2kw yanmar generator power output

[EXPLICIT1]

just picked up a 2003 2kw diesel generator from local pawn shop for $150 bucks .has 120 hrs works great but when everything is on my camper the ac kicks on it dies. i know its under rated i need 30 amps 3400 watts but this thing should do everything i need. anyone turned one up or had any luck with it ??? a honda 2000w works perfect what can i do to make this big generator work ??? pic is what i bought..

 

[EXPLICIT1]

pic

 

[Recovry4x4]

Wont work, sell it to me. LOL, check with phil2968, he has one

 

[derf]

I'll trade you for a 30D36R.
MEPs will generally do 1.5X their rated output for brief periods.
1.5 X 2kW is only 3kW.
3.6kW is pushing it. The 30D36R might do the job.

 

[derf]

Your best bet would be a MEP-016D. I'm not planning on parting with mine, though.
I'm not planning on parting with the 30D36R, either, but would consider trading for a smaller Diesel set like yours in excellent condition.

 

[phil2968]

Yes I have one just like it. MEP531. Nice little genset. We need to get together on these.

 

[Aswayze]

I think you are asking a lot out of the little 531.

I have one that I typically run sustained at about 1850 watts when we use the MKT (also powering radios, lights, and a deep freeze). It is a lovely little set and is a lot lighter on the fuel use than the bigger ones but I wouldn’t go expecting it to handle an AC unit.

I suspect that the Honda handles that type of thing better because it is an inverter/generator and is therefore better for driving motors like the AC compressor.

 

[ETN550]

I'll trade you for a 30D36R.
MEPs will generally do 1.5X their rated output for brief periods.
1.5 X 2kW is only 3kW.
3.6kW is pushing it. The 30D36R might do the job.

I just finished a 10 day camping trip with the Pow'r Gard in the bed of the truck pulling a 32 ft travel trailer. I have the camper wired through the hitch for 120 vac and the gen worked flawlessly powering the a/c (and the rest of the 30a camper) whether driving or pulled over for the night in the truck stop. great on fuel, too. Surprisingly low noise in the cab with the windows up and a/c on driving on the interstate. One advantage of the Pow'r Gard is that they use a super sized winding on one leg of the 120vac and they are rated for the full output on one circuit. All 120vac plugs are on the same circuit. a nice feature for the 30 amp camper requirement.

As for the 531A, a standard 13,500 btu roof unit is just too much, period. Starting the compressor motor is an issue. The little L40 Yanmar is not oversized beyond consumer ratings at 4hp engine 2kw gen. Recommend swapping it out for a bigger unit. An MEP 016b, e, or 701A will run two roof airs at once, pushing 4kw. A 016D with the L70 Yanmar engine would be nice too. The 531 just does not have enough rotor mass to do it. There is a you tube video of one running a 10,000 btu window a/c. BTW my old inefficient 1985 13,500 roof unit draws about 1650 watts under steady state high outside temp conditions.

If it is the engine that is dying then I have some suggestions as it is not tuned for peak response. I have developed some tricks to effectively remove the power spring which makes the unit ultra responsive to load. Works on Pow'r gard and the L70 and L100 Yanmars.

Various engine sizes for reference

L40 Yanmar in 531= 199cc, 4hp
L70 Yanmar in 016D = 290cc, 6hp
WRDI Fuji in Pow'r Gard = 270cc, maybe 5hp?? (but noticeably quieter and weaker than the L70)
L100 Yanmar in 016E = 406cc, 10hp
106B Onan in 016B and 701A = 603cc, 11hp and 8hp high temp and altitude.

 

[Isaac-1]

Just wondering where you got the 11 HP for the Onan Q106D in the MEP-016b/701a, it seems conservative when you look at the displacement?

Ike

p.s. my 701a will run my refrigerator, small chest freezer, a 8,800 btu window air conditioner, plus a 14,000 btu portable air conditioner and still have enough left over to run some CF lights, computer, tv, etc. Both the air conditioners are modern with good economy ratings.

 

[EXPLICIT1]

derf so u have a 3kw diesel gen that would work for my camper. that u want to trade ? mine looks like new 120 hrs. i turned the volts up yesterday. now only works at 75% power. all worked perfect as long as have no lights on and fans. so i do need a bigger one. i just love this one. is urs the same as mine just bigger ?

 

[ETN550]

Just wondering where you got the 11 HP for the Onan Q106D in the MEP-016b/701a, it seems conservative when you look at the displacement?

Ike

p.s. my 701a will run my refrigerator, small chest freezer, a 8,800 btu window air conditioner, plus a 14,000 btu portable air conditioner and still have enough left over to run some CF lights, computer, tv, etc. Both the air conditioners are modern with good economy ratings.

Ike,

That sounds about right. modern roof air for the campers is aywhere from 8,000 to 15,000 btu with 13,500 still very common. So your loads are about same as 2 roof air units.

The 8 is in the manual and the 11 was in my head from somewhere. I'll try to find it and post a reply. Yes it is conservative. The 106B seems to be built for torque more than HP. The flywheel is also quite heavy compared to the Yanmar. I think the Yanmar and the Onan meet at a crossroads. The Yanmar comes from a light duty heritage and the Onan comes from a heavy duty background. I would like to get my hands on another 016B or a 701A with the Onan, I don't have any at the moment but I have (3) 016Es. I bought a used AuraGen which is a 5000 watt alternator / inverter that can run between 1200 and 12000 rpm and makes the full 5kw at 2600 rpm. Normally it mounts on the front of a vehicle engine. I have been wanting to swap the AuraGen into a 016B and turn the speed way down for light loads and be able to rock and roll at 3600 engine rpm when needed. I have even thought of installing a CT with 4-20 output to feed an actuator to raise and lower speed as a function of load like a true inverter generator. The 106B should easily make the AuraGen put out 5kw. Big project, long lead time. I recently have mated an L100 Yanmar at 2450 rpm to an 1800 rpm 3kw generator and was not very pleased at the results so I took it apart. I'm wanting lower speed and variable output to make a gen that is useful from small loads to 5kw. I need very little to back my house up when I'm not in it and very little to run the camper a/c. Sorry for long post just wanted to share.

 

[Isaac-1]

Sounds like an interesting project.

Ike

 

[ETN550]

derf so u have a 3kw diesel gen that would work for my camper. that u want to trade ? mine looks like new 120 hrs. i turned the volts up yesterday. now only works at 75% power. all worked perfect as long as have no lights on and fans. so i do need a bigger one. i just love this one. is urs the same as mine just bigger ?

That would be a nice trade. If it does not work out I have 3 Pow'r Gards and am looking to sell one or two or trade, but mostly sell. The 531 is a nice unit.

You might consider buying the Kill - A - Watt meter and measure some of your small loads then put them on the gen to make sure it is working right. It might have an issue.

Derf, if you end up trading and want to trade something else back for another Pow'r Gard I might be interested. 016B with Onan or 701A?

 

[DieselGenAC]

just picked up a 2003 2kw diesel generator from local pawn shop for $150 bucks .has 120 hrs works great but when everything is on my camper the ac kicks on it dies. i know its under rated i need 30 amps 3400 watts but this thing should do everything i need. anyone turned one up or had any luck with it ??? a honda 2000w works perfect what can i do to make this big generator work ??? pic is what i bought..

An air conditioning unit rated at 30 amps might draw 90 amps or more (90A = 10.8kW @ 120vac) during startup inrush. The 2kW (16.6A) will absolutely have trouble at those inrush levels. The 2kW breaker should trip pretty quickly above 20A (125% load) as well. Cranking up the voltage should help as you found out. If you have nothing frequency sensitive plugged in, you could try bumping up the engine speed a bit so you are at 62Hz to 63Hz under load at the expense of engine longevity. Good, dry fuel and a bit of cetane booster can eek out a few more watts as well.

A 3kW to 5kW will definitely have an easier time lugging that compressor motor up to speed.

 

[derf]

derf so u have a 3kw diesel gen that would work for my camper. that u want to trade ? mine looks like new 120 hrs. i turned the volts up yesterday. now only works at 75% power. all worked perfect as long as have no lights on and fans. so i do need a bigger one. i just love this one. is urs the same as mine just bigger ?

Yes, I would trade my 30D36R for your little 2kW.
I posted a pic of mine. It has Wisconsin (Fuji) Diesel power and can use a 12V battery for electric starting.

 

[derf]

Baldor still makes a similar civilian 30D36R type but it is Hatz powered now.

Baldor DG3E Portable Generator - DG3E - 3000 Watt Industrial Electric Start Diesel Generator

They're about $2500 online.

 

[rustystud]

I just finished a 10 day camping trip with the Pow'r Gard in the bed of the truck pulling a 32 ft travel trailer. I have the camper wired through the hitch for 120 vac and the gen worked flawlessly powering the a/c (and the rest of the 30a camper) whether driving or pulled over for the night in the truck stop. great on fuel, too. Surprisingly low noise in the cab with the windows up and a/c on driving on the interstate. One advantage of the Pow'r Gard is that they use a super sized winding on one leg of the 120vac and they are rated for the full output on one circuit. All 120vac plugs are on the same circuit. a nice feature for the 30 amp camper requirement.

As for the 531A, a standard 13,500 btu roof unit is just too much, period. Starting the compressor motor is an issue. The little L40 Yanmar is not oversized beyond consumer ratings at 4hp engine 2kw gen. Recommend swapping it out for a bigger unit. An MEP 016b, e, or 701A will run two roof airs at once, pushing 4kw. A 016D with the L70 Yanmar engine would be nice too. The 531 just does not have enough rotor mass to do it. There is a you tube video of one running a 10,000 btu window a/c. BTW my old inefficient 1985 13,500 roof unit draws about 1650 watts under steady state high outside temp conditions.

If it is the engine that is dying then I have some suggestions as it is not tuned for peak response. I have developed some tricks to effectively remove the power spring which makes the unit ultra responsive to load. Works on Pow'r gard and the L70 and L100 Yanmars.

Various engine sizes for reference

L40 Yanmar in 531= 199cc, 4hp
L70 Yanmar in 016D = 290cc, 6hp
WRDI Fuji in Pow'r Gard = 270cc, maybe 5hp?? (but noticeably quieter and weaker than the L70)
L100 Yanmar in 016E = 406cc, 10hp
106B Onan in 016B and 701A = 603cc, 11hp and 8hp high temp and altitude.

ETN550 This is the post I was talking about. What are the tricks you have ? I'm very interested in knowing.
Thanks, rustystud.