Generator cooling water via calorifier

[solentseadog]

Hi,

I am a newbie to this forums but have been boating all my life.

Recent been trying to spend more time off grid with no shore power. This presents the problem of power generation (as we all know and as has been extensively written about), and also the problem of hot water for showers etc...

I have been looking at upgrading from a suitcase style generator to a fitted generator. Fitted generators require cooling of course and many use a water circuit for this - either direct through the hull, or via a closed circuit / heat exchanger system, or even via an oil cooling circuit.

Anyway I wondered of anyone has experience or thoughts on connecting the generator cooling circuit to a calorifier tank so that water is heated when the generator is running?

I already have a circuit from my engine that heats the water in the calorifier so is there any reason not to have something similar from the generator?

Thanks in advance for any input.

[Athy]

Welcome to CWDF.

Your new topic seemed to post itself twice, but one got cut off in its prime, so I have removed that one and left this completed one in place.

[solentseadog]

Many thanks Athy,

I had used your contact us form to notify your website of the problem but looks like your reply beat me to it!

Thanks for sorting out the duplication.

Kind regards,

Solentseadog 

 

 

[Muddy Ditch Rich]

There is no reason why not. 

If the plumbing is right and you don't feed hot water between the two engines.

[pearley]

The obvious thought to me is that if the generator is run for any length of time the calorifier will not supply sufficient cooling.

[WotEver]

41 minutes ago, pearley said:

The obvious thought to me is that if the generator is run for any length of time the calorifier will not supply sufficient cooling.

I'm not sure that was OP's intention. I had to read it twice and I'm still not positive but I believe he's saying "while I'm cooling the genny can I use that waste heat in the calorifier?"  Obviously the answer is yes, IF he has a spare coil in the cauliflower to achieve it. 

[pearley]

4 minutes ago, WotEver said:

I'm not sure that was OP's intention. I had to read it twice and I'm still not positive but I believe he's saying "while I'm cooling the genny can I use that waste heat in the calorifier?"  Obviously the answer is yes, IF he has a spare coil in the cauliflower to achieve it. 

Yes, it doesn't read that clearly. If we were having our boat, which has a built-in generator, done again then heating the clarifier is something I would consider but it would need a three circuit clarifier.

[NMEA]

Perfectly normal on many seagoing vessels with twin or even triple coil calorifier.

 

[peterboat]

3 hours ago, solentseadog said:

Hi,

I am a newbie to this forums but have been boating all my life.

Recent been trying to spend more time off grid with no shore power. This presents the problem of power generation (as we all know and as has been extensively written about), and also the problem of hot water for showers etc...

I have been looking at upgrading from a suitcase style generator to a fitted generator. Fitted generators require cooling of course and many use a water circuit for this - either direct through the hull, or via a closed circuit / heat exchanger system, or even via an oil cooling circuit.

Anyway I wondered of anyone has experience or thoughts on connecting the generator cooling circuit to a calorifier tank so that water is heated when the generator is running?

I already have a circuit from my engine that heats the water in the calorifier so is there any reason not to have something similar from the generator?

Thanks in advance for any input.

I have this on my boat using a whispergen, It works but I also have to use the radiators as well to get rid of the heat in my case 5 KW of heat so in summer your boat would be warm very warm

[BEngo]

Additionally, if you are thinking of skin-tank cooling the generator you will need to consider the reduced effectiveness of a skin tank on a stationary boat.   Main engines are usually producing most power when the water is moving past the tanks so the heat gets taken away more effectively.  Generators are normally knocking out power with the boat stationary so only convection to move the canal water past the skin tank.  Ergo- you need a bigger skin tank for, say, a 15 HP generator than you would for a 15 HP main engine.

N

[Chewbacka]

13 minutes ago, BEngo said:

Additionally, if you are thinking of skin-tank cooling the generator you will need to consider the reduced effectiveness of a skin tank on a stationary boat.   Main engines are usually producing most power when the water is moving past the tanks so the heat gets taken away more effectively.  Generators are normally knocking out power with the boat stationary so only convection to move the canal water past the skin tank.  Ergo- you need a bigger skin tank for, say, a 15 HP generator than you would for a 15 HP main engine.

N

Good point, and if you are using the skin tank on the bank side, canal water cooling circulation is going to be even worse.........

[WotEver]

15 minutes ago, Chewbacka said:

Good point, and if you are using the skin tank on the bank side, canal water cooling circulation is going to be even worse.........

But it might encourage the fish, so if you fancied a carp supper...

[Robbo]

I have a built in genny with raw water heat exchanger type system like the attached screen shot (aalthough mine splits the water and exhaust after the siliencer so the exit water goes directly into the canal rather than plops out from above).   Good points is that it is quiet and hardly noticeable outside, could do with more soundproofing mine, but that's easily fixed.  Bad things is that the raw water in summer sucks of plants up, so a mesh type skin fitting is recommended.  However if you have solar, a generator use in summer is not used much.

I will doing the same as yourself and routing the engine circuit to heat up the calorfier.

 

Edited May 6, 2017 by Robbo

[jddevel]

I`m intrigued by this topic. I always understood that the water cooling system in an engine was designed to ensure the running temperature was maintained to prevent premature wear as a result of either running to hot or as importantly to cold. Will this modification possibly affect this?

[Muddy Ditch Rich]

28 minutes ago, jddevel said:

I`m intrigued by this topic. I always understood that the water cooling system in an engine was designed to ensure the running temperature was maintained to prevent premature wear as a result of either running to hot or as importantly to cold. Will this modification possibly affect this?

Thermostat.

[jddevel]

8 hours ago, Muddy Ditch Rich said:

Thermostat.

Understood, but will it need to be altered due to the increase in water capacity or is it not a consideration to be concerned about.

[Tuscan]

We have exactly this system via an inbuilt generator with a skin tank. the engine is more effective but only because it is normally run for longer.

[by'eck]

As already suggested perfectly feasible. The most obvious/simplest installation would be to have the generator cooled by a closed circuit skin tank. The thermostat bypass on genny would then feed a heating coil in the calorifier before return to engine circulating pump. Since its likely your main engine is also cooled and heats the calorifier in a similar manner, the simplest solution would be to have dedicated heating coils for each. Calorifiers are available with up to three coils to save messing with complex plumbing to share a coil. 

[Muddy Ditch Rich]

7 hours ago, jddevel said:

Understood, but will it need to be altered due to the increase in water capacity or is it not a consideration to be concerned about.

Water capacity makes no difference, the thermostat blocks the outgoing flow of water from the engine until it reaches the correct tempreture.

For instance a raw water cooled engine's coolant " capacity" is the entire canal.

[solentseadog]

Just to say a big thank you to everyone for your feedback and ideas. Much appreciated.