What?s Your Generator?s Fuel?

Generators run on different kinds of fuels. The type of generator you choose should depend on the availability of its fuel, the efficiency of its fuel and the residue the fuel leaves in your generator. Read on to find the different types of fuel that generators run on and know the advantages and disadvantages of each type.

Natural Gas
Natural gas is the most commonly used generator fuel. The use of natural gas rids you of the necessity of refueling your generator system time and time again. You also don?t need to worry about storing your fuel since just connecting your generator system through your home?s gas line could give you ample natural gas. Therefore, if you live in an area where natural gas is readily available, this is the best fuel option for your generator. The advantages to using natural gas as fuel for your generator include low maintenance costs, less noise and less environmental waste.

Propane Gas
Similar to natural gas is propane gas. Like natural gas, propane gas gives off less pollution than diesel or gasoline fuel. A generator that uses propane gas for fuel also requires less maintenance in the long run. Thus, you only need to consider the availability of propane before choosing to buy a propane gas powered generator. If it is readily available in your area and you have a large storage tank, this type of fuel could actually work for you. Your only problem with propane gas is it price and efficiency. Propane gas is quite expensive and has low fuel economy.

Gasoline
If you want the cheapest fuel for your generator then you should buy a generator that runs on gasoline. Gasoline produces the most power at the least volume of consumption. Moreover, you also save money if you buy a gasoline-powered generator since these types are cheaper than either propane or natural gas powered generators. You also have a lot of choices since most companies manufacture different models and variants of gasoline-powered generators. They may vary from engine types to the type of cooling system used. Gasoline generators also come with different safety features that monitor oil level and temperature. Thus, if your want to get the most versatile generator available, you should get a gasoline generator.

However you must be aware of the disadvantages of getting a gasoline-powered generator. Gasoline leaves more residue than either natural gas or propane gas. Thus, gasoline generators are high-maintenance machines that need to be cleaned and checked periodically. Gasoline also has a very low shelf life. After around six months in storage, your gasoline fuel will become unusable unless you use some fuel stabilizers. Gasoline also becomes easily frozen and sluggish after exposure to low temperatures. Frozen gasoline clogs your generator system and shuts your generator down. Thus, in low temperature climates, you need to add antifreeze to your fuel; this means additional maintenance costs. Gasoline is also very flammable which makes it very dangerous to store so you must not refuel your generator if it is too hot for doing so can cause massive fires.

Diesel
Diesel is much more efficient than gas and requires less maintenance due to the lack of ignition systems, carburetors and spark plugs. The exhaust is cleaner and they generally will run longer with fewer problems. Unfortunately, smaller diesel engines appropriate for home use tend to be expensive. But for dependable low maintenance generators using a portable fuel, diesel has the most advantages.

Mark Sheppler is a handyman and home improvement writer. Always working with the right tools he is rarely far away from a portable power generator.

 

Choosing The Right Type Of Generator For Your House

Nowadays, can anyone live without electricity? Me neither. If the power goes out for even a short time, it?s pandemonium around our house. No television, no microwave, no dishwasher, no dryer, no stove, no hot water. How will we survive? How will you? If you have a generator, you may never have to find out.

Portable and permanent are the two basic types of generators. The names say it all. Portable generators can be carried with you, and permanent generators are just that ? permanent.

Since portable generators can only generate a small amount of electricity, they will only allow certain small appliances to run. Obviously, you will not be able to use a portable generator to apply power to your entire house in the case of a power outage.

Portable generators usually operate on gas or propane. Fuel tanks are built into the generator. Some portable generators can be plugged into an outlet. These are great for activities that require electricity without having to run three or four extension cords.

There are a couple of disadvantages to using a portable generator. One is that you have to manually start it. The other disadvantage is that you have to be sure to have the fuel on-hand for immediate use of the generator, if the power goes out. Once the main power has returned, you must also manually turn off the portable generator.

Portable generators can range from delivering less than 1 kW to delivering 15 kW. Of course, larger generators are available that can be towed to wherever you need the generator that produce 200kW or more. There are some portable generators that will produce up to 6,000kW!

Permanent (or standby) generators can power your entire house or business in case of a power outage. This type of generator is direct-wired to the building?s electrical system, and it is fueled by the city (or other entity) using gas or propane lines.

The advantage of having a permanent generator is that you don?t have to manually start it, and it can produce up to 20,000 kW of electricity. It automatically comes on when the power goes out and goes off when the power is restored. The disadvantage is that you cannot remove the generator, once it?s installed without a large sum of money, time, and manpower.

Regardless of which type of generator you use, be sure to install it with a transfer switch. This will turn off the home or office?s electrical current connection from the utility company before the generator starts running. By doing so, the generator?s electrical current does not back feed into the utility lines, thereby creating a safer environment for the utility workers.

Different generators with different wattages are offered at different prices. This is to be expected. Before purchasing a generator, whether portable or permanent, be sure to examine your specific needs. You need to purchase a generator that will help you when it?s supposed to.

Check the manufacturer?s warranty and installation/use instructions. Be sure to use your generator safely at all times. Again, be sure to purchase a generator that will sustain you and your family in a time of crisis.

You will find more from this author at: mytechnology-magazine.com

History of the Diesel Generator

The diesel generator owes its roots to mainly two inventors. One of these is the creator of the first generator Michael Faraday and the other is the creator of the diesel engine Rudolph Diesel. The first of these two has contributed greatly to life as we know it today with all his discoveries in electricity.

Michael Faraday was of humble beginning but always had a curious nature. He was at an early age an errand boy for a bookbinding shop and here he vastly increased his knowledge as he read anything he could put his hands on. He was very interested in the concept of energy and force and this interest is one that continued throughout his life and eventually he developed into a famed chemist and physicist.

It was his discovery of electromagnetic induction in the year 1831 that led to the development of the modern generator. He used what he termed his induction ring to discover the electromagnetic induction. This was the generation or induction of electricity in a wire by the use of the electromagnetic effect of the current in another wire. This was the first transformer and followed closely with the discovery of the magneto-electric induction process which is the production of a steady electric current.

He attached two pieces of wire by the use of a sliding contact to a copper disc. He rotated the disc through the poles of a magnet and was able to generate continuous direct current. This was the first generator of time. This group of experiments led to the revolutionized generator that we know today.

The diesel generator however owes its development to the inventor Rudolph Diesel. He started off as a refrigerator engineer and eventually found himself working on many heat engine designs. He in 1892 put out a patent that dealt with the method and design of a engine where combustion would take place in the cylinder. He continued to work to this goal and was successful in the production of a diesel engine that produced an efficiency of 75%.

It is the coupling of his diesel engine with the generator that led to the diesel generator that we known today. His design was rather large and very heavy and found more use in industrial applications as a generator. They were used to power pipelines and for electric plants and water plants. Later on they found applications in the mines and in oil fields. The diesel generator is simply the coupling of the diesel engine with an electrical generator and has been use throughout history since its invention for many applications.

The diesel generator has been seen to be the choice of many of the larger companies as it is well suited for industrial use. A major discouraging factor for its use in terms of the retail market has been the fact that it can be rather noisy but this has been reduced greatly from the first diesel generators and is now almost comparable to the gasoline generators. These generators also offer other perks such as increase fuel economy and reduced maintenance costs which can explain their popularity in industrial applications.

About the Author

John Stafford is the webmaster and a contributor for http://www.diesel-generator-central.com and http://www.diesel-performance-pros.com

Visit http://www.diesel-generator-central.com/articles/ to research your next diesel engine or diesel generator then purchase from one of our wide range. http://www.diesel-generator-central.com offers experienced and professional advice to assist you in your next diesel decison.

John Stafford is the webmaster and a contributor for http://www.diesel-generator-central.com and http://www.diesel-performance-pros.com

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