Generator
inverters generator installation
Power Systems Warehouse - New Automatic Inverter System saves up to 70% of Generator Fuel!
Power Systems Warehouse has recently
installed its innovative generator inverter systems into 2 rural
off-grid homes. The owners asked for these Powerguard PS Systems
to be added to their electricity power generators. The projects
required an understanding of their domestic mixed load
applications through a 24 hour cycle. They started and stopped
their generators manually and ran them to give sufficient power
for any load during the period they needed them on.
The Powerguard PS System was installed between their generator
and domestic circuit. It is programmed to automatically switch
on the generator for times of known heavy domestic use and
utilises the excess power to charge storage batteries. The aim
is to reduce generator run time to less than 33% so that in any
24 hour period the generator has to run less than 8 hours. The
charger is capable of recharging the battery in less than 8
hours.
To prevent damage to the battery the charger has a sophisticated
microprocessor control that will charge fast but not overcharge.
If the battery becomes charged and the generator is still
running the PS System’s charger will go into float mode and keep
the battery fully charged without damage.
When the generator is not running, the PS System’s inverter
converts the DC battery power to AC power. The inverter output
is a low distortion sine-wave, the same as or better than, the
utility mains supply. It is stable, clean and regulated and is
suitable for all electrical equipment designed to be powered
from the utility mains supply.
If at any time there should be an extra load applied to the
domestic circuit above the inverter rating or battery capacity,
the generator will be automatically started until that extra
load has stopped.
The customers have been delighted with the results, noting that
their generators are now fully automatic and reporting that
their fuel consumption is now less than one third of that before
the PS System was installed. Additionally generator run time and
maintenance costs will be reduced by two thirds.
There is further potential to provide an even more eco-friendly
power system, if the battery could also be charged from another
source the generator run time would be reduced even further.
A wind generator or solar panels can be connected to the system
achieving greater efficiency. The fuel for the generator is
usually red diesel oil. Greener alternatives such as bio-diesel
and vegetable oil can be carbon dioxide neutral because the gas
has been absorbed from the atmosphere whilst the plant was
growing and it is simply returned when it is burnt.
Email:
rob@powerguard.co.uk