Why should you consider a smart monitoring system for your diesel generator?

By Philip Ling   |   March 10, 2023   |   Provided By Avnet Abacus

generator

We think of electricity as a constantly available form of energy. But electricity needs to be generated on demand, and when demand is high or supply is low, the availability of electricity comes under pressure.

The solution to meeting changes in supply and demand are to use generators that rely on a different kind of energy. Diesel generators are the go-to solution for electricity in times of high demand or low supply. Many organizations that need a totally dependable source of electricity, such as financial corporations or hospitals, will use diesel generators to supplement their supply from the grid.

As a largely mechanical device, a diesel generator has many moving parts that are prone to wear. This can lead to faults that occur just when the generator is needed most. Smart monitoring solutions using the Internet of Things (IoT) are changing the way operators keep diesel generators working, and here’s how.

Real-time visibility into operating conditions

A smart diesel generator monitoring solution will deliver real-time visibility into how the generator is operating. This involves putting sensors on critical parts of the generator to measure aspects such as fuel flow, oil pressure or coolant levels. A sudden variation in fuel flow could indicate a leak, while unusually high consumption could also precede a fault. Temperature is another critical indicator of impending failure. Sensors can also be used to monitor parameters associated with fault diagnostics, such as noise and vibration.

Fuel consumption is a particularly important parameter to monitor for a diesel generator. It will naturally consume fuel during operation, so an indication of low fuel is a good place to start. By monitoring fuel consumption over time, however, the analytics provided by an IoT monitoring solution can reveal much more than an empty fuel tank. The rate of flow can be analyzed to create patterns. Once a pattern is established, any deviation to that pattern could be used to infer maintenance is required. Fusing this data with other information, such as the time of day and day of the week, along with overall demand for electricity, will deliver even more insights.

These insights can be aggregated into a single term: predictive maintenance. This is becoming the new way of making assets like diesel generators more reliable and efficient. It is enabled by connected technologies like smart sensors, coupled to clever analytics using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect patterns and infer conditions.

Remotely manage your diesel generator

By leveraging the IoT, asset management becomes seamless. In the case of a diesel generator, this could include remotely starting and stopping the generator using rules based on fluctuation in supply or increased demand. By harnessing the data provided by smart sensors, along with AI running in the cloud, the generator could even be engaged based on a predicted increase in demand.

Asset security is another area where the IoT is delivering benefits. A diesel generator is a valuable asset. By adding smart monitoring in the form of access control, you can better assure that your asset is safe and secure. Access to the asset could also be controlled remotely, allowing authorized personnel into the generator room or access to the control panel.

Remote monitoring extends to maintenance. By using real-time data and instant alerts, operations managers can quickly raise maintenance or repair tickets from anywhere with an internet connection.

Data where you need it

Any connected system can now benefit from access to real-time data. The way this data is presented is also an important part of the solution. The dashboard is a user interface designed to present critical data to an operator in the way they need it. This becomes the virtual twin of the diesel generator’s control panel, but it can provide more insight and actionable data. The standard way of doing this is to use widgets, or on-screen devices that can be customized to show the data you want, in the way you want it.

Owning and operating a diesel generator can be expensive. For those who absolutely need guaranteed continuity of supply, it is a necessary expense. What isn’t necessary is the cost of repairing a diesel generator in the event of a failure. A slow and undetected increase in operational costs could also be an indication of poor maintenance. These can all be managed online through the IoT using smart sensors and analytics.

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Philip Ling

Philip Ling is a senior technology writer with Avnet. He holds a post-graduate diploma in Advanced M...

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