what to do with extra power from our generator

[sdixon8]

while i was boiling yesterday. i couldnt help but think i am wasting power from our genset that runs the syrup shack, and thought for hours with what i could do with the extra power we were making. we have a 50kw military diesel genset. and with everything up and running, vac pump, all the blowers for the evap, and enought lights to light up the neighborhood, we are only running the genset at 50%. i had this crazy idea could one put electric heating elements in the evap. just to use the extra power? i have never heard of it done before, but would it work. i keep trying to find ways to use up power, because if i cant keep at least a 50% load on the generator it starts to wet stack with diesel fuel. i dont really want a smaller generator because it takes so much power to start the vac pumps. any good ideas?

[not_for_sale]

Doesn't it use more diesel if you pull out more power?

[sdixon8]

if i run above 90 percent power draw it will burn more power but from 0 to 85 percent it will burn the same amount of fuel- 3/4 gallons an hour. i figured that i have about 20 to 25kw extra power that could be used

[not_for_sale]

Well, then the best idea I have is to but a pump, a couple of instant hot water heaters on eBay, modify the thermocouples probes adn circulate the sap out of the pans through it.

Or, We used to have heating elements in Germany to heat water in buckets for the animals. I am sure stainless heating elements to heat the sap would be working well. Pretty easy to dump a couple of kilowatts in an electric heating element. There are companies out there that make custom stainless heating elements for sauna heaters.

[Scribner's Mountain Maple]

Do you already have a preheat for your 4*14? You could preheat sap in a small container between storage and arch using electric elements. Heating elements to preheat syrup for caning. electric hot plates for heating water/cooking. Also I was thinking of storing energy in batteries so you could leave a heater on in arch on cold nights.

[sdixon8]

yeah already have a piggy back on our evap. that pre heats the sap.

[Dill]

An RO and a vac pump.

[whatever]

Personally I would probably add a tv and sat. dish,,,,then a beer fridge,,,,then....lol