“"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change”, stated the British naturalist Charles Darwin. This lack of environmental adaptation means that we cannot carry out our activity at 100%. This process of a reduction in rated working capacity is known as "derating", and its effects are the same as with generator sets when there are changes in the environment in which they usually work, meaning it is necessary to apply modifications in generators so they can operate normally. Therefore, before selecting the characteristics of the generator set, it is necessary to clearly identify the conditions of the environment in which it will be operating.
There are four main determining factors in the viability study of a generator set in the face of extreme climatic environments:
Climates
with a -10°C or over 40°C ambient temperature, humidity above 70%, or a desert
environment with a large amount of airborne dust are clear examples of extreme
environmental conditions. All these factors can cause problems and shorten the
service life of generator sets, both if they work on standby, since they have
to remain stopped for long periods of time, or continuously, as the engine can
easily heat up due to the number of working hours, and even more so in dusty
environments.
What can happen to my generator set in extreme hot or cold conditions?
We understand extremely cold climates for the generator set to be when the ambient temperature may cause some its components to fall to freezing level temperatures. In a climate below -10 ºC the following can happen:
On the contrary, extremely hot environments (over 40 ºC) essentially lead to a reduction in power, due to the variation of the air density and its O2 concentration to carry out the combustion process. There are particular cases for environments such as:
Tropical climates and jungle environments:
In this type of climate, very high temperatures are combined with particularly high levels of humidity (often over 70%). Generator sets without any kind of countermeasure can lose about 5-6% of power (or even higher percentages). In addition, the intense humidity causes the copper windings of the alternator to undergo rapid oxidation (the bearings are particularly sensitive). The effect is similar to that we would find at extremely low temperatures.
Desert climates:
In desert climates, there is a drastic change between day-time and night-time temperatures: During the day temperatures can reach above 40 °C and at night they can drop to 0 °C. Issues for generator sets can arise in two ways:
Issues due to high temperatures during the day: a decrease in power due to a variation in air density, high air temperature that can affect air cooling capacity of the generator set's components, and especially the engine block, etc.
In addition to temperature, pressure and humidity, there are other factors that can affect the operation of the generator set:
Recommended configuration according to the location of the generator set
The generator set manufacturers take certain measures to avoid the inconveniences described above. Depending on the type of environment we could apply the following.
In extreme cold climates (<-10 ºC), the following can be included:
Temperature protections:
1. Engine coolant heating resistance
With pump
4. Heating system with diesel burner for places where an auxiliary power supply is not available
5. Air inlet heating
6. Heating
resistances of the generator compartment
7. Heating
of the control panel. Control units with resistance in display
Snow protections:
8. “Snow-Hood” snow covers
9. Alternator filter
10. Motorized or pressure slats
Protection at high altitudes:
11. Turbocharged engines (for power below 40 kVA and according to the model, since in higher powers it is standard)
In climates with extreme heat (>40 ºC):
Temperature protections:
1. Radiators at 50ºC (ambient temperature)
2. Cooling of the fuel return circuit
3. Special
engines to withstand temperatures above 40 ºC (for gas gensets)
Moisture protection:
4. Special varnish on the alternator
Zinc enriched primer (in canopies)
Protection against sand/dust:
8. Sand traps in air inlets
9. Motorized or air pressure opening blades
10. Alternator filter
11. Cyclone filter in engine
HIMOINSA, with nearly 40 years of experience in the manufacture of generator sets, has developed multiple projects on sites with extreme climates yielding successful results. Some of these from recent years are:
Conclusions
A correct configuration of your generator set and the carrying out of preliminary studies on the climatology of the equipment's location (temperature, humidity conditions, pressure and atmospheric pollutants) will help extend the useful life of your generator set and keep its performance in perfect state, in addition to reducing maintenance tasks with the suitable accessories. HIMOINSA's complete and experienced technical engineering team always performs these preliminary studies on site, and can help you make the most suitable configuration decisions for your project.
HIMOINSA works on the constant development of equipment and operational kits that guarantee the best performance and functionality of its generating sets in any geographical area, capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions; developments co-financed by the ICEX and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with the aim of promoting technological development, innovation and quality research. "A way of making Europe".
