The life of a modern person without electricity has become simply unthinkable, because electricity is available in every home, and turning it off often causes a lot of trouble. It was for this purpose that such devices as gas generators were invented, the prices for which vary from 15,000 rubles. How to choose them and what points to pay attention to will be described later. This device is an independent source of electricity. You can even take it with you to nature, which will allow you to spend time comfortably even in conditions of great remoteness from home. And all this allows you to make a gas generator. How to choose it will be clear if we consider all the parameters that are important to him.
General Description
The answer to this question is much easier if you decide for what purposes it will be used. In those cases, if he has to work at low temperatures, then the best solution may be to purchase a device that runs on gasoline, because a diesel engine can be started at low temperatures.temperatures are much more difficult. In addition, such devices are much more compact, more environmentally friendly and cheaper than diesel ones.
Power as the main factor of choice
So, if you are purchasing a gas generator (how to choose it is described here), then first you should decide for what purposes you need it? The power of the device depends on your needs. For example, a Honda EU10i gas generator will be sufficient if you need lighting on a trip to nature, and when there is a need to electrify the whole house, more powerful models should be considered. The device must have some power reserve, because you can power something new from it at any time, and some household appliances differ in the presence of a difference between the consumed and starting power. For example, the power consumption of a modern refrigerator is about 150 watts, and the starting power is four times more, that is, 600. So, if we consider a gas generator, how to choose which one, we understand, then we may encounter another problem. On the device itself, the power is usually indicated in volt-amperes, and the power consumption of each connected device is indicated in watts, which often confuses when calculating the required level. Everything is quite simple here: 1VA \u003d 0.8W, which means that a device with a power of 1000 VA provides the work of a consumer who needs 800 W.
Differences in the type of current
The choice of gas generator depends on the type of appliances that yougoing to connect to it. All consumers of electrical energy are divided into three-phase and single-phase. The first ones have a plug that is different from the traditional ones, which we connect to 220V sockets. All household appliances, as well as low-power equipment, are all representatives of single-phase devices. Three-phase usually include compressors, concrete mixers, electric boilers, as well as other devices based on powerful electric motors. For domestic use, a 5 kW gas generator is quite suitable, the power of which will be quite enough to meet the current needs of the family during a central power outage. If you take a more powerful device, it will do a good job of providing electricity to the whole house, and will also allow you to connect appliances necessary for construction work.
Voltage regulators
Among the voltage regulators, it is customary to single out transformers, capacitors, AVRs and inverters. Capacitors and transformers operate on the basis of the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction, therefore they are not able to give a stable voltage without any jumps. Automatic regulators, in contrast, cope with this task much better, and their cost is much less than that of inverter devices. The high price of the latter is due to the quality of the conversion of electric current, which satisfy the very stringent requirements for the level of harmonics and sinusoidality, which are required when working with equipment that is sensitive to the slightest voltage drops. Inverter gas generators allow you to use them to ensure the operation of various types of expensive equipment, without fear for its safety. Even fairly simple devices with a power of up to 3000 watts can ensure uninterrupted and high-quality operation of a personal computer, refrigerator, TV and VCR at the same time.
Where is the gas generator used?
How to choose this rather complicated device, it is already becoming clear to you, now you need to decide on the areas of its application. So, it should be remembered that the generator for the home must operate with a minimum level of noise, be environmentally friendly and reliable, and also be equipped with a voltage regulator or an inverter. If we talk about a device designed for recreation, then it should be economical, compact and lightweight. If you are a fishing or hunting enthusiast, and you don’t like sitting in the dark by candlelight or kerosene lamps, then you can take a compact gas generator with you. The battery life of the smallest models is 4-8 hours, which is quite enough for "field" conditions. Such inverter gas generators are quite capable of ensuring the operation of the freezer, tape recorder and laptop at the same time.
Types of instrument control
A rather important question when choosing is the following: to take a model with automatic or manual control? Naturally, in this case, the decision depends solely on the buyer. Manual mode requires the presence of service personnel, which usually becomes itselfthe owner of the appliance, if it is a generator for domestic use. With the "automatic plus manual" mode, we are talking about the management and control in automatic mode, where personnel are required exclusively for maintenance.
When using manual mode plus remote control, the former is complemented by the ability to control at a distance of up to 25 meters. This is quite convenient when the generator is located in a specially designated place, while the owner is in the cottage. Fully remote control is required when it comes to networks or groups of objects with a large branching. The measurement and control of the necessary parameters is carried out by the operator by means of a computer. This mode is completely unsuitable for a home or a summer residence, but it is worth knowing about it.
Types of loads
Load, that is, an electrical device connected to the generator, has a pair of components - active and reactive. The first one works like this: all the energy that is consumed by the device turns into heat, that is, we are talking about incandescent lamps, kettles, irons, heaters, electric stoves and the like. The reactive component is available for all other devices, in the design of which there are inductors or capacitors. Examples of such loads include microwave ovens, refrigerators, air conditioners, drills, and so on. In such devices, part of the energy is converted into heat, and part is spent on formingelectromagnetic fields, and this is the very reactive component.
Starting current
This phenomenon is quite common. Starting currents briefly occur when the motor is started. They appear for a fairly short period of time, literally for a fraction of a second, but often they exceed the nominal value by several times. Starting currents in different devices are 2-9 times higher than the nominal ones. The most difficult start is observed for submersible pumps. They do not have an idle phase and their starting current value is 7-9 times higher than indicated in the technical data sheet. Ordinary household appliances are unable to measure inrush currents, as they are too inertial, so they simply do not have time to respond to such a short burst. This parameter is not indicated in the specifications by many manufacturers, so you often have to rely on approximate values. Therefore, when buying a device, it would be best to check this parameter with the manufacturer or dealer.
Generator selection
These devices can be synchronous or asynchronous. The former are characterized by a higher quality of electrical energy, as well as the ability to withstand three times short-term overloads. They should be used to power reactive loads characterized by high inrush currents. Asynchronous generators do not handle peak loads well. They are short circuit resistant. They are recommended to be used to power active loads, that is, heat engineering, incandescent lamps, electric stoves andother similar devices. If the generator is overloaded, then it may well fail. Inverter gas generators are similar in design to asynchronous ones, but they are equipped with electronic voltage regulators.
DIY gas generator
The first thing you need to implement such a bold undertaking is to get the engine from the chainsaw. It will serve as the basis for the entire structure. And here it doesn’t matter at all what brand the device will be, because in any case, excellent gas generators can turn out. The instructions for assembling them assume that you also have a 12 or 24 watt generator. This component of the future device can be obtained from agricultural machinery. It is worth taking care of the inverter, that is, the voltage converter. For these purposes, uninterruptible power supplies are often used, which are available in computer or other office equipment, which is started by means of a battery.
An old car tire will serve in this case as a mount for the generator. Its fastening at several points will guarantee greater rigidity of the entire future structure. If you install an automatic start system on the device, then you no longer have to worry about the need to constantly monitor the availability of electricity. So, now you know what spare parts for gas generators may be required.
