Wanted: LP Generator Conversion Kit

You will need a fairly large gas supply for your 15MW generator.

The critical question is how does your natural(?) gas gets burned and then converted to mechanical energy to then spin the shaft of your generator, internal combustion or gas turbine? The manufacturer of this 15MW prime mover will be your best first contact on how to convert your fuel. At 15 MW you may even be using steam to increase mechanical energy production.

OK, levity aside, the OP most probably meant a 15kW Guardian brand generator, surely?

I'd have to say that the most obvious starting point would be to ask the manufacturer. If this conversion is something that they recommend, then they will quite likely be able to supply a kit or direct you to someone reliable who can.

The key word is reliable here. You do not want to compromise your generator's reliability in any way by installing anything dodgy, lest you freeze your a$$ in the next power outage. Guardian would have to know best what works with their generators.

Check on line with the vapor carburetor experts like Impco or other propane or natural gas system manufactures.

I have a propane carburators that fit 3 hp B& S engines all the way up to units that can power a over built big block Ford to well over 400HP.

Knowing your engine HP, displacement, and RPM's can easily help the dealers find you the right conversion.

Check the online auctions too. There are loads of surplus, new, and used systems all ways for sale and often at unbeatable prices! Its where all of mine come from.

Generac in Waukesha Wisconsin builds the Guardian generator. I worked there as an electrical engineer in the 80's. I believe Generac is now owned by Briggs & Stratton, at least for the portables.

http://www.generac.com/Residential/Guardian/Guardian_Series/

Hammer1, I hope you have better luck with your Guardian than I did with my two Generacs (JUNK), last one lasted ten hours! I bought a Onan and converted it to LP with an Impoc converter. But before you invest the time and money to make the conversion, take into account whats going to give you the biggest bang for your buck, meaning most power per BTU burned. My Onan is rated @7.5kw and burns approx. .5gph @75% demand on gasoline, but in "04 when gas prices took off, I had the "Great Idea" to convert it to LP, cheaper cost. As it turned out it cost me twice as much to run on LP than it did on gasoline! This generator is my primary power source for my property in Oregon, so needless to say, I went back to gasoline and use my LP as a backup. If you use your generator as a backup for grid outage is one thing, but as a primary source, give it some thought about my experience.

Best of luck to you, dj

Good point. If your engine is not setup for propane or natural gas you will loose most or all of your avoided costs just because of the horrible fuel efficiency.

For proper propane or natural gas operation the compression ratio needs to be much higher. That typically requires a different piston or head and can some times need both. Also the ignition timing needs to be different than what gasoline requires too. They are basic but very important engine changes that will only then make running these types of fuel cheap and cost effective.

Try IMPCO Technologies in Santa Ana, CA. Their primary business is Conversion Kits for alternative Fuels.

If the generator is being used for long-term or prime power then I understand fuel efficiency will be a key goal. However a residential standby generator typically is only used during utility power outages so efficiency is generally not a big deal.

Here in Houston fuel availability is the primary issue. When the utility power goes out the gas stations stop pumping, however we never lost NG service. NG or LP can make much more sense regardless of the efficiency.