John Nagelson wrote:
Hello, I am considering taking a house 'off grid', and would be
grateful for help with some of the following questions:

1) how easy is it to run an generator fuelled by PARAFFIN(known in the
US as 'kerosene', i.e. '28sec', the type of oil used in most oil-
powered domestic heating systems in the UK)?


Its virtually the same as red diesel, so a diesel genny is a good thing
to try.

In the power cuts of the 70's the place I worked aty had one..we tried a
ford 2 liter petrol but it couldn't take running at decent power
continuously, and it was swapped for a truck motor. I think about 3-4
litres. Perkins probably.

You probably don't need more than about 10KVAwhich is about 15bhp, so a
small economical diesel around 1 lites and a tad is probably not a bad
choice.

Cut one out of a scrapper car, along with mounts, and hook up to a
generator..you will need to run it at 3000 RPM, which is not a bad rev
range for a diesel.

2) how easy is it to get hold of, and run, a generator fuelled by
SOLID FUEL, e.g. coal or wood or both?

Almost impossible: you need blown boiler steam type plant. Mind you if
you DO put a steam turbine in teh back yard, you can burn all sorts of
stuff on it, but beware. Boilers need stringent sfatey ceks and a lot of
'chimney sweeping'. The main reaoson they vanished from railways was the
super high maintenance.


3) how easy is it to run a generator fuelled by DIESEL? And surely if
you do, you don't have to pay petrol-station prices? Is there a legal
way to avoid paying the excise?

Buy heating oil.

4) what about running an oil-fuelled generator on cheapo COOKING OIL?
Is this practicable? Is it legal?

Dunno about legal, but those sorts of oils do bad things to diesel
injectors.

Anorther possibility is a crap small gas turbine out of a small
aircarft. I dont know of anything between 'model jets' and 'fukls size
airfract jets' but there maty in fact be something. If you can use teh
waste heat these aren't a bad bet. In any case whatever you use, pump
any coolant or exhaust stuff into a heat exchanger for hot water and CH
usage.

Cheers,

john