Power in physics is the
ability to do work, generally we refer to electricity as power because it
enables us to use most of the tools we use in our offices, the machines we use
in our factories, and the appliances in our homes. In fact for us to have light
at night in our homes and our streets, we need power. So power is a very
important part of our lives.
In all countries of the
world, governments spend a lot of money on power generation and distribution. Most
developed countries of the world were able to generate enough power to go round
their societies which enhances the growth of their economies and also improve
the standard of living of their people. However, despite this there is always
power outage once in a while hence the need to provide an alternative source of
power by individuals and organizations especially those who use equipment e.g.
computers, servers etc. that need constant supply of power.
NIGERIA THE POWERLESS GIANT
In Nigeria, since the Colonial
Masters handed over the administration of the country to our people, we have
not been able to generate enough power to meet the electricity need of the
country. Various administration have come and gone making promises to solve the
countries acute power problems some have actually taken steps and invested a
huge sum of money in the power sector, yet the problem seems to be unsolvable. Every
day there is an additional demand for power because new houses are springing up
every day, factories and small scale businesses are springing up here and there
yet we don’t generate any additional electricity not even to meet the existing
needs.
If power is the ability to do
work, it means unavailability of power is inability to do work. As a small
business owner, one cannot do without power, if government is not forthcoming
in supplying the needed power, there is need to find an alternative means of
generating it, which is why Nigeria has been rated as the country with the
highest importation of generators.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT GENERATOR FOR YOUR OFFICE OR HOME
When making your decision on
the type and size of generator you want to buy for your home or any structure,
you have to know your electricity need. Generating sets can provide from as
little as 1500watts of electricity and up to a staggering 15000watts. It’s now
left for you to choose the one that will meet your electricity needs.
Apart from your energy need,
another important thing you need to consider is the type of fuel you want to
use in running your generator.
In this century and age,
there are various option to choose from when it comes to fuel for powering
engines. We have Gasoline popularly known as petrol in Nigeria, (in other
countries they refer to Gasoline as Gas), Diesel, Propane or LPG (Liquefied
Petroleum Gas) popularly known as cooking gas, and CNG (Compressed Natural Gas)
All these fuel types have their pros and cons, however some advantages
outweighs the others.
GASOLINE OR PETROL GENERATORS
This is the most common type
of fuel especially in Nigeria, in fact over 80% of generators in Nigeria are
run on petrol.
Advantages of Petrol
Generators
1. Relatively portable: It is easy
to carry around because the petrol tank is firmly attached to the generator.
2. Another advantage of the gasoline
generators is that the fueling is comparatively simple, all you need to do is
to turn the gasoline into the fuel tank and there you go, you are up and
running.
Disadvantages
1. It is risky: in the event of
trying to top up the fuel of the generator without switching it off, or before
it cools off after use, a little drop of gasoline on the hot part of the
generator can cause an explosion, in fact some people have fallen victim of
this accident and the result is always deadly.
2. Expensive: the price of gasoline
especially in Nigeria is always fluctuating and it’s mostly expensive compared
to LPG and CNG.
3. Carbon Monoxide Pollution: As a
result of the combustion of gasoline, carbon monoxide is generated which is one
of the major pollutant of air. Apart from polluting the air, it also kills the
spark plugs, settles on the piston, block the air vent, makes the engine oil go
black and eventually go bad thereby increasing the maintenance cost of the
generator and reducing its life span.
4. Storage: Gasoline cannot be
stored indefinitely, the longest storage duration of gasoline is 365 days,
apart from this; it evaporates easily, hence it depreciates in value when
stored for a long period of time. So with gasoline, there is a limit to what
you can save for the raining days.
5. Highly flammable: Gasoline is
highly flammable, this makes it also very dangerous to store because at any
slight mistake it can be ignited.
DIESEL GENERATORS
Diesel generators are
typically the best price option for generators that produce 150 kW or more of
power. Diesel generators are also the
least expensive to operate, least flammable, and are the best for long-term
usage. Also, diesel, like gasoline, is an easy fuel to obtain. Diesel is a
relatively heavier fuel, diesel engines are usually very strong and the fuel
burns slower than any other fuel. However it has its own disadvantages too.
Advantages of Diesel
Generators.
1. Diesel burns slower than any
other fuel, though it might be expensive to buy, it burns slower thereby making
relatively cheap to use.
2. Diesel engines are mostly
stronger than any type of engines.
3. Diesel is always readily
available
Disadvantages
1. It generates more carbon monoxide
than other engines. This means that it is not environment friendly. In fact
some countries are thinking of banning the use of petrol engines because of
environmental pollution.
2. Wet Stacking: Most of the diesel
generators face a problem called "wet stacking". When the generator
is running on a load of about 30% to 40%, the fuel is not burnt completely and
it lines up the turbocharger and other areas.
3. Noise: Diesel generators make
more noise than most other generators
PROPANE GENERATORS
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
also known as Propane or Cooking Gas is a good option for powering your
generator especially those who depend heavily on generators to power their homes
and businesses.
Advantages of Propane
Generators
1. Superior Supply of Power: The
common limits for gasoline generators are around 8500 watts of power. The
propane generator, on the other hand, can often deliver more than 15000 watts,
meaning that they can actually run the entire home - central air conditioning
and all!
2. Convenience: A propane generator
can be on for as long as possible depending on the source of propane supply. In
developed countries where they use propane pipes, this pipes can be attached to
the generator to give it a consistent supply of fuel. On the other hand in
countries like Nigeria where propane is dispensed into bottles, you can attach
your generator to the biggest bottle of gas hence giving your generator a
consistent supply of fuel translating to consistent supply of power to your
home or office.
3. Environmentally friendly: Propane
is a cleaner form of fuel because it burns without leaving residues i.e. carbon
which contaminates the engine oil, stains the spark plug, and the piston.
4. Safer: It eliminates the danger
of carbon monoxide poisoning, it also eliminates the danger of fire disaster
which can arise while trying to refuel the generator while it is still running.
5. Cost Effective: In most
countries, the cost of Propane is lesser than that of Gasoline and Diesel.
Aside saving on the cost of fuel, it also saves on the cost of maintenance
because propane generators requires lesser maintenance than other types of
generators.
Disadvantages
1. Propane Generators are expensive
to purchase
2. In countries where gasoline is
cheaper than propane, the cost of running a propane generator might higher.
3. Risk of Gas Leakage: If propane
supply is not properly fixed, there is a high risk of leakages which might lead
to fire outbreak and wastage propane.
CONVERSION OF GASOLINE
GENERATORS TO PROPANE OR COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS USING THE TRI FUEL CARBURETOR
Considering the advantages
and the disadvantages of the various types of generators above, the best option
is to have a generator that can use more than one type of fuel. This means one
will have an option to choose which form of fuel to use in running the
generator without having to make any changes to the generator.
How Does It Work
Most people think that the
Gasoline Generator runs on liquid gasoline, but this is not true. The Gasoline
Generator actually runs on Liquefied Gas. What happens is that the Gasoline in
the fuel tank when released is passed into the carburetor where it is vaporized
before it can now be passed on to the section of the carburetor where the
actual combustion takes place.
Because this vaporization is
not perfect; during the process of combustion, there is a residue left out
which is the carbon monoxide that the generator produces when working.
THE TRI FUEL CARBURETOR
The Tri Fuel Carburetor gives
you the option of using either Gasoline, Propane or Compressed Natural Gas to
run your generator.
The Tri Fuel Carburetor is
much like the normal carburetors that comes with the Gasoline Generators, the
difference is that a gas chamber is attached to it. This where propane or
compressed gas is passed into the generator.
To switch from Gasoline to
Propane all that needs to be done is to close the fuel tap from the generator
and open the propane from the regulator.
Using Compressed Natural Gas
to Power your Generator
The major difference between
Propane and CNG is that CNG is a lighter gas, hence it burns faster and
cleaner. Also, CNG even though available in Nigeria is not very common like
Propane. In some countries, cars run on CNG instead of Gasoline or Diesel.
Another difference between
Propane and CNG is that CNG is cheaper to buy compared to propane but Propane
gives more power than CNG so the generator will burn more CNG compared to
Propane.
Choke: This is used to open or close the valve of the
combustion chamber. When you want to start the generator you close the valve
with the choke to enable gas to concentrate in the combustion chamber to allow
combustion then release it when the generator has started running.
Throttle: This controls the speed of the engine. The speed of
the generator determines the output of the power it generates.
Combustion Chamber: This is where the actual combustion takes place.
Gasoline Connection: This is
where the hose from the gasoline tank is connected to the Vaporization Chamber
of the Generator.
Vaporization Chamber: That
where Gasoline is Vaporized before it is passed to the combustion chamber.
Acceleration Regulator: This
regulates the accelerator.
Gas Hose: This is the hose that passes gas from the gas
chamber to the combustion chamber
Gas Chamber: This is where
the propane or CNG comes in first. It is responsible for regulating the
pressure of gas that is released into the engine.
Spring Loaded Button for
Releasing Propane or CNG into the gas chamber: For the Generator engine to start running an amount
of fuel has to be in the combustion chamber, this button is used to release a
little gas into to combustion chamber by pressing it down for two seconds.
Gas Nozzle: This is where the
hose from the Propane or CNG source is connected.
COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
though not very common in Nigeria compared to LPG is a very good and effective
source of power. It is also found more abundantly in Nigeria compared to LPG.
ADVANTANTAGES OF CNG
Non-toxic
Natural gas contains no toxic
ingredients. It is relatively harmless, even when inhaled.
Colourless
When mixed with a specific
amount of air and ignited, invisible natural gas burns with a pure blue flame.
It is one of the cleanest burning fuels, producing primarily heat, carbon
dioxide and water vapour.
Odourless
When taken from the ground,
Natural Gas is odourless. A harmless but pungent odour is added as a safety
precaution, so as to be able to detect even the smallest quantity of gas in the
event of a leak.
Advantages of CNG Lighter
Than Air
Natural Gas is
lighter-than-air, so when released into the atmosphere, it rapidly dissipates,
as opposed to the heavy nature of Propane or Gasoline, whose dense fumes
accumulates at ground level and thus carry a higher flammability risk. Natural
Gas also has a higher ignition temperature (628.3 degrees Celsius) than
Gasoline (246 degrees Celsius) or Diesel fuel (210 degrees Celsius), which
further significantly reduces the chances of an accidental ignition.
Narrow Flammability Range
To help ensure predictable,
safe use, Natural gas will only ignite when there is an air-and-gas mixture of
between 5% -15% ratio. Any proportions outside of this range will simply not
combust.
Cleaner
It is the cleanest-burning
fossil fuel available. Natural Gas engines emit up to 40% less greenhouse gas
than gasoline or diesel engines. When Natural Gas burns, virtually no harmful
pollutants are produced. Reactive hydrocarbons are reduced by up to 80%,
Nitrogen oxides are reduced by up to 50% and Carbon monoxide is reduced by up
to 50%. Black smoke is virtually eliminated or non-existent. Reduction in the
emission of particulates in the atmosphere decrease chance of oil/diesel
spills.
Quieter
Natural gas engines can
reduce noise by as much as 50% compared to Diesel burning engines.
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