Generator Blog

    Due to the rapid development of technology, generator is changing everyday. Nowadays generators are becoming to have better performance and low price. That is exactly what Thurlby Thandar Instruments is doing for.

    Thurlby Thandar Instruments (TTi) has launched a reduced-cost version of its TG5011 function/arbitrary/pulse generator.

    The TG2511 has a maximum frequency of 25MHz for sine and square waves and costs only about $1,320. It offers similar facilities to the more expensive 50MHz generator, but with proportionately lower maximum frequencies for pulse and arbitrary waveforms.

    The generator comes with Waveform Manager Plus for Windows, enabling complex waveforms to be created using a PC. Commonly used waveforms that are pre-programmed into the software include sin(x)/x, exponential rise and fall, logarithmic rise and fall, Gaussian, Lorentz, haversine and cardiac waveforms.

    The TG2511 offers a set of digital modulations including AM, FM, PM, PWM and FSK. The modulation source can be any standard or arbitrary waveform, or any external signal applied to the modulation input from DC up to 20kHz.

    A wideband noise generator creates Gaussian white noise with a high crest factor and a bandwidth of 20MHz. Noise can be added to any waveform or can be used as a modulating source.

    Arbitrary waveforms of up to 128k words can be generated at 14 bits vertical resolution and a sampling speed of 125ms/s. A front-mounted USB port enables external flash memory storage of up to 1000 waveforms.

    USB and LAN interfaces are provided as standard, the latter conforming with LXI class C (Lan eXtensions for Instrumentation). A GPIB interface is available as an option. All functions of the generator can be controlled from the digital interfaces, and arbitrary waveform data can be transferred via them.

    From the article, we are experiencing the rapid development of generator, and various generators will be used at all machinery to improve efficiency.

    With the rapid development of economy, a lot fuel is used to keep the industry working, but the transportation of fuel becomes an important issue, especially  when we are transportating these gas which may cause great influence to environment when it leaks. So when we are designing the pipeline for gas, we should choose the right place and reasonable routine, in order not to affect people’s safety and daily life.

 

     A global outcry is growing over a proposal to ship 16 aging radioactive steam generators across Ontario’s Great Lakes, a plan critics say risks turning the iconic waterways into a permanent corridor for the transportation of nuclear waste.
     Nearly 2,400 people and 50 organizations, including aboriginal groups from across Canada, the United States and Europe have signed an online petition urging the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to block shipments of the 100-tonne decommissioned generators from the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station near Kincardine, Ont., to Studsvik in Sweden for recycling.
    The critics say they are opposed “to any shipment through the Great Lakes of radioactive waste or radioactively contaminated equipment from the decommissioning, refurbishment, or routine operation of nuclear reactors.”
   The protest has prompted Bruce Power to hold three open houses this week in an effort to address concerns raised by citizens in the affected communities.
   So far, the attendance has been weak, with only about 20 people attending the first meeting in Owen Sound, Ont., the city where the school-bus-sized generators will be moved along local roadways and loaded at the harbour.
   Two other meetings — in Southampton, Ont., and at Bruce Power headquarters in Tiverton, Ont. — are planned for later this week.
   “The controversy is very much overstated,” said Ross Lamont, a spokesman for Bruce Power. “The fact that not a lot of people showed up for the first meeting is some indication that people are getting enough information.”
   He attributed the continuing concern to a small group of vocal residents, many in high-profile groups like the Sierra Group, Greenpeace Canada and the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility.
   The generators are part of the Bruce A nuclear reactor, which is currently undergoing a $5.25-billion refurbishment. The same reactor, located on the banks of Lake Huron, was blamed for an accidental radioactive release last November.
   Lamont said the generators need to be shipped to Studsvik because it is the only location that can recycle 90 per cent of the metals.
   Bruce Power, the country’s first private nuclear-power generator, applied for approval to ship the 1,760 tonnes of radiation-laced steel in April but is waiting for a decision from the commission, which is still considering the technical aspects of the application.
   If approved, the generators are scheduled to leave during a three-week period in September.
   This would be the first time a shipment of this type has travelled on the Great Lakes. The generators would be shipped through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway and then across the Atlantic Ocean.
    The regulatory body says that any “low-level nuclear waste” will be enclosed in each steam generator and that the only difference between this shipment and others that occur on Canadian waters involving environmentally hazardous materials like highly corrosive liquids and acid-filled batters, is its size.
    Lamont said a contingency plan is in place that will safeguard the generators, beginning with the shipment on the road — which will have a police escort — to ensuring that the cargo is carefully placed on a special ship equipped to move heavy goods.
   “Our first step of the emergency plan is to plan to not have an emergency,” he said. “The opportunity for anything to go wrong with any of these generators is extremely low. Even if we dropped them in the water, we just have to pick it up. Radiation is not going to be leaked out.”
    Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley, an outspoken opponent of the planned shipment, said the issue is that communities such as his were unaware of the application even though it has the potential to affect residents.
   “We’re realistic, we understand that there is a need to ship some materials,” he said. “It’s just the way this thing has unfolded. This is a precedent-setting shipment which will lead to more nuclear waste being shipped across the Great Lakes. That’s the greatest issue.”
   Bradley said this signifies another threat to the lakes, which are already dealing with pollution and the evasive Asian Carp species.

    “We don’t want to be alarmist, but we need better contingency plans,” he said. “Forty million Canadians and Americans drink from the Great Lakes. What will happen if there is an accident?”
    Well, this proposal is still in discussion, sooner or later, the government will come out with a law to solve this problem, although I am not a threatenist,  planning to ship radioactive generator on Great Lakes is not an easy job, we should think it carefully.

      Battery is widely used everyday to provide power for all kinds of little lighter and big family appliance, but have you ever thought about what we are gonna do with these batteries? we may throw them away or someone  gathers them in a certain place. The battery which we throw into outside world will cause great pollution to environment, but some expert will do something to solve this problem.
      A new battery-sized portable generator than produces electricity from vibrations could take the place of normal batteries in gadgets. The device could replace the huge numbers of conventional batteries that are currently used in the modern world’s ever-expanding number of portable gadgets and which often end up polluting landfills.

     Many standard batteries are thrown out with the normal refuse and end up in landfill sites where they can leak toxic chemicals, causing great harm to the environment. The Vibration Energy Cell batteries recently displayed by a Japanese electronics company could radically reduce the practice of throwing away old batteries, thereby lowering the risk that discarded batteries end up causing more pollution.

    Brother Industries, already well-known to many consumers as a producer of printers, says the vibration-harvesting generators could in some applications be substituted for AA or AAA batteries. The company demonstrated the generator power a television remote control, a remote-control light switch and an LED flashlight.

    The Vibration Energy Cell works in a manner similar to the dynamo used to power bicycle lights. In this case, shaking the device a few times produces the electrical power. Speaking to the BBC, a spokesman for Brother explained how the device uses a coil, a magnet and a condenser to store the electricity produced from the movement. The Vibration Energy Cell generates low amounts of electrical power and is designed to be used in devices like TV remote controls, which have low power requirements and do not continuous electrical supplies.

      Nowadays generators are widely used in our daily life, they can supply us with electricity for daily use,especially when we are short of electricity which is because of terrible weather, we need this kind of delicate device. it is ok for us to use under good weather condition,but when the weather get worse,we should handle this device carefully, the following are the tips for using generator under extremely bad weather condition.

     Cattaraugus County Emergency Services have issued generator safety guidelines in response to the recent severe weather throughout the area.

• Always operate a generator outside a home in a ventilated area, well away from any windows, doors, vents and other openings.
• Purchase a carbon monoxide detector and install it in your home.
• Never operate a generator on the balcony of a multi-unit building such as an apartment or condominium.
• Never refuel a generator while it’s running or still hot.
• Never overload the generator.
• Never connect a portable generator to the main electrical panel in your home.
• Carefully inspect a generator after long storage periods for broken or missing parts. Wipe off dust.
• Store the generator in a dry, ventilated area with its fuel tank empty.
• Before storing, clean the generator by removing oil all oil and dirt.
• Do not store the generator near fuel supplies.

    Since we has known the above suggestions, we can use generator safely and efficiently under bad weather condition. When we happen to meet these conditions, we can handle them easily.

Every week, consumers take their portable generators to local stores hoping for good news.

They swear they’ve been performing the recommended monthly maintenance on the machines so loud, but so valued when the power goes out following a storm. But the tell-tale thick brown sludge in the generator’s carburetor gives them away.

It’s OK, say local generator store owners. There’s no need to lie — especially now that we’re in the height of the hurricane season.

The important thing, they add, is to bring in that unused generator to be serviced before a storm is on the way. For example, stores saw a flurry of business last month when the first tropical storms of the season popped up in the Atlantic.

And now, with Erika looming, they can expect a little more.

For fees typically ranging from $65 to $125 — depending on the amount of work to be done — local generator “specialists” say they can get that neglected piece of equipment back on track.

“I get a couple of generators a week that come in for maintenance,” says Justin Suggs, general manager at Stuart Lawn & Garden. “They won’t start. People have left gas in them, or they are not doing the monthly run on the engine.”

His standard generator maintenance advice: Once a month, put a half gallon of gas in your generator and run it for at least a half-hour. A month later, do the same thing.

Even a generator that’s out of gas still has vapors that create a blockage in the carburetor, says Suggs, whose also owns and operates Suggs Lawn Equipment in Royal Palm Beach.

There are easily hundreds of portable generators idled in garages and storage sheds that haven’t seen the light of day since Wilma left town four years ago. What’s more, the current recession has moved generator maintenance to the back-burner for many owners.

Still, in one week last month, customers dropped off five generators to be brought up to snuff at Blast Off Equipment Inc. in West Palm Beach, co-owner Felix Finnegan Jr. says.

He said that’s a sign that despite the recession, the storm season is making folks recognize the need for maintenance.

“People have … left gas in them and gummed up their carburetors,” Finnegan says, which can lead to a generator mechanic having to remove the fuel completely and dry out the system with an air compressor.

One area of generator sales that has jumped during the recession is “whole house” or stand-by generators.
Jon Andio, co-owner of 1 Stop Generator Shop in Palm Beach Gardens, said since people can’t sell their homes, they figure they might as well install a generator.

He says while the store sells portable generators, sales of stand-by units — which start at $8,000 — are up 65-70 percent over 2008 and make up the bulk of his business.

But, he warns that the stand-by generators, which operate automatically and start instantly in the case of a power outage, also require maintenance.

“The big ones are car engines,” he says, “And just like a car mechanic tells you to change your oil, you should change the generator’s oil every six months.”

Power station
Generator neglect is common, say mechanics. But there are some basic maintenance tips to avoid a bill that could easily top $100.

Always empty fuel from a generator when it is not in use.

Put in a half-gallon of fresh gas and run it once a month.

Plug in a lamp, drill, or a small appliance to make sure the generator works.

If it has an electric start, keep the battery charged.

Cover it when not in use to keep out dirt and dust.

Running the basics
Generator size: 5,000 watts
Price: $1,000 (average)
What it will run:

Refrigerator (1,200 watts)

Electric fry pan (1,500 watts)

Microwave (1,000 watts)

Three lamps (180 watts)

Computer and monitor (1,000 watts)

Television (300 watts)

Neglect vs. proper care
Cost of generator: $1,000
Cost of proper do-it-yourself maintenance: a half gallon of gas ($1.50) for 12 months = $18
Cost of neglect: A dead generator that takes $65-$125 in service. And if it requires parts …

New carburetor: $100 (plus labor)

New battery: $60.

New oil and air filters: $50.

A renewable energy company plans to test a new underwater generator just off the Pembrokeshire coast.

Cardiff-based Tidal Energy Ltd has planning permission for onshore works and is now seeking consent to place its DeltaStream device on the seabed.

A year-long trial is due to be held at Ramsey Sound, near St Davids.

The company said its tidal generator, capable of producing enough electricity to light around 1,000 homes, was at the cutting edge of green technology.

Invented by Pembrokeshire engineer Richard Ayre, each unit features three generators that sit on a triangular frame.

It is designed to be easily lowered onto and recovered from the seabed using a floating crane.

The company said its distinctive blade design enabled the turbine automatically to shed excess power, permitting consistently high energy conversion.

Planning approval has been granted by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority for the onshore works.

The company has now applied to both the UK and Welsh assembly governments for consent for the offshore works which include laying a cable and positioning one DeltaStream device on the seabed.

Chris Williams, development director of tidal energy, said a “comprehensive” environmental impact assessment had been undertaken.

A public exhibition of the plans is due to be held later this month.

The company is hoping to start the trial in autumn next year.

Mr Williams said: “The next public exhibition is to update the local community on the project, and particularly to discuss and explain the findings of the environmental assessments.

“Areas that have been assessed are far-reaching, ranging from bird life, to mammals, tourism and ecology.

“We invite anyone with an interest in the project to come along and talk with us about the details of the proposed 12-month test.”

The exhibition will be held from 1400 to 1700 GMT on Friday, 20 November and 1000 to 1300 GMT on Saturday, 21 November at Curtis House on Bryn Road in St Davids.

Siemens Energy has received an order from the Russian company OOO RN-Tuapsinskiy NPZ, a fully owned subsidiary of OAO Rosneft, for the supply of six industrial gas turbine generators. The SGT-800 gas turbine-generators each rated at 47 megawatts will be operated in the Tuapse refinery located on the Black Sea. The first three gas turbines are scheduled for delivery by late 2010, with the remaining three units to follow by the end of 2012. The order is valued at approximately EUR 90 million.

The order encompasses six gas turbines and six generators that are needed for the generation of electricity and steam to accommodate expansion of the Tuapse refinery’s capacity. Tuapse is an important petroleum port on the Black Sea. The customer OOO RN-Tuapsinskiy NPZ is currently undertaking extensive expansion and upgrading projects at the refinery to increase the plant’s capacity from a current 5 million to about 12 million metric tons (38 million to 88 million barrels). At the same time refining depth will be increased from 56 to 95 percent.

The SGT-800 stands out with its first-class efficiency, high availability and reliability, and low life cycle costs. NOX emissions are minimized thanks to its Dry Low Emissions (DLE) combustion system. A critical project requirement for the gas turbines being supplied to the Tuapse refinery is their capability to operate on various fuels. The SGT-800’s DLE system is unique in that it can achieve low emissions on a wide variety of fuels.

Including this order, 29 SGT-800 gas turbines have already been ordered by customers from Russia or have been delivered to Russia. For instance, between 2007 and 2008 Siemens received orders from Rosneft for a total of seven SGT-800’ machines for the gas turbine power plant at the Priobskoye oil field.

In June 2009, the Kolomenskoe gas turbine power plant in Moscow, supplied by Siemens with three SGT-800 machines, was able to start commercial operation. The cogeneration power plant supplies the Russian capital with 136 megawatts of electricity as well as 171 Gcal/hour of district heat. Overall plant efficiency is 83 percent.

(The SGT-800 gas turbine features high efficiency and low life-cycle costs. It is used for simple cycle power generation, for combined cycle power generation (CCPP) and because of its excellent waste heat recovery potential it is ideal for combined heat and power (CHP). The photo shows the SGT-800 gas turbine with a capacity of 47 megawatts at the Finspong plant in Sweden.)

An induction generator is a type of electrical generator that is mechanically and electrically similar to a polyphase induction motor. Induction generators produce electrical power when their shaft is rotated faster than the synchronous frequency of the equivalent induction motor. An electric voltage (electromotive force) is induced in a conducting loop (or coil) when there is a change in the number of magnetic field lines (or magnetic flux) passing through the loop. When the loop is closed by connecting the ends through an external load, the induced voltage will cause an electric current to flow through the loop and load. Thus rotational energy is converted into electrical energy.

 

Induction generators are often used in wind turbines and some micro hydro installations due to their ability to produce useful power at varying rotor speeds. Induction generators are mechanically and electrically simpler than other generator types. They are also more rugged, requiring no brushes or commutators.

 

Induction generators are not self-exciting, meaning they require an external supply to produce a rotating magnetic flux. The external supply can be supplied from the electrical grid or from the generator itself, once it starts producing power. The rotating magnetic flux from the stator induces currents in the rotor, which also produces a magnetic field. If the rotor turns slower than the rate of the rotating flux, the machine acts like an induction motor. If the rotor is turned faster, it acts like a generator, producing power at the synchronous frequency.

 

In fact, an induction generator may operate as a motor or a generator. For instance, a standard, 3 phases, AC motor may be powered from the 50 Hz grid, with the motor speed “slipping” at less than for 50 Hz synchronism. If this motor is itself forced to rotate at more than for 50Hz synchronism by a rotating power source, (e.g. a diesel engine or wind turbine), while connected to the grid, it delivers current to the grid as a generator. The current flow is proportional to the slip, i.e. the small difference, 3%, between synchronised rpm and the actual rpm. This slip is too small to notice as a speed change of a wind turbine rotor, so induction generators are classed, somewhat erroneously, as fixed-speed generators. This type of generator is very simple, rugged, and relatively cheap. Usually it is “excited” into operation.

 

In induction generators the magnetizing flux is established by a capacitor bank connected to the machine in case of stand alone system and in case of grid connection it draws magnetizing current from the grid. It is mostly suitable for wind generating stations as in this case speed is always a variable factor.