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MEP-362a

patracy

patracy

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I'm looking at one of these gensets on a trailer. The pictures provided aren't the best. I'm guessing the tires/wheels/bearings aren't up to highway speeds are they?
 
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Ray70

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Out of curiosity are you thinking of using this unit as the worlds coolest 28V jump starter, or using the turbine for another project?
The project's " Cool" factor is unlimited!
 
Guyfang

Guyfang

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If you get this set and need TMs, say something. I will upload them.

If you get this set, Do read the -12 TM. It has about a million warnings. Most times the warnings are overblown. Not on the MEP-362A. It has has been known to toss a turbine blade or two through the casing.
The igniter can kill you if you are fooling with it and it pops off. If you test the igniter out of burn chamber, do wear good sun glasses.
Turbo shaft oil, and I seem to remember the number MIL-L-7606, is a known cancer causing agent. Use ONLY the oil listed on the LO, and DO NOT MIX two different oils.
Avoid the exhaust air out let when running and for a half hour after running. We used to heat up can of food using the outlet air.
Insure that the Fuel Shutoff and Drain valve is not plugged up. It discharges unused fuel from the burner chamber. Too much fuel in the burner can can cause a "Booming Start" If it ever happens, you will know it.
Turbine gen sets are the only gen sets I would tell someone to read at least twice the -12 TM, and at least once the -34 TM. And read all the trouble shooting guides, before trying to start the set the first time. Having said all that, I like them very much. If you be careful of them, you wont get bit. Or destroy anything.
If you decide to put a different gen head on the turbine, Do read and follow the run-out, (Alignement) procedure. The set will want to shake itself to pieces if its not done right.
 
FloridaAKM

FloridaAKM

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I have seen several of those come up for auction & bid on them, but they usually were too far away or I got outbid. The folks that owned them didn't have a real "use" for them, they just loved to go out & start one every so often & impress friends or warn less than favorable neighbors not to be trifling. Leave it as it was manufactured & charge your solar system with it ;-).
 
Neophyte

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Guyfang said:
If you get this set and need TMs, say something. I will upload them.

If you get this set, Do read the -12 TM. It has about a million warnings. Most times the warnings are overblown. Not on the MEP-362A. It has has been known to toss a turbine blade or two through the casing.
The igniter can kill you if you are fooling with it and it pops off. If you test the igniter out of burn chamber, do wear good sun glasses.
Turbo shaft oil, and I seem to remember the number MIL-L-7606, is a known cancer causing agent. Use ONLY the oil listed on the LO, and DO NOT MIX two different oils.
Avoid the exhaust air out let when running and for a half hour after running. We used to heat up can of food using the outlet air.
Insure that the Fuel Shutoff and Drain valve is not plugged up. It discharges unused fuel from the burner chamber. Too much fuel in the burner can can cause a "Booming Start" If it ever happens, you will know it.
Turbine gen sets are the only gen sets I would tell someone to read at least twice the -12 TM, and at least once the -34 TM. And read all the trouble shooting guides, before trying to start the set the first time. Having said all that, I like them very much. If you be careful of them, you wont get bit. Or destroy anything.
If you decide to put a different gen head on the turbine, Do read and follow the run-out, (Alignement) procedure. The set will want to shake itself to pieces if its not done right.
Click to expand...
Hi Guyfang

Yes, please upload the TM’s if you get a chance. I’ve got a 362A that’s “locked up”, gearbox won’t turn over when doing a ”dry” run. I set the unit aside until I could find manuals, expert “don’t do this” before giving it a run.

Thank you!
 
patracy

patracy

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Wanted to bump this thread back up and turn it into a modification/conversation about the 362a. From what I see in the TMs, the 24v side of things onboard is more for the startup, control system, and supplying a field voltage to the generator.

What I'd like to know is how much current these units take on startup. I have a couple units heading my way and I'd like to see about simply ditching the lead acid batteries onboard. My thought was to add in a couple of Milwaukee battery ports and voltage converter. Sure I'd give up the ability to charge the rechargeable batteries this way, but it'd be a lot easier to keep those batteries hot (charged) to fire this unit off to jump off an actual vehicle.
 
patracy

patracy

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Well, instead of doing a voltage converter. It looks like Milwaukee also sells a 28v series of batteries/tools.

I noticed in the TMs there's a 20 amp current shunt, so I'm guessing that's the input current for startup? If that's the case, adapting to a rechargeable battery pack seems pretty straightforward.
 
patracy

patracy

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After getting the unit, I see that shunt is actually just for the control/ignition side of things. The starter runs directly off the battery leads from a terminal block that branches off to that shunt. So I'm guessing my idea isn't going to work. It probably would start fine with a pair of lawn and garden tractor batteries though I'm guessing.
 
patracy

patracy

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After firing one unit up, there's zero chance a battery pack from a power tool would start one. I'm guessing it's a 100+ amp draw for several seconds to spin up and get started. I'm just going to toss some lawn and garden tractor batteries in it since it looks like they'd fit well in place of the aviation battery pack. I'll add a disconnect though.

In an effort to make these somewhat more useful, has anyone used a 24v inverter from the output side to generate AC with them? The PTO shaft apparently runs at ~12K rpm, couple that with whatever is connected to the PTO would also have to be spun up to speed at startup, that'd be asking a lot of the starter to do. I don't know of any sort of clutching mechanism that could couple up that shaft after startup.
 
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2Pbfeet

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patracy said:
After firing one unit up, there's zero chance a battery pack from a power tool would start one. I'm guessing it's a 100+ amp draw for several seconds to spin up and get started. I'm just going to toss some lawn and garden tractor batteries in it since it looks like they'd fit well in place of the aviation battery pack. I'll add a disconnect though.

In an effort to make these somewhat more useful, has anyone used a 24v inverter from the output side to generate AC with them? The PTO shaft apparently runs at ~12K rpm, couple that with whatever is connected to the PTO would also have to be spun up to speed at startup, that'd be asking a lot of the starter to do. I don't know of any sort of clutching mechanism that could couple up that shaft after startup.
Click to expand...
It might depend a bit on your budget, but Victron and EG4 both make inverters and chargers that are popular with the off grid folks that I know. Personally, I would also go the inverter route rather than trying to couple to a turbine shaft, for balance reasons if nothing else. The price on kW size battery packs is certainly dropping, and many folks repurpose reclaimed batteries from Nissan Leafs, Teslas, and Volts for use in off grid storage systems.

Aren't many helicopter turbines gas coupled? (Power from the "Free turbine" that generates gas pressure that drives the "power turbine" connected to the rotor(s), so no mechanical clutch, beyond the low speed Sprag clutch to let the rotor free wheel.)

All the best, 2PbFeet
 
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