Using an XUD for power generation..

[howiedean]

I've not read all the replys so excuse if these has been said before.

We live out in the middle of nowhere & have been thinking the same thing, however using the standard XUD, standard cooling etc, mounted in a box with a grille at one end & a exhaust outlet at the other (much like it is under the bonnet), we'd then replace all the ancillary belt driven devices with small generators. The engine revs would be permanently set at the maximum torque range for the engine & left to run.
The electronics side would work in that any extra power that was produced would be sent back into the grid (thus getting a rebate off the bill)
The engine would be serviced just like a standard XUD & would run on drum barrels of diesel & veg oil fed through a Y in the pipe. The barrels could be changed in a similar way to the big red gas bottles do which feed our house.

However it would not be running 24/7 it would only be used as a backup device in the event of power failure or maybe run once a week to help keep the elecy bills down.

Have a look here: http://www.itsnoteasybeinggreen.org/for ... b86719460b
There are a few people who have got the grid hookup required and will probably be able to advise you.

Regards

[fastandfurryous]

If the engine ran 24x7 and i serviced it every 1000hrs then id be servicing it every 41days or 1 1/3months.

That figure made me cough tea everywhere. 1000h? Sorry, not a hope in hell.

If you work out how many hours the engine runs over 5000miles, it's somewhere between 100 and 200. (and if the car is being used in town, hence racking up more hours for the mileage, it's recommended to change oil sooner than that.) granted in this case there will be far fewer cold starts, but there's no way a sumpfull of oil is going to last 1000h

Remember that even modern piston aero engines have a service interval of 50h. Older ones have an interval of 25h

Assume you could make it last at best 250h. What you would need is a dry-sump system, with a tank of fresh oil ready to go. Pull various levers for valves, and change the oil with the engine still running. Similar to the systems used on intercity rail diesel engines. They can change engine oil while the engine is running at full-chat if needs be.