Portable generator having a configurable load bank
AssigneeSavannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC
InventorsRyan M. Maxwell, David R. Dixon, David W. Hawver, Tommy D. Gleaton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A portable generator includes a combustion engine. The portable generator includes an electric generator coupled to the combustion engine. The portable generator can include a load bank. When the electric generator operates at a first voltage and generates less than a threshold amount, the load bank is coupled to the electric generator in a first configuration. When the electric generator operates at a second voltage that is different than the first voltage, the load bank is coupled to the electric generator in a second configuration that is different than the first configuration.
Claims15
A portable generator, comprising:
- a combustion engine;
- an electric generator coupled to the combustion engine, the electric generator configured to provide electrical power to a load;
- and
- a load bank that is separate from the load, the load bank coupled to the electric generator when an amount of electrical power the electric generator generates is less than a threshold amount of electrical power;
- wherein when the electric generator operates at a first voltage and generates less than the threshold amount of electrical power, the load bank is coupled to the electric generator in a wye configuration;
- wherein when the electric generator operates at a second voltage that is different than the first voltage and generates less than the threshold amount of electrical power, the load bank is coupled to the electric generator in a delta configuration,
- wherein the threshold amount corresponds to an amount of electrical power needed to prevent wet stacking in the combustion engine, and
- wherein when the load bank is coupled to the electric generator in either the wye configuration or the delta configuration, an electrical power demand on the electric generator is increased so that the amount of electrical power generated by the electric generator is at least equal to the threshold amount of electrical power needed to prevent wet stacking in the combustion engine.
A method for controlling operation of a portable generator, the portable generator comprising a combustion engine and an electric generator coupled to the combustion engine, the method comprising:
- determining, by one or more control devices, whether the electric generator of the portable generator is operating at a first voltage or a second voltage that is different than the first voltage when the electric generator is providing electrical power to a load;
- determining, by the control device(s), whether an amount of electrical power the electric generator is generating is less than a threshold amount of electrical power;
- responsive to determining the electric generator is operating at the first voltage and generating less than the threshold amount of electrical power, generating, by the control device(s), a control action coupling a load bank to the electric generator in a wye configuration;
- and
- responsive to determining the electric generator is operating at the second voltage and generating less than the threshold amount of electrical power, generating, by the control device(s), a control action coupling the load bank to the electric generator in a delta configuration,
- wherein the threshold amount corresponds to an amount of electrical power needed to prevent wet stacking in the combustion engine, and
- wherein when the load bank is coupled to the electric generator in either the wye configuration or the delta configuration, an electrical power demand on the electric generator is increased so that the electric generator generates an amount of electrical power that is at least equal to the threshold amount of electrical power needed to prevent wet stacking in the combustion engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.