Electric generator: AC and DC devices

An electric generator is an apparatus whose main job is to convert mechanical energy into electricity. The role of an energy source can be steam, water, an internal combustion engine, wind, etc. This installation can be useful in areas where power interruption sometimes occurs, it can also simply be taken with you to nature.

A bit of history

The first electric generator that could produce current for industry was a dynamo. Her work was based on the laws of electrical magnetism to convert mechanical energy into a constant pulsating current. Power was generated using a mechanical switch. The device was created by Hippolyte Pixie in the 19th century.

The dynamo became the starting point for the invention of such devices as an alternator, a DC motor, a rotary converter, etc.

Generator types

No matter how far a person is from the benefits of civilization, you can always use electricity thanks to electric generators. They are single-phase or three-phase, depending on the current produced. In single-phase, the voltage output is standard - 220 V, frequency - 50 Hz. In the second version, the voltage output is 330 V, the frequency is similar to the single-phase one.

The frequency and voltage output will contribute to the smooth operation of electrical household appliances and tools. The generators themselves, depending on the source of energy, can run on petrol, diesel, gas or solar, wind and water energy.

Gasoline Generators

A gasoline generator is an autonomous fuel device. For its work, you will need, as you might guess, gasoline, the consumption of which is 500 ml to generate one kilowatt per hour. Of course, this figure may vary depending on the power of the device.

The device works simply: you need to pour fuel into the tank, from where it will enter the internal combustion chamber. The spark ignites the mixture. The energy generated by combustion is converted into electrical current. The gasoline generator is almost never used as an independent power source, since it simply does not have enough power. It can be actively used to illuminate the site, various sites.

According to the method of movement, gasoline vehicles can be mobile and stationary. As for the fuel used, it can be the following brands of gasoline: AI-92, AI-95 with the addition of oil, AI-76.

Diesel devices

Mainly on the market of diesel electric generators, single-phase versions with a power of 5 kW, a voltage of 220 V and a current frequency of 50 Hz are sold. These parameters are standard for household appliances. If more powerful generators are needed, then there are devices with a power of 10 kW.

To maintain a stable voltage and sufficient power reserve, manufacturers recommend a 5.5 kW diesel synchronous generator. The spread of voltage indicators for such a device ranges within 5% of the nominal. This allows you to connect devices that are sensitive to voltage surges. The use of an asynchronous 6 kW device does not allow connecting sensitive devices, since the stabilization error here reaches 10%.

Gas Appliances

A gas generator is a high-tech device designed to generate electrical energy. The mechanism of work is as follows: by combustion of fuel, mechanical energy is generated, which is then replaced by electrical energy. Main advantages:

• Safe for the environment. The result of gas combustion is harmless components that do not contain soot and toxic waste.
• Profitability. The price of the energy generated by the generator is lower than when working with a gasoline device.
• Automated fuel supply. This means that there is no need to constantly top up gasoline or diesel fuel, it is enough to connect to the central gas supply line.
• Autostart. Nothing needs to be connected and disconnected, because the system is equipped with automation. It is worth paying attention to the fact that the generator should only be in a warm room, otherwise it will not turn on in winter.

Gas generators also have disadvantages, for example, to connect the device to the central gas supply, you will have to get a bunch of permits and spend a lot of money. In addition, special skills are required to connect, since the technology requires special security measures. After all, gas can explode, and a gas generator is not simple in its design.

Selection rules

Currently, devices are being created that automate some work items - for example, video surveillance devices, monitoring and control of the generation process. These tools analyze the quality of the output current.

In order to choose the right device, it is necessary to find out and add up the used powers of all simultaneously switched on devices. As in the gasoline version, you need to take a little with a margin. Generators with a power of 5 kW are best suited.

When purchasing a device, you should know that it should not operate at maximum power all the time. Long operating time at the limit can significantly deplete the motor life. The recommended load should be 75% of the maximum.

Do-it-yourself fuel-free apparatus

At the end of the 19th century, Nikola Tesla invented the AC system, which is still used today. The scientist's task was to condense the energy between the Earth and the upper atmosphere. Then - obtaining an electric current from the received energy.

An uncomplicated device can be assembled by hand. To do this, you need to find a pair of coils without a core. The primary winding is made from 3-10 turns of thick wire. The secondary winding already includes about 1 thousand. turns. When creating a fuel-free generator, the main difficulty lies in the creation of the primary winding. Building an electricity generator is easy, but expensive. First you need to take any voltage source (at least 1.5 kilovolts) and connect it to a capacitor. Operating procedure:

• Connect the existing source for the required voltage to the capacitor.
• Next, you need to create a diode bridge, because the capacitance of the capacitor is considerable.
• Connect the structure through the spark gap to the primary winding layer.

It is important to direct bare wires to one side. The distance between them must be adjusted by bending the wire of the wire. In the peak state, the voltage is always higher than the initial one, because the current is alternating. To create the second layer of winding, 150 turns are enough. If the work is performed correctly, a discharge of one centimeter should be obtained (when the coils are drawn together). When separating them apart, an arc will appear. It is important to ground the coil terminal located at the bottom without fail.

Due to the limited capacitance of the capacitor, the circuit is tuned by adjusting the resistance of the first layer of the winding. This changes the connection point. If the adjustment is successful, then the upper half of the second layer of the winding will have a fairly high voltage.

There is another way to create an electric current generator. This requires the following elements: aluminum foil, a capacitor with a voltage of up to 400 volts, a metal rod, a resistor, wires, a chipboard sheet. The creation process is not complicated at all. The first step is to drive the rod into the ground. Next, fix one end of the wire to the rod, the other to the capacitor. Fasten the foil to a sheet of cardboard or chipboard and connect to the wire that goes to the capacitor. Solder the limiting resistor directly to the capacitor.

When making a fuel-free generator yourself, it is important to observe safety precautions.