The famous diesel generator is credited to two inventors who are held in high esteem in the scientific community; Michael Faraday and Rudolph Diesel. Their contributions have spanned many forms of modern discoveries that bless our lives today. Faraday’s discovery of electromagnetic induction in 1931 has paved the way for the evolution of the first modern generator.
Electromagnetic induction, in simple terms, is the generation of electricity in a metallic wire with the help of electromagnetic waves produced by another wire. Faraday connected two wires to a copper disc then rotated the disc around the two poles of a magnet, creating a direct current. The diesel generator we know today is owed to the refrigerator engineer, Rudolph Diesel. Back in 1892, he patented the first engine where combustion occurs in its cylinders, creating a diesel engine with high efficiency.
Diesel generators are proving to be quite the formidable addition to any home. Sometimes we can take electricity for granted, forgetting that losing it for a while can cause us to panic. Since the diesel generator is one of the most popular generators amongst homeowners, we’ve decided to provide a brief overview that can help you see why people love it.
How Diesel Generators Work
You’ll notice that diesel fuel is actually more expensive than gasoline, yet it’s still considered the cheaper type of fuel. Diesel has a much higher energy density, which means that you can extract more energy from diesel than gasoline at the same volume. Their usage isn’t only exclusive to industrial and commercial fields, but also residential establishments. Fuel energy is transformed into mechanical energy through an internal combustion engine that utilizes the high-powered combustions happening inside its cylinders. The mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy that can be used in our homes by an electric generator.
Easy to Calculate the Power Needed
Having a diesel generator on standby can give you all the power you’ll ever need for your home if you choose the right one. Since diesel generators come in all sizes, it’s important to determine how much energy you need to keep your home running smoothly. You can calculate the wattage by summing the wattage of all the appliances in your house. To properly find the wattage of a device, multiply the amperage by the voltage. The average refrigerator of a 20 amps rating using a 120-volt line needs about 2.4kW to stay operational.
The variety of diesel generators may cause you to spend a few hours shopping for the one that suits your home. You should always look for more info when it comes to backup diesel generators if you don’t want to waste your money on the wrong investment. No matter the situation you’re in, you’ll easily be able to find a diesel generator that checks all the boxes.
Higher Efficiency and Fewer Bills
Since diesel can produce more power than gasoline, you don’t need to use a lot of fuel to get consistent and productive results. Diesel’s efficiency is credited to the mixing process of fuel and air that happens inside the engine’s cylinders. Your diesel fuel should last you much longer than gasoline, reducing the need to constantly resupply yourself with fuel. The reduced costs can be piled up to show that diesel generators are a cheaper and more viable solution than any other type.
Long Life
Diesel as a fuel doesn’t burn at very high temperatures, unlike gasoline which can cause equipment to degrade quickly. The average water-cooled diesel generator can run an average of 20,000 hours before it requires a round of major maintenance; gasoline only averages about 8,000. The long life span of diesel generators is quite helpful, as you won’t have to buy an expensive generator constantly.
Cooling Options
Depending on the type of usage, diesel generators are generally cooled using one of two methods; air-cooling and liquid-cooling. If you’re expecting to power a large home with a lot of electric functionality, you’re better off with liquid-cooling because of its efficiency. There is no need for liquid-cooling when it comes to small projects, as then it will be more cost-effective to use air-cooling to get the job done. Choosing between the types of diesel generators is pretty straightforward without any need for compromises.
Low Noise
Since you’ll be using the diesel generator for your home, you don’t want to hear a lot of disruptive noises. Diesel generators have evolved through the years, reducing the amount of noise they emit to very low degrees. It’s easy to find cheap diesel generators on the market that make less noise than gasoline generators. The secret to the reduced noise is the efficiency of the generator at burning fuel at a low RPM, creating less noise overall.
Cheap
Diesel generators are usually a homeowner’s first choice thanks to the value for money they provide. Their purchase price is lower than most generators that use other types of fuel. Their maintenance is considered much easier and cheaper because it doesn’t have a lot of moving parts. It’s not hard to find cheap replacements and spares whenever you need them.
Flexibility
Diesel generators can be installed at homes permanently or they can be portable. A lot of people with RVs prefer to go with portable diesel generators, as they’re much easier to transport. Diesel generators can either be used to power big houses for long durations or as a backup generator whenever the power goes down. You can expect your diesel generator to be easily compatible with many types of machinery and electric devices.
Got Cleaner
Old diesel generators were infamous for their emission of harmful gases. Thanks to new technology and innovation, diesel generators are now running much cleaner than they used to. While it’s still recommended to install diesel generators outdoors, the harmful effect of the emissions is greatly reduced, not to mention new filtration capabilities.
No one gets used to power outages and blackouts, which is why buying a generator the only logical solution. Diesel home generators offer you the best in terms of what generators can offer. Make sure to spend some time finding out the wattage you need to get a generator that matches what you have in mind.
