Toyota chooses a Genesal emergency genset for its factory in Guanajato (Mexico)

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Toyota has trusted in Genesal to deliver emergency power to its Mexican factory in Apaseo el Grande, Guanajato.

The client needed something very specific: a back-up genset for the auxiliary equipment of the switching substation which serves the factory, for which we designed and supplied a 220 kVA special set, capable of providing the necessary support to the factory in the event of a mains failure.

The factory is one of the biggest projects carried out in the Apaseo el Grande municipality and will cause a great economic impact in the area, generating employment for 1.100 people. Furthermore, the installation will complete the production that the Japanese multinational corporation carries out in Baja California, where it currently produces around 170.000 units a year, of which nine out of ten are exported to the United States.

Precision and maximum reliability

In its first stage, this factory will assemble an average of 100.000 units a year of one of their star models: the Tacoma truck. In its second phase, the factory is estimated to produce 200.000 vehicles, reaching 300.000 before the year 2025. According to the company’s estimations, the factory is set to be operational towards the end of this very year.

The design of special generator sets to provide emergency power to great factories has been one of Genesal Energy’s focuses from the very beginning. Likewise, all of our gensets are custom-made after listening to each unique client with the objective to comply with their specific needs. In this case, the unit manufactured for Toyota’s new factory in Mexico has, amongst others, the following features:

Main Features

  • Double-walled 1000L fuel tank for 12 hours autonomy at 100% load.
  • Start-up through external command.
  • Communication system with SCADA System through TCP/IP protocol.

Risks and Consequences of Using Generator Sets at a Low Load Operation

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Minimum load for generators

Generator sets are designed to operate close to their rated power, and maintaining them properly is essential to ensure optimal performance. Every generator has a recommended minimum load, typically around 50% of its rated capacity. Operating below the generator minimum load for extended periods can lead to serious issues and reduced lifespan.

Main symptoms of something malfunctioning

One should be concerned when:

  1. The engine gives off oil mixed with fuel through the exhaust manifold – including the exhaust outlet or the muffler.
  2. There is oil spillage, dripping of oil of a very dark colour, as if burnt.
  3. The exhaust gives off a white smoke, more smoke than usual is seen or there is soot coming out of the exhaust outlet.
  4. The valves and tubing are clogged by dirt (presence of cinder).

The effect of low load on generator performance

“We saw engines working continuously for 24 hours at a tenth of their load and exhaust manifolds with six centimetre holes reduced to one centimetre by the accumulated cinder and oil”, Genesal Energy Technical Director Guillermo Docampo explains.

The effect of low load on a generator includes serious internal damage over time, particularly due to incomplete fuel combustion and oil dilution. These issues directly impact engine health and efficiency.

Negative effects of low load:

  1. Large accumulation of soot (cinder) in the pistons, in the grooves of the piston rings, in the valves and the turbocharger. If, subsequently, the engine functions at full load the pistons may be blocked by faulty lubrication.
  2. Low temperatures will result in insufficient combustion of the fuel, which, in turn, will cause the lubricating oil to be diluted and lose its properties because part of the fuel has mixed with the oil.
  3. Grinding of the cylinder liner. Excessive wear.
  4. The non-consumed fuel and the lubricating oil will also penetrate the exhaust manifold and will possibly exit through its seals, being very obvious -almost scandalous- because of its burnt aspect and by the stains it causes ((see photo below)).

Non-consumed fuel exiting through its seals

Important: Do not run an engine generator set without a load for more than 15–20 minutes unless strictly necessary. Prolonged operation without load can lead to internal damage, high oil consumption, and a shortened lifespan of the equipment.

Why does low-load functioning in a repeated and continuous way cause an increase in oil consumption?

In reality, when an engine works at a low load, the ideal working temperature of the engine is not attained. This favours oil flow towards the upper part of the piston, because a correct adjustment within the piston-rings-cylinder assembly was not achieved. This is due to the lack of dilation resulting in an increased consumption of oil; the oil flows more easily between the valve guides and the stems due to a greater clearance because there was no sufficient warming.

How to prevent malfunctions? Is it possible to reduce the risks?

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We’ve Reinforced Our Presence in Asia with Gensets in Taiwan, the Ever-Expanding Asian Tiger

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At Genesal Energy we’ve opened up a new market in Taiwan through the supply of a 500 kVA generator set designed to supply power in mains failure situations.

Our arrival to the Taiwanese market marks a turning point in Genesal’s internationalization plan in South East Asia. Taiwan is a strategic market, due both to its economic importance as the 28th wealthiest country worldwide and the 6th wealthiest in Asia, and to its potential for companies in the energy industry.

With a GDP that grows at a dizzying rate year by year, the power distribution sector is in constant evolution and with an increasingly strong focus on sustainability. As such, the first project we’ve carried out in the country, a stationary genset of 450-500 kVA, complies with Tier III emission standards. We delivered a genset which was completely adapted to the client’s requirements, providing the adaptability and flexibility needed for a correct integration of all components, with the following features:

  • Stationary, open type genset of 450-500 kVA at 60Hz, 380/220V.
  • DSE 7320 MKII control panel for automatic start at mains failure, with an Ethernet communication module to monitor the genset’s status remotely from a linked-up computer.

12 gensets for the Administration

Furthermore, our entry into the Taiwanese energy market has been consolidated through the supply of 12 gensets of 200/220 kVA for the Taiwanese Administration. The units, all customised, are designed to enter into operation should a mains failure ever occur. The gensets are stationary and were personalized according to the client’s requirements to be adapted to the modifications that would be carried out at a later date in their facilities. All of them comply with Tier III emission standards.

Main features

  • Open type stationary units of 200/220 kVA at 60Hz, 220/127 V.
  • DSE 7320 MKII control panel for start-up upon mains failure.
  • Engine with EGR valve for exhaust gas recirculation.
  • Alternator anti-condensation heaters.

We designed an ‘anti-hurricane’ generator set for a great wind farm in the Dominican Republic

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Our engineering team has designed and supplied emergency power to the Agua Clara wind farm in the Dominican Republic, a large power station capable of providing power to 250.000 citizens.

The wind farm, whose first phase has already come to a close, has 25 wind turbines, of two megawatts (MW) each, which represents an estimated annual production of 170.000 MW/hour. 

With an initial investment of 100 million dollars, the project produces 50 MW of renewable power and the objective is to install up to 200 MW once the four phases of the project have concluded. Genesal Energy has designed and supplied a special generator set, adapted to face the complicated climate of the región of Monte Cristi, where the wind farm is located.

Agua Clara is in a hurricane-prone area, which means the wind farm’s infrastructure requires special equipment capable of facing this type of phenomena. In order to reduce the pressure exerted on a wind turbine by a potential hurricane, it must direct its nacelle and blades with the help of electric and hydraulic motors in such a way that the wind exerts the least force possible on the structure, avoiding harm.

One hundred percent personalized

At the windfarm, the client needed that, in the event of a hurricane or a cyclone and in consecuence, a mains failure, the wind turbines could position themselves correctly and avoid serious damage through the use o fan alternative source of energy. To achieve this, we manufactured a generator set capable of powering the auxiliary services which drive the positioning of the windmills.

The generator which we’ve designed is 100% customised and can be completely managed, controlled and monitored from the wind park’s control centre (SCADA). Inside the actual container, the local control system was installed, along with a PLC to manage communication with the farm’s SCADA through fiber optics, and a protection relay.

Genesal Energy ha diseñado y suministrado un equipo especial, adaptado para hacer frente a la complicada climatología de Monte Cristi.

The Genesal Energy unit will receive start-up and shut-down commands from the wind farm’s control centre and will start-up and energize a step-up transformer. From that momento onwards, the genset will power the whole wind farm and, therefore, the auxiliary systems needed to position each one of the wind turbines to avoid damages in the event of a hurricane.

To compensate the capacitance of the medium-voltage cable runs to the turbines, of hundreds of metres of height, an inductor bank was also installed in the wind farm’s substation. The generator set must power the bank during the first seconds after the hurricane, while the wind turbines and the medium-voltage cable runs aren’t being powered. In order for the generator set to be able to support this strong inductive load, its alternator was oversized, through the installation of a top of the range 3.000 kVA alternator.

Features

  • Engine and alternator pre-heaters.
  • ModBus TCP/IP communicaition.
  • Tailor-made control logic carried out through PLC & DEIF AGC4 controller.
  • Dedicated electrical protection relay.
  • Oversized alternator to support high inductive currents.
  • Automatic fuel transfer system.
  • Special application for an anti-hurricane system in a wind farm.

 

Emergency power for the Los Llanos wind farm, a new source of renewable power

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The first wind park to be raised in the province of Malaga was in the Casares municipality and since then the offer for this type of renewable power has not stopped growing.

Genesal Energy’s focus on alternative and sustainable power has also increased considerably in the last decade, with an ever-growing market, and Andalucía is no exception in our line of business.

This way, one of our latest projects has taken us to the Los Llanos wind park, one of the pioneers in this autonomous community, through the manufacturing and supply of a “turnkey” generator set, made-to-measure for the client, which amongst other requirements, asked that the genset be prepared for remote start-up and that it could provide power to the primary loads in the substation facing a possible mains failure.

The generator set, which will operate in Los Llanos, will start-up remotely when the control system of the substation detects a mains failure because precision is vital in this type of installation where wind is the basic power source.

Features

  • Approved double-walled 1.000L fuel tank for outdoors
  • Baseframe fuel tank prepared as leakage tray
  • Electronic engine speed regulation
  • Signal and alarm remote expansion module
  • Remote start-up

 

Made-to-measure power for a thermoelectric power plant in Sumatra

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We’ve designed, manufactured and supplied one of our tailor-made gensets to the Sumbagut (Sibolga Baru) thermoelectric power plant in Sumatra (Indonesia).

It’s a 400-440 kVA generator set whose goal is to maintain power supply in the event of a mains failure. Our client’s request was, therefore, very clear: the genset had to carry out a basic but vital function: to provide power to the power plant’s emergency loads if ever the mains were to fail.

The genset designed by our engineering team for the Indonesian power plant has, amongst other features, anti-condensation heating in the alternator and control panel and three voltage monitors in order to monitor up to three networks.

Features

  • IBLITE communication module for TCP/IP communication.
  • Approved steel-steel double-walled 2.500 litre fuel tank.
  • Remote signal expansion module.
  • Automatic fuel transfer system.

 

A wind farm in Baja California, key in Genesal’s efforts towards clean energy

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Baja California is one of the Mexican states with a strong focus on renewable energy, and the San Matías wind farm is one of the latest examples.

The installation, now in its construction phase, will generate 30 MW, and include eight wind turbines of 2,5 MW and 20 MW. Its comissioning, expected in 2021, will improve the lives of Baja California’s inhabitants, including the kiliwas, an indigenous tribe living in Baja California.

At Genesal Energy we participated in the project though the design, manufacturing and supply of two 200-220 kVA gensets. At Genesal Energy, renewable energy is a market in expansion in which we believe, and we position ourselves in the first positions in the ranking with international projects such as those carried out in Mexico, Oman and the Dominican Republic.

Features

  • Engine with electronic speed regulation.
  • Approved, double-walled 2.000L fuel tank for the GEN220F and 3.000L for the GEN220FI.
  • 24V start-up, to comply with CFE standards.
  • Yellow 17 paint, in compliance with CFE standards.
  • Alternator anti-condensation heater.
  • Excitation current and voltage measurement.
  • Control panel heater.
  • DNP 3.0. communication gateway.

Generator load profile and step load explained

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Technical article: load profile and consumption of a generator

Knowing the type of loads a generator must power is essential to calculate its required power correctly.

The load profile and the step load —the initial load applied at start-up— are key factors in generator sizing. Power demand is not static; it fluctuates depending on the equipment and conditions, and ignoring these variations can lead to overloads, inefficiencies, or equipment failure.

The power that a generator set manages isn’t an absolute and static value. Its level tends to fluctuate according to certain factors and processes, and it does so differently in each type of unit.

For this reason, calculating the power a generator set needs to function is not a simple operation. Different variables must be taken into account which, if not considered, can cause serious issues in our installation.

For instance, an overload in any of the phases can cause overheating and voltage imbalances. This can cause damage both in the generator set and the equipment connected to it.

Start-up: the first step load

The generator set is going to be limited during its start-up by what is called the first step load, that is: the total transient load that the genset is initially capable of enduring until reaching its stable regime with some transient variations in voltage and frequency.

This is why it’s important to verify the characteristics in the nameplates of the equipment connected to the generator set, and to be aware of the possible transient effects which they may suffer during its start-up processes. 

Certain equipment such as pumps or motors with variable drives, for instance, may increase their current temporarily during commissioning. 

Likewise, elements such as UPS’s (uninterruptable power supplies) can cause harmonic distortions which must be contemplated in our calculations.

Which parameters affect the dimensioning of loads? 

  1. The first parameter to contemplate is the type of load. As we’ve pointed out, some units experience transient increases in current during start-up. With this in mind, we’ll pay special attention to the following loads:
  • Uninterruptable power supplies (UPS). The alternator’s rated power is oversized depending on the installation.  
  • Big motor loads. They can increase starting power to up to 6 times the power, depending on the type of start-up.  
  • Lighting loads (with special attention to sodium vapour lighting and metal halides). 
  • Systems with Variable Frequency Drives (VFD). These can cause an oversizing from 40 to 100%. 
  • Other loads which are especially sensitive to transients and voltage and frequency variations. 
  1. Another factor we must keep in mind is the type of start-up of the motor in question. This is due to the fact that each type of starter requires a specific starting current, which must be higher than the unit’s rated current. Thus, we find that:
  • Electric motors with star-delta starting: its “starting current” will be equal to three times the rated or operating current. 
  • Direct starting motors: demand 6 times nominal current. 
  • Starter motors with variable frequency drives: special attention must be payed to its technical sheet as normally the ramp and increase in speed is configurable. 

Other important aspects to consider for genset load calculation

To finish carrying out this entire calculation of power with maximum precision, other variables must be kept in mind such as: 

  • Power factor during start-up.
  • Starter power.
  • Rated power factor.
  • Rated power
  • Efficiency
  • Number of start-ups

Ultimately, we must be extremely rigorous in this calculation. To avoid any surprises, it’s vital to know the type of load we’re dealing with as well as its behaviour. All, with the objective of the generator set always powering a balanced load, without generating unexpected peaks.

 

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We increase our reach in the national market with the supply of emergency power for wind farms in Castilla-La Mancha, Aragón and Galicia

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Emergency power for wind farms

Providing power to the primary loads of the electrical substation (wind farm) in the event of a mains failure is the main objective of the gensets designed by Genesal Energy to operate in the Oriche and Venta Vieja substations in Teruel, Montilla del Palancar in Cuenca, and Serra das Penas in Lugo.

In each case, the client asked for an especially low noise level, 75 dB at 7 metres, and oversized fuel tanks. The solution provided by Genesal Energy consisted in manufacturing made-to-measure gensets, each personalised to adapt to each one of the installations.

This way, each one of the four generator sets was designed following the client’s needs and complying with their requests, such as the noise level. The gensets are extremely silent thanks to the installation of attenuation systems in the air inlet and outlet of each one.

Furthermore, each unit includes the necessary binary signals in order for the client to integrate it in the substation without any issues.

Features

  • Oversized fuel tank.
  • Leakage tray.
  • Recirculation and heating system for the engine’s cooling liquid needed to provide an adequate temperature for the unit’s start-up.
  • Air inlet and outlet sound attenuators to achieve the required dB’s.
  • Redundant battery system to guarantee availability of start-up power.
  • Dry contacts for the control and monitorization of each genset’s status.

Emergency lighting in the Austrian highways

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We continue to work hard to give you the best energy. We take it to you.

Europe is, along with Asia and America, one of our greatest markets. In the European continent, more specifically, in Austria, we’ve manufactured, supplied and installed an Emergency lighting genset for one of the maintenance centres of the country’s highways. The generator set is prepared to supply power to offices and workshops, to ensure that the maintenance works always have the necessary power.

Features

  • Double fuel transfer system, so that the genset’s integrated fuel tank (500 L) can be fed either from the double-walled 4,000 L fuel tank integrated in the container or from an external fuel tank supplied by the client.
  • Genset prepared to operate in parallel with the mains.
  • Power cabinet with motorized breakers and two power outlets through isolators with fuses geared towards the client’s distribution cabinets.
  • Independent batteries for control and start-up.
  • Motorized louvers.