Load Bank project

[steelypip]

That was actually something I wanted to open a discussion over: Altitude. From the tm, the unit is rated at 5KW .8pf altitudes up to 5000 ft and temps of up to 125 F. Those things compound for worst case air density, and I would believe impact the unit both in air density for combustion and for cooling.

One other little thing: the MEP-002A is the most over-cooled engine I've ever seen. That oil cooler is as big (and as nicely made) as one on a light plane engine making 150 HP. Admittedly, the air velocity over the fins is a lot lower than ram air speed on an airplane, but a 16 HP normally aspirated diesel is going to be very easily cooled by the system on our MEPs.

Indeed, I'd say the most critical component for engine longevity on one of these is almost certainly that the thermostat shutter system be in working order and properly adjusted. Otherwise the engine will never get warm and crankcase oil contamination with water and fuel are certain to occur.

A 25% cooling mass airflow derate means absolutely nothing with this cooling system. The moreso because these are normally aspirated engines, so the max BMEP and heat rejection to the cooling system drop at the same rate as the cooling mass airflow does. Now a turbonormalized engine might indeed overheat with 25% less cooling mass airflow, but that's not a concern here.

 

[dlsacco]

Thank you all for the reassurance that operating this unit above it's design rating of 5000 ft is not likely to be any sort of an issue, esp. sticking to the rated 5KW. I have a really good feel for what my house loads are thanks to a TED 5000 whole house monitoring / data logging system I installed some time back to work to cut my loads and electric bill down. It also has provision for generation side monitoring and knows what of the power flowing through the panel is generated vs. bought and can keep tabs on that. I'm obtaining all the proper generator interlocks etc. for my mains panel to get wired in properly.