to build the device is expected to have friends with knowledge of electronics. The schematics does not need testing but a logical walk through.

As far as experience with glow engines is concerned, the Ohm's law is the same regardless whether used with glow engines or nuclear power stations.

I would be happy to make the device and test with a similar load but I do not want to spend effort and money.

In case there are such devices available, one can use any of them. I am not sure whether there is any device which gives multiple selectable voltages, though.

The only area where one can make a mistake is the need of a huge heat sink, a blower and a fan. The other things are standard.

In case anyone needs more voltages, other rotary switches can be used or a few selectable by another. For example, one may use two 12 position rotary switches and one 2 position rotary switch to select either. Thus one can have 1.2V through 2.2V with a jump of 0.5V.

Once the idea is out there, almost anyone can reconfigure the schematics which was one of the goals of the device.

Most people will not make anything to risk their engines unless they are sure and, thus, they will not be mislead.

As far as global experience is concerned, experience is not necessary anywhere. Necessary is knowledge in some cases. And knowledge has got nothing to do with experience. Not experience but knowledge reduces the possibility of a mistake.

One does not need a weatherman to find which way the wind blows. One only needs a basic knowledge of what wind is as well as to know the important parameter called wind changeability, i. e. wind changes direction and speed.

THE DEVICE HAS BEEN DESIGNED ON PAPER ONLY. ANY MISTAKE IS POSSIBLE. DO NOT USE UNLESS SURE. ASK A FRIEND TOO.

HUGE HEAT SINK, A BLOWER AND A FAN ARE A MUST. COMPUTER HEAT SINK AND FAN MAY BE OK.

THE OUTPUT IS NOT PROTECTED.

StevenStanleyBayes wrote:
As far as global experience is concerned, experience is not necessary anywhere. Necessary is knowledge in some cases. And knowledge has got nothing to do with experience. Not experience but knowledge reduces the possibility of a mistake.

Hehe, you should tell that to NASA, I believe that they are actually training their astronauts...

Surfer_kris wrote:

StevenStanleyBayes wrote:
As far as global experience is concerned, experience is not necessary anywhere. Necessary is knowledge in some cases. And knowledge has got nothing to do with experience. Not experience but knowledge reduces the possibility of a mistake.

Hehe, you should tell that to NASA, I believe that they are actually training their astronauts...

.... in Ohm's Law. I would not be surprised. : ) LOL

I have found a mistake in the explanation of the MOSFET circuits of the Glow Plug device. Sorry. The mistake does not affect the principle of work, though. To be corrected on the document. Also, as I have mentioned, the schematics with the opamps and the Darlington is the one I have aimed for.

Now is a great period in the making of the generator and I am exceptionally happy. I have successfully run the almost fully assembled micro generator just without the tank and the muffler.

The engine started almost immediately as expected : with and without the dynamo attached. I have not been able to run the engine at higher RPM and I do not know why for now. I have not tried much to be able to make the video concise and to be able to perform the first run. At low RPM and with these pulleys, I have achieved between 2.5W and 5W only. The engine did not even blink and run the same without the dynamo, with the dynamo and without a load and with the dynamo and the loads. More to come.

Here is the video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPuUY2SubGY

Here are the specifics :

Third Successful Start of the System : With a Load. No Tank, no muffler.

Video Link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPuUY2SubGY
Video Link of the Edited Video : No editing needed.

Preliminary Information : This has been the third start on video with the whole generator assembled and with load. No tank and no muffler yet. Started immediately as expected. Noticed the engine was unable to reach high RPM even without a belt and dynamo. Attempted with more opened fuel needle valve. Unable to perform many adjustment due to video period of recording limitation. Lower tension belt used. Performed OK. Dynamo unable to be rotated faster as faster speed of the engine was not achieved as mentioned. Initial fuel loading was carried out by closing the Air Valve ( Throttle ), reducing the compression and performing 4 to 8 “ empty “ spring starts. All spring starts, including the “ empty “ fuel loading spring starts are in the same position as specified thereafter. Here are the specifications :

Engine : Cox .049 SureStart Diesel

Muffler : Not Installed

Pulleys : Engine Pulley : 0.7cm, Dynamo Pulley : 1.5cm

Pulley Ratio : ~ 0.5

Dynamo : RS555, Brushed DC Generator ( Dynamo ) and a 12 VDC Electrical Motor

Fuel : 8mL Ether ( John Deere 80 Starter Fluid ), Kerosene : 7mL, Castor Oil : 5mL, Cetone Booster ( 2 Isopropyl Nitrate & Xelone ) 1mL. This is : 38% Ether ( John Deere 80 Starter Fluid ), Kerosene : 33%, Castor Oil : 24%, Cetone Booster ( 2 Isopropyl Nitrate & Xelone ) 5%

Amount of Fuel : 20mL

Preliminary Start without the Dynamo Attached : Yes, at the same settings. Reason : to heat up the engine for the start with the dynamo attached.

Propeller : 3.125 Inches Diameter, 2.5 Inches Pitch, 3 Blades

Belt : Elastic Band. Low tension.

Dynamo Fan : Installed

Electrical Load : Two loads used. The fuel burned before being able to install the third one. Load 1 : 10Ω, 10W, 5%. Load 2 : 7.5Ω, 20W, ~5%. Load 3 ( not used but available ) : 5Ω, 30W, ~5%.

Fuse : 3A

Spring Starter : Yes

Other Means to Start the Engine : Not Used

Level of Spring Start Engagement during Successful Starts : Not fully engaged. Around 2 compression only.

Settings : Air Valve : 75% Open ; Fuel Needle Valve : 3.5 turns Open ; Compression : Close to Maximal but Not Maximal ( the compression screw was screwed gently until some resistance shown ). Increased after the start to be almost the maximal.

Engine Control : The engine exhibited a very good ability to be controlled by all controls : Air, Fuel and Compression. Unable to achieve high RPM neither with nor without the dynamo attached. Limited by the video to attempt to adjust the engine to higher RPM.

Voltage and Current Achieved : Voltage without load : 12VDC. Voltage with load ( Load 1 and Load 2 ) : 4 to 6VDC. Current : 0.5A with Load 1 and Load 2. This is very strange. Power achieved : 3W at these low RPM.

Greasing the Pulleys Before Start : No.

Temperature of the Engine and the System : Room ( 20ºC to 25ºC )

Temperature of the Fuel : Room ( 20ºC to 25ºC ). Because Ether had been derived from a John Deere 80 Starter Fluid can with compressed Ether and propellants, the Ether was freezing when squeezed out. Thus, the fuel had to be warmed up. The fuel was put in a measuring glass where the fuel was mixed. Then the measuring glass was dipped into a jar with hot water and kept for a few seconds. Then the fuel was shaken to mix up even more at the new, high ( room ) temperature.

Noise : Yes but not as much as before because of the low RPM. Generally, the engine is powerful and noisy. Some reduction may be possible with the muffler. Not as much so the power is not reduced.

Messy : Yes but kept away by the yellow plastic protection installed around the dynamo. Exhaust fluids have not been canalised. Can be canalised through a pipe attached to the exhaust ( best modified with a bigger hole ) with a nipple attached to the exhaust to allow attachment of the exhaust pipe.

Conclusion : This video shows the almost fully assembled generator just without a tank and a muffler. This is the first video with a load. In all, I consider this video a great success. I have to investigate why the engine refused to achieve higher RPM and why the readings of the gauges were such. Because Load 1 is 10, the current must be equal to the voltage divided by 10 which was observed : around 5V and 0.5A. However, with Load 2 of 7.5, the voltage is 6V and must give 0.8A current. The voltmeter has been offset by - 0.8V to compensate for the output diode. The ampermeter is before the voltmeter but the current through the voltmeter has been found to be negligible. Assuming the voltmeter has displayed the correct voltage, the maximal power reached at these low RPM in this test run is 4.8W, around 5W which is OK at low RPM and with these pulleys which make the RPM of the dynamo twice as lo as the RPM of the engine. An important observation is the engine did not even blink to display 5W. The engine worked exactly the same without the dynamo attached, with the dynamo attached and 0 load and with the dynamo attached and 5W load. Hence, the engine must be able to reach much higher power. The decrease of the voltage of the dynamo from 12V without a load to 6V with 2.5W and 5W load is as expected.

Some quick corrections have been made to the glow plug document. This document is not important as is not directly connected to the project. I though this was a good idea to post but I really did not want to put so much attention thereto.

Here, again, are all the external links to the project :

Thesis : http://www.steven-stanley-bayes.com/Cox%20.049%20SureStart%20Diesel.doc

Video of the Assembled Micro Generator, No Tank, No Muffler : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPuUY2SubGY

Edited Video of the System Start and Work with the Dynamo : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6sSJIbKgk4

Edited Video of the Engine Start and Work without the Dynamo : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTbZ11njcn0

Video of the System Start and Work with the Dynamo : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA0HQJMAUSo

Video of the Engine Start and Work without the Dynamo : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7FfparKL78

Pictures of the Back Panel : http://www.steven-stanley-bayes.com/Pictures%20of%20the%20Back%20Panel.doc

Pictures of the Engine, the Dynamo and the Stand : http://www.steven-stanley-bayes.com/Pictures%20of%20the%20Engine,%20the%20Dynamo%20and%20the%20Stand.doc

Pictures of the Engine and the Stand : http://www.steven-stanley-bayes.com/Pictures%20of%20the%20Engine%20and%20the%20Stand.doc

Pictures of the Assembled Generator, No Tank, No Muffler : http://www.steven-stanley-bayes.com/Pictures%20of%20the%20Assembled%20Generator,%20No%20Tank,%20No%20Muffler.doc

Electrical Schematics in .jpg Format : http://www.steven-stanley-bayes.com/12VDC%20Micro%20Generator%20with%20Micro%20Engine%20with%20Internal%20Combustion.jpg

Electrical Schematics in .123 Format : http://www.steven-stanley-bayes.com/12VDC%20Micro%20Generator%20with%20Micro%20Engine%20with%20Internal%20Combustion.123

Glow Plug Voltage from a 12VDC Source : http://www.steven-stanley-bayes.com/Glow%20Plug%20Voltage%20from%20a%2012VDC%20Source.doc

StevenStanleyBayes wrote:

Surfer_kris wrote:

StevenStanleyBayes wrote:
As far as global experience is concerned, experience is not necessary anywhere. Necessary is knowledge in some cases. And knowledge has got nothing to do with experience. Not experience but knowledge reduces the possibility of a mistake.

Hehe, you should tell that to NASA, I believe that they are actually training their astronauts...

.... in Ohm's Law. I would not be surprised. : ) LOL

So ignorance is indeed bliss...

Surfer_kris wrote:

StevenStanleyBayes wrote:

Surfer_kris wrote:

StevenStanleyBayes wrote:
As far as global experience is concerned, experience is not necessary anywhere. Necessary is knowledge in some cases. And knowledge has got nothing to do with experience. Not experience but knowledge reduces the possibility of a mistake.

Hehe, you should tell that to NASA, I believe that they are actually training their astronauts...

.... in Ohm's Law. I would not be surprised. : ) LOL

So ignorance is indeed bliss...  

Ignorance is lack of knowledge and knowledge has nothing to do with experience.

I do not know whether the video has always been available for viewing but I have just received an automatic email from YouTube stating the video is now available.

Here is the link :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPuUY2SubGY

why dont you inbead your video's

like this

robot797 wrote:why dont you inbead your video's

like this

Because I did not know how. I will now try to use the icons in Post Reply.

Your generator is excellent. Thank you for posting this video!  Congratulations!

I wonder whether you need a flywheel at all. In case you do, I hope the flywheel is made of Aluminium which is light. Also, do you support your system anywhere else except at the engine and the dynamo? In case not, make sure they are aligned perfectly. I am not sure but I think I can here a tiny high pitch noise from your flywheel touching the frame.

Also, although you put a heat sink over the cylinder, would you like to either put a propeller instead of a flywheel or to cut your flywheel to provide some fan effect to blow air towards the engine . You can even make a double sided fan to blow towards the propeller as well as the dynamo taking air from the side. I am not sure whether this would work or they would cancel each other out.

In case you put a fan, because your design is thin and stealthy, the fan will not move the generator. I have a 3.125 inch fan which does move the hole generator even with the heavy wooden pedestal.

Your starting system is perfect. Looks like your dynamo works fine as a motor and starts the engine.

Also, looks like you are using RS555 as a dynamo which is OK with a straight connection. Looks like Cox .049 Diesel and RS555 match well. You can get more than 25V when you spin the engine at high RPM which is OK.

I have decided to use pulleys and to be able to change them also as per the application. Straight is OK too.

You can put a tank behind the engine which will make you generator longer but stable. Make sure the tank is centered not to tilt your generator left or right. You can add side pins like a crane or a jack to the sides.

StevenStanleyBayes wrote:

robot797 wrote:why dont you inbead your video's

like this

Because I did not know how. I will now try to use the icons in Post Reply.

Your generator is excellent. Thank you for posting this video!  Congratulations!

I wonder whether you need a flywheel at all. In case you do, I hope the flywheel is made of Aluminium which is light. Also, do you support your system anywhere else except at the engine and the dynamo? In case not, make sure they are aligned perfectly. I am not sure but I think I can here a tiny high pitch noise from your flywheel touching the frame.

Also, although you put a heat sink over the cylinder, would you like to either put a propeller instead of a flywheel or to cut your flywheel to provide some fan effect to blow air towards the engine . You can even make a double sided fan to blow towards the propeller as well as the dynamo taking air from the side. I am not sure whether this would work or they would cancel each other out.

In case you put a fan, because your design is thin and stealthy, the fan will not move the generator. I have a 3.125 inch fan which does move the hole generator even with the heavy wooden pedestal.

Your starting system is perfect. Looks like your dynamo works fine as a motor and starts the engine.

Also, looks like you are using RS555 as a dynamo which is OK with a straight connection. Looks like Cox .049 Diesel and RS555 match well. You can get more than 25V when you spin the engine at high RPM which is OK.

I have decided to use pulleys and to be able to change them also as per the application. Straight is OK too.

You can put a tank behind the engine which will make you generator longer but stable. Make sure the tank is centered not to tilt your generator left or right. You can add side pins like a crane or a jack to the sides.

I have an idea for your generator : you can put two Cox 3.125 inch propellers on the two sides of the flywheel and as far away from the flywheel as possible. One of them would be installed the correct way to blow air towards the engine and the other one would be installed the other way around to blow air towards the dynamo. Here are the propellers : http://coxengines.ca/cox-.020-propeller-3.125-x-2.5-3-blade.html , http://coxengines.ca/cox-.020-propeller-3.125-x-2.5-3-blade-3.html

These links are to the same propeller, one sold in singles the other sold in package of 3. I do not think they have a left hand and a right hand versions of this but you can install them the opposite way to each other.

This way, you can still keep your flywheel and have two fans for the engine and dynamo and you have plenty of room.

In case you do not want to do so, you can trim these or install other fan blades. One way is to make 90 degrees aluminum angle brackets and bolt them to the flywheel. You can increase the angle in case you so desire.

Just trying to help.

well my enge does not need cooling yet
when i run it on low rpm
i can hold the heatsing without burning myself
but when i cant hold it for 5 seconds it is getting to hot
and for my generator mine has a internal fan so it does not need an external fan

robot797 wrote:well my enge does not need cooling yet
when i run it on low rpm
i can hold the heatsing without burning myself
but when i cant hold it for 5 seconds it is getting to hot
and for my generator mine has a internal fan so it does not need an external fan

Glad to hear your dynamo has an internal fan. Although the engine has a heat sink, some aeration can be of advantage. You have a flywheel. Good to use the flywheel forvaeration too. In case you put a propeller next to the flywheel, the propeller will not see as much air resistance and will not consume as much yet g7ving some wind to the engine. You can put some plastic or thin Aluminium tiny angle brakets to the flywheel, any uneven surface but symmetrical towards the axel.

True, you reduce the engine wear without a fan but a tinyvone will not make a difference. You can use the yellow fanvwhich I use on the generator. Just a gram or two.

I will post you the link in a while. I have a few more yellow fans and I can mail you one for free in case you wish to explore this possibility.

StevenStanleyBayes wrote:

robot797 wrote:well my enge does not need cooling yet
when i run it on low rpm
i can hold the heatsing without burning myself
but when i cant hold it for 5 seconds it is getting to hot
and for my generator mine has a internal fan so it does not need an external fan

Glad to hear your dynamo has an internal fan. Although the engine has a heat sink, some aeration can be of advantage. You have a flywheel. Good to use the flywheel forvaeration too. In case you put a propeller next to the flywheel, the propeller will not see as much air resistance and will not consume as much yet g7ving some wind to the engine. You can put some plastic or thin Aluminium tiny angle brakets to the flywheel, any uneven surface but symmetrical towards the axel.  

True, you reduce the engine wear without a fan but a tinyvone will not make a difference. You can use the yellow fanvwhich I use on the generator. Just a gram or two.

I  will post you the link in a while. I have a few more yellow fans and I can mail you one for free in case you wish to explore this possibility.

Here is the link : http://m.aliexpress.com/item/1387594239.html?tracelog=storedetail2mobilesitedetail

This is a link for mobiles but, once you have the item number, you can find the desktop page. The fan is so tiny, the engine would not even know the fan is installed.

StevenStanleyBayes wrote:

StevenStanleyBayes wrote:

robot797 wrote:well my enge does not need cooling yet
when i run it on low rpm
i can hold the heatsing without burning myself
but when i cant hold it for 5 seconds it is getting to hot
and for my generator mine has a internal fan so it does not need an external fan

Glad to hear your dynamo has an internal fan. Although the engine has a heat sink, some aeration can be of advantage. You have a flywheel. Good to use the flywheel forvaeration too. In case you put a propeller next to the flywheel, the propeller will not see as much air resistance and will not consume as much yet g7ving some wind to the engine. You can put some plastic or thin Aluminium tiny angle brakets to the flywheel, any uneven surface but symmetrical towards the axel.  

True, you reduce the engine wear without a fan but a tinyvone will not make a difference. You can use the yellow fanvwhich I use on the generator. Just a gram or two.

I  will post you the link in a while. I have a few more yellow fans and I can mail you one for free in case you wish to explore this possibility.

Here is the link : http://m.aliexpress.com/item/1387594239.html?tracelog=storedetail2mobilesitedetail

This is a link for mobiles but, once you have the item number, you can find the desktop page. The fan is so tiny, the engine would not even know the fan is installed.  
 

Here is a tripple blade one : http://m.aliexpress.com/item/32282748796.html

There are many sellers on AliExpress who offer these and others. Google search with keywords a fan blades and propellers on AliExpress.

StevenStanleyBayes wrote:

StevenStanleyBayes wrote:

StevenStanleyBayes wrote:

robot797 wrote:well my enge does not need cooling yet
when i run it on low rpm
i can hold the heatsing without burning myself
but when i cant hold it for 5 seconds it is getting to hot
and for my generator mine has a internal fan so it does not need an external fan

Glad to hear your dynamo has an internal fan. Although the engine has a heat sink, some aeration can be of advantage. You have a flywheel. Good to use the flywheel forvaeration too. In case you put a propeller next to the flywheel, the propeller will not see as much air resistance and will not consume as much yet g7ving some wind to the engine. You can put some plastic or thin Aluminium tiny angle brakets to the flywheel, any uneven surface but symmetrical towards the axel.  

True, you reduce the engine wear without a fan but a tinyvone will not make a difference. You can use the yellow fanvwhich I use on the generator. Just a gram or two.

I  will post you the link in a while. I have a few more yellow fans and I can mail you one for free in case you wish to explore this possibility.

Here is the link : http://m.aliexpress.com/item/1387594239.html?tracelog=storedetail2mobilesitedetail

This is a link for mobiles but, once you have the item number, you can find the desktop page. The fan is so tiny, the engine would not even know the fan is installed.  
 

Here is a tripple blade one : http://m.aliexpress.com/item/32282748796.html

There are many sellers on AliExpress who offer these and others. Google search with keywords a fan blades and propellers on AliExpress.

Here is a search result : http://m.aliexpress.com/popular/diy-fan-controller.html?tracelog=wssearch2mobilesearch

if the fan isnt to thick i can make it work

but for now i almost have no play in the room i have

(i have made a smal indentation to make room for the flywheel and it is already hitting the edge)

robot797 wrote:if the fan isnt to thick i can make it work

but for now i almost have no play in the room i have

(i have made a smal indentation to make room for the flywheel and it is already hitting the edge)

The diameter of the fan is much lower than the diameter of the flywheel and will not need any indentation and will not hit the base.

You can read on the links I have sent you how big the fan is. I think around 3cm.

Got 8 cans of " John Deere 80% Ether Starter Fluid " for $45.20CAD.

Each can contains around 200mL fluid, almost all of these are Ether with some propellants. Therefore, I have around 1.6L Ether. I also have another can with around 170g Ether.

I would be able to have more runs.