Guide to Making the Most of Backup Engines and Generators

Use industrial generators to keep your business functioning in times of a power outage

By Denise Brown

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Know installation procedures for engines and generators

Because of all the technicalities of installing engines and generators properly, this is a job for a specialist unless you or someone on your staff is a trained electrician. You want to make sure the unit is properly set up and ready for any emergency situation. Once it is set up, make sure the personnel responsible for using it know how the industrial engine operates.

I recommend: The blog for Electrical Construction & Maintenance magazine gives excellent instructions and guidelines on the ideal installation of engines for generators. Dexter A. Hansen has a diagram on his website that shows how to hook up a DC generator for a home or small business. This information is not specific for any particular brand of small engine or generator.

Secure maintenance contracts for your engines and generators

Hire trained professionals to periodically check your equipment. That includes starting the engines and letting them generate electricity to their load capacity. The maintenance contract typically also involves cleaning the units on a regular basis. The service technician should also alert you of any repairs that you need to make.

I recommend: Continental Engines offers full service maintenance contracts on engines and generators. In addition to regular maintenance contracts, West Generator Services can load and test your industrial engines and industrial generators so you know the DC generators and engines are ready to perform.

Hire professionals to monitor your engines and generators

If you have any equipment that needs to operate continuously, you need to seriously consider hiring a monitoring service. They can notify you immediately when there is a problem and, depending on the services they provide, may be able to remotely start your engines and generators.

I recommend: DPS Telecom offers a white paper that explains the importance of monitoring engines for generators for all types of business, but particularly technology. IMG Industrial offers 24/7 industrial generator monitoring. Check out its virtual tour to see how the generator monitoring system works.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you use diesel to power your industrial generators, make sure you store the fuel in a manner that prevents diesel from gelling up in the winter months.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy an engine

You may have many reasons to purchase industrial engines for your business including needing to power off-highway equipment, help power a generator or for standard equipment.

I recommend: Go to Blue Ridge Diesel to purchase an industrial engine. You can also buy parts for engines and fuel additives. Go to Foley Engines to purchase an industrial engine. Not only will they sell you a new engine, but they may re-manufacture an engine for you.

Purchase a generator

Diesel generators or diesel engines for generators help businesses stay in business. If there's a black out, rather than shutting down, you can stay open on generator power. Depending on the generator you purchase, you could be up and running for many hours to even days. You may also be interested in purchasing a specific kind of generator, such as a DC generator if you're an inventor or make electric powered items for a business.

I recommend: Go to Diesel Service and Supply Inc. for an enormous list of diesel generators for purchase. If you’re looking for a DC generator, go to Wind Stream Power for information. They’ll help you find the DC generator you need for the project you want to complete.

Find service and parts for engines and generators

If you're going to purchase engines or industrial generators, you need to know more about servicing them. Having some basic knowledge about servicing a generator can save you time and stress when you suddenly need your generator working.

I recommend: At Small Engine Supplies, you’ll find articles and tips to help you repair an engine and even identify the parts of an engine. Go to Jacks Small Engines for generator parts to keep your generator running and in good condition. You can also order parts to upgrade your generator if you want to make it run better or quieter. Finally, go to Repair Manuals.com to purchase a repair manual for your generator, if you’ve misplaced yours.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Make sure the small engine or generator you purchase is ideal for your business. You don't want to purchase one that's too big or small for your purposes.

Guide to Engines and Generators Education and Training

Learn how to care for engines and generators

By Denise Brown

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn about industrial engines

These basic pieces of industrial equipment operate in a similar manner regardless of their power source. Good basic training in industrial engine operation and repair can prepare you to work on any number of engines you might encounter in the workplace.

I recommend: Atlas Interactive offers a short course in industrial engines that would be useful to anyone who has day-to-day operational responsibilities. Kohler offers training for both large and small engines. It has certification programs for its engines. You can take simulator training from MPRI’s engines and generators education and training program. Although this training primary focuses on engines and generators used in the maritime industry, it's valuable for other industrial uses as well.

Know how to operate industrial generators

Whether the generator is stationary or portable, an understanding how turbines produce electricity is key to the successful study of industrial generators. Your training should also include how to operate both AC and DC generator systems.

I recommend: Gen-Tech offers a number of training courses for the safe operation of industrial generators. You can get industrial generator training on Cummins generators at Cummins Atlantic. Its training comes from factory-qualified reps, and is a good way to stay current on diesel engines for generators, as well as DC generators.

Supplement engines and generators education and training with operator's manuals

No matter how well you know engines and generators, each machine has its own unique characteristics. That's why it's important to have access to manuals when special problems arise. With a manual close by, you can get the engine or generator operational more quickly than if you had to rely on trial and error to resolve the problem.

I recommend: Integrated Publishing offers a number of manuals for small engines and generators, as well as engine and generator manuals for special purpose machinery. Penton Media has a number of engine and generator manuals for all sizes of equipment. You can also find manuals for engines for generators on its site.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Prepare a place in the shop to safely store manuals and engines and generators education and training materials. That way these resources can be within easy reach as you need them.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Alternating Current (AC)

AC increases to a maximum positive voltage, drops to zero, increases to a maximum negative voltage and drops to zero again in a regular cycle. Most commercial generators in the United States produce a current that repeats this cycle 60 times each second.

I recommend: Science Clarified provides a definition of AC and an extensive article on AC generators.

Armature

The armature is a part of a generator or motor that induces an electrical current in the presence of a magnetic field. The simplest armature is a coil of wire wrapped around an iron core.

I recommend: Contractors Depot provides a variety of terms that relate to engines and generators, such as armature.

Active power

Active power is the total amount of electrical power that the generator produces and is directly related to the engine's horsepower. It is greater than the amount of available power since the generator must also perform work, such as turning motor shafts.

I recommend: United Generator sells a variety of generators and also provides a glossary of engine and generator terms, including active power.

Brush

A brush is the component of an electrical generator that maintains electrical contact between a stationary and moving element. It frequently consists of a cluster of short copper wires and may resemble a wire brush.

I recommend: Second Chance Garage provides a diagram of a generator and a detailed description of the brushes' function in a generator.

Amperage

Amperage is a measure of electrical current that a generator produces. It is defined as the current that is produced by the application of one volt across a resistance of one ohm.

I recommend: Generator Facts provides news in the generator industry and also provides a glossary of generator terms, including amperage.

Air circuit breaker

An air circuit breaker uses air, an electrical insulator, to interrupt the flow of electricity in a generator. This occurs when the current exceeds the circuit breaker's limit.

I recommend: Cummins Power Generation distributes electrical power throughout the world and also provides a glossary of terms that relate to power generation, including air circuit breaker.