Generators and Its Types

Today, we are very dependent on a steady power supply. The use of electrical devices like refrigerators and computers means we can't go without power for very long or there will be serious consequences. Even so, power outages still occur. The one the US experienced in 2003 affected over 60 million people and was the largest outage to occur in US history. California recently experienced a wave of rolling blackouts. A New Orleans without power descended in chaos in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

To counter this, many institutions and individuals have bought their own power sources in the form of electrical generators.

How a Generator Works

Basically speaking, a generator is a device which uses a magnet in order to induce a flow of electric current in a circuit, much like how a water pump pushes water through a hose.

A generator functions because of the relation between magnetism and electricity. If electrons (the parts of an atom which carry a negative charge) move through something conductive like a wire, they generate a magnetic field. Conversely, if a magnetic field is placed near a wire and moved, its motion causes the electrons in the wire to move because of a change in electrical potential. This is known as a current.

In the 1830s, Michael Faraday discovered this principle and built the first electromagnetic generator known as the Faraday disc, which used a copper disc rotating between the poles of a horseshoe magnet. In 1832, the first dynamo was built consisting of a power-producing armature moving within a stationary magnetic field.

Types of Generators

The first generators were used in industry and later on to provide electrical power to homes. The past few years have seen the proliferation of engine-generator sets also known as gensets or simply generators for a variety of purposes. There are gasoline generators, diesel generators, liquefied petroleum gas generators, and propane generators; there are even human-powered generators, such as those found in some types of radios and the small sets found in bicycle lights.

Standby generators - These are large, often permanent units that are stationed outside a home, office building, warehouse, shopping mall, and the like to provide backup power in case the mains electricity switches off. These sets are plugged into the main electric lines and can sense when a power interruption has occurred. They automatically start and provide emergency power generating a few seconds after coming online.

Portable generators - These are designed to be transported whether on a cart, trailer or by hand to provide power where there is no utility power supply, as in campsites and construction sites. Their output is sufficient to run appliances such as pumps, refrigerators, lights, radios, and televisions, and the larger ones can be used to power sound systems, high-intensity lights and parked aircraft. The smaller generators typically use gasoline as fuel, whereas the larger ones, capable of providing up to 1,000 kilowatts or more of electricity, use either gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas, or propane.

Commercial generators - In areas where the power supply is intermittent or lacking as in Third World provincial areas, generators can also be set up to provide additional power.