Thanks Dave,
we had a customer bought a used paving machine and the right hand cylinder was full of water and some pitting so he asked us to order a new engine and mount it and when asked what he wanted with the old one he gave it to me so we had it bored and new pistons and rings.
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The conversation has kind of moved on but I’ve been looking for a suitable genhead for a “wild AC” battery charging setup. I wanted something brushless, electrically efficient and long lasting.
I would setup the pulleys for the right RPM and general voltage. Battery charging is more or less constant voltage with managed current. The genhead’s “wild” output gets rectified and fed into switched magnetics to manage the current and avoid excess voltage rise, indicative that the current is too high for the batteries. Current should be tapered as the batteries approach full. Alternatively… something like an EG4 may do all that.
The circuit that I am describing is a fancier version of the circuit in a standard alternator (eh sort of). I want something simple enough and cheap enough that it can be overspec’d, spare parts set aside and serviced by someone with a simple electronics background.
The genhead should last forever with light maintenance - lube, swap in spare bearings every 5-10 years, keep it from getting really hot. Probably the biggest risk is the head ruining a bearing and crashing the rotor / destroying the magnets.
So this is the unit I found for the genhead (below). I’m posting an Amazon link but the same unit is available from AliExpress and “Bonanza?” for less than $800. There is also a 15kw version. Both units are probably rated generously here… seeing the 8kw described as “5kw” constant in various places.
https://www.amazon.com/Brushless-Generator-3-Phase-Permanent-Inverter/dp/B0BDFRT54H
This might even be the genhead buried in various inverter generators. I see it over and over again like some factory in China ramped up for a huge production run.
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Anthony here is a video of the first widespread commercial application usage of the then new strong rare earth permanent magnets:
These were developed and used in service trucks, RV’s and man-lifts in the late 1980’s thru the mid-1990’s before true full wave inverters were developed.
I sought out and E-Bay ‘Buy-Now’ got five of these.
IF you can struggle to push out the co-axial dual wound armature from out of the Magnet housing . . .then the real problem would be inserting it back in without taking off a finger or edge chipping those hard brittle magnets. All of the since late 1990’s permanent magnet auto car starters etched this well to.
Thses are Redlines are nearly non-electronic. With just a discrete component control board that senses circuit connected then powering up a one or two constant duty relays for battery power. Easy to flip-switch On-Off convert for a totally non-electronics usage.
Yes. An electrical consumer. Versus your electric power making generator.
But the huge incredibly strong permanent magnets having to spin close; and fast; will be the same.
Even if these Chinese units are 95% efficient that 5% as heat will add up at 5kW to 8kW power levels.
I do not see enough foreced air cooling for long duty cycle using.
Color me as very skeptical. You buy. Then you are their out in the real-world Beta-tester user.
Steve unruh
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Anthony, keep an eye out for this one:
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That generator on Amazon is soo tiny, I question the specs and therefore also the high price.
I would go for something “automotive”. That would be locally available at more sane prices. Alternators and generators are made in a wide variety of sizes. From mini-cars to diesel locomotives. 
You can build your own using the ideas of wind-generator pioneers Hugh Piggot (Scoraig Wind) Hugh Piggott’s blog | Scoraig Wind Electric News
and Otherpower.com.
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Hey guys here is a video the YouTube algorithm AI fed to me, noodling-away at 01:00 in morning with insomnia; evading can’t-go-back, futile dreams-nightmares.
At the very beginning 0.33 → 0.54 minutes"Doug" says they lived 12 years off grid intentionally fully stripped down with just some little electric generator on-demand when wanting electric power. He/they evolved into the Honda 7000 inverter generator.
At 7:08 he shows thier electrical consumers they have now expanded, upgraded into now with a solar-power base. Key IMHO was them stripping down to nothing for years then only building back up as they choose for electrical usages.
Then again at 7:58 → 8:50 he goes over still having to use his Honda 7000 some for expanded power suppling now needs.
Ha! Ha! He sounds much like one of my DOW friends presenting. Hint: think, Get Outside!
Him and his wife living-it, Live much like an even longer known DOW couple that I’ve been friends with for a long time. Think far northern US mid-continental. Hint: think Birch syrup making.
Both DOW couples like Doug & Stacy more into developing a living the life; than Idealizing systems fine points, quibbling.
On topic: buy into a larger inverter-generator system FIRST that has shown it can be easily-easiest woodgased fueled.
The DOW examples now being Dave in Australia. Matt Ryder with his.
Regards
Steve Unruh
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