GENERATORS

1. GENERATORS A Large Piece of Equipment That Gets Ignored!

2. WHY? People Purchase Generators So That When Everything Else Is Going Wrong They Become Our Last Defense to Divert a Disaster.

3. SO WHY DO WE NOT TEST? • With Proper Testing And Maintenance A Generator Will Last Longer And Be More Dependable That One That Is Ignored. • Testing And Maintenance Is The Key To Dependability And Longevity.

4. TESTING GENERATORS • The Most Important Test That Can Be Done is a Full Load, Load Test • This Requires The Use OF A Controlled Load Device • These Are Referred To As A Load Bank • A Load Bank Is A Device Which Develops An Electrical Load, Applies The Load To An Electrical Power Source And Converts Or Dissipates The Resultant Power Output Of The Source.

5. TESTING GENERATORS CONT’D • A Load Bank Is Intended To Accurately Mimic The Operational Or “Real” Load Which A Power Source Will See In Actual Application. • However, Unlike the “Real” Load Which Is Likely To Be Dispersed Unpredictable And Random Un Value, A Load Bank Provides A Contained Organized And Fully Controllable Load. • Consequently, A Load Bank Can BE Further Defined As A Self-Contained, Unitized Systematic Device Which Includes Both Load Elements With Control And Accessory Devices Required For Operation. • Where The “Real” Load Is Served By The Power Source And Uses The Energy Output Of The Source For Some Productive Purpose, The Load Bank Serves The Power Source, Using Its Energy Output To Test, Support Or Protect The Power Source.

6. TESTING GENERATORS CONT’D • Load Banks Are Used to Field Test And Exercise. • Generators Installed In The Field Must Be Periodically Tested And Exercised To Ensure That It Will Operate As Intended When A Power Outage Actually Occurs. • Service Groups Use Load Banks To Apply A Load That Mimics The Load OF the Facility Generator Is Protecting. • Any Problems With The Generator Can Then Be Identified And Rectified In A Non-Critical Environment. • Load Banks Can Be Used To Satisfy The Requirements Of the National Fire Protection (NFPA) For Emergency Stand-by Power Systems. • These Requirements Concern Acceptance Testing And Periodic On-Site Testing And Maintenance of Emergency and Stand-By Power Systems. • The Essence Of The Requirements Is That Emergency And Stand-By Power Systems Are To Be Tested Under Load.

7. TESTING GENERATORS CONT’D • Elimination OF “Wet Stacking” • Load Banks Maybe BE Installed Ina Diesel Powered Generator Set To Apply the Additional Load Required To Ensure the Engine Fully Consumes The Fuel IN The Combustion Process • If A Diesel Engine Is Not Operated Under Adequate Load, Unconsumed Fuel Will Collect in The Engine’s Exhaust Stack And Form AN Oily Coating

8. OPERATING MODES • Automatic • Generator Exercise, Control From Remote Control Contacts • Automatic Exercise/Test Via Programmable Microprocessor Control • Automatic Load Leveling/Load Regulation To Maintain Preset Load On Generator By Sensing Of Total Load And Automatic Addition Or Subtraction Of Load Bank Component

9. OPERATING MODES CONT’D • Manual • Generator Exercising and Testing Via Location Or Remote Manual Control • Minimum Loading of Generators

11. REASONS FOR TESTING • Generator Can Perform As Rated • Performance Test After Installation On A New Generator You Have Purchased And Installed A 500KW Generator, Is A Good Baseline For Next Years Test. • If After About Seven (7) Years And Load Test The Same 500KW Generator And 450KW IS All It Can Do, You Know Something Is Wrong.

12. REASONS FOR TESTING CONT’D • The Building Load May Only Be 400KW Using the Building As a Load Will Not Show Any Problems, But We Know There is Something Wrong • A Load Test For a Generator Is Like a Physical For a Human, Hopefully All is Well But If Not Lets Find and Fix the Problem Before There is a Failure • Testing Should Also Include Fuel and Oil Sampling On Larger Diesel Fueled Generators • Old Fuel Presents Many Problems. • Water goes to the Bottom of the Tank (Oil Floats on Water) • Water Rusts the Bottom Of The Tank • The Fuel Pick-Up is Just Off the Bottom of the Tank, Therefore a Small mount of Water Can Overcome the Fuel Filters Ability to Separate the Fuel and Water

13. REASONS FOR TESTING CONT’D • This Can Cause Catastrophic Engine Damage • Testing For Water is Important • If Water is Found It Can be Separated and the Fuel Cleaned Using a Fuel Polisher • If You Remove the Water The Micro-Organisms Will Die, and That is What Clogs the Fuel Filters

15. REASONS FOR TESTING CONT’D • Testing the Lube Oil of the Engine Can e Predict Bearing Failure, Premature Engine Failure, Seal and Gaskets Material, Etc. In the Oil • Therefore a Repair Can be Done Before Catastrophic Engine Damage is Done • Now That We Have Looked at the Generator and Fuel System, What About the Cooling System

16. COOLING SYSTEMS • What is the Age of the Cooling System • Is the Radiator Clean and Clear of Obstruction • A Full Load Test Will Prove the Cooling Systems is Capable of Cooling the Engine in a 100% Power Mode • Now That the Generator Has Been Tested, What About the Switch Gear?

17. SWITCH GEAR • Thermal Imaging is the Preferred Testing For All Electrical Equipment • It Will Show Any Heating Due to Overloads or Loose Connections • This is a Fluke TI10 Thermal Imaging Camera

18. SWITCH GEAR • It is Used to Detect Hot Spots On All Electrical Equipment • We Also Use It to See the temperatures of Exhaust Manifold, Turbo Charger and Mufflers • If There is a Bad Cylinder On an Engine, We Can Detect It Without Any Engine Disassembly

19. THE END!