[VAC] Small diesel generators

["Carol and Oliver Filippi" <ofilippi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There has been some discussion of fuel for generators (propane, gasoline,
diesel).

In espousing the advantages of diesel, it seems to me you have all ignored
the noise issue, especially if the diesel idles under light load.

The diesel is a lot more difficult to silence, and is particularly prone to
"diesel knock" at low speeds and light loads.

I don't believe the technology is commercially available to produce a
"quiet"  diesel (but ought to be available in  a few years.)  Of course
there is always a big sound insulating box!

The only quiet diesel I know of is the GM/Isuzu Duramax which uses new
computer controlled fuel injection and direct injection into the combustion
chamber. I would be surprised if GM/Isuzu has not patented the fuel
injection trick they use to virtually eliminate diesel knock. [ But then GM
did not keep it's Cadillac Northstar technology (which allows the engine to
run for miles without coolant) to itself.]

The amazing quiet is the hallmark of the Honda portable gasoline unit.

For what it's worth:  Many years ago I asked an old Airstream dealer (who
had equipped several boondocking safaris) why there was no generator in the
trailer.  His answer was that the best place for a generator was in the tow
vehicle (not the trailer) so you could distance the generator from the
trailer to minimize noise, vibration  and exhaust fumes.  I think the same
laws of physics still hold.

Oliver Filippi