Is a DC genset a good idea?

[Sinbad1]

Having had the AC genset seize can someone please tell me if a DC genset would be practical. I was thinking along the lines of a separate small quiet diesel engine with a large 150 amp DC alternator. The boat has 700 ah in AGM batteries. These batteries are stored forward, approx 5 meters from where the genset would be located. I could then run an inverter for all AC requirements on the boat. However does the inverter need to be close to the battery bank to avoid current/voltage loss or could I place the inverter anywhere?

Does this idea sound like it will work or do I just repair my big old noisy smokey genset?

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[pvb]

Could make sense...

If you don't have heavy AC loads (aircon, cooking, etc) then a DC generator could make sense. <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.hflgen.com>HFL</A> make a 100A 12volt DC genset, using a little Kubota diesel. Suspect it's not particularly cheap.

As long as the cables are adequately sized to handle peak current without excessive voltage drop, you could put an inverter anywhere.

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[Stemar]

Re: Could make sense...

You can put the inverter anywhere, provided you size the cables appropriately, but economics dictate a position as close as practicable to your batteries.

Cable needs to be sized according to the current carried, not the wattage. 240 watts is only 1 amp at 240v, but you're looking at at 20 amps @ 12v, not allowing for conversion losses, so the 12v cable needs to be 20 times the size - and several times the price.



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