Any one hear of these? Suposed new altinatore design high out put

[XeonPony]

http://www.ecoair.com/EcoTechAlternators/EcoTech14V325A/tabid/1277/Default.aspx

Looks like just another pma altinater, but it apperently has a field coil as well and a buck boost regulater. what do you all think? if it is usefull as it claims it would be usefull in both wind and hydro apps

[bob g]

i don't see them of much use in wind app's due to the 1800rpm speed requirement to get the benefits of its power.  hydro maybe if you have enough umph to drive it.

their 80% efficiency claims at idle might be a stretch, maybe 80% before rectifier losses?  the clue is the need for 3 internal fans to keep it cool, one would think if the machine was 80% efficient there would be no need for 3 fans.

leece neville makes a 12volt nominal 320amp unit, j180 mount, that uses only one fan, and i know they are not 80% efficient.

lastly my bet is the eco unit is very dear in price, i am betting it sells for well over 2 grand per copy.

i think this unit is fine for the market is was built for, that being firetrucks, ambulances and other emergency response vehicles, where max output and small package are of paramount importance.  i don't see them really doing well in everyday long term usage,

fwiw, my opinion only
bob g

[Frank S]

I found these Hiehoff duel voltage 14/28 200 amp alts a while back
 the guy was asking $170 each so I offered him $50 for both. I figure that is about what they are worth with no way to check them even at that @ 40 lbs each they wouldn't have scrapped out for a return
 But he would not budge on his price I know he has had them for over 2 years The next time I see him I'm going to offer him $30.00 for the pair

[tanner0441]

If they work make a nice engine driven arc welder, or prime mover for a TIG/MIG welder.

Brian.

[ChrisOlson]

Looks like just another pma altinater, but it apperently has a field coil as well and a buck boost regulater. what do you all think? if it is usefull as it claims it would be usefull in both wind and hydro apps

I got one in my service truck to power the inverter in it for portable power.  I paid $1,065 for it from North Country Generator.  Really happy with it - it will run my 3 kW mobile inverter at full load with no problem at all, which pulls about 220 amps, on a Cummins 5.9L diesel just idling.

I know another guy here locally that has one in his truck and he had dual v-belts on his but they slipped.  He ended up putting a wide serpentine type belt on to drive it, with at least 180 degree wrap around the pulley.
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Chris

[ChrisOlson]

If they work make a nice engine driven arc welder, or prime mover for a TIG/MIG welder

Brian, I run a 120 volt MIG off mine (using the inverter) out in the field with no problem.  I also got hydraulics on my service truck so I got portable hydraulic power (PTO on the Spicer transmission driving the pump).  The air compressor in the truck is driven with a hydraulic motor off the hydraulic system because that works a lot better than using the inverter.  But that alternator puts out enough juice to hold the voltage at the inverter studs at 13-14 volts will full load on it.
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Chris

[tanner0441]

I thought DC welding strait off the alternator studs.  Be OK for steel and stainless, no good for aluminium (spell checker doesn't like UK spelling) needs variable mark space ratio AC, but I love DC stick, just a nice hiss from the arc.

Sounds as if you have the ultimate big boys toy box. I rewired a MF50 digger for someone in exchange for using it for a weekend. I pulled a 50ft by 70ft pond out, cleaned all my ditches and soak aways, and moved about 50ton of spoil from the house extension footings. The only problem I did have was the hydraulic oil temp alarm went off a couple of times, as they use the front forks for the oil reservoir I lifted them up and down a few times to put some cold oil in the system.

Brian

[fabricator]

You could tig off the studs but with out a variac or something you would have no heat comtrol, it might let the smoke out of the voltage regulator also.

[tanner0441]

Yes with no current limiting/controlling device you could pull destructive currents, I would think the simplest would be a tapped choke and possibly a battery to stop the voltage regulator seeing voltage spikes when the arc goes out, and as there is the wound and PM rotor you need the voltage regulator.

Another good idea that wasn't.

Brian

[XeonPony]

Huh go figure I am so used to rampant bs online that I discount this sort of thing all the time but they did look like a solid lil unit, so they actualy work eh? My indeed be a fun tow to try with the hydro in the futur.

[ChrisOlson]

I don't know about hydro with one.  It takes some SERIOUS power to turn one of those alternators.  I think a hydro turbine would be pretty much like stalled hooked to one of those.  They're for mobile high-power applications driven with an engine, not RE in IMHO.

I know for a fact that if you tried to run one with a Honda GX390, wrapped it up to full throttle and hooked it to a big 12V battery it would kill that GX390 dead in its tracks.
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Chris

[XeonPony]

big enough turbine you can make a tree spit power out goot reference torque input though.