Rating your diesel generator right.

Ratings for a diesel generator is result of intended use and the ability to supply power. So, when you look at buying a generator, you would first consider its intended use. While it may seem obvious what power rating is required for an application but there are a number of factors to consider before purchasing a generator. Let’s familiarize ourselves with generator ratings and their relevance.

Standby Power Rating

The primary application of a Standby Power Rated generator is to supply emergency power for a limited duration during a power outage. These generators do not have an overload capability built into the units. Standby power rating should be applied to the unit where public utility power is available and power cuts are very rare.

Prime Power Rating

The prime power rating is the maximum power accessible at the variable load for an unlimited number of hours per year in a variable load setting. Prime power rated generators should be used if the public utility power is intermittent with frequent power cuts.

Continuous Power Rating

Continuous power rating is used in applications where the need for supplying power is at a constant 100% load for an unlimited number of hours each year. These units are used in applications where the power grid is unreachable, for e.g.: mining, agriculture or military operations.

Elevations and Temperature’s Effect on Power Rating

Beyond the above mentioned considerations, elevation and temperature are also factors to be considered before rating the engine.

For more information on diesel generators and the various kVA’s visit www.mahindrapowerol.com

Effects of Power Outages.

A common hurdle faced by India towards its growth factor is power outage. India is among the fastest developing countries of the world and so, it’s dependent upon the electricity sector to harness its growth. India is the third largest electricity producer and fourth largest in terms of consumption in the world. (Source) But unfortunately, an estimated 27% of the energy generated either gets lost or stolen during transmission. The peak supply falls short among 9% of the population. And what’s worse, frequent power outages last for as long as a whopping 10 hours. One of the biggest power outages that occurred in India was in the year 2012 when three grids i.e. northern, eastern and north-eastern had collapsed. This incident turned 22 states of the nation in shambles. And, this blackout wasn’t the first in that scale. The northern grid of India had fallen back in the year 2001, and the north-eastern grid blackout occurred in 2003.  The ripple effects of these incidents compelled the Indian government to take instant corrective measures.

Meghalaya, Andaman & Nicobar, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, are among states that are most affected due to power cuts. Power shortages are more prominent in Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh while Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka face minimum problems vis-à-vis electricity supply.

Power shortage has been among the most prevalent issue in India’s growth track. In fact, since 1951, India has missed every annual target to electricity production capacity, as per a Bloomberg report.

How do power outages affect the people?

§        Agriculture is a dominant factor in people’s lives in the rural areas with over 70% of the rural population depending upon electricity for irrigation, storing of allied products and sowing. Impending power outages affects rural households staggeringly.

§       Transportation system in urban life depends to a great extent upon electricity. From train services to automatic signaling system, electricity plays a major role. Power cuts do mess up the system.

§       The healthcare industry is badly disrupted by power outages. Lifesaving equipment cannot run without power and major operations stand cancelled. In such cases, DG sets are life saviors.

§         Data centers and IT industry processes come to a halt.

§       The lives of hundreds of workers in the mining industry is jeopardized.

§        Not to mention, everyday lifestyle of India’s population which is ever increasing is adversely affected in terms of computer shutdown, electrical equipment such as heaters and induction cookers fail to work and thus, productivity slows down.

How do power outages affect businesses?

§        Due to high frequency of power cuts, out of a total of 650 industries of various sizes surveyed, 61% companies face more than 10% of loss in production.

§        Infrastructure such as telecommunication networks, healthcare amenities, financial services, water supplies, transportation industry and mining companies get badly hit. The infrastructure constraints brought in by power outages in India increases the relative cost of carrying out businesses which in turn gives birth to supply side bottlenecks.

§        Frequent power outages gone unattended limit the private sector’s global competitiveness. As a result of this, fiscal conditions decelerate substantially.

§       The manufacturing industry chiefly depends upon electricity for production. Due to power cuts, machines and other multiple operations come to a standstill. This stops production from individual scale to batch scale altogether. The manufacturing sector is the backbone of India’s commercial success, and this disadvantage keeps India from making it to the top League of Nations. 

We at Mahindra Powerol offer solutions to combat these issues of Power outages. 

Visit us at www.mahindrapowerol.com to know more.

Difference Between Blackout and Brownout.

When it comes to electricity flow, things aren’t black and white always. However, they can be termed as black or brown. It is possible that you know of a blackout in the past, but have you experienced a brownout? And what is the difference between the two phenomena?

A blackout can be defined as a complete loss of power affecting many users of electricity spread throughout a large area over an extended span of time. Residents and businesses lose electricity power and the entire area experiences a blackout.

A brownout is bit different in the sense it is a somewhat measured power reduction or loss of electricity to pockets of consumers. Brownouts can be caused due to the state of ‘poor power quality’ in which utilities may reduce line voltage to deliver more electricity for increased power demand. Factory equipment that requires a stable supply of energy can be severely damaged or even destroyed due to these voltage fluctuations.

Brownouts can cause issues with electrical devices that function on certain specific voltage levels, like computers. On the other hand, blackouts denote major equipment failure or weather related issues leading to a complete loss of electric power.

Sometimes, rolling blackouts are put into place by power companies to balance out an increase in power demand that cannot be met by the existing system output. The demand for electricity can be increased by heat waves and prompt the requirement for a rolling blackout.

HOW CAN YOU PREVENT THESE VOLTAGE FLUCTUATIONS?

Sadly, there are only a few ways to avoid this situation. In case you absolutely need to keep your equipment running always, you could consider power backups.

An intense upsurge in electricity demand does not occur often, but if you want to ensure that your business is geared for any possible threats, it is worth investing in dg sets lest you may be left out in the dark.

For more information/inquiries related to power backups visit us at www.mahindrapowerol.com/ or call us at our toll free number: - 1-800-419-1999.

The Causes of Power Failures

Within a short span of two centuries, electricity has become indispensable to our day to day lives. Be it official work, entertainment, economy, healthcare or even simple activities of our livelihoods, we are totally dependent upon the constant supply of electrical power. In such scenarios, even a temporary loss of electricity can affect us greatly. It may lead to a relative chaotic situation, monetary setbacks may be faced, there may also be a possibility of loss of life. Power stoppage can especially cause mayhem when it comes to life-support systems such as in hospitals and nursing homes or in co-ordination facilities like traffic control, railway stations and airports.

Fortunately, most life support facilities have power backup which takes over automatically in the case of a power outage. Power backup is also increasingly being utilized in corporate offices, mining, manufacturing, businesses, and now even in residential complexes with the growing dependence on computers and electronics in everyday lives. So, though loss of power in small scale settings may not be lethal, it can still result into loss of data, missed deadlines, decreased productivity levels and also cause loss of revenue.

Thus, it is very important to know about the possible causes of power failure in order to be armed at all times, to protect ourselves and our businesses from its ill effects. When we have identified all that can possibly go wrong, it would be easier to ensure that adequate safeguards have been put into place.

 

Shared below are some of the major causes of power failure: -

1.       Weather conditions :- 

Power failures are majorly caused due to weather conditions. Lightning, wind, rain, snow and even dust are the various natural phenomenon that can cause power failure. While it is very difficult to guard against major power failures caused due to natural calamities as floods and storms, it is relatively easier to safeguard electrical systems from water and dust. Water can lead to short circuits and power outages. The damage caused due to water in electrical circuits are pretty expensive and thus it makes sense to ensure protection from it. Electrical switchboards, wires, and circuits should be protected and not exposed to water. Dampness and excessive moisture can lead to serious damages. Living in areas with higher levels of humidity makes it important to invest in specially sealed circuit protection devices. 

Dust can also wreak havoc with electrical systems and lead to short circuits and power failures. Areas that are exposed to dust and sandstorms are in dire need to ensure that the electrical circuits are protected from dust exposure at all times. Sealed circuit boxes can be helpful in ensuring protection of your critical electrical equipment and prevent power failures.

Natural disasters have historically been the root cause of the world’s most severe power outages. Floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, windstorms, and other severe weather conditions can completely destroy critical power infrastructure and result in outages that leave extensive geographic regions without power for months.

 2.       Short Circuits :-

‘Short circuit’ is the most commonly used term to describe the cause of power failure. At the same time, the term is also most bandied about without understanding the meaning very well. So, let us explain what exactly is a short circuit.

Short circuit occurs when electric current travels along a path which is not the intended path for it in an electrical circuit. Due to this, there is an excessive electric current which damages the circuit, cause fire and even an explosion to the extent that it’s one of the main causes of electrical fires all over the world. 

3.       Blackouts:-

‘Blackout’ refers to a total loss of electrical power in a given geographical area. It is also the severe most form of power outage that can occur. Depending upon what is the main cause of a blackout, restoring power is usually a very complex task for utilities and power stations and, repair time frames greatly depend upon the configuration of the affected electrical network.

4.       Brownouts:-

A brownout refers to a drop in the power supply. It is called, ‘brownout’ as it leads to a drop in voltage which causes the lights to dim. Brownout is not a total power failure, but it can adversely affect your electrical equipment. Induction and three-phase electrical motors (like the ones used in industrial diesel generators) are at greater risk during brownouts as they can get overheated and their insulation can be damaged. In case your main power supply is inconsistent and you’ve been experiencing brownouts frequently, you must invest in power back up system like diesel generators. They will automatically take over and provide your equipment with necessary electrical power whenever the voltage drops.

5.       Power Surges:-

Power surges are a bane when it comes to electrical systems. It can rapidly overheat and thus damage expensive electrical equipment. Surge protectors and circuit breakers can readily provide the much needed protection from such surges.

6.       Electrical treeing:-

Electrical treeing affects high power installations like transformers and high power voltage cables. If there are any impurities and mechanical defects in the equipment used in high voltage installations, then it can lead to partial electric discharges in the equipment. The process of damaging manifests in a tree-like pattern and hence the name ‘electrical treeing’. If over a period of time it goes undetected, it can continually degrade the equipment and eventually result into a complete breakdown.

To combat electrical treeing, one must only use top quality materials designed to handle the electric load. Maintenance by trained engineers can also help to identify and fix electrical treeing before a major breakdown.

Other Causes:-

When animals such as large birds come into contact with electric lines, power outages are bound to occur. Additional causes of power failures are primarily man made. Example, road accidents and accidents at construction spots with power poles and lines, maintenance issues and human error.

We at Mahindra Powerol offer solutions to combat these issues of Power failures. Visit us at www.mahindrapowerol.com to know more.

Importance of Diesel Generators in Small Scale Industries !!!!

Owing to establishment of new industries, infrastructure development, and evolving business environment, continuous power has become one of the main challenges today.

There is widespread lack of grid connectivity and infrastructure growth in far-flung areas, growing electricity demand-supply gap, strong commercial growth along with power deficits in various parts of the country. Also, the number of telecom towers has risen tremendously. Due to all these reasons, DG sets have gained prominence in the small scale industries segment in India.

Points to consider:

Uninterrupted power supply

The main problem for small scale industries in the country is that in spite of their best efforts, power disturbances do arise. While some issues may be the outcome of problems within the industry, most are due to events that are outside and thus are beyond the control of the facility manager. Faulty distribution system, voltage sags, voltage spikes, blackouts and brownouts in the utility can all cause interruption in service.

A dg set can be of much help in such scenarios.

Small scale industries worst hit by erratic power supply

The power situation in the country has left various industries immobilized. In Bengaluru, scheduled power cuts for housing consumers has been started. At the same time, commercial and industrial consumers are bearing the brunt of unreliable power supply.

Micro and small industries are majorly affected. Processing industries like plastic, foundry and rubber, are the worst hit. When plastic is molded, it has to be melted. When power supply goes off, it turns hard again and the whole procedure has to take place one more time. Textile industry has also been overtly affected, as is the case with other continuous processing industries.

Regions with most demand for DG sets

High power deficits as well as rapid development and industrialization in southern part of the country like Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad has meant that they have the highest demand for diesel generators. The auto component and manufacturing industries in Tamil Nadu, IT industry in Karnataka, pharmaceutical and bio-technology businesses in Andhra Pradesh and service sector and general engineering in Puducherry and Kerala are among the major markets for dg sets in this region.

The western region has the second highest position in the diesel generator market in India as it houses the largest number of industries, including automobile, iron and steel, chemical and petrochemical, textiles, jewellery, pharmaceuticals and cement. Maharashtra and Gujarat constitute of the maximum share in driving dg set growth in western part of India. Even though the power deficit situation in the western region is decreasing with every passing year, the demand for diesel generators remain constant, because they are a reliable source of backup power.

The manufacturing sector is projected to fuel growth in demand for dg sets due to the flourishing auto component industry. By the end of 2016, India is also being projected to become the second largest steel producer in the world. This industry demands continuous power supply for machining, running processing units, resin molding, welding, pressing, and assembling.

Easy to install and to operate, easily available in the market and low space requirements make dg sets the most preferred choice.

For the best and compact dg sets visit www.mahindrapowerol.com or call us at our toll free number 1-800-419-1999.