02.
Backup Power Generators
Offering custom-designed backup power generation solutions for our clients.
Backup Power Generators
The costs of a power outage to a business can be substantial, including losses in product, revenue, productivity, and customers. With increasing severe weather events and disasters triggering greater numbers of costly power outages, there is a growing interest in generators for reliable backup power. Businesses are either considering installing backup generators or—in the case of facilities such as hospitals and airports that are required to and already have backup power—are considering redundant backup systems for added resilience against grid outages. For decision makers to make informed choices, it is important to understand the cost and reliability associated with various backup system configurations.
Grid-connected generators can create positive economic value and have significantly lower failure rates than backup-only generators. The more regularly a generator is used, the more likely it is to be well-maintained and functioning properly. At the same time, backup generators are not designed for continuous operation, and both diesel and natural gas generators have relatively high operating costs compared to typical grid prices. This makes backup generators best suited for services in which the generator only runs for a limited number of hours. Regions with coincident peak charges, along with regions that have curtailable tariffs and/or emergency standby participation, are well suited to be served by backup generators and can generate significant revenues for backup system operators.
Data Centers and Governmental Applications
Mission-critical generator sets
TriVA Energy in partnership with TEXZON UTILITIES is now offering KOHLER KD3750 generator sets ranging up to 3750kVA at 50Hz – adding new power nodes for mission-critical applications such as data centers and governmental applications.
Developed by the EMEA engineering team, the KD3750 series is positioned between the existing KD3500 and the KD4000. The units are powered by a KD83V16 engine, which has been optimized through software modification of the engine control unit. This approach has resulted in power density and NOx emissions within a small footprint.
Design features include a rigid chassis that integrates a mechanical-driven fan, aligning to a global design strategy for key markets, including EMEA and the US. Cooling with a mechanical rather than electrical fan eliminates the need for a motor and step-down transformer, reducing size, weight, and parts complexity.
The KD3750 is offered in two variants – the KD3750-F and KD3750-E – with 50°C and 40°C design temperatures, respectively. These alternatives provide end-users with options for fuel and emissions-optimized configurations, depending on the requirements of local markets.
Power density is rated at 150kVA/m², while NOx emissions are <2000mg/Nm3@5%O2 up to prime power. The KD3750 is suitable for use with conventional diesel and slot-in renewable fuels, including hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). EN15940-approved HVO is sourced entirely from waste products and is up to 90% carbon neutral, it can also be mixed directly in generator tanks with conventional diesel without issue.
Data Centers and Governmental Applications
Transferring Complex Loads On Standby Generator Systems
Historically, during the first decades of power generation, standby generator sets were used almost entirely for emergency lighting. As the capabilities of these standby generator sets increased, so also did the scope of the loads on standby power: in the 1970s and 1980s, the industry observed dramatic growth in motor and pump dominant applications: water treatment plants, lift stations, etc.
This placed additional requirements on coordination of power transfer from utility and back to utility; simple double-throw contactors were no longer sufficient to reliably transfer these loads with high electromechanical inertia. A more complete analysis was required to avoid system derangement when transferring from one source to another, particularly when transferring from a standby source to a utility source.
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In the modern day, standby generator sets are again seeing an increase in the scope of loads on standby power. The power generation industry is seeing capacitive loads and downstream transformers become more prevalent as facilities are becoming more complex and as data service industry growth continues. Fortunately, the factors concerning leading power factor loads and downstream transformers are well known so that the specifying engineer can analyze the application and correctly coordinate equipment
Data Centers and Governmental Applications
Capacitive Effects Dominant Capacitive Load
The increasing population of dominant capacitive loads on standby power generation systems is a modern problem; most facilities’ electrical networks have historically been comprised of resistive (e.g., lighting) and inductive (e.g., motor) loads. The unique response presented by a dominant capacitive load (e.g., uninterruptible power supplies, LED lighting) on start-up is that the power factor presented to the generator set is leading.
With a typical unity (resistive) or lagging (inductive) power-factor load, the response from the generator on application of this load is a dip in voltage and a dip in engine speed. If this frequency dip from the engine is sufficiently large, the modern voltage regulator compensates by reducing voltage (to reduce load) to allow the engine to recover (sometimes called a load acceptance or V/Hz feature)
Backup Power Generator Infrastructures
TriVA Partner Network™ with Texzon Utilities provides the following services to support your Backup Generator project:
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Study of current system and utility expenditures
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Emergency Protocols
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Energy demand, viability, and feasibility studies
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Genset infrastructure and system design
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Resiliency analytics and total installed (turnkey) cost estimate
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Electrical and mechanical engineering
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Electrical load analysis
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Utility interface and interconnection as required
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Turnkey Installation
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Engineering and sizing software
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Technical field services and project management
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In-House grant writing, defining federal and state incentives, etc.
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Financial products, project capital, and funding incentives