What are the Uses for a 100kw Diesel Generator?

A 100kw diesel generator offers a robust solution for power needs in various scenarios. Whether you are in the market for a generator or simply exploring options, understanding the capabilities and applications of a 100kw diesel generator can guide you to make an informed decision. Let's explore the diverse uses of these generators, understanding their advantages and providing insights on why they are a preferred choice for both commercial and industrial applications.

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Reliable Backup Power

One of the primary uses of a 100kw diesel generator is providing reliable backup power. In industries where power disruptions can lead to significant financial losses or safety hazards'such as in hospitals, manufacturing facilities, and data centers'having a dependable 100kw generator ensures continuity of operations. These generators (when paired with an automatic transfer switch) kick in almost immediately after a power outage, maintaining critical operations and safeguarding against data loss or operational downtime.

Event Management

For event organizers, ensuring a steady power supply is crucial, especially in remote locations. A 100kw diesel generator is capable of powering everything from lighting systems and sound equipment to catering facilities and HVAC systems. By using a 100kw generator for events like weddings, concerts, or corporate gatherings, planners can avoid the pitfalls of relying on local power grids, which may be unreliable or insufficient.

Construction Sites

Construction sites often lack access to the electrical grid, especially in the initial phases of development. A 100kw diesel generator plays a vital role here, powering tools and machinery essential for building works. From electric saws and drills to heavy machinery that requires significant power input, the versatility of a 100kw generator makes it indispensable on most construction sites.

Agricultural Operations

Consistent power is a necessity in agriculture for operations such as irrigation, feeding systems, and greenhouse environmental controls. A 100kw diesel generator can provide the necessary power to run these systems efficiently, ensuring that agricultural activities are not halted due to power shortages or grid failures.

Emergency Services

Power reliability is not just a convenience but a necessity for emergency services like fire stations and rescue operations. A 100kw diesel generator ensures that these critical services remain operational in the event of natural disasters or other emergencies where the main power grid may be compromised.

Benefits of Diesel Over Other Fuels

Choosing a diesel generator like the 100kw model has several benefits over gasoline or natural gas variants. Diesel engines are known for their durability and lower maintenance requirements due to fewer parts and more robust construction. Furthermore, diesel fuel has a higher energy density, meaning diesel generators can produce more power per fuel amount than other generators.

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Where to Find a 100kw Diesel Generator

If you are looking to acquire a 100kw diesel generator, there are plenty of options available. Searching for a '100kw generator for sale' or '100kw generator near me' online will provide a large number of results, with various brands and models to choose from. It's advisable to compare different products and sellers to find a generator that best suits your needs, considering factors such as warranty, service agreements, and customer reviews.

Choose Americas Generators for Your Power Needs

For those looking to purchase a 100kw diesel generator, consider Americas Generators, a leading provider of high-quality and reliable generators. With a vast inventory and expert staff, Americas Generators can help you find the perfect generator to meet your specific requirements. Browse our website or contact us today to learn more about our products and how we can assist you in securing uninterrupted power for your needs.

A primary concern when deciding what type of generator is best for your environment should be making certain you get the right electrical configuration.  An electrical configuration typically includes the phase, voltage, kW, and hertz that are best for your application.  In order to explain how phases and voltage work, it is helpful to understand what a generator set includes.  A generator set (also known as a genset) is comprised of two primary components - an industrial engine (usually diesel, natural gas or propane) and a generator end.  The engine produces horsepower and RPM, and the end coverts it into electricity.
 

Explaining Phases  

Single-Phase Generators ' for smaller single-phase loads, these gensets usually do not go above 40 kW. They are commonly used in residential environments and have a power factor of 1.0.

3-Phase Generators ' mainly for larger industrial power generation, these gensets can provide both single and 3-phase power for running industrial motors with higher horsepower, branch power out for separate lines, and are in general more flexible.  They are typically used in commercial environments and have a power factor of 0.8.

Increase Power Output Rating - you can convert single-phase to 3-phase power and sometimes gain approximately 20-30% kW output power rating, but the end needs to be re-connectable and you also need to account for load balances and a few other variables.
  
De-Rating  (converting from 3-phase to single-phase) - typically reduces your kW output rating around 30%.  For example, a 100 kW 3-phase generator would drop to around 70 kW when converted to single-phase.
  
' To accurately calculate the adjusted power you will end up with after de-rating, you should always try and de-rate from the kVA rating, instead of the kW rating.  The formula is 2/3 kVA (for  example,  a 150 kVA single phase would de-rate to 100 kVA) then convert to kilowatts from there, if necessary.
  
' To de-rate the genset, the generator end in question must usually have 12 or 10 leads that can be reconnected.  The load on the engine itself is not affected because it is the generator end essentially kicking into overdrive.  If the generator is not re-connectable (or only connectable for high/low voltage), you can still apply single phase loads to it as long as you do not go over the rated amps on an individual line.
 
' The genset is limited by its electrical capacity based on the generator end and really does not have much to do with the engine.

Common Voltages on Commercial Generator Sets
Single-Phase
' 120
' 240
' 120/240 

3-Phase
' 208
' 120/208
' 240
' 480 (the most common voltage for industrial gensets)
' 277/480
' 600 (mainly for areas in Canada)
'  Volt
 
Voltage requirements can vary greatly for different types of equipment (for example other voltage options include; 220, 440, 2,400, 3,300, 6,900, 11,500, and 13,500)

How to determine Your Required Voltage

To ensure the voltage configuration is exactly what you need, you should always consult an electrician or electrical contractor.  They can evaluate your environment and determine the various loads your facility or operation will need, and will also be able to take into consideration other variables such as the voltage going into the building, maximum amperage, electric motor horsepower output and more.  You can also reference our Power Calculator to run numbers. Use these numbers as a starting point and use an  Amperage Chart , which is available here and other various manufacturer sites online.  Make sure to consider the following key items listed below to help you determine the correct voltage for your generator setup:

' Required Voltage going into your facility or the power in from the mains transformer that is supplied in the building.

' Maximum amperage you require to run your specific equipment. If you do not know this information, the alternator amperes (for 3-phase alternators) can usually be cross-referenced with a chart to determine the size circuit breaker your generator will need. 

' Startup amperage for industrial motors should also be taken into consideration.  Many motors will run at a certain kW but have a much higher starting kW requirement.  For example, you may need 200 kW and increased amperage at startup even though your average running load is only 90 kW.  Electric motor horsepower requirements are also good to evaluate.  Certain motors come with a soft starter that helps control the acceleration by applying voltage. Some industrial motors will provide all this information on their data tag.

' Utility Frequency also plays a role - the majority of the U.S. and parts of Asia are 60 Hz while the rest of the world is primarily 50 Hz.  Most large ships and airplanes use a specialized 400 Hz frequency.  To change the utility line power to a different frequency, a frequency converter can sometimes be used but there are additional factors to consider.  Most generators can convert but some gensets will not function properly or may require additional parts and customization work. Consult your generator manufacturer for additional details on this type of situation. 

Adjusting the Voltage of a Generator

Adjusting the voltage of generators is something that our expert technicians complete every few days  in order to meet all the various combinations and specific electrical requirements of our customers.  While the voltage can be adjusted on most generators, your specific options will always be limited based on the generator end you are working with.

The process of changing the voltage itself is a relatively technical electrical procedure that primarily involves adjusting the leads on the generator end.  On most 3-phase gensets, we typically take the 10 or 12 leads in the generator end and reconfigure how those are arranged and connected, adjust their route to the control panel and a few other places - depending on what we are trying to accomplish. We insulate the wires well, adjust the sensing wires if req uired, and then make additional changes from there if necessary.  This is where terms like dogleg and double delta (or zig zag), Y-configuration and other various wiring schemes often get referenced.  For more details on these terms, see our article on Phase Conversions .  On 3-phase gensets we can change a 208V to 480V for example, or 480V to 240V, or almost any number of other combinations and phases using all the voltages that are currently available (as long as the generator end is re-connectable).
 
The generator end is the primary component that will determine how a generator will react when you alter the phase and/or voltage.  When completed properly, altering the voltage should not harm or strain the unit in any capacity.  Many customers require the availability of two or more system voltages from their standby generator set.  This can include electric motors running at 480 Volt, appliances and production equipment using 208 Volt, and smaller loads and power tools at 240 Volt.  You can achieve this with a 3-phase generator either by using a changeover switch or getting a dual voltage generator that is already made for that purpose.  However, keep in mind that you are not able to simultaneously output multiple voltages from a single generator, you would need to manually switch the output to each different voltage or use a transformer to accomplish this.

There are a few limitations to be aware of when considering a voltage change.  Specialized or high voltage gensets ( or 13,500 Volt for example) are not very practical for altering.  You can change 600V to 480V but not the other way around.  Also, on many 3-phase generators certain elements can sometimes be tough to access and work around. For example, they might have flexible conduit that wraps, panel doors that are in odd places, or enclosures that won't allow our technicians easy access.  While there is almost always a way to access the barrel and wiring on 3-phase generator ends, it can sometimes be difficult.  One thing to also keep in mind is that some generator ends are not re-connectable  so the wiring options and schemes available on those types of generators are very limited.
 
Another common thing we do when altering voltage is update components and review other potential equipment considerations in your system, including the following:

'  Replace Gauges ' whenever we alter the voltage on an older generator we often have to replace a number of gauges so that we can read the new output levels.  One nice advantage the newer digital control panel offers is they can usually be reprogrammed.
   
'  Breakers ' we routinely change out the circuit breaker(s) on units to accommodate the amperage requirements of our customers.  The breaker is usually attached to the generator end and it is a critical component that will help protect the generator by ensuring you do not exceed the rated amperage for that unit.  Depending on if a customer wants everything all on one breaker or split out for any specific reason, we may change the configuration to something else (one Amp breaker or two 600 Amp ones, for example).
 
'  Voltage Regulator  ' on most gensets when you reconnect the leads to a different voltage you must also carefully adjust the sensing wires that run to the regulator and/or control panel.  If this is not done properly you can end up burning out the board or causing other damage. Most modern commercial generators have the voltage regulator integrated into the control panel now so you can adjust voltage settings from there and it helps do all the regulating.  This is primarily a good advancement but does make board replacement much more costly due to the added functionality.  Older gensets often have a separate piece of equipment attached that does the same types of things.  All of these regulators work to automatically maintain a consistent voltage to make sure your equipment produces a consistent output.
   
'  Transformer ' if there is one present in your system, some of the wiring may also have to be reconfigured to accommodate the new voltage.

'  Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) ' determining the amperage for this type of switch is also important because an ATS is a key part of ensuring you can automatically have the genset take over during a utility outage and also shut down once the power comes back on.

To summarize, there are many options available when it comes to phase and voltage combinations, configurations, and conversions.  This can be an involved process so it is best to enlist professional help from a commercial electrician or experienced generator technician.  However, if you have any questions on the issues covered in this article, would like help in sizing a genset, or if you would like assistance in determining what would be best for your specific environment, just call 800-853- or Contact Us online. 

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