Kipor IG1000 genetator & Eberspacher 2DL

[slipknot]

Kipor IG1000 generator & Eberspacher 2DL

I have no 230V at my mooring and considering buying a small generator to charge my 2 70ah batteries via the stirling advance charger and provide some addittional power on board for lighting etc

In particular I am attempting to establish whether a Kipor IG1000 connected to my 230V shorepower socket (therefore into the battery charger etc) will provide enough juice to start up the 12V Eberspacher 2dl (which apparently takes 7A on start up)

Any opinions?

The Kipor spec reads...
Rated frequency (Hz) 50 60 Rated voltage(V) 230 120/240 Rated current (A) 3.9 7.9/3.8 Rated speed(r/min) 5500 Rated output (kVA) 0.9 Max. output (kVA) 1.0 DC output 12V-8.3A

Rated power[kW(Hp)/(r/min) 1.3/5500

 

[TrueBlue]

Surely, if you're using the genny to charge the batteries via the Sterling unit, then the batteries will be supplying the oomph to start the Eber?

In the unlikely occurrence that the Sterling can't supply what the Eber actually draws to start, then it will quickly refresh the batteries once the Eber has started.

Or is there something you haven't said.

(you didn't say what the rated power of the Sterling unit is - 10amps? 20 amps). If 20 amps then the Kipor is plenty powerfull enough to supply the power required at 240V.
BUT not (really) via the 12v output, however that's not how you worded the post.

 

[slipknot]

Thanks for the reply True Blue, which has made me think a bit more about my question.

As I dont have 230V available my batteries are often a little low and certainly not enough oomph to start the eber without the engine running or connected to shore power.

I suppose my question is partly to do with how the charger works and the power it generates is used. When I run my engine the power generated from the alternator is sufficient to run most things, irrespective of the level of charge of the batteries. Does the charger work in this same way?

So, if the batteries are not sufficiently charged to start the eber (without the Generator or shore power connected)

would connecting a generator provide the additional power, via the charger, to start the eber straight away (and would this generator be sufficiently large to do this)

or would I have to wait for the batteries to charge sufficiently (which I'm pretty sure this generator would do).

Am I making any sense yet or confusing matters further?

 

[daveyw]

Does your charger require "proper" electricity? My generator wont run flourescent lights.

 

[DaveS]

Does your charger require "proper" electricity? My generator wont run flourescent lights.

Generators vary in how close an approximation to a sine wave they produce or, to put it another way, how much harmonic distortion they create. I have a larger model Kipor, about 2kW IIRC. It is an inverter type (allegedly a knock off of the Honda equivalent) and on the oscilloscope its waveform is very close to a sine wave at no load and quite reasonable at full load. A conventional (i.e. non inverter) El Cheapo generator from Aldi produced a much rougher waveform - which I found quite surprising, but there you go.

 

[TrueBlue]

I'm not an expert on the Kipor - it is supposed to be a pure sine wave generator, but I do have one of Charles Sterling's chargers. Mine is 25 amps at 24 volts.

I had a 2stroke 900W rubbish genny and it just about ran the charger at about 50% of its rated capacity. I later bought a better quality 3kW 4 stroke machine which was a bit better. I have a feeling that CS's inverter technology will draw as much power as it can "from the top of the cycle" - that is where any small generator is a bit weak.

Both units "did the job", the difference is the time spent in doing it.....

I don't have an Eber - I have a Mikuni and that draws a helluva lot more current than 7 amps (so my battery monitor tells me) but it always started with my cheapo 2 stroke genny charging - provided that I gave it 20 minutes or so to wake the batteries up.

As usual I've put a lot of waffle in to get to the point - which is the genny should be able to run the Eber AND charge the batteries once it is running.

If your batteries are a bit flat, run the genny for say- 1/2 hour before starting the heater. The instantaneous current drawn by the glow plug is large, but that subsides quite quickly as it heats up. Once the fuel has ignited the unit runs with much less current demand. Where all this type of heater fails is when the power capacity (voltage x current) can't deliver the in ital surge, and the unit's electronic controller goes into panic mode.

I'm trying to explain the logic in ordinary folks' terms because peeps are frightened by "electricity". Think of it as trying to get up a slippery hill in a car. If you back off and take a run at it you'll get to the top.....

 

[slipknot]

Thanks True Blue, that makes sense. Your comments support my thinking. I've ordered the genny anyway, so time will tell quite how it all works together.

Thanks again!

 

[nimbusgb]

My ig1000 runs a dual channel charger that will whack over 40 amps (600w) into the batteries.

Works a treat.