{"id":1835,"date":"2012-03-07T17:17:20","date_gmt":"2012-03-07T22:17:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenbugenergy.com\/?page_id=1835"},"modified":"2022-05-30T12:25:07","modified_gmt":"2022-05-30T17:25:07","slug":"off-grid-screw-generators","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/greenbugenergy.com\/shop-hydro\/shop-hydro-products-services\/off-grid-screw-generators","title":{"rendered":"Off Grid Screw Generators"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOff Grid Screw Generators\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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featured off grid videos.<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Greenbug offers two off-grid Archimedes screw system options;<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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OPTION #1<\/h6>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"\"Permanent Magnet Generator\/Inverter based (PMG)<\/h2>\nA PMG is much like a synchronous generator in the fact that it can produce electricity on its own, with no external excitation (utility grid). This is unlike our asynchronous induction generators we use for grid tied applications.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"\"Synchronous Generator\/Electronic Load Controller based (SG)<\/h2>\nThe synchronous generator based system is a standalone system that cannot accept any additional generation from other sources. So if you don\u2019t have enough water, you may not have enough power. It is the simpler of the two options, as it is controlled only by PLC\u2019s and relays.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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When determining the size and configuration of an off-grid system, it is critical to understand the pattern of your electrical usage; your average kW consumption, your minimum kW consumption and your peak kW consumption. It\u2019s also important to attempt conservation measures before starting in order to reduce your need for electricity as it will reduce the need for a larger system and is usually the cheaper thing to do.<\/p>

An average house consumes about 1kw per hour on average (roughly) but peak loads when doing laundry, cooking can be up to 6kw\u2019s or more. These load estimates assume your house is heated by a source other than electricity.<\/p>

If for example your current electrical requirements are about 6,000 kilowatt hours annually, and there are 8760 hours in a year (365 days x 24 hours\/day = 8760 hours\/ year, you have slightly less than a 1kw average load over the course of a year (6000\/8760 = 0.68). To determine your average kW consumption, you can simply add up your usage for the year from your electric bill (add up the total kilowatt hours used, and divide by 8760 as above)<\/p>

To determine your peak demand for kilowatts that you are likely to use, there are a number of methods you can use depending on your situation. First, you have to decide on every electrical item (called loads) that you are likely to have on and consuming electricity at one time ie stoves, fridges, dryers, toasters, tv\u2019s etc. Once they are all on, you need to measure the instantaneous consumption of kilowatts at that time. This is where the various methods to do so are involved. If you have a smart meter you may be able to see your consumption at any point in time. If you have a meter with a rotating dial you may be able to compute your consumption by timing its rotation. Or you may have to get your electrician\u2019s help as they can use a simple meter on the power lines to measure your consumption.<\/p>

Once you have these things done this will give you a good idea of the requirements your off-grid system has to meet. Now it\u2019s just a matter of how to meet those requirements.<\/p>

Below is a general description of the two types of off grid systems we offer.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Option #1 \u2013 PMG (Permanent Magnet Generator \/ Inverter based)<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A PMG is much like a synchronous generator in the fact that it can produce electricity on its own, with no external excitation (utility grid). This is unlike our asynchronous induction generators we use for grid tied applications.<\/p>

Greenbug\u2019s PMG based system utilizes batteries for storage, and can accept power from other generation sources. For example it can accept solar panels or a wind turbine. This is nice when you have low water volumes\/flows that otherwise won\u2019t support your instantaneous peak consumption of electricity during low flow. It means you wouldn\u2019t need to adjust your electricity usage pattern. An added benefit of this system is that your Screw Generator can be smaller (and less costly) to provide the same peak power load. This is accomplished by storing power that is produced when you are not using it (at night for example) in batteries. The PMG option is what we consider the \u201chigh tech\u201d solution, as it does rely on inverters to control frequency and voltage regulation. Inverters are a well-known technology produced by many high quality manufacturers, and they are widely used in solar applications, but they don\u2019t last forever.<\/p>

In order to properly size the Archimedes Screw Generator that is needed for a PMG system a Customer Load Profile needs to be developed. This load profile determines system and component sizing based on your average power consumption, peak power consumption, and minimum power consumption. Inputs such as kwh\u2019s to be produced by the screw generator are needed along with this information to determine inverter size, battery storage requirements, potentially required additional power sources such as PV or Diesel Generator.<\/p>

This system can be wired into a standard load center (breaker panel like you already have in your house), and you can individually run electrical circuits the same as you would in a standard residential build. In an existing house this is already done.<\/p>

We have defined and developed three main system structures.<\/h2>
  1. Up to 6kW maximum peak power consumption with up to a 4kW screw generator maximum (with options for 1, 2, 3 or 4 kW generators)<\/li>
  2. Up to 12kW maximum peak power consumption with up to a 4kW screw generator maximum (with options for 1, 2, 3 or 4 kW generators)<\/li>
  3. Up to 24kW maximum peak power consumption with up to 4kW screw generator maximum (with options for 1, 2, 3 or 4 kW generators)<\/li><\/ol>

    Below are schematic\u2019s showing the basic electrical (component) layout of the three PMG systems. All systems are designed only to accept a screw generator of up to 4kW\u2019s in size. This is because the consumer load profiles we ran to develop the PMG system, never had a requirement for more than 4kW continuous power for even large residential loads.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    inverter based off grid system 1 schematic<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Inverter based off grid system 2 schematic)<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    inverter based off grid system 3 schematic<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Option #2 \u2013 SG (Synchronous Generator)<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    The synchronous generator based system is a standalone system that cannot accept any additional generation from other sources. So if you don\u2019t have enough water, you may not have enough power. It is the simpler of the two options, as it is controlled only by PLC\u2019s and relays.<\/p>

    In a SG-based off-grid system the two main tasks of frequency regulation and voltage regulation are not performed by an inverter. Instead the voltage regulation is performed by the automatic voltage regulator (AVR) circuit, which comes with the generator. The frequency regulation is performed by an ELC (Electronic Load Controller) unit which does so by maintaining the balance between the generated power and the consumed power. If there are not enough loads to consume the generated power, the excess power is diverted to dump loads by the ELC.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    We have defined and developed three main system structures; A, B & C.<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    \"A\"System Structure A is for use in situations where the generator can be reasonably close the loads where the power is used and the generator ranges in size from 6kW to 17kW. This is accomplished by use of 2 possible models of Generator control boxes;<\/p>

    1. The first generator control box (240V, 60amp) is for generators of up to 9.2kW maximum. Generator size options are; 6kW or 7kW.<\/li>
    2. The second generator control box (240V, 125 amp) is for generators of up to 19.2kW maximum. Generator size options are; 10kW, 12kW, 15kW or 17kW<\/li><\/ol>

      \"B\"System Structure B is for use in situations where the generator cannot be close to loads where the power is used and the generator ranges in size from 6kW to 17kW. This is accomplished by use of the same 2 possible models of Generator control boxes as above, but transformers are used to step up the voltage to 480V to transmit the power further to where the loads are located at which point the voltage is stepped down again to 240V.<\/p>

      1. The first generator control box (240V, 60amp) is for generators of up to 9.2kW maximum. Generator size options are; 6kW or 7kW.<\/li>
      2. The second generator control box (240V, 125 amp) is for generators of up to 19.2kW maximum. Generator size options are; 10kW, 12kW, 15kW or 17kW.<\/li><\/ol>

        \"C\"System Structure C is for use in situations where the generators are now larger ranging in size from 22kW to 125kW in size , therefore the Generator control box voltage is now 480\/240V rather than 240\/120 as in Structures A & B. Since the output of the control box is already 480V this Structure is already setup to work in situations where the generator is far from the loads if necessary. This is accomplished by use of 5 possible models of Generator control boxes;<\/p>

        1. The first generator control box (480V, 130Amp) is for generators of up to 40kW maximum. Generator size options are; 22kW, 23kW, 24kW, 28kW, 30kW, or 38kW<\/li>
        2. The second generator control box (480V, 200 Amp) is for generators of up to 61kW maximum. Generator size options are; 48kw, 50kW or 60kW.<\/li>
        3. The third generator control box (480V, 260Amp) is for generators of up to 80 kw \u2013 The only generator size available is 80kW.<\/li>
        4. The fourth generator control box (480V, 325Amp) is for generators of up to 100kw. The only generator size available is 85kW<\/li>
        5. The fifth generator control box (480 V, 400amp) is for generators of up to 125 kw. The only possible generator size available is 125kW.<\/li><\/ol>

          All generators are 240V generators. You can hook up 240 or 120 Volt circuits to any of them.<\/p>

          As this system can-not accept the addition of batteries or other sources of power you need a larger screw generator to produce the same instantaneous maximum power you expect to use.<\/p>

          The main electrical system components are:<\/p>