Cogeneration Timing Belt Replacement | Posts 32+

So, I don't see the ZR as the problem.

You can easily access it and even leave it exposed because there's no risk of damage from water or salt, allowing you to regularly visually inspect its condition. And the timing belt doesn't usually fail without warning; you can usually see when it's about to go. The problem is, you can't easily reach it in a car.

This makes it possible to achieve a significantly higher mileage, and it's not even that expensive.

On the contrary, even a chain wears out, but it is much more expensive and difficult to replace. In older DB engines (e.g., 240D), there were adapter shims for the camshaft, so that if the chain was worn, the camshaft could be repositioned without having to replace the chain. However, chains don't usually break easily.
Regarding the regulation and generator, I agree that it is straightforward in feed-in operation.

The problem I see has been discussed several times in other places: The TDI engine can only tolerate heating oil to a limited extent (ESP!).

I would then switch to a different type of oil, as is common with (high-speed) ship diesel engines. This oil is designed for use with lower-quality fuels and has a higher capacity to absorb contaminants, as well as significantly stronger acid-neutralizing properties.
The oil manufacturers then specify the pH value at which the oil has reached the end of its lifespan and needs to be changed.

Regarding lubricity, you could try adding a small amount of pure rapeseed oil (not biodiesel!). Whether this will bring you within an acceptable range for the pump is an experiment. It's certainly better than pure heating oil.


However, the best and simplest option is a gas engine (Fiat series) running on natural gas. As you already mentioned, the efficiency isn't that important because the heat is being utilized.

And gas engines have a very long lifespan and incredibly long oil change intervals because the engine and the oil remain clean.

Hi,

A friend of mine heats his house with a wood-burning stove. Because the stove produces far too much heat, he uses a 2000-liter water tank (an old, insulated stainless steel milk tank) as a heat storage system.
This could also be interesting for TDI (Turbulent Diesel Injection) applications. A control system could, for example, start the engine when the storage temperature falls below 55°C. The engine then produces electricity until the temperature in the storage reaches 95°C again. The electricity is fed into the grid and compensated accordingly. If the engine is not running but electricity is still needed, you can simply purchase it from the grid.
In winter, the engine runs more frequently than in summer. And since it doesn't run constantly, there shouldn't be any issues with the maintenance intervals. Furthermore, the starting temperature of 55°C prevents cold starts, which further extends the engine's lifespan.

Now, the only question that remains is whether something like this is really worthwhile. It would probably have to be compared to an oil heating system with condensing technology. Of course, it's also important to know under what conditions and at what price electricity generated in this way can be fed into the grid...

Greetings.

Eike.

Very interesting things are being discussed here...
I had also been thinking about the combined heat and power (CHP) plant, and it looked like this:
- Old 1.6L naturally aspirated diesel engine (available cheaply!)
- Utilize waste heat from the cooling system and use an exhaust heat exchanger.
- Large, well-insulated water storage tank (the larger, the better).
- Heating and hot water from the water storage tank (also known as a thermal storage tank).
- Do not operate the engine if the water temperature in the tank is below the threshold value.
- Power generator for feeding electricity into the grid, simply because the mechanical motor power has to go somewhere , so electricity is normally drawn from the grid, and when the CHP (Combined Heat and Power) system is running, excess electricity is fed back into the grid for compensation.
- The engine can be operated with heating oil or vegetable oil (rapeseed oil), but the latter is currently more expensive than heating oil! I would supplement the engine oil circuit with a filtration system to extend the oil change intervals. The whole thing probably only pays off with the low initial investment costs of the engine (200 to 500 euros) and the used water tank, if you assemble everything yourself. As a new investment, it is probably not affordable.

I have no idea if my thoughts are actually useful; they are just theoretical.
Does anyone know of any sources on this topic?

Regards,
Jens.

Google found the following (the text is from a forum I'm not familiar with):

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"There are several manufacturers of small-scale CHP (Combined Heat and Power) systems. I've seen a "Dachs" unit from Senertec, which has an electrical output of 5 kW and a thermal output of 12.5 kW, and it's about the size of a washing machine – a great piece of equipment. By the way, the environmental tax on heating oil or natural gas (depending on what fuel you use for the CHP) is usually refunded."
Tollstes teil war ein Eigenbau aus einem Golf-Dieselmotor mit angeflanschtem Servomotor und SiemensUmrichter mit Rückspeisung. Der Motor läuft bis ein 2000l Wasserspeicher voll ist und speist solange Strom 25kW? ind Netz. Läuft mit Rapsöl und Frittenöl gefiltert. War Really well done.
Here are a few quick resources for reference.
Links to it:
http://www.neue-energie-technik.net/bhkw-pflanzenoel/
http://www.kw-energietechnik.de/bhkw/bhkw_suche.asp?Art=1
http://www.sbgenergy.net/bhkw_pflanzenoel/bhkw_pflanzenoel.htm
http://www.asamnet.de/~staubeju/bhkw.htm#technik
http://www.senertec.de/frames.php?urlname=dachs.htm
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