Choose the Generator to Overcome the Disaster

Although it says, “Acts of God come when you forget them”, you will hear sad news every year soon after you forget them recently. In this case, is it not the “generator” that is often featured?

The plan is to use attractions on generators that will definitely be the topic after a disaster. Especially in mid-mountain areas where there are many farmers, there is also the possibility of transmission line breakage caused by lightning and logging, and repair also takes time, so it is usually better to prepare. The purpose of this article is to give you Powersum’s advice on emergency generators for your reference.

Choose the “generator” method in case of an unforgettable disaster

In recent years, Japan has not experienced a year of large-scale variability such as earthquakes, typhoons, heavy rains, etc. Although it says, “Acts of God come when you forget them”, you will hear sad news every year soon after you forget them recently. In this case, the word “generator” is often featured.

Lifelines that sometimes stop or stagnate during disasters. Water is rationed and reserved. Gas is also equipped with box cylinders, which can barely solve cooking problems. On the other hand, if you stop, there is no power. There’s no information on the TV, and the smartphone can’t charge. If you experience a power outage, you will know the illusion of a modern society that is totally dependent on electricity.

Agricultural relations are no exception. Severe losses caused by power outages have been reported, requiring Countermeasures in advance. Milked dairy carts and stored bulk air-conditioned cheese livestock farmers do not stand up even when there is no power supply at power outages, so there are many cases where business generators are set up. However, in small-scale greenhouses where strawberries and Daisy are grown, the current situation is that no power outages are possible.

In times of disaster, generators are the ones that make “electricity” that is neither rationed nor reserved. This time, we will focus on generators that will be a topic of discussion after a disaster. What about generators that are convenient for outdoor activities such as camping and DIY? Try writing down the entry point “Generators for Disaster Preparedness”.

Generate an “inverter generator” that uses good quality electricity, such as television and computers

“Inverter Generator”. It is often heard that what is an “inverter”? Next, let me explain that it would be better to touch the electricity a little before that.

Do you know the quality of electricity? Good quality electrical frequencies and voltages are stable, but what is not stable is “poor quality”.

In the extreme, the likelihood of poor quality of the electricity we use on a day-to-day basis is not zero. Frequency and voltage become unstable if the balance between demand and supply is out of balance. Regardless of the increase or decrease in demand, the quality of electricity will deteriorate without stable generation. In Japan, the frequency and voltage of electricity are now maintained steadily as a result of the efforts of electrical companies.

Let’s go back to the generator. Generators are small “power stations” that cannot be compared with electrical companies’power stations, but the construction of power produced from magnets and coils is the same. Supply can also be burdened if demand increases.

The generator is driven by the engine and often runs at a certain speed. However, with more power on the side of use, the engine will try, but the action will become heavier. In this way, the speed will be uneven and the frequency and voltage will vary. As a result, poor quality electricity is completed. This was the power generated by the previous standard generator.

On the other hand, the inverter generator temporarily sets the AC current with unstable frequency and voltage to DC, and uses the Pulse Width Modulation technology to output AC with good quality. Electricity generated and supplied by the average household are homogeneous. Inverter generators provide good quality power.

Up to now, standard generators have not been used for computers and appliances with electronic control functions. These products are very sensitive to changes in frequency and voltage and are likely to malfunction. Isn’t it safe for a standard generator to supply light sources such as incandescents?

At this point, the inverter generator can be used for almost all electrical equipment, so it is reassuring. It ensures the power supply of televisions, radios, computers and smartphones as important information windows. Refrigerators and microwave ovens used in daily life can be used in non-daily life. Inverter generators are recommended during disasters.

Selecting the generator output is the sum of the electrical “starting power” that you want to use

Next is a focus on the relationship between the output of the inverter generator and the demand and supply of power.

Consider the car. If you press the accelerator when you start the engine and accelerate to the cruise speed, you should relax the accelerator and maintain a certain level.

The same applies to electrical products, especially those using motors. Use more energy when starting to move. This is the “starting power”. Then, when stabilized, the energy usage is averaged. Displays the “power consumption” of this value. Electrical appliances use a lot of electricity when they are started. It is important to confirm in advance the power start-up, for example, by consulting the manufacturer.

Depending on the electrical product, there is also the same “start-up power” and “consume power”. Laptops and televisions, as well as heater-like machines such as hot water bottles and hot plates.

Starting power and consumed power differ considerably if the motor has to be driven.

The power consumption of the electric fan is 50W and the starting power is 100W. The same goes for microwave ovens, which consume 1000W and have 1800W starting power, about twice as much. The small refrigerator consumes 100 W and 400 W starting power, which is 4 times more.

In several cases of electrical equipment being used, the benchmark for selecting the output of a generator should add up not to consuming power but to starting it. For example, if you want to use electric fans, microwave ovens, refrigerators, you must add up the respective “starting power” so that 100W+1800W+400W=2300W or more.

In addition, this number, expressed by the power on one side, i.e. W (Watt), is supplied to the generator in terms of the rated output VA (Volt-Ampere). W is the effective power and VA is the skin power (apparent power). Strictly different, but as a standard W < VA, it can be considered almost the same.

When power stops, decide which electrical product you want to use beforehand, calculate which “start-up power” and select a generator with an output commensurate with the total power.

Generators make electricity, but noise makes enemies. Decibels should be controlled

Inverter generators are just partners in making electricity of the same quality as home power distribution. But the biggest problem with generators is noise. There should also be a lot of use in urban densely populated areas during disasters, so care is taken about the sound level of power generation.

The unit used to indicate the size of the noise is dB (decibels). For example, the sound of an outdoor unit of a household air conditioner is 50dB. It can also be said to be the “normal” range. At 60dB, the range of the vacuum cleaner will be “a little noisy”, but you can talk out loud. “Noise” is more than 70 dB. It matches the chirp of a cicada heard at a distance of about 2 meters. 80 dB in the subway car and 90 dB in the Karaok room are “quite noisy”. If it is 100dB, it is the level of “very noisy” as the passing sound of a protected tram.

Let’s look at the generator noise from this perspective. The specifications in the manufacturer’s catalog for Noise Level are_dB (at 1/4 load)/00 dB (at rated load)/00 dB (at 3/4 load). The “1/4 Load Time” that will show the lowest value is now a minimum of 81dB compared to each model. Then continued at 80 dB, at a “fairly noisy” level. However, the dB value is measured at a distance of 1 mm from the source. The farther away the noise is from the generator, the lower the acceleration, so there are fewer and fewer complaints about noise in products that recently promote “silence”.

In addition, some manufacturers sell “sound insulators” for generator noise. Because of the sound attenuation effect of around 10dB, the pursuit of quieter people has research value.

And we need to choose the most suitable fuel, and we need to choose the type of gas, gasoline, diesel or natural gas that is most common to everyone in our daily lives. In this way, when we encounter difficulties, we can start them as quickly as possible.

So when you are confused about choosing a generator, you can contact our POWERSUM friends to help you solve the problem and choose the most suitable generator. When a real disaster comes, we can stay calm and handle everything calmly.