The increasing reliance of South African businesses on generator sets (gensets) to mitigate power disruptions highlights a crucial need for proper selection based on specific operational demands. Despite their growing usage, there is still widespread confusion about how to choose the appropriate genset, often leading to inefficient and costly decisions.
Understanding the differences between standby, prime and continuous applications is essential to optimise genset performance and longevity. Craig Bouwer, senior manager Gensets at WEG Africa, explains that many customers mistakenly select gensets based solely on nameplate rating. “Understanding the specific application of the genset is crucial for the right selection, and the first step is knowing that genset applications are broadly categorised into standby, prime and continuous, each with distinct operational requirements,” he says.
Standby gensets are seldom used, and are typically kept for emergency situations. These units have a limit on operational hours per year and a specific load factor. Due to loadshedding, few gensets are used solely for standby purposes in South Africa,
Prime and continuous applications are more common in the country. Prime gensets can run unlimited hours annually with variable loads, maintaining an average load factor below their maximum rating. Continuous gensets also operate unlimited hours, but with a constant and predetermined load.
Engineering manager, Damian Schutte explains that understanding the difference between prime and continuous ratings is also critical. The load factor is a key differentiator, not the unlimited time requirement, with prime applications having variable loads and continuous ones having fixed loads.
Schutte uses a vehicle analogy to illustrate the differences: a continuous genset is like a car on cruise control operating at a steady speed within its capacity on a long-distance trip, while a prime genset is akin to a vehicle driving in the city. Standby can be perceived as racing between traffic lights.
The choice of genset rating impacts its expected lifespan and maintenance needs. For example, continuous power may be required in mines during loadshedding to supplement limited grid power, while industrial applications like workshops with variable loads would need a prime-rated genset. Bouwer notes that standby power remains vital in essential service sectors for health and safety reasons, especially in environments like mines, hospitals and data centres.
As an OEM, WEG Africa uses these categories to guide customers in their genset choices, aiming to match their specific needs and expected service life. “We caution against oversimplifying the selection process by just matching the total load with a genset's nameplate rating, as this can lead to premature failure and additional costs. To ensure the correct choice, we work closely with customers – assessing their load requirements, usage frequency and operational conditions – and through this process we can ensure optimal genset selection,” Bouwer concludes.
Problem solving under pressure Axiom Hydraulics
Motion Control & Drives
The greatest strength of Axiom Hydraulics lies in the company’s ability to solve complex problems and adapt systems to meet unique challenges. This capability stems from two key factors: the diverse experience of its team members, which spans decades across multiple disciplines, and their unwavering dedication to their clients.
Read more...New AI advisor for robot selection igus
Motion Control & Drives
igus’ new AI chatbot has been added to the online platform RBTX.com. The interactive consultant is designed to enable companies with little previous experience and technological expertise to quickly and reliably put together low-cost automation solutions to becoming more competitive.
Read more...The world’s most powerful worm
Motion Control & Drives
Geothermal energy from the natural heat of the Earth is an inexhaustible resource, yet the growth of the global geothermal power sector lags behind other renewable energies. Now Swiss startup, Borobotics is hoping to speed this up with its innovative new electric-powered geothermal drilling robot, which can be used to fast-track and lower the cost of heat pump installations in confined spaces.
Read more...Building resilience in extreme environments ACTOM Electrical Machines
Motion Control & Drives
The petrochemical and oil and gas sectors operate in unforgiving environments. In this high-stakes industry, operational efficiency is vital, and unplanned downtime can have severe consequences. To thrive in this demanding landscape, a proactive and sophisticated approach to maintenance is no longer an option, but a necessity.
Read more...Collaborative robots pioneer automation revolution
Motion Control & Drives
Collaborative robots (cobots) are a versatile, cost-effective robot form factor that is demonstrating value across many industry verticals. According to a new report from ABI Research, revenue from cobots will increase from $970 million in 2023 to $7,2 billion by 2030.
Read more...SKF shines at Mining Indaba SKF South Africa
Motion Control & Drives
This year marked SKF’s second consecutive participation at Mining Indaba, where the global bearing and seal manufacturing giant spotlighted its premium quality, future-smart, environmentally sustainable mining and industrial products, technologies and services.
Read more...Reducing the risk of sewage spills
Motion Control & Drives
The UK government has announced plans to impose tougher penalties on water companies in England and Wales that fail to prevent sewage discharges into rivers and seas. David Strain, technical director at the automation systems specialist, Technidrive explains how solutions like variable speed drives and smart monitoring systems can help water companies reduce the risk of sewage spills and ensure compliance.
Read more...High-performance electric wire rope hoists
Motion Control & Drives
Becker Mining South Africa’s Kito RX electric wire rope hoists, launched in Africa two years ago, play a critical role in many industries.
Read more...Complete solutions for the die casting industry
Motion Control & Drives
Die casting is a manufacturing process that involves injecting molten metal into a mould to produce complex, high-precision components. FUCHS Lubricants South Africa addresses the evolving demands of the die casting sector through continuous product innovation and development.
Read more...Planetary gear units for high torque requirements
Motion Control & Drives
Packing a compact design, along with high torque and low-speed outputs, the new SEW PPK and SEW P2.e planetary gear units from SEW-EURODRIVE offer new capabilities in continuous heavy-duty applications where space is at a premium.
printer friendly version