Generating set preloader

摘要

An diesel or gas engine-generator unit comprises an internal combustion engine and an alternator, the output of which unit, in use, is adapted to supply electrical power to a site load. The unit is further provided with means to apply a further load (2) to the unit controllable by a switching arrangement (4,5), the unit further comprising a controller, which can be the genset controller, which is adapted to control the switching unit to apply the further load (2) before electrical power is supplied to the site load. This preloading of the generator enables significantly greater load steps to be applied to the genset. The preload can be a resistive, capacitive or inductive load and can also be applied in steps.

主权项

1. An internal combustion engine-generator unit comprising an internal combustion engine and an alternator, wherein the output of the internal combustion engine-generator unit, in use, is adapted to supply electrical power to a site load, the supply of electrical power being controllable by a switching arrangement, such that application of electrical power to the site load generates a current inrush that corresponds to a power surge commonly referred to as a load step,
characterised in that the internal combustion engine-generator unit is further provided with means to apply a preload to the internal combustion engine-generator unit controllable by the switching arrangement, wherein the preload is a resistive load comprising a set of one or more resistors, the resistive load being adapted to the characteristics of the site load, and the internal combustion engine-generator unit further comprising a controller adapted to control the switching arrangement to apply the preload before electrical power is supplied to the site load, whereby application of the preload is adapted to reduce distortions in the output of the internal combustion engine-generator unit due to the load step, characterised in that, in use, the switching arrangement breaks the connection to the preload before closing the connection to the site load.