Editor’s Introductory Note: The following is a guest post, rather than a writing contest entry. The author is with Bolton Power Equipment. They have been importing Listeroid engines since 2014.
For long service life, in my opinion, nothing beats a low-RPM engine. Small, high-RPM engines have practical engine llfespans that are often measured in just thousands of hours. But larger, low-RPM engines with flywheels have practical engine llfespans that are often measured in tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of hours.
Listeroid engines have been discussed in SurvivalBlog since our early days. See, for example:
Lister Low RPM Engines Still Made in India.
and,
Letter Re: Lister Low RPM Engines Still Made in India.
I highly recommend Listeroid engine generators for warm and temperate climates. – JWR
—
Here are some thoughts about the journey the purchase of a Listeroid power system enables you and your family to embark on.
Some history. The English company R A Lister designed these robust slow-speed diesel engines back in the 1920s and their design has changed only a little. R A Lister manufactured them through the early 1970s. From then on, only Indian factories with the original patterns manufactured them. Indian factories started producing them with the end of the British “Raj” and Indian independence around 1947. They were popular here in the US from the 1970s through the early 2000s when importation slowed down because of regulatory changes.
Listeroids (Lister clones) are compact engines that are used for off-grid power generation systems based on modified R S Lister pattern diesel engines. These engines, originally designed for stationary industrial use, have been adapted for use in small-scale, off-grid power setups.
Listeroids are highly durable, efficient, and capable of running on a variety of fuels, including; kerosene, Jet A, biodiesel, vegetable oil, and even waste oils. Their reliability and low maintenance needs, make them popular choices for sustainable energy production in remote areas, homesteads, and disaster preparedness situations, providing a dependable power source for lighting, refrigeration, and other essential electrical needs.
The quality control (QC) of Listeroid engines has improved significantly from the 1970s to today, thanks to advancements in manufacturing processes, added features, materials, and inspection techniques. These improvements have led to even better overall engine performance, reliability, and longevity.
Here’s a look at the key areas of improvement:
1. Manufacturing Precision and Technology
Earlier: In the 1970s, many Lister engines were produced using older, less precise manufacturing methods, which sometimes led to inconsistencies in engine parts, performance, and overall quality. Parts were often manually machined, and quality control was more dependent on individual craftsmanship.
Today: Modern Listeroids are produced with advanced CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machinery, additional features and some automated manufacturing processes that ensure tighter tolerances and greater consistency in engine parts. This leads to better fitment, reduced wear, and improved performance over the engine’s lifespan.
2. Material Quality and Inspection
Earlier: In the 1970s the materials used in the construction of Lister engines were often standard and less specialized. The inspection of materials was typically rudimentary, which could sometimes lead to suboptimal component strength or durability.
Today: Modern Listeroids benefit from higher-grade materials, including more durable alloys and better heat-treated components. Materials are carefully inspected for quality before being used, also extra cleaning and prepping like steam-cleaning castings and epoxy paint are employed to ensure components meet more uniform standards.
JWR Adds: Many Listeroid engines produced in India before around the year 2005 were imported with their internal parts contaminated by casting sand residue and/or metal filings or drilling fragments. That also happens occasionally with other sorts of engines. Therefore, I recommend that any generator or water pump with a gas, propane, or diesel engine bought new should get a full oil change and oil filter change after just an initial 10-minute test run. That is what engine mechanics call “cheap insurance.” Ditto for installing neodymium magnet oil reservoir drain plugs. If you can find one that fits, then get one!
3. Continuous Improvement Feedback Loops
Earlier: In the 1970s the feedback mechanisms for quality issues were often reactive rather than proactive, with problems addressed only after they became apparent.
Today: Modern Listeroid manufacturers employ continuous improvement practices, utilizing customer feedback, and performance monitoring to identify areas for improvement in both design and manufacturing. This allows manufacturers including ours to make iterative improvements to the engines, refining components and processes over time.
4. Use Cases:
Building an alternative power system can be a big undertaking. It can be built around; emergency / supplementary power generation, real-time power generation, or storage of power to use when needed. Different sizing, configuration, over-all architectures and equipment lists apply depending on the use case.
The primary use cases follow:
First, the simplest case. This is where a Listeroid is configured for emergency power production to give you and your family the peace of mind of having an alternative to the “Power Company”. Generating emergency electric energy can happen through the various renewable (naturally replenished) energy sources available today. However, they are not reliable. At night and when overcast, Solar does not work and when the wind dies down wind generation does not work. Listeroids work all the time. Raining, snowing, foggy, at night or when the wind doesn’t blow. All the time. A Listeroid is a relatively inexpensive, notoriously reliable and “always available” emergency power source. Your Listeroid power generator would be sized to provide the key systems of your choice with power when the municipal power was out. The Listeroid system would be switched into your home or business power distribution box either manually or with an automatic transfer switch depending on how the system is installed. A Listeroid is an ideal reliable supplementary power source with practically 100% duty cycles.
Second, the Full Off-Grid, real-time power generation application. This is when no municipal power is available, and you need to provide either continuous or scheduled continuous power for your home or business. “Continuous” is, as the word implies the provision of power continuously. “Scheduled Continuous” is while you are in residence or otherwise need power provided to your home or business. In either case a 100% duty cycle is to be expected. With this use case certain considerations should be made with the installation. A large enough fuel tank should be installed to provide at least a few days between refueling. With the factory supplied fuel tank the Listeroid will run for a minimum 10 to 12 hours before re-fueling is needed, depending on the load. In addition, a separate muffler or other exhaust system to reduce the exhaust note as much as possible may be appropriate.
Third, a ballasting or stored power system. This is the most complicated configuration but also the most flexible. It is primarily intended for Off-Grid, but can also apply in an On-Grid but unreliable environment. The configuration stores power in a battery array and delivers both AC and DC to the home through an “Inverter” A modern inverter takes in AC from the Listeroid’s alternator and DC from other sources such as wind or solar and applies those power inputs to an inverter to charge a battery array. The batteries can be Lead Acid, AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat), Gel Cell, or Lithium. A Gel Cell is a type of Valve Regulated Lead Acid (“VRLA”) battery with a gelified electrolyte. AGM and Gel Cell are both forms of Lead Acid batteries while Lithium is a newer and more advanced battery technology. Each technology has advantages and disadvantages that should be discussed with the installer when making decisions on the configuration of your ballasting power system. For consumption, the inverter takes DC power from the batteries, converts it into AC and DC and supplies that power to home or business when and to what degree it is needed.
You can size this type of system with a smaller Listeroid generator than a direct power application because the battery will “ballast” or store the power and then deliver it with the “surges” needed that would require a larger Listeroid system if battery ballasting was not available and configured. This configuration also allows you to store power for consumption while the Listeroid is down for maintenance like fueling, oil changes or adjustments and perhaps repairs like replacing belts or batteries.
One important thing to remember while considering your options, is that a Listeroid system costs a fraction of what a solar, wind or any hybrid system does. To put it into perspective, a Listeroid AC system costs about $1,000 per kW to purchase and has lower installation costs than either solar or wind because of its simplicity. Wind costs more than $2,000 per kW to purchase and solar costs the most, more than $3,000 per kW hour for an AC system. Solar also has the highest installation costs because of the system’s complexity. In addition, both Solar and Wind are inherently unreliable because of the needed environmental conditions to function.
The Listeroid is the least expensive and by far the most reliable generation system available. In its basic form, it does not use expensive electronics susceptible to EMP and it does not rely on the whims of the environment like solar or wind. It also does not require the expensive and invasive installation of Geo Thermal to ballast. It is the only fueled generator that is actually “renewable” because you can grow your own fuel (Bio-Diesel). The Listeroid is simple. Isn’t “simple” always the best solution?
5. Take-Away
From the 1970s to today, Listeroid quality control has improved dramatically. Modern manufacturing technologies, higher material standards, more precise testing, and improved supply chain management have all contributed to better-engineered, more reliable, and longer-lasting engines. The result is a Listeroid that not only performs better but also requires less maintenance and offers greater value for off-grid power generation.
In conclusion, a Listeroid power system offers a reliable and cost-effective solution for backup and/or Off-Grid power needs. By utilizing a Listeroid engine, which is known for its durability and fuel efficiency, these systems provide a sustainable option for Off-Grid power generation or in emergency situations. Its relatively low maintenance requirements and ability to run on a variety of fuels make it an attractive choice for remote locations, homesteads, or areas prone to power outages. Overall, the Listeroid emergency power system ensures a dependable and cost-effective energy source, particularly in critical situations when access to electricity may be limited.