> has done this before.  No sense re-inventing the wheel...
 > 
 > Yes, I would intend on heating the house with the reject heat.
 > I wonder if a catalytic converter would work on natural gas?
 > The heat that throws off would be a bonus for very little loss.
 > 
 > I am looking at a V8 for a couple of other reasons.  An engine
 > with a larger number of cylinders is usually smoother.  And,
 > the V8 design is inherently balanced.  A four usually isn't.
If you're not wanting to reinvent the wheel, you should probably copy what 
others are doing along these very lines. They generally use small 
water-cooled engines, 2, 3 or 4 cylinders. Use the induction motor to start 
the thing, and use that for the electrical part of the co-generation. You 
don't need a catalytic convertor; the engine will be pretty efficient because 
it's running at a higher specific load than your V8 idea. You would probably 
want a marine-type exhaust manifold to extract the heat from that area.
Vibration and noise are not a concern in these applications because it's 
pretty straightforward to suppress. Put the engine on a concrete foundation, 
with vibration-absorbing pads under it, and build a soundproof box around it. 
You should be able to get it as quiet as a typical central A/C condensing 
unit.
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