Adding air compressor to generator? Ideas please.

[AdrianR]

I have a big diesel generator, the kind that you see at events etc for outdoor power, which I use to run a plasma cutter. This also needs an compressed air supply so at the moment I also run an electric compressor from the same genny, which works but seems a clumsy solution and the compressor is noisier than the generator.

What is really like is to add compressor on to the genny, eg using a belt drive or similar, so that I have power and air in one unit. Can anyone suggest a neat solution? I need about 8cfm at 100psi.

Adrian

[jimbob82]

cheapest and simplest solution IMO would be to get a vane compressor if the noise bothers you.

Depending on the design of your particular gen, it may be a bit of a nightmare to run direct off the engine.

Pics would help

[AdrianR]

What do you define as cheap? Vane compressors seem to be thick end of a K?

Our US friends seem to be able to buy neat "under hood" units that attach to the engine with an alternator type belt drive, which seems quite a good solution but can't find one here that will do more than pump up a tyre.

Also a few suggestions that you could reuse an aircon comressor with an oil feed and then an oil separator, sounds like a bit of a bodge but will read around a bit more, could be am option.

Adrian

[shoehorn]

It takes one hp to get approx 4cfm,an air con pump will put out hot air which is useless for power tools, and they are usually rated around 2/3 cfm and that rate drops as rpm rises.

[DrDeAtH]

Air compressor from a truck braking system? Should be able to bodge one onto the engine....

[Condi]

Make one yourself? You have the compressor - which is most likely belt drive? So put a pulley off the engine and then connect to the compressor? Use gears/pulley systems as required to match speeds.

Or am I missing something here?

[AdrianR]

Thanks for the ideas, keep em coming.

Current compressor is a small, neat, portable but high RPM, very noisy SIP unit. To get a quiet one, I would have to buy something much bigger with a belt drive and lower RPM.

The air con compressor conversion I've seen does in fact use an old "York" style unit, which shifts between 6 and 10 cfm but now seem to be quite rare and if you buy new or recon then you might as well but a purpose built compressor pump.

Truck air brake, yes, did consider that but would have to be from a breaker or.£££ are I don't know which truck.

Looking at genny again, there is quite a lot of space down one side, so perhaps the answer is to find a 2hp ish tankless, low RPM pump/motor unit and mount this inside the housing with a switch on the control panel. Combination of being a bit quieter and inside the acoustic cabinet might do it. Would still have to draw cold air from somewhere but maybe could duct the intake.

AdrianR

[john2443]

Machine Mart sell the pump section separately form the tank & motor, not sure if that helps!

[Wee gus]

DrDeAtH said:

Air compressor from a truck braking system? Should be able to bodge one onto the engine....

should be simple enough, bearing in mind they are usually gear driven and can either be air cooled or water cooled.

[AF1]

Is it not a truck engine driving the generator just in a different configuration?

[DrDeAtH]

There is a new Scania compressor on the bay........ 190 sovs...

[AdrianR]

Have just won a Nardi compressor on eBay, 8cfm with combined motor and v twin pump, looks a much better piece of kit than the SIP I have now and claims to be 70 ish db rather than 90, lets hope it's as good as the description when it turns up.
Will try it as is first, and if its still too loud then I will remount the mechanics inside the genny cabinet as above.

Cheers for the input to thought process.