Generator components and their working principles

The generator is the standby power supply used in case of power failure due to emergency, bad weather, daily maintenance and other factors affecting the primary energy. Similar to residential generators and their ability to supply power to homes during power outages, commercial generators have the same function in a wider range.

Generators are important for industrial and commercial facilities because these buildings rely heavily on equipment that requires high ratings. Due to the high power demand of commercial enterprises, commercial generators are larger, with stronger components, larger engines and higher energy output.

Before installing a new generator, it is essential to understand its working principle and the role of each component to ensure its efficiency and the safety of surrounding workers.

How does the generator work?

Each generator component plays a key role in how the generator generates electricity. Understanding the basic mechanism of the generator will help to consolidate its ease of operation and function.

One of the most important things to understand about any generator is that it does not produce energy. Instead, they use direct or alternating current to convert energy into usable power.

DC generator (DC) requires battery or unidirectional electromagnetic induction to generate current. Alternating current (AC) flows from zero to a positive maximum, returns to zero, then drops to a negative maximum, and returns to zero.

The most commonly used commercial generators are diesel and natural gas. Generally, diesel generators have a fuel tank connected to or connected to a larger fuel tank, and users fill it with fuel, which is their main fuel source. The engine then uses this fuel to convert it into mechanical energy by forcing it into the circuit to generate an electric current.

For example, diesel generators automatically start and generate electricity during power outages. It does this by converting the energy of burning fuel, using the heat generated by its air compression.

The natural gas generator is usually connected to the natural gas pipeline, which is an available installation location for utility companies to maintain a stable supply of fuel. In some cases, the natural gas generator can be converted to propane (LPG) and then connected to a larger propane tank on site for standby operation.

What are the components of a commercial generator?

As a necessity for emergency and power failure, the generator has many components that can help it operate. Each part of the generator has a unique purpose, allowing the machine to operate normally and provide energy where you need it.

Because businesses and companies rely heavily on electricity to ensure employee safety and product functionality or availability, it is important to understand how your generator works and what each component does. The following are the key components of the generator. You should know the source of the backup power supply and how these machines supply it to your work site:

1. Fuel system

An important part of commercial generators is the fuel system. Before the generator outputs mechanical energy, you must provide it with a fuel source so that it can convert the source (natural gas or diesel fuel) into chemical energy, then into mechanical energy and finally generate electrical energy.

When evaluating the fuel system of industrial generators, let's start with the fuel tank in the diesel generator. The diesel generator oil tank can be an auxiliary oil tank or an oil tank installed on the generator, which is called the diesel base oil tank. The amount of fuel the tank can hold determines its power generation capacity in terms of duration. In short, the larger the diesel fuel tank is, how long can it run to supply power to the generator and provide backup power in case of power failure. In general, these diesel fuel tank capacities are calculated based on the size and kW rating of the diesel generator, including estimated fuel usage and load. The diesel base oil tank is usually a supplement to the diesel generator, and how long the generator will operate will be estimated based on the capacity. For example, a 300 kW diesel generator with a 555 gallon diesel base tank would be considered a 24 hour diesel base tank.

Connected to the tank are pipes or fuel lines that lead to the engine of the generator. These fuel transfer pipes can be located on the ground or underground and transfer fuel from the warehouse to the engine. The fuel system also includes pumps that draw fuel from the external tank using pressure from the motor and inject it into the engine cylinders.

When gas generators are involved, these types of generators usually need to be connected to the main gas utility. This allows the gas generator to have a stable fuel supply unless any utility work, upgrade or natural gas utility is shut down due to natural or man-made disasters. This means that there is no need to worry about fuel storage capacity, as long as the main utility company continues to operate normally.

An important note about the fuel injection system is that natural gas and diesel fuel generators use different injection systems and are not interchangeable. These different fuel sources require injection timing and other similar parameters specific to the fuel type.

Any excess fuel that is not filled into the cylinders is returned to the tank. In the end, returning fuel to the tank will reduce the engine's horsepower because the returned fuel has a higher temperature than the stored fuel. This is because it absorbs heat from the fuel injector. If the temperature becomes too high, the system will shut down. Because of this consideration, many generators include fuel coolers that help regulate fuel temperature.

Another important note about generator fuel systems is that they have controls so that you can monitor pumps, tanks, fuel stocks, and leak detection.

2. Engine

This engine is another key operator in a commercial generator component. Like natural gas or diesel engines in automobiles, generator engines are places where chemical energy or fuel sources are converted into mechanical energy.

Different generators have different engine sizes. Please keep this in mind when selecting or repairing the engine of the machine. The engine size is directly related to the maximum power output of the generator, which is due to horsepower (HP). This means that larger engines can produce more energy output, while smaller engines have smaller energy output.

Related to the maximum energy output produced is horsepower, which is the unit used to measure engine power. The maximum generated power output corresponds to horsepower, which means that larger engines with higher power output have higher horsepower than smaller models.

Horsepower also explains in more detail the importance of tank temperature regulation. As the return oil is hotter than the stored fuel, the stored fuel temperature will rise. For every 10 degrees Fahrenheit increase in stored fuel temperature over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the engine horsepower decreases by 1 percent. The larger fuel tank is less affected by the return oil temperature, and finally allows the larger engine to continue to run at higher horsepower.

The size of your generator engine will correspond to the power generated by the generator. Large companies and industries that rely more on electricity will need generators with larger engines.

It is also important to note that the difference between the diesel generator and the natural gas generator is that the natural gas generator engine has a spark plug and is ignited by a spark, which is a project to be considered when looking for a standby generator. This is because the natural gas generator will require more regular inspection and maintenance to ensure that it can continue to operate at the highest efficiency and that all safety measures are taken when operating the natural gas generator.

3. Alternator

Alternator is also called generator end, which converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. This process starts with the engine burning fuel and transferring it to the alternator. The alternator consists of two main components that enable the generator to generate energy efficiently and effectively: the stator and the rotor.

The stator is a fixed component, which contains a group of electrical conductors, which are coils wound together and have iron cores.

The rotor (armature) is a moving part, which generates magnetic force, makes electrons move and generates electricity.

The stator is a fixed facet of the alternator. It comprises a conductive coil wound around the iron core. The rotor or armature is a moving part that generates magnetic force. Magnetic forces cause electrons to move, producing energy.

More specifically, the rotor uses mechanical energy from the engine to move around the stator and generate a magnetic field. This process generates different voltages or potentials between the stator coils, thus generating the alternating current output of the generator.

4. Voltage regulator

An automatic voltage regulator (AVR) is an automatic device in a generator that helps maintain a constant voltage level. As an important part of the generator, they stabilize the output voltage by preventing voltage level fluctuations and maintaining AC within the correct voltage level range.

These regulators are an important part of the generator because they help the machine meet your commercial power needs and the power requirements of the equipment. If the generator cannot maintain its allowable voltage at a constant rate, the performance of the generator and the function of any equipment powered by the generator will be adversely affected.

All electrical appliances and machinery have different ranges of voltage preferences, and they operate at peak performance. Any voltage level above or below this range may cause performance difficulties or equipment failures. Generators that do not maintain voltage or do not have automatic voltage regulation systems are not enough. When the generated voltage changes constantly, this will shorten the service life of the electrical appliances and the generator itself.

Due to long-term use of inappropriate voltage, your equipment may permanently reduce efficiency or even be damaged. The generator voltage regulator helps eliminate equipment damage or safety problems caused by voltage fluctuations, because AVR's work is to provide surge protection against surges, spikes and generator overloads.

5. Cooling and exhaust system

The continuous use of the generator will cause the working parts to heat up. The cooling system is a fixed part of any generator to regulate its temperature and prevent overheating. Most generators have an air cooling or liquid cooling system to regulate their internal heat.

The air-cooled generator system relies on air circulation to reduce the temperature of the generator by drawing air from the atmosphere and blowing it through the generator. One advantage of this type of cooling system is that it does not require a cooling water pump or any connecting hoses. Due to the simplicity of space-based systems, they also require less maintenance. However, if used for a long time, the air-cooled generators may overheat, which may lead to their failure or irreparable damage.

The liquid cooling system uses coolant or oil, radiator and water pump to regulate the internal temperature of the generator. The pump uses a hose network to distribute coolant to the engine, which absorbs heat and enters the radiator for air cooling. These cooling systems are more costly and expensive to operate. In addition, they usually require more attention and maintenance because they are more complex systems.

In addition, since the generator will generate smoke containing hazardous chemicals, a fixed frame must be provided to discard the smoke. The generator exhaust system requires a flue gas pipe, which ends outside and is far away from the entrance point, doorway and areas with heavy traffic.

6. Lubrication system

Like any other machine with moving parts, generators rely on gears and levers, which often cause friction. To ensure that these components can be easily moved, the generator needs lubricant. Lubricant is a fluid or oil used to separate the internal components of the generator.

With regard to generators and their engines, lubricating oil has four main uses. First, it forms a membrane separation between the moving parts of the engine to prevent metal to metal contact. It also produces an oil film that forms a gas tight seal between the piston ring and the cylinder. In addition, the role of the lubricant is to remove the heat generated by the engine. Finally, it helps to keep the internal surface of the engine clean.

The generator relies on a lubrication system to eliminate friction between surfaces in contact under normal operating conditions. The manufacturer uses a thin layer of lubricant on the friction surface to reduce the friction resistance.

It is important to avoid dry friction and frictional resistance as much as possible, because friction will cause mechanical wear and reduce the efficiency of the generator. Properly lubricated systems enable the generator to complete its work and improve and extend the durability and reliability of the machine.

7. Battery

Batteries are a key part of the generator because they provide the power needed to start the machine during a power outage. When the power is exhausted and you need a generator, the machine has no other energy to use than batteries. Specifically, the battery supplies power to the engine starter and control panel. Some generators even have a secondary battery in case the main battery fails.

Battery failure is one of the main causes of generator failure. Therefore, it is very important to carry out routine inspection on the battery. The inspection requires you to clean and tighten any loose or dirty connections and ensure that sulfate does not accumulate on the battery. It is also important to know the shelf life of the generator battery. Its capacity will decrease over time and be lower than 80% of the normal capacity. The general rule of thumb for batteries is that you should replace them every 4 years to ensure efficiency and operation.