Diesel Generator for the end of the world

[garciapiano]

With the supply chain situation and pandemic I am looking into alternative ways of generating electricity.

I anticipate that gasoline will not be the way to go as it will likely be hit harder in the case of a shortage.

Is there such a TDI electrical generator? And is there a way to convert it to run on multiple fuel sources? Has anyone built one from a salvage ALH for example?

 

[Nevada_TDI]

Natural Gas works in compression ignition engines; many hospital generators must be back online in milliseconds so they fire on NG and then switch to diesel fuel.
There have been a few tales of TDI powered generators, and as I remember there needed a relocation of the oil pickup as the engine was vertical.
My Honda powered generator has a NG, or Propane now as well as the original gasoline power. The NG and Propane adaptor I ordered off of the web, it was less than $40.00 delivered.

 

[oilhammer]

VAG has been making Industrial engines, many of which power stationary gensets, since the 1950s. They still do today.

However, I think you'll find them to be expensive and overkill and would exhaust any realistic fuel supply in a hurry. You are better off just purchasing something readily available that is smaller and more efficient to keep just a few things powered up. Or, you could simply run an inverter off the car.

If it gets that bad, you'll be more concerned with food and water. Humans survived many thousands (millions?) of years without electricity. Food and water, not so much.

There are also some tractor PTO driven generators that are not too terribly difficult to use, and you can buy a small tractor to run them for fairly cheap. But again, horribly inefficient.

 

[jettawreck]

There are some old posts about TDI converted to generators. Not as simple as you would think as I recall.
All home generators are terribly inefficient for the amount of electricity they actually produce. NG consumption will be quite high but you won't notice it until the utility bill comes.
I've had a few "small" diesel generators (one a very high quality Duetz twin cylinder) but since it can be -30*F in the winter unless you keep them warm they may not be reliable or able to start in the winter. Currently have a smaller 4000/6600 watt gas unit. Ran it four days recently at my parents house to keep their freezer and fridges going and well pump able to supply water on occasion when needed.
I'm currently adding an external generator port and interlock to our house so no extension cords to appliances. The small generator will keep the fridges and freezer going and water when needed. Gas furnace takes very little power to run the blower and the back up propane free standing fireplace/stove can run w/o any power if needed. Basic stuff, not whole house.
We know how to camp for extended periods.

 

[Andyinchville1]

Hi

Depending on the scenario you are prepping for ( post nuclear / emp or not ) would help dictate what you should choose.

The handiest ( pre and post nuclear war) may be an old and small all mechanical diesel tractor with a pto driven generator.

That can be used pre nuclear exchange for stuff around the homesite and post nuclear war as transport and for farming etc (assuming not too much radiation in your area).

Size of generator depends on your needs ... pre nuke exchange probably has greater electrical needs tho but rebuilding could also have fairly large needs as well.

Fwiw if i can get a 1.9 tdi put into my mk2 jetta the leftover 1.6 diesel could be the basis for a pretty stout generator system.

Afterthought .... if diesel in post nuke exchange be sure glow plugs are good and have starting fluid available because it may be very cold during a nuclear winter ... it would definitely suck not to be able to start .... may also want to research spring starters ... i didn't even know they existed.... no battery ? No problem!

Andrew

 

[oilhammer]

I think some people read too much science fiction.

 

[GlowBugTDI]

What would you be wanting or trying to power?

 

[jmodge]

Generators will be pointless. Candles, sharp knife, water filtration, and something to wipe your butt with. Everything else is fluff

 

[turbobrick240]

Generators need fuel. That could be a problem in most apocalyptic/shortage scenarios. Solar panels would be better. Also much cheaper in the long run- assuming the generator sees much use. VWs idi 2.4L D24 diesel was used in gensets. The nice thing about the idi diesels is they aren't too picky about what you feed them for fuel.

 

[geezer88]

For survival in the future, watch Mel Gibson's series of "Road Warrior" movies.

tom

 

[garciapiano]

As a prebuilt option, Kubota has been making diesel generators for a long time, so that might be the move. But what about long-term diesel storage? What is the realistic lifespan of diesel in a 55-gallon drum?

 

[GlowBugTDI]

Use modified alternators hooked up to a wind turbine run through a regulator to generate electric for small uses. Like charging flashlights, phones, batterys, etc.
If your looking to power freezers/fridge and dont have a generator or such go buy some salt and start dehydrating all your meat in the sun so it lasts. I'm with Jmodge. In that scenario Don't need much...its not hard to survive with those things.

Tho if your looking for something to run in a power outage thats different. If you need something to run for a week till the grid is back up, then ya get a generator. Weve looked into it ourselves as we've lost power for 2-3 days following a storm.

 

[garciapiano]

An inverter running off an Idling TDI will provide power. How long can a TDI idle for before it runs out of fuel?

 

[benhart16]

Honestly, if you are in So Cal, your best bet will likely be solar panels. Don't get me wrong, I have a 8kw Westerbeke (3 cylinder Mitsubishi diesel) wired to my house, but I'm realistic about what it can and can't do. The mostly likely serious use for me will be similar to a bad winter storm like the one that hit Texas this past winter, with freezing temps and widespread power outages for up to a week at a time. If I had just a little bit of land that had some sun exposure, I'd definitely consider going solar myself. The main thing you're going to want is to power your refrigerator, and maybe water pump, everything else will be secondary.

If you insist on going diesel, probably the lowest fuel consumption option would be to get a air cooled single cylinder yanmar diesel generator. Typical small 3 cylinder tractor engines have poor brake specific fuel consumption compared to a larger direct injected engine such as a TDI operating near max load due to large surface area to displacement ratios (the heat gets soaked up by the engine, not turned into mechanical power). An idling TDI will have poor output to fuel consumption for similar reasons. I believe the single cylinder yanmars are direct injection, and the cylinder size is larger than similar multi-cylinder options which will lead to better fuel consumption. Single cylinder engines hammer hard compared to similar 3 cylinder units, and this was a larger consideration for me than the extra fuel consumption. It's not bad to be prepared, but it's real easy to go overboard. If you really want disaster insurance, buy a large bag of dried beans for $20 at a bulk store and replace every couple of years and a camping water filter. That'll probably be worth more than a generator in a true disaster.

 

[jmodge]

And if you live in the north natural gas is the way to go, use your diesel fuel to get you to the store for toilet paper and pizza

 

[Nuje]

Hi

Depending on the scenario you are prepping for ( post nuclear / emp or not ) would help dictate what you should choose.

The handiest ( pre and post nuclear war) may be an old and small all mechanical diesel tractor with a pto driven generator.

That can be used pre nuclear exchange for stuff around the homesite and post nuclear war as transport and for farming etc (assuming not too much radiation in your area).

Size of generator depends on your needs ... pre nuke exchange probably has greater electrical needs tho but rebuilding could also have fairly large needs as well.

Fwiw if i can get a 1.9 tdi put into my mk2 jetta the leftover 1.6 diesel could be the basis for a pretty stout generator system.

Afterthought .... if diesel in post nuke exchange be sure glow plugs are good and have starting fluid available because it may be very cold during a nuclear winter ... it would definitely suck not to be able to start .... may also want to research spring starters ... i didn't even know they existed.... no battery ? No problem!

Andrew

Wow - someone has given this WAY more thought and consideration than would be healthy for my peace of mind. Living on a pacific island has its benefits.

 

[turbobrick240]

Generators will be pointless. Candles, sharp knife, water filtration, and something to wipe your butt with. Everything else is fluff

I find it amusing how high toilet paper ranks on many folks must have survival lists. That must explain the hoarding last year. After food/water, shelter, and clothing, most everything else is niceties.

 

[jettawreck]

As a prebuilt option, Kubota has been making diesel generators for a long time, so that might be the move. But what about long-term diesel storage? What is the realistic lifespan of diesel in a 55-gallon drum?

In my current experience, apparently in excess of 10 years. Cache of fuel oil for the garage/shop is that old and still seems ok for the furnace. Every few years added some "Klear Diesel" product made by Power Service.

 

[jmodge]

I find it amusing how high toilet paper ranks on many folks must have survival lists. That must explain the hoarding last year. After food/water, shelter, and clothing, most everything else is niceties.

I will use other alternatives, but I prefer spoiling myself with TP. No need to hoard, it’s not like it’s something a person will all of a sudden use more of. Didn’t get the hoarding thing either

 

[jmodge]

I find it amusing how high toilet paper ranks on many folks must have survival lists. That must explain the hoarding last year. After food/water, shelter, and clothing, most everything else is niceties.

School me on the alternative, do you just use your fingers then lick them clean?

 

[turbocharged798]

I have an extra ALH laying around that I have been toying with the idea of turning into a generator. I was planning on running it at 1800RPM and no turbo, just NA. Did some rough calculations and it should pull a 15KW head no problem and the fuel efficiency should pretty good. The problem is physically bolting the stuff together since the correct way would be to get a VW to SAE bell housing which are super rare. Only other way I can think of doing it is to take an transmission, cut the bell housing off and machine a piece to attach to the flywheel to use a lovejoy coupling. Then you would have to figure out how to actually bolt the whole mess together and keep it centered.

The other thing is a 15KW 1800RPM head isn't exactly cheap. There are some cheap china stuff out there but not really sure I want to roll the dice on one of those.

 

[turbodieseldyke]

An inverter running off an Idling TDI will provide power. How long can a TDI idle for before it runs out of fuel?

I would guess 120 hours. 0.12 gal per hour, with 15 gallons in the tank.

 

[turbobrick240]

School me on the alternative, do you just use your fingers then lick them clean?

Over two thirds of the world population makes do without tp, and not that long ago the entire world did. Bathing yourself doesn't require a college education.

 

[2004LB7]

I vote for solar and a power wall. if this is truly an "end of the world" generator I would think hard about the noise it would make. when people start running out of basic comforts they will start looking elsewhere for them. the generator will attract unwanted attention.

if you are just trying to keep a fridge or freezer going during short power outages then a power wall should do. and if you have a hybrid solar inverter then the panels should be able to provide you with the minimal power needed to keep your vitals running if sized right. this would be most appropriate for bugging in as there is not much you can do with it once you leave

 

[turbobrick240]

^This. In addition to the stealth factor, sunlight is available for free in perpetuity. If the planet somehow becomes a hellscape with no sunshine, you'd probably be better off with Jim Jones kool-aid recipe than a generator.

 

[oilhammer]

If it gets that bad, LAND, and your ability to use and defend it, will be the only thing that matters.

Fortunately, we have over 100 acres in the family, with another hundred plus next to it in the extended family, on a river (so plenty of water), and a creek running right through the middle. The land has plenty of useful plots already prime for crops, but we already have a large garden planted. Good strong deer population, lots of small game. We have a pretty large stockpile of items we cannot catch or grow, and I add to it periodically.

Much of it is courtesy of my father, but he won't live long enough to reap any benefits should anything go completely bonkers (which, if you ask him, already has started in that direction).

I am not too terribly worried, but this past year or so has really made a lot of things nuts. If you had told me two years ago what we are experiencing today, I would have never believed it. The labor shortages and poor work ethics are my biggest concern right now, along with the general volatility of certain items pricing. 4x8 sheets of 1/2" OSB used to be a reliable $17. Then they crept up a couple bucks, then they shot up as high as $58 earlier this year... now back down to $19. Many people look at fuel costs, but lots of other items are wildly fluctuating.

And I just heard this morning that Europe's "going green" agenda for power generation has backed them into a corner as they are dealing with lots of cloudy (no solar) and calm (no wind) days, which has forced them to fall back on natural gas... and their cost for NG is around the same per BTU as if a barrel of crude was over $300 per barrel . And this causes petroleum prices all over to get unstable. In addition, items like household appliances are scarce, with six month waiting not uncommon, and we all know about the car shortages. Heck, I waited six months for Pella to make my new patio door, and when I finally got it, they FORGOT to paint some of it!!!

 

[TurboABA]

Out of curiosity...... if\when all hell breaks loose <insert whatever doomsday scenario here>, what are all you "preppers" hoping to be able to do a few months after the rest of us minions have vanished? Even with all your prep, you will only outlast me a few months at best.....

Current civilization has evolved in such a way that we are far too dependent on Siri & Alexa..... crap, I work with people who use a GPS to get to work daily (and I'm certain that they don't relocate to a different residence each night).

Most people can't even pick their nose these days without first watching a Youtube video on how to do it.

 

[oilhammer]

A few months? Heck, I could easily drop everything right now and live for a few years without any electricity. And probably within that first few years find ways to adapt to make it easier as time goes on. Humans survived a long time without it. The people that need GPS to get to work will become food, LOL...

 

[TurboABA]

Bubba renting next door to me has guns and drugs.... he will blow me up long before I get to rely on any of my intellect, skills, equipment, etc...... even if I get to him first, there will soon be plenty more to take his place......

One can barely survive a Black Friday outing these days..... people would get crazy in a catastrophic event and unless you have more ammo than everyone else, you'll have a hard time surviving those years even with all your available resources on hand. That's my opinion.

 

[oilhammer]

It isn't likely to come to that anyway. Not in our lifetimes.