> Has anyone bumped into the maximum power transmission on a single V-Belt?
>
> I've not found a rule of thumb that makes sense.
>
> Dolph Santorine
>
> DE AD0LF
>
> Wheeling, West Virginia
>
> 1977 ex-Palm Beach TZE167V100820
> 1-ton, Sullybuilt Bags, Reaction Arms, 3.70 LSD, Manny Transmission, EV-6010,
Dolph,
Want as simple one you can lock your key down on???
Use 1-1/2 or maybe 1-3/4 HP under better conditions but never more than that. That comes out to 13~1400 Watts. Here is the long explanation.
When I first doing electric upgrades for performance cruisers (read retired racing sloops), all three of the alternator suppliers I was using were
telling me that 100 amps is the limit for a single 10mm V-belt (what is used on Volvo and Yanmar marine diesels). If I needed to go over that, I had
to go to a double belt. Going to a wider belt was problematic because it was usually multi-service and even a A-belt was not much better. (Please
note here that all three could supply a machine of that rating with a compatible frame and a double sheave.) Five owners wanted to go to 150 amp for
the main engine alternator. I told each of them that they needed the double sheave (this is a BIG$$ mode for a little marine diesel). It was refused
for all. For four of them I quoted a system with a remote regulator that could limit the machine load to 100. (One refused the additional cost.) I
installed all uncalibrated for the 150 amp machine and supplied a replacement belt in the kit. Each and every one, at some point in first the cruise,
ran the main engine up to cruising speed with the house bank down and burned the belt up (as anticipated).
Now began the discussion by cell phone or VHF that they first needed to look for and install (do you know about working on sailboat motors?) the
replacement belt and then locate the little magnetic screwdriver in the supplied kit - you need the magnet - to reprogram the regulator. When the
belt was replace and the regulator reprogramed, there was little additional issue after that. (Of course one owner pushed it a little and had to pick
up another belt, but the first replacement lasted a lot longer.)
For the one owner that did not want the "Fancy Shamcy (F) Computer Regulator" I had to get and modify a larger sheave for the alternator to slow it
down so it could not go over the 100 destruction mark, but he also did not have the capability to fast charge the bank at less than cruising speed.
If this left any question open, I can try to field it or just tell you to look up Balmar (the surviving supplier - we lost two during the depression).
Matt
--
Matt & Mary Colie - '73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Still Loving OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Twixt A2 and Detroit
