Diesel generators power factors

For a project at Fort Richardson in Alaska, total treatment costs using SVE and SPSH were 967,822. Costs ranged from 189 to 288/yd of soil treated, or 726 to 2552/lb of contaminant removed. Because the site was in a remote location, diesel generators were used as a power source. This factor may have increased treatment costs (D21202S, pp. 34, 35). For additional information about this project, please see Case Study 3. 

In terms of life-cycle costs, batteries are usually the most expensive component of a RAPS system and, therefore, it is advantageous to minimize the required capacity. The battery should, however, be sized to supply a significant portion of the anticipated daily load in the absence of diesel- or PV-generated power, e.g., from 20 to 50%. This would allow the diesel to remain idle for much of the day and to operate under relatively constant, high-load conditions for only a few hours each day. Further, the battery should be sized such that the daily depth-of-discharge (DoD) is limited in the interest of enhancing battery cycle-life. (The cycle-life of a battery is affected by several factors which include DoD, temperature, and charging procedure.)... 

To obtain the best possible fuel efficiency from small (< 12 kW) diesel generators, as well as to minimize maintenance requirements, it is important to maintain the load factor above 60-70%. This means that such generators should be operated at no less than 60-70% of their maximum power output. Larger generators can be operated at a somewhat lower rating, i.e., around 40-50% of their maximum power output. 

Diesels, gas turbines and steam turbines are the more commonly used prime movers for the generation of electrical power. Additionally, the steam turbine can be employed in combination with either the diesel or gas turbine for combined cycle operation. The following describes the basic operation of each of these prime movers in relation to its associated power-generating scheme and reviews the more significant factors affecting performance and efficiency. Further information on the actual plant and installation is given later in Section 15.6. 

The fossil load factor is an important issue and its origin so evident and often unavoidable that we asked ourselves the question what the consequences are when this factor is reduced to zero. Whenever, in a biomass conversion process, a fossil fuel contribution was spotted, we replaced this contribution by one from biomass origin. For example, the process may require electricity, which is supplied by a nearby coal-fed power station. Then this amount of electricity was thought to be generated by a power station fed by biomass. Or the process may require heat or chemicals and again biomass is the raw material from which these requirements were met. Dr. Feng Wei made such an analysis for a process where a diesel-type product was obtained from wood chips as a feedstock. His work has been discussed as an example at the end of Chapter 13. 

Both diesel and gas engines perform very satisfactorily for in-plant power generation when properly applied and installed. The varied nature of these applications depends on factors such as ... 

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