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  • Can an induction motor work as a generator - how to use it at home? Do-it-yourself generator from an asynchronous motor Can an electric motor generate electricity

Can an induction motor work as a generator - how to use it at home? Do-it-yourself generator from an asynchronous motor Can an electric motor generate electricity

Staying in the country, it often happens that it requires an autonomous source of electricity to provide light in the house or the operation of a power tool. This will help electric generators, which can be quickly connected to the cottage electrical wiring. The modern market offers a huge selection of models giving voltage from 12 to 380 volts. The consumer can choose a diesel, gasoline or gas unit. To learn how to choose a generator for a summer residence, you will need to briefly familiarize yourself with the different models.

A gasoline generator is needed in the country for a short-term supply of electricity. It is simple to operate, easy to transport, cheaper than analogues running on other fuels. Let's figure out how to choose a gas generator for giving from a huge assortment of models.

Working hours

Domestic gasoline generators are designed for 8 hours of continuous operation. After that, they need rest, otherwise the engine will overheat. Duration of work may vary depending on the load. If the gasoline generator is loaded to the nominal, then after 6-7 hours he will need rest. Working on 1 unit for a whole day, you will need to control the temperature of the engine. This can be done by attaching a thermocouple to the motor housing of the measuring device - a multimeter.

In general, such models are suitable for power supply of a country house during a power outage or for temporary connection of electrical appliances. To provide the house with electricity for several days, during breaks in work will require a mandatory oil change. But for such cases, it is better to have 2 units of different capacities. They are launched in turn, using the model under the estimated load.

In principle, in the country, there is rarely a need for round-the-clock generator operation. If you need to connect an air conditioner, and other low-power devices, then the load on the unit will not be nominal. Running a gasoline generator all night for the operation of one refrigerator is also undesirable. It will be underloaded or idling, which will negatively affect the unit.

Engine

Many gasoline generators are sold under the well-known brands of Japanese and other manufacturers. But often such units have a domestic or Chinese assembly, since these manufacturers themselves do not produce generators. They supply only engines to them and other components.

When choosing a unit for a summer residence, you need to familiarize yourself with its resource:

  • a gasoline unit with an engine with an aluminum cylinder block is designed for about 500 hours;
  • cast-iron gasoline engines are distinguished by their long service life and low fuel consumption. Here you need to pay attention to the location of the valves. The unit with a lateral arrangement of valves has a resource of up to 1,500 hours. Its petrol counterpart with an upper valve arrangement has a resource of more than 3 thousand engine hours.

Depending on the power, the gasoline unit has a two-cylinder or single-cylinder engine. Due to the fact that the modern market is filled with low-quality goods, you need to pay attention to the tricks that dishonest manufacturers and sellers resort to. The fact is that single-cylinder models will provide power up to 7 kW. If the instructions say that the generator will give more power, this is not true. He will not give it or just break. Power more than 7 kW will give gasoline models with two-cylinder engines. Only their cost, of course, is much higher.

Carburetor

When choosing a gasoline unit, pay attention to the height of the cottage above sea level. If the land is located above 1.5 km, it will be necessary to modernize the carburetor. You can contact the dealer with this question before purchasing the unit, so that a nozzle with a smaller diameter is installed and adjustment is made. Otherwise, the enriched mixture will reduce engine performance and increase gas mileage.

Keep in mind that with each lift of a generator with a modified carburetor to a height of 300 m, the engine will lose its power by about 3.5%. But even if the unit is lowered into a lowland, engine power will also decrease, which will lead to overheating. For each change in height, a new carburetor retune is required.

Diesel

If the cottage is supposed to use the generator for a long time or if a power of more than 10 kW is required, then it is better to purchase a diesel engine. A small diesel unit has the same capabilities as a gasoline unit, only it consumes less fuel. The diesel engine is afraid of prolonged idling or light load. With short-term starts, the diesel unit will not give the desired results in fuel economy, so you should not purchase it for periodic supply of electricity in the country.

The diesel unit is difficult to repair and requires frequent maintenance. Paraffin impurities in diesel fuel crystallize in the cold, which makes the diesel generator difficult to start. To start a diesel engine in the cold, you will need special additives or winter fuel.

For the prevention of a diesel unit, manufacturers recommend that after every 100 operating hours, a 100% load be loaded for about 2 hours of operation.

On the economic side, gas units are most beneficial when there is natural gas. Initially, such generators were called hybrid, because they could run on gas or gasoline. Gas models are identical to gasoline. Their difference is only in the carburetor, adapted for gas. If you compare the diesel and gasoline units with gas, the latter model is less popular due to mobility.

Gas generators, working from liquefied gas cylinders, do not differ in fuel economy from gasoline. Real savings of about 10 times come from the use of natural gas from the pipeline. But here there are pitfalls. Liquefied gas from cylinders or a gas tank is far from normal, so some models may not start at all. Gas units work well from the highway, but to connect them, you will need a project and a call from gas workers. In addition, a home gas meter may not miss the required amount of gas and you will have to install an additional one, separately for the generator. This creates additional costs.

Inverter models

Choosing a generator for a summer residence, many pay attention to inverter models. It doesn't matter what type of fuel the engine is designed for. Let it be diesel, gasoline or gas, the main thing is that you can connect a computer and other sensitive electronics to it. According to the instructions, inverters should output stable voltage parameters at the output.

The principle of operation of the unit is to convert the generated alternating current to direct by the rectifier. For accumulation of direct current batteries are used. After stabilization of the oscillation of electric waves, the direct current from the batteries by the inverter is converted into alternating current and supplied to the user.

Inverter models are economical. Control over oil, fuel and engine speed almost halves the cost of refueling. With a minimum load, the generator automation switches it to economy mode, thereby prolonging the life of the unit.

On this, the advantages of inverters end. In practice, the second side of the coin appears with negative consequences. Cheap inverter models do not produce the satisfactory sine wave output promised in the instruction manual. Saving on high-quality components, the manufacturer is trying to reduce the cost of the unit. The output is a sine wave. You can’t connect electronics to such a generator, or they may even burn out bulbs. But a well-known brand and high price also do not guarantee quality. When buying an inverter, you need to find out how close the output voltage is to the required sine wave.

The main disadvantage of the inverter is the electronics, which are sensitive to the starting currents of electrical equipment. It can be pumps, a refrigerator compressor, and so on. For example, a 500 W refrigerator compressor at start-up consumes 1.5 kW. Inverter generators are low-power, therefore, they are not suitable as sources of electricity for giving. After all, it makes no sense to buy an expensive unit for supplying electricity to one computer. There are other disadvantages, for example, the small capacity of the built-in battery, which cannot be replaced on its own. The excess of the power of the working electrical equipment over the battery capacity leads to the fact that the inverter units turn off the power supply and switch to battery charging mode.

Alternative Sources of Electricity

An alternative source of power supply to the cottages include a wind generator and solar panels. This equipment for generating electricity does not require fuel combustion. Only instead of the required 220 volts, the wind turbine and solar panels generate 24 or 12 volts. Let's take a closer look at them:


Alternatively, it is possible to obtain alternative electricity with the same voltage of 24 or 12 volts using a hydraulic unit. It is installed in a river flowing near the cottage. The principle of its operation is the same, only in winter, when the river freezes, the electric current will disappear.

Draw conclusions

Having studied all the models, we make the choice of a generator for giving:

  • petrol models are best taken for short-term power supply. They are easy to connect to your home network and quickly get started;
  • diesel is needed for long-term supply of electricity to the house. Although a diesel unit is more expensive than a gasoline one, it is more durable and cheaper to refuel;
  • gas models for connection require additional costs and hassle. But if a gas main passes near the dacha, if the owner so wishes, you can use such a generator;
  • inverted units categorically say “no” for use in the country;
  • alternative generators are a silent source of electricity that does not require fuel costs. Whether it's a windmill or solar panels, they will give free 24 or 12 volts all year round.

Choosing an autonomous source of electricity for a summer residence, let each owner give preference to the generator model that suits him best. The main thing is that high-quality voltage is supplied to the house, and there is good noise isolation from the working unit.

In contact with

The most common use case for windmills is power generation. It seems that it could be easier than to do, put the axis of the generator on it and you're done! You can use electricity!

But not so simple. Consider why.

All wind turbines or wind turbines are driven, i.e. start to spin. How much energy we can get from the generator depends on the power of the wind flow.

The next most important characteristic of a wind installation is KIEV - the coefficient of utilization of wind energy. In the best examples of windmills, this indicator is 40-50% (although there are allegations of 60-80% KIEV, which is an exaggeration of the sellers of these models). Therefore, in reality, we can rely on the fact that the windmill will use only 25-30%, despite the fact that the estimated power of the windmill should be divided by 3-4. This is what you can really get from a wind turbine, provided that you use the perfect generator.

About the power of a windmill. Many may not believe it, and it actually looks paradoxical, but the power of a windmill (in addition to wind speed). It is also called the "throwing area". There is a lot of practical evidence and mathematical evidence, but the power of a wind turbine with one blade (which describes a circle with a diameter of D) and a wind turbine with 6 blades of the same diameter is the same! You can believe it or not believe it, but it is!

The fact is that the blades for the wind are not separate "planks", and it presses not on each in turn, but like a disk, a circle. Therefore, it is important not the number of blades, but their area. When spinning the blades of a windmill, the wind gives it speed. Along with the angular velocity of rotation, the blade also has linear velocity. So, since it does not spin in a vacuum, it encounters air resistance, which increases in proportion to the speed in the cube. Moreover, the blade is not a flat plank, but a kind of aerodynamic profile, which has a certain thickness and angle of rotation. And during rotation, this profile "stumbles" on the air of the space between the blades.

It turns out that the greater the flow power we want to get by increasing the number of blades, the greater the air resistance they have to experience during rotation. In the end - as indicated above - the power of the wind turbine does not depend on the number of blades, but on the throwing area.

We come to the next important characteristic of a windmill - speed - a value that shows how much the linear speed of the blade is greater than the speed of the wind.

For example, if we know that the speed of a windmill is 7, then this means that at the tip of its blade linear speed is 7 times higher than wind speed. And in the case when the wind speed is 10 m / s, the tip of its blade moves through the air at a speed of 70 m / s, i.e. 250 km / h! Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not try to stop the blade with your hands. They will be cut off like a razor.

Such windmills, as Constantly cut the air with their blades, creating sound waves.

The noise problem is addressed in usually the speed of vertical windmills is lower than horizontal.

We will return to the speed of the windmill and its calculation, and now let's see how it is important for the generation of electric energy.

Generator

In Russia, from ancient times it was commanded to extract electricity using special devices - generators. There are many designs of generators, but in terms of using them with windmills, we are interested in electric generators that generate electricity during rotation. In fact, who is looking for good from good. The windmill provides rotation, and it must be used.

During the construction of the windmill, the master is surely faced with the fact that there are NO generators designed for the windmill. In nature, of course, they are, they are even produced in series. But to purchase them is quite difficult, and if possible, and at a price. This is too specific a thing, which is why there are so few of them and they are so expensive. Therefore, we have to either make generator for a windmill   on your own or to adapt what is.

What can we use? The choice is not rich. These are permanent magnet motors, automobile generators, stepper motors, worn-out gas generator generators, asynchronous motors. In other words, almost any electric motors. According to theory, any electric machine is reversible. Those. any electric motor in certain conditions can work as a generator with a certain efficiency, seriousness and cost of alteration.

Why not just use what is? Because it is all - fast! An exclamation mark does not mean anything good. Except, perhaps, stepper motors. They are slow by definition. All other engine generators operate at 1000 rpm or more (15-20 rpm).

To get the opposite effect - the generation of electric current, they need to give the appropriate speed. For example, the cheapest and most affordable option, as it seems, is a decent generator of 0.5 kW - a car, and it faces a figure of 2-3 thousand rpm.

Even at idle, the engine of the machine keeps rotation at a speed of 800 rpm. A multiplication of pulleys of the generator and motor of at least 1: 2 is also added. The generator spins initially at 1,500 rpm. And if you succumb to gas and “unscrew” the engine up to 3-4 thousand (ordinary situation), then the generator will give out its half a kilowatt. At 5-8 thousand rpm.

Similarly with the rest of the motors. Whatever you take, find nothing less than 1000 rpm.

We return to the speed of the windmill and recalculate this parameter, taking into account the wind speed, the size of the wind turbine, and find that the speed of the windmill shaft is not large enough. At the most high-speed windmills and with optimal wind - 200-400 rpm!

We’ll put a multiplier, many will say, and the speed will increase 5-10 times! (That which increases revolutions is a multiplier, and that which reduces revolutions is a reducer). In fairness, let's say - this is usually done. But only on powerful large windmills. In windmills with less than 500 watts of power, animators are a luxury. A high-quality and reliable maintenance-free multiplier with little loss is an expensive pleasure. And its price is transferred to the cost of electricity generated. Therefore, the use of the multiplier in the "home" windmill is in no way justified. Unless, of course, he somehow got it for free.

Of the low-speed generators, we only have stepper motors. A stepper motor is a motor that rotates its shaft by a certain angle (step) when a voltage pulse is applied to its windings. Such motors usually have several windings, and their rotor is simply stuffed with magnets. This beneficial fact makes it possible to use stepper motors as a generator of a windmill. As a result of giving the shaft of the stepper motor rotation from the outside, it proceeds to generate electricity, and quite efficiently.

It’s easy to “calculate” a stepper motor. When the shaft rotates, its rotation is not smooth, but as if by shocks. This effect is called “sticking”. If you short-circuit all the conclusions of such an engine, then the rotation of the shaft will be significantly more difficult. This means that the stepper motor is already generating electricity. This is a well-known method of testing DC motors "for lice." If at the moment of shorting the terminals it became more difficult to rotate the motor shaft, then the electric motor in the light of using it as an electric generator is not reliable and you can safely take off its characteristics.

It is easy to get a small electric stepping motor. Any printer that is sold at online auctions for 100-300 rubles has a minimum of 2 such engines. One moved the head, the second - paper. The scanner and the old 5.25-inch drives are each 1. This is good news. The bad news is that it’s easy to get only very low power stepper motors! 1-2-3 watts. To get a stepper motor for at least 30-50 watts is a rare success, if it works, then you can assume that you have an excellent generator for a wind turbine in your pocket.

How can I use a 2-watt stepper motor? For example, you can use it to charge the battery of a player, mobile phone, etc. This power will be enough. Need 10-20 watts? Install 10 of these engines. They are quite inexpensive.

And if you need to get 200-300 watts from a windmill, while it is preferably cheaper (remember the cost / return ratio), you will have to make the generator yourself. It is difficult, but quite possible.

Not always, local electricity networks are able to fully provide electricity at home, especially when it comes to suburban cottages and mansions. Interruptions in the constant power supply or its complete absence makes us look for electricity. One such use is - a device capable of converting and storing electricityusing for this the most unusual resources (energy, tides). Its principle of operation is quite simple, which makes it possible to make an electric generator with your own hands. Perhaps a home-made model will not be able to compete with the analog of the factory assembly, but this is a great way to save more than 10,000 rubles. If we consider a home-made electric generator as a temporary alternative source of power supply, then it is quite possible to do with home-made.

We will find out how to make an electric generator, what is required for this, and also what nuances will have to be considered.

The desire to have an electric generator in its use is clouded by one nuisance - this is high unit cost. Say what you like, but the most low-power models have a rather sky-high cost - from 15,000 rubles and more. It is this fact that leads to the idea of \u200b\u200bthe creation of a generator with your own hands. However himself the process can be difficult, if:

  • no skill in working with tools and circuits;
  • no experience in creating such devices;
  • the necessary parts and spare parts are not available.

If all this and a great desire are present, then you can try to assemble a generatorguided by the assembly instructions and the attached diagram.

It is no secret that the purchased generator will have a more expanded list of features and functions, while a homemade product can fail and fail at the most inopportune moments. Therefore, to buy or do it yourself is a purely individual issue, requiring a responsible approach.

How does an electric generator work?

The principle of operation of the electric generator is based on the physical phenomenon of electromagnetic induction. A conductor passing through an artificially created electromagnetic field creates a pulse that is converted to direct current.

The generator has an engine that is capable of generating electricity by burning a certain type of fuel in its compartments:, or. In turn, fuel entering the combustion chamber produces gas during the combustion process, which rotates the crankshaft. The latter transmits momentum to the driven shaft, which is already able to provide a certain amount of energy at the output.


Alas, interruptions in the supply of electricity to some areas may occur even now, in the 21st century. No matter what the reason for such interruptions: at least a break in the line due to poor conditions, at least a planned shutdown.

In any of the cases, the consumer cannot always easily endure several hours without electricity. Here generators come to the rescue for the summer house and the private sector in general.

An autonomous generator for generating electricity seems to be the most optimal solution not to remain without electricity and continue to live and use household appliances to the envy of neighbors.

So buy, and first consider options for autonomous stations - this is a priority.

What are the generators

Before choosing a generator for a summer residence, you need to know their main differences. And this, in turn, can affect performance and several other factors. To date, the three most popular types:

  • gasoline generator;
  • diesel generator;

Already from the name it becomes clear that the difference is in the form of fuel, which runs an autonomous installation. However, it would not make sense for mankind to come up with several types of voltage producers, and most likely there are certain differences between these three types.

Firstly, gasoline, diesel fuel and gas - for each in their own way available. There is no need, we believe, to purchase a gasoline generator if a gas main is connected to the house. After all, the cost of gas is still more acceptable than the cost of gas. On the other hand, having in stock several liters of gasoline or diesel fuel, you can be sure that the simultaneous shutdown of electricity and gas will not interfere with your work.

The second thing that deserves attention is the work of household generators on different types of fuel.   Some produce more noise during operation, others less; some are more dimensional, others are more compact; some are easy to start in any weather, others may have problems starting in cold weather.

Choose a unit for private use

Diesel or gas, or maybe gas - this is quite important. But it is equally important to take into account other features that need to be selected:


Noise at work

Gasoline and diesel generators have the only significant drawback - a fairly noticeable noise level in working condition .   This disadvantage is to some extent a prerequisite for work. You must admit that you have never encountered a silent engine.

A similar situation is observed here: when the engine rpm is generated, a certain noise is generated. Given that the installation usually works for a rather long time and the monotonous sound annoys not only the owners, but also the neighbors, you need to find a solution to this problem.


According to the rules of fire safety, the generator for a country house should be installed in a well-ventilated room. If you build a separate room with supply and exhaust ventilation, the sound level will partially decrease.

How much - depends on the materials used in construction. However, this will require additional costs, effort and time. The feasibility of this idea is determined by the weight of the installation. An autonomous generator of large sizes, which will not be rearranged from place to place, is likely to require such a room.

Construction practice also often knows cases when a pit with bricked walls and a roof was built on the site for gasoline or diesel generators. While ensuring air circulation and maximum tightness, it is possible to sufficiently reduce the noise level from a working device.

Instead of a conclusion

The fact that the generator is able to simplify our lives is a long-proved theorem. Even, most likely, an axiom that does not require special evidence. Failures that can occur during operation do not mean at all that the unit is not worthy of attention.

If we are talking about factory marriage, it means that just a person trusted in a low-quality manufacturer. And if the breakdown is the fault of the owner, then why blame the unit? Buying a generator is a useful acquisition if you can use it correctly.