How to Choose Diesel Generators for Construction Industry?
In the modern construction industry, the stability and reliability of the power supply is one of the key factors to ensure the construction progress and quality. As a commonly used backup power supply, diesel generators can provide stable electricity in the case of mains interruption or instability. However, when buying diesel generators for construction industry, you need to consider many factors to ensure that the equipment can meet the actual needs and your budget.
Power requirements
Before choosing a diesel generator, you should assess the power needs of the construction site. Consider power requirements of equipment that need to operate continuously, such as lighting, office equipment and security monitoring system, and equipment used intermittently, such as mixers, cranes, welders and cutters. The total power requirements of these devices are an important basis for selecting generator sets.
Size of construction sites
Construction site size is also one of the key factors affecting electricity demand. In general, the larger the site, the more power is required.
Small construction sites: This type of construction sites usually carries out simple maintenance work, small road construction or unit housing construction. The power required is relatively small, generally under 30kW. For such construction sites, a small diesel generator set like a 10-30kW model can meet the basic power needs.
Medium construction sites: Medium construction sites are usually for medium road construction, multi-storey residential construction or commercial building construction. The power required is between 30-200kW. For such construction sites, a medium-sized diesel generator ranging from 50-200kW can ensure the normal operation of construction equipment.
Large construction sites: Large construction sites usually carry out large projects such as high-rise buildings, large commercial complexes or road construction. The power required is large, generally more than 200kW, and may be even thousands of kilowatts. For this type of construction sites, it is necessary to select multiple high-power diesel generator sets in parallel to meet the electricity demand during peak hours.
Generator capacity
It’s important to choose a diesel generator with enough power to meet the power requirements of your construction site. When selecting a diesel genset, avoid confusing power units and ignoring peak demand. KVA is used to represent apparent power and KW is used to represent the real power of an electrical system. In a 100% efficient system kW = kVA. However, electrical systems are rarely ever 100% efficient. Generators usually have a power factor of 0.8. The formula for converting kVA into kW is: Apparent power (kVA) x power factor (pf) = actual power (kW). When selecting a diesel generator, remember to convert KVA to KW to ensure the actual power meets the demand.
Prime Power is the main (prime) source of power on the site, whereas Standby Power (emergency power) is to be used when the main source of power fails. When selecting a generator, consider your actual needs and choose a prime powered generator or a standby generator. In addition, consider electrical load types, starting current and generator power capacity.
Generator Working environment
Generally, the working environment of diesel generator sets for construction sites is harsh, so the impact of environmental factors on generator performance should be taken into special consideration when selecting a generator.
High temperatures: When diesel generators operate in a high temperature environment, the power output will decrease. High temperatures affect the cooling effect of the engine, causing the engine to overheat, which reduces power. Therefore, if you look for a diesel generator that needs to work in high temperature environments, choose a model with forced cooling systems to ensure that the engine can dissipate heat normally.
High-humidity environment: The high humidity environment can cause the internal humidity of the generator set easily, which affects the normal operation of the equipment. Therefore, you should choose a model with waterproof and moisture-proof design to ensure that the equipment can operate stably in a high humidity environment.
High-altitude environment: Altitude is also an important factor affecting the performance of diesel generator sets. As the altitude increases, the air density gradually decreases, which affects the combustion efficiency of the engine. Therefore, in high altitude areas, you should choose models that can adapt to low air density to ensure that the engine can burn and operate normally.
In summary
Choosing the right diesel generators for the construction industry is not an easy task. You need to consider factors such as power needs, construction site size, power capacity, working environments, brand, after-sales service, portability, etc. If you are looking for a diesel generator for your construction site but unsure which one can best fit your needs, contact us today.
