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Puma / Dorman 6LE / MacFarlane B46B / 110 kVA Generator Resurrection

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awemawson:
As some of you will be aware I've been looking for a large generator set for a while to re-commission my 100 kVA Induction Furnace. Although I have an adequate 3 phase supply into the farm I am seriously concerned that any problems commissioning might result in a major failure of the local electricity supply network and provoke unwanted questions  :bugeye:

I settled on a set made by George Puttock Ltd based on a 1972 Dorman 6LE 187 HP 11 litre in line 6 normally aspirated diesel engine. This drives a Macfarlane B46B alternator and is controlled by relay logic made by Puttocks.

George Puttock Ltd went to the wall years ago, but out of the ashes arose the Puma Generator Ltd company and some of the staff from the original company are still with Puma.

This was an eBay 'Spares or Repairs' purchase, the story being that it was a stand by set for a large house that had been converted into offices, and it failed to auto start last Christmas. As the house was scheduled for demolition they didn't get it repaired. This story is feasible as I've seen the planning application for the demolition ! I just hope that it wasn't some horrid mechanical problem  :bugeye:

A deal was struck to include transport to my place - the chap had what he thought was a suitable trailer and towing vehicle so funds changed hands.

Here it is when it eventually arrived

John Rudd:
I look forward to hearing more on this... :zap:

Keep the momentum going.. :coffee:

awemawson:
Now the 'suitable trailer' was initially a bit of an issue as he had somehow to lift the set two foot in the air to load up. Then when he coupled up to his Navara the front wheels came off the ground  :clap:

OK change of plan - need a lorry, and NO I'm not funding alternative transport, a deal is a deal  :med:

He struck a deal with a local haulage company and this morning, in torrential rain, it arrived and was safely plonked on the floor in the Tractor Shed to let me have a look at it in the dry.

Old equipment like this tends to get a bit damp and electrically leaky, and to prove my worst fear true, I was measuring practically a dead short between any phase and the chassis. This is not good news  :bang:

Mentally accepting that a long drying out period was going to be needed, I started stripping off the output cables that had just been cut by angle grinder - 50 sq mm csa copper cables !

Imagine my relief finding that the 'neutral earth' link had been left attached - phew - what I was measuring was the DC resistance of a winding on a massive alternator ie practically zero. With the link disconnected there is in fact remarkably good insulation resistance 'phase to chassis'  :clap:

The cabinet still needs a good drying, and I've left it with a 60W light bulb in overnight as the tubular cabinet heater that it is fitted with is open circuit.

It's a 24 volt starting system, but the pair of '644' batteries that came with it are pretty useless, not even registering on my 'Cold Cranking Meter' whereas they should be 650 CCA. A replacement pair are on order due for delivery tomorrow (Friday)

awemawson:
It's going to be great fun working out what the relay logic is doing - and I may well not as I have a feeling that I have a brand new 'Deep Sea' generator controller stored in one of my containers that came with a generator that I sold years ago. I'll go hunting tomorrow

Puma had a record of this generator but no documentation except a .PDF of the relay board, but not it's interconnections. Still this will be a good starting point.

These things monitor things such as oil pressure, water temperature, manifold depression, battery volts, main supply volts and loads of other parameters and implement starting sequences that cope with up to (usually) three failed starts.

Have some pictures:

Will_D:
Andrew, Oh NO!!, Not again!!

Not another massive project, please confirm that the pigs will be alright?

Looking forward already

Will (struggling with a controller upgrade for my CNC mill}

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