Yea I shoulda have thought twice before using goo gone as I have tons of other stuff in my service truck, but oh well white it is!
CK5
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'83...? ONAN diesel genset startup project.
- Thread starter bix
- Start date
There is not a lot of components in there, but there are a few. Its too much trouble for that amount to do a heat calculation. After you get the system up and running, check the inside of the box for temp. If its running warm, you will have to come up with a way to dissipate heat.
I designed and built some units for a guy a few years ago. Used about the same box, except it locked with screws instead of latches. I knew the environment they would have to work in, so I made sure everything that pierced the box was NEMA4.
After the first couple, he asked if I could not make them smaller. Said that there seemed to be a large amount of room, so a smaller box should do just as good.
I told him no.
After about 8 boxes, the job ran out. That was actually 2 more than I expected. Of course, I sent a BOM along with schematics and a single page op manual with each one.
About 6 months later, one of the guys who worked with him mentioned that those new boxes I built were not working worth a darn.
I was a little curious, since I had not built him any new boxes. Turns out that he found out he needed two more, and got a local guy to build them for him.
To save money and space, he used much smaller boxes. After about a couple of months, they failed. He fixed them, the new ones failed.
As a result, the guy lost those two accounts. He never called, or asked, so I did not volunteer any information.
The reason I used those large boxes was not room inside, but surface area. I wanted the boxes sealed due to the area they were going to be used in.
That fiberglass box material does not transmit heat all that well, but if its big enough it will not get too hot inside. The smaller boxes did not have enough surface area to radiate off enough heat and so the components overheated and failed.
They make shielded vents that mount on top of those, and combined with a couple of holes in the bottom covered with really fine screen wire should be enough for your system if needed.
In my case, there would be lots and lots of super-fine dust floating around along with occasional water sprays. I did not want to take the chance.
If I had needed more cooling, a couple of large heat sinks mounted back to back one inside, one outside sealed to the case with some kind of heat pipe or transfer medium between them and an inside fan would have been my next choice.
J.
I designed and built some units for a guy a few years ago. Used about the same box, except it locked with screws instead of latches. I knew the environment they would have to work in, so I made sure everything that pierced the box was NEMA4.
After the first couple, he asked if I could not make them smaller. Said that there seemed to be a large amount of room, so a smaller box should do just as good.
I told him no.
After about 8 boxes, the job ran out. That was actually 2 more than I expected. Of course, I sent a BOM along with schematics and a single page op manual with each one.
About 6 months later, one of the guys who worked with him mentioned that those new boxes I built were not working worth a darn.
I was a little curious, since I had not built him any new boxes. Turns out that he found out he needed two more, and got a local guy to build them for him.
To save money and space, he used much smaller boxes. After about a couple of months, they failed. He fixed them, the new ones failed.
As a result, the guy lost those two accounts. He never called, or asked, so I did not volunteer any information.
The reason I used those large boxes was not room inside, but surface area. I wanted the boxes sealed due to the area they were going to be used in.
That fiberglass box material does not transmit heat all that well, but if its big enough it will not get too hot inside. The smaller boxes did not have enough surface area to radiate off enough heat and so the components overheated and failed.
They make shielded vents that mount on top of those, and combined with a couple of holes in the bottom covered with really fine screen wire should be enough for your system if needed.
In my case, there would be lots and lots of super-fine dust floating around along with occasional water sprays. I did not want to take the chance.
If I had needed more cooling, a couple of large heat sinks mounted back to back one inside, one outside sealed to the case with some kind of heat pipe or transfer medium between them and an inside fan would have been my next choice.
J.
Control box is mounted, and now to wire it all up, and push start..
This machete TMR rod and flat bar bender makes this sorta thing so fast and effortless. Its nice not beating the crap out of steel on the side of a anvil or vise... I didnt account for how level the generator sits but i was able to use a factory spacer to make the control box level in regards to how the gen set sits on the skid. I might double up the rubber pads under the feet at the front if it continues to want to slightly nose heavy.
This machete TMR rod and flat bar bender makes this sorta thing so fast and effortless. Its nice not beating the crap out of steel on the side of a anvil or vise... I didnt account for how level the generator sits but i was able to use a factory spacer to make the control box level in regards to how the gen set sits on the skid. I might double up the rubber pads under the feet at the front if it continues to want to slightly nose heavy.
Thanks again for another thing i wouldnt have considered. What sort of temperature is too hot for these components? will prepare a few ideas for cooling incase i need to. The good thing is the power really only goes out in the winter here when we get pretty consistent wind and rain storms, so it will be fairly cold atmospherically when this unit is being used. Thats why i also didnt put the fan shroud back on as i dont think ill have any major cooling issues at 45-55* F.
The box is 15" x 11.5" x 6.5"
wasted wages
1 ton status
I would relocate the box to mount on the skid frame... and attach it 3 points mounted on lord mounts.. but that's just me..
Vibration is a killer for electronics..
Vibration is a killer for electronics..
The backup generators and diesel firepump engine I have at my work are all mounted to themselves. I'm not sure if the controls are on the skid or on the engine. I know the big Detroit 2 strokes we have are mounted on the side of the engine.
wasted wages
1 ton status
Like I stated, that's just me...
I install computerization on hundreds of refrigeration systems a year, and I always mount the controller to the wall of the motor room if at all possible...
If I do mount it on the compressor rack itself, it gets rubber mounts.
Harmonics can play hell with electronics, and all of the input/ output control boards I install in the rack cabinet get mounted in a plastic snap in tray as well...
Thermo King underslung gensets also have a separate control box mounted in the cabinet of the generator.. away from the motor/ generator.
I install computerization on hundreds of refrigeration systems a year, and I always mount the controller to the wall of the motor room if at all possible...
If I do mount it on the compressor rack itself, it gets rubber mounts.
Harmonics can play hell with electronics, and all of the input/ output control boards I install in the rack cabinet get mounted in a plastic snap in tray as well...
Thermo King underslung gensets also have a separate control box mounted in the cabinet of the generator.. away from the motor/ generator.
I was thinking of using a rubber isolator, and this is also where ONAN would have mounted their box, off the back... but i do think it may be best to mount it off the skid. I also dont think itll run for more than 100 hours a year... i probably have time to figure it out.
