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Diesel Generator
A diesel generator is the combination of
a diesel engine with an electrical
generator (often called an alternator) to
generate electric energy. Diesel generating
sets are used in places without connection to
the power grid or as emergency power-
supply if the grid fails. Small portable diesel
generators range from about 1kVA to 10kVA
may be used as power supplies on
construction sites, or as auxiliary power for
vehicles such as mobile homes.
Diesel generator set
The packaged combination of a diesel engine, a
generator and various ancillary devices such as
base, canopy, sound attenuation, control
systems, circuit breakers, jacket water heaters,
starting systems etc, is referred to as a
generating set or a gen set for short.
While the larger industrial generators can range
from 8kVA - 30kVA for homes, small shops &
offices up to 2000kVA used for large office
complexes, factories. A 2000 kVA set can be
housed in a 40ft ISO container and be fully
packaged and portable. Sizes up to about 5 MW
are used for small power stations and these
may use from one to 20 units. In these larger
sizes the engine and generator are brought to
site separately and assembled along with
ancillary equipment. Diesel generators,
sometimes as small as 250 kVa are widely used
not only for emergency power, but also many
have a secondary function of feeding power to
utility grids either during peak periods, or
periods when there is a shortage of large power
generators.
Ships often also employ diesel generators,
sometimes not only to provide auxiliary power
for lights, fans, and winches, etc. but also for
main propulsion. With electric propulsion the
generators can be placed in a convenient
position, to allow more cargo to be carried.
Electric drives for ships were developed prior
to WW I. Electric drives were specified in many
warships built during WW II because
manufacturing capacity for large reduction
gears was in short supply, compared to capacity
for manufacture of electrical equipment. [1] Such
a diesel-electric arrangement is also used in
some very large land vehicles. Generating sets
are selected based on the load they are
intended to supply power for, taking into
account the type of load, ie emergency or for
continuous power, and the size of the load, and
size of any motors to be started which is
normally the critical parameter.
Power plants - electrical "Island" mode
One or more diesel generators operating
without a connection to an electrical grid are
operating in "island" mode. Several parallel
generators provides the advantages of
redundancy and better efficiency at part loads.
An island power plant intended for primary
power source of an isolated community will
often have at least three diesel generators, any
two of which are rated to carry the required
load. Groups of up to 20 are not uncommon.
Generators can be electrically connected
together through the process of
synchronization. Synchronization involves
matching voltage, frequency and phase before
connecting the generator to a live bus-bar.
Failure to synchronize before connection could
cause a high current short-circuits or wears and
tears on the generator and/or its switchgear.
The synchronization process can be done
automatically by an auto-synchronizer module.
The auto-synchronizer will read the voltage,
frequency and phase parameters from the
generator and bus-bar voltages, while
regulating the speed through the engine
governor or ECU (Engine Control Module).
Typical manufacturers are ComAp, GAC,
Woodward and Heinzman who dominate this
market
Load can be shared among parallel running
generators through load sharing. Like auto-
synchronization, load sharing can be automated
by using a load sharing module. The load
sharing module will measure the load and
frequency at the generator, while it constantly
adjusts the engine fuel control to shift load to
and from the remaining power sources. As the
prime mover of a diesel generator runs at
constant speed, it will take more loads when the
fuel supply to its combustion system is
increased, while load is released if fuel supply is
decreased.
Supporting main utility grids
In addition to their well known role as power
supplies during power failures, diesel generator
sets also routinely support main power grids
worldwide in two distinct ways:
Peak Shaving
Maximum demand tariffs in many areas
encourage the use of diesels to come on at times
of maximum demand.In Europe this is typically
on winter weekdays around tea time (3 pm),
whereas in the USA this is often in the summer
to meet the air conditioning load.
Grid support
Emergency standby diesel generators such as
those used in hospitals, water plant etc, are, as a
secondary function, widely used in the US and
the UK to support the respective national grids
at times for a variety of reasons. In the UK for
example, some 2 GWe of diesels are routinely
used to support the National Grid, whose peak
load is about 60 GW. These are sets in the size
range 200kW to 2 MW. This usually occurs
during say the sudden loss of a large
conventional plant of say 660 MW, or a sudden
unexpected rise in power demand eroding the
normal spinning reserve available.
This is extremely beneficial for both parties -
the diesels have already been purchased for
other reasons; but to be reliable need to be fully
load tested. Grid paralleling is a convenient way
of doing this. In this way the UK National Grid
can call on about 2 GW of plant which is up and
running in parallel as quickly as two minutes in
some cases. This is far quicker than a base load
power station which can take 12 hours from
cold, and faster than a gas turbine, which can
take several minutes. Whilst diesels are very
expensive in fuel terms, they are only used a
few hundred hours per year in this duty, and
their availability can prevent the need for base
load station running inefficiently at part load
continuously. The diesel fuel used is fuel that
would have been used in testing anyway.
See Control of the National Grid (UK), National
Grid (UK) reserve service
A similar system operates in France known as
EJP, where at times of grid extremis special
tariffs can mobilize at least 5,000 MW(5 GW of
diesel generating sets to become available.In
this case, the diesels prime function is to feed
power into the grid.
Typical operating costs
Fuel consumption is the major portion of diesel
plant owning and operating cost for power
applications, whereas capital cost is the
primary concern for backup generators. Specific
consumption varies, but a modern diesel plant
will consume between 0.28 and 0.4 litres of fuel
per kilowatt hour at the generator terminals.
However diesel engines can operate on a
variety of different fuels, depending on
configuration, though the eponymous diesel
fuel derived from crude oil is most common.
The engines can work with the full spectrum of
crude oil distillates, from natural gas, alcohols,
gasoline, wood gas to the fuel oils from diesel oil
to residual fuels. This is implemented by
introducing gas with the intake air and using a
small amount of diesel fuel for ignition.
Conversion to 100% diesel fuel operation can
be achieveved instantaneously.
• Fuel cost 18p - 26p/kWh (using farm diesel
at 65p/litre)
• lifetime engine maintenance about is
0.5p/kWh - 1.0/kWh
Typical costs of conversion to paralleling
for grid operation
To be able to operate in parallel with the mains
certain modifications are necessary which
include the following:
• Approx. £3k to fit a PLC to the set
• Paralleling and synchronising gear and G59
equipment (this allows grid connection)
Approx £5k
• Tidying up set (noise, larger fuel tank)
Approx another £5k
• So for a 1MW set…£13/kW
• 50 kW…maybe £260/kW
This capital cost of £13/kW - £260/kW is low
compared to combined cycle gas turbines that
cost £350/kW.
Generator Sizing and Ratings
Rating
Generators must be capable of delivering the
power required for the hours per year
anticipated by the designer to allow reliable
operation and prevent damage. Typically a
given set can deliver more power for fewer
hours per year, or less power continuously.
That is a standby set is only expected to give its
peak output for a few hours per year, whereas a
continuously running set, would be expected to
give a somewhat lower output, but literally
continuously, and both to have reasonable
maintenance and reliability.
To meet the above criteria manufactures give
each set a rating based on internationally
agreed definitions.
These standard rating definitions are designed
to allow correct machine selection and valid
comparisons between manufacturers to
prevent them from misstating the performance
of their machines, and to guide designers.
Generator Rating Definitions
Standby Rating based on Applicable for
supplying emergency power for the duration of
normal power interruption. No sustained
overload capability is available for this rating.
(Equivalent to Fuel Stop Power in accordance
with ISO3046, AS2789, DIN6271 and BS5514).
Nominally rated. Typical application -
emergency power plant in hospitals, offices,
factories etc. Not connected to grid.
Prime (Unlimited Running Time) Rating
based on: Applicable for supplying power in
lieu of commercially purchased power. Prime
power is the maximum power available at a
variable load for an unlimited number of hours.
A 10% overload capability is available for
limited time. (Equivalent to Prime Power in
accordance with ISO8528 and Overload Power
in accordance with ISO3046, AS2789, DIN6271,
and BS5514). This rating is not applicable to all
generator set models.
Typical application - where the generator is the
sole source of power for say a remote mining or
construction site, fairground, festival etc.
Base Load (Continuous) Rating based
on: Applicable for supplying power
continuously to a constant load up to the full
output rating for unlimited hours. No sustained
overload capability is available for this rating.
Consult authorized distributor for rating.
(Equivalent to Continuous Power in accordance
with ISO8528, ISO3046, AS2789, DIN6271, and
BS5514). This rating is not applicable to all
generator set models
Typical application - a generator running a
continuous unvarying load, or paralleled with
the mains and continuously feeding power at
the maximum permissible level 8760 hours per
year. This also applies to sets used for peak
shaving /grid support even though this may
only occur for say 200 hour per year.
As an example if in a particular set the Standby
Rating were 1000 kW, then a Prime Power
rating might be 850 kW, and the Continuous
Rating 800kW. However these ratings vary
according to manufacturer and should be taken
from the manufacturer's data sheet. Often a set
might be given all three ratings stamped on the
data plate, but sometimes it may have only a
standby rating, or only a prime rating.
Sizing
Typically however it is the size of the maximum
load that has to be connected and the
acceptable maximum voltage drop which
determines the set size, not the ratings
themselves. If the set is required to start
motors, then the set will have to be at least 3
times the largest motor, which is normally
started first. This means it will be unlikely to
operate at anywhere near the ratings of the
chosen set.
Manufactures have sophisticated software that
enables the correct choice of set for any given
load combination.
Correct Generator Installation
To ensure correct functioning, reliability and
low maintenance costs generators must be
installed correctly. To this end manufacturers
provide detailed installation
guidelines covering such things as:
*Sizing and selection
*Electrical factors
*Cooling
*Ventilation
*Fuel storage
*Noise
*Exhaust
*Starting systems
These are frequently ignored causing problems
for users
Diesel engine damage due to mis-
application or mis use of generating set
Diesel engines can suffer damage as a result of
mis-application or mis use - namely internal
glazing and carbon buildup. This is a common
problem in generator sets caused by failure to
follow application and operating guidelines -
ideally diesel engines should run at least
around 60-75% of their maximum rated load.
Short periods of low load running are
permissible providing the set is brought up to
full load, or close to full load on a regular basis.
Internal glazing and carbon buildup is due to
prolonged periods of running at low speeds
and/or low loads. Such conditions may occur
when an engine is left idling as a 'standby'
generating unit, ready to run up when needed,
(mis use); if the engine powering the set is
over-powered (mis application) for the load
applied to it, causing the diesel unit to be
under-loaded, or as is very often the case, when
sets are started and run off load as a test (mis
use).
Running an engine under low loads causes low
cylinder pressures and consequent poor piston
ring sealing since this relies on the gas pressure
to force them against the oil film on the bores to
form the seal. Low cylinder pressures cause
poor combustion and resultant low combustion
pressures and temperatures.
This poor combustion leads to soot formation
and unburnt fuel residues which clogs and
gums piston rings. This causes a further drop in
sealing efficiency and exacerbates the initial
low pressure. Glazing occurs when hot
combustion gases blow past the now poorly-
sealing piston rings, causing the lubricating oil
on the cylinder walls to 'flash burn', creating
an enamel-like glaze which smooths the bore
and removes the effect of the intricate pattern
of honing marks machined into the bore
surface. which are there to hold oil and return it
to the crankcase via the scraper ring.
Hard carbon also forms from poor combustion
and this is highly abrasive and scrapes the
honing marks on the bores leading to bore
polishing, which then leads to increased oil
consumption (blue smoking) and yet further
loss of pressure, since the oil film trapped in the
honing marks is intended to maintain the piston
seal and pressures. Un-burnt fuel leaks past the
piston rings and contaminates the lubricating
oil. Poor combustion causes the injectors to
become clogged with soot, causing further
deterioration in combustion and black smoking.
The problem is increased further the formation
of acids in the engine oil caused by condensed
water and combustion by-products which
would normally boil off at higher temperatures.
This acidic build-up in the lubricating oil causes
slow but ultimately damaging wear to bearing
surfaces.
This cycle of degradation means that the engine
soon becomes irreversibly damaged and may
not start at all and will no longer be able to
reach full power when required. Under loaded
running inevitably causes not only white smoke
from unburnt fuel but over time is joined by the
blue smoke of burnt lubricating oil leaking past
the damaged piston rings, and the black smoke
caused by the damaged injectors. This pollution
is unacceptable to the authorities and any
neighbours.
Once glazing or carbon build up has occurred, it
can only be cured by stripping down the engine
and re-boring the cylinder bores, machining
new honing marks and stripping, cleaning and
de-coking combustion chambers, fuel
injector nozzles and valves. If detected in the
early stages, running an engine at maximum
load to raise the internal pressures and
temperatures, allows the piston rings to scrape
glaze off the bores and allow carbon buildup to
be burnt off. However, if glazing has progressed
to the stage where the piston rings have seized
into their grooves this will not have any effect.
The situation can be prevented by carefully
selecting the generator set in accordance with
manufacturers printed guidelines.
For emergency only sets, which are islanded,
the emergency load is often only about 1/4 of
the sets standby rating, this apparent over size
being necessitated to be able to meet starting
loads and minimising starting voltage drop.
Hence the available load is not usually enough
for load testing and again engine damage will
result if this we used as the weekly or monthly
load test. This situation can be dealt with by
hiring in a load bank for regular testing, or
installing a permanent load bank. Both these
options cost money in terms of engine wear and
fuel use but are better than the alternative of
under loading the engine.
Often the best solution in these cases will be to
convert the set to parallel running and feed
power into the grid, if available, once a month
on load test, and or enrolling the set in utility
Reserve Service type schemes, thereby gaining
revenue from the fuel burnt.
Electrical Generator
In electricity generation, an electrical
generator is a device that converts mechanical
energy to electrical energy, generally
using electromagnetic induction. The reverse
conversion of electrical energy into mechanical
energy is done by a motor; motors and
generators have many similarities. A generator
forces electric charges to move through an
external electrical circuit, but it does
not create electricity or charge, which is already
present in the wire of its windings. It is
somewhat analogous to a water pump, which
creates a flow of water but does not create the
water inside. The source of mechanical
energy may be a reciprocating or turbine steam
engine, water falling through a turbine or
waterwheel, an internal combustion engine,
a wind turbine, a hand crank, compressed air or
any other source of mechanical energy.
Historic developments
Before the connection
between magnetism and electricity was
discovered, electrostatic generators were
invented that used electrostatic principles.
These generated very high voltages and
low currents. They operated by using
moving electrically charged belts, plates and
disks to carry charge to a high potential
electrode. The charge was generated using
either of two mechanisms:
• Electrostatic induction
• The tribo electric effect, where the contact
between two insulators leaves them
charged.
Because of their inefficiency and the difficulty
of insulating machines producing very high
voltages, electrostatic generators had low
power ratings and were never used for
generation of commercially-significant
quantities of electric power. The Wimshurst
machine and Van de Graaff generator are
examples of these machines that have survived.
Jedlik's Dynamo
In 1827, Hungarian Anyos Jedlik started
experimenting with electromagnetic rotating
devices which he called electromagnetic self-
rotors. In the prototype of the single-pole
electric starter (finished between 1852 and
1854) both the stationary and the revolving
parts were electromagnetic. He formulated the
concept of the dynamo at least 6 years
before Siemens and Wheatstone but didn't
patent it as he thought he wasn't the first to
realize this. In essence the concept is that
instead of permanent magnets, two
electromagnets opposite to each other induce
the magnetic field around the rotor. Jedlik's
invention was decades ahead of its time.
Faraday disk
In 1831-1832 Michael Faraday discovered the
operating principle of electromagnetic
generators. The principle, later called Faraday's
law, is that a potential difference is generated
between the ends of an electrical conductor that
moves perpendicular to a magnetic field. He
also built the first electromagnetic generator,
called the 'Faraday disc', a type of homopolar
generator, using a copper disc rotating between
the poles of a horseshoe magnet. It produced a
small DC voltage, and large amounts of current.
This design was inefficient due to self-
cancelling counter flows of current in regions
not under the influence of the magnetic field.
While current flow was induced directly
underneath the magnet, the current would
circulate backwards in regions outside the
influence of the magnetic field. This counter
flow limits the power output to the pickup
wires, and induces waste heating of the copper
disc. Later homopolar generators would solve
this problem by using an array of magnets
arranged around the disc perimeter to maintain
a steady field effect in one current-flow
direction.
Another disadvantage was that the output
voltage was very low, due to the single current
path through the magnetic flux. Experimenters
found that using multiple turns of wire in a coil
could produce higher more useful voltages.
Since the output voltage is proportional to the
number of turns, generators could be easily
designed to produce any desired voltage by
varying the number of turns. Wire windings
became a basic feature of all subsequent
generator designs. However, recent advances
(rare earth magnets) have made possible homo-
polar motors with the magnets on the rotor,
which should offer many advantages to older
designs.
Dynamo
Dynamos are no longer used for power
generation due to the size and complexity of the
commutator needed for high power
applications. This large belt-driven high-current
dynamo produced 310 amperes at 7 volts, or
2,170 watts, when spinning at 1400 RPM.
Dynamo Electric Machine [End View, Partly
Section] (U.S. patent 284,110 )
The first Turbo generator Designed by the
Hungarian engineer Ottó Bláthy in 1903
The Dynamo was the first electrical generator
capable of delivering power for industry. The
dynamo uses electromagnetic principles to
convert mechanical rotation into a pulsing
direct electric current through the use of
a commutator. The first dynamo was built
by Hippolyte Pixii in 1832.Through a series of
accidental discoveries, the dynamo became the
source of many later inventions, including the
DC electric motor, the AC alternator, the
AC synchronous motor, and the rotary
converter.
A dynamo machine consists of a stationary
structure, which provides a constant magnetic
field, and a set of rotating windings which turn
within that field. On small machines the
constant magnetic field may be provided by one
or more permanent magnets; larger machines
have the constant magnetic field provided by
one or more electromagnets, which are usually
called field coils.
Large power generation dynamos are now
rarely seen due to the now nearly universal use
of alternating current for power distribution
and solid state electronic AC to DC power
conversion. But before the principles of AC
were discovered, very large direct-current
dynamos were the only means of power
generation and distribution. Now power
generation dynamos are mostly a curiosity.
Other rotating electromagnetic generators
Without a commutator, the dynamo is an
example of an alternator, which is
a synchronous singly-fed generator. With an
electromechanical commutator, the dynamo is a
classical direct current (DC) generator. The
alternator must always operate at a constant
speed that is precisely synchronized to the
electrical frequency of the power grid for non-
destructive operation. The DC generator can
operate at any speed within mechanical limits
but always outputs a direct current waveform.
Other types of generators, such as
the asynchronous or induction singly-fed
generator, the doubly-fed generator, or
the brushless wound-rotor doubly-fed
generator, do not incorporate permanent
magnets or field windings (i.e., electromagnets)
that establish a constant magnetic field, and as a
result, are seeing success in variable speed
constant frequency applications, such as wind
turbines or other technologies. The full output
performance of any generator can be optimized
with electronic control but only the doubly-fed
generators or the brushless wound-rotor
doubly-fed generator incorporate electronic
control with power ratings that are
substantially less than the power output of the
generator under control, which by itself offer
cost, reliability and efficiency benefits.
MHD generator
A magneto hydrodynamic generator directly
extracts electric power from moving hot gases
through a magnetic field, without the use of
rotating electromagnetic machinery. MHD
generators were originally developed because
the output of a plasma MHD generator is a
flame, well able to heat the boilers of
a steam power plant. The first practical design
was the AVCO Mk. 25, developed in 1965. The
U.S. government funded substantial
development, culminating in a 25Mw
demonstration plant in 1987. In the Soviet
Union from 1972 until the late 1980s, the MHD
plant U 25 was in regular commercial operation
on the Moscow power system with a rating of
25 MW, the largest MHD plant rating in the
world at that time. MHD generators operated as
a topping cycle are currently (2007) less
efficient than combined-cycle gas turbines.
Terminology
Rotor from generator at Hoover Dam. The two
main parts of a generator or motor can be
described in either mechanical or electrical
terms.
Mechanical:
• Rotor: The rotating part of an alternator,
generator, dynamo or motor.
• Stator: The stationary part of an alternator,
generator, dynamo or motor.
Electrical:
• Armature: The power-producing
component of an alternator, generator,
dynamo or motor. In a generator,
alternator, or dynamo the armature
windings generate the electrical current.
The armature can be on either the rotor or
the stator.
• Field: The magnetic field component of an
alternator, generator, dynamo or motor.
The magnetic field of the dynamo or
alternator can be provided by either
electromagnets or permanent magnets
mounted on either the rotor or the stator.
(For a more technical discussion, refer to
the Field coil article.)
Because power transferred into the field circuit
is much less than in the armature circuit, AC
generators nearly always have the field winding
on the rotor and the stator as the armature
winding. Only a small amount of field current
must be transferred to the moving rotor, using
slip rings. Direct current machines necessarily
have the commutator on the rotating shaft, so
the armature winding is on the rotor of the
machine.
Excitation
A small early 1900s 75 KVA direct-driven
power station AC alternator, with a separate
belt-driven exciter generator.
An electric generator or electric motor that uses
field coils rather than permanent magnets will
require a current flow to be present in the field
coils for the device to be able to work. If the
field coils are not powered, the rotor in a
generator can spin without producing any
usable electrical energy, while the rotor of a
motor may not spin at all. Very large power
station generators often utilize a separate
smaller generator to excite the field coils of the
larger.
In the event of a severe widespread power
outage where islanding of power stations has
occurred, the stations may need to perform
a black start to excite the fields of their largest
generators, in order to restore customer power
service.
Equivalent circuit
Equivalent circuit of generator and load.
G = generator
VG=generator open-circuit voltage
RG=generator internal resistance
VL=generator on-load voltage
RL=load resistance
The equivalent circuit of a generator and load is
shown in the diagram to the right. To determine
the generator's VG and RG parameters, follow
this procedure: -
• Before starting the generator, measure the
resistance across its terminals using
an ohmmeter. This is its DC internal
resistance RGDC.
• Start the generator. Before connecting the
load RL, measure the voltage across the
generator's terminals. This is the open-
circuit voltage VG.
• Connect the load as shown in the diagram,
and measure the voltage across it with the
generator running. This is the on-load
voltage VL.
• Measure the load resistance RL, if you don't
already know it.
• Calculate the generator's AC internal
resistance RGAC from the following formula:
Note 1: The AC internal resistance of the
generator when running is generally slightly
higher than its DC resistance when idle. The
above procedure allows you to measure both
values. For rough calculations, you can omit the
measurement of RGAC and assume
that RGAC and RGDC are equal.
Note 2: If the generator is an AC type, use an AC
voltmeter for the voltage measurements.
The maximum power theorem states that the
maximum power can be obtained from the
generator by making the resistance of the load
equal to that of the generator. This is inefficient
since half the power is wasted in the
generator's internal resistance; practical
electric power generators operate with load
resistance much higher than internal resistance,
so the efficiency is greater.
Vehicle-mounted generators
Early motor vehicles until about the 1960s
tended to use DC generators with
electromechanical regulators. These have now
been replaced by alternators with built-in
rectifier circuits, which are less costly and
lighter for equivalent output. Automotive
alternators power the electrical systems on the
vehicle and recharge the battery after starting.
Rated output will typically be in the range 50-
100 A at 12 V, depending on the designed
electrical load within the vehicle. Some cars
now have electrically-powered steering
assistance and air conditioning, which places a
high load on the electrical system. Large
commercial vehicles are more likely to use 24 V
to give sufficient power at the starter motor to
turn over a large diesel engine. Vehicle
alternators do not use permanent magnets and
are typically only 50-60% efficient over a wide
speed range.[2] Motorcycle alternators often use
permanent magnet stators made with rare
earth magnets, since they can be made smaller
and lighter than other types. See also vehicle.
Some of the smallest generators commonly
found power bicycle lights. These tend to be 0.5
ampere, permanent-magnet alternators
supplying 3-6 W at 6 V or 12 V. Being powered
by the rider, efficiency is at a premium, so these
may incorporate rare-earth magnets and are
designed and manufactured with great
precision. Nevertheless, the maximum
efficiency is only around 80% for the best of
these generators - 60% is more typical - due in
part to the rolling friction at the tire-generator
interface from poor alignment, the small size of
the generator, bearing losses and cheap design.
Sailing yachts may use water or wind powered
generator to trickle-charge the batteries. A
small propeller, wind turbine or impeller is
connected to a low-power alternator and
rectifier to supply currents of up to 12 A at
typical cruising speeds.
Engine-generator
An engine-generator is the combination of an
electrical generator and an engine (prime
mover) mounted together to form a single piece
of self-contained equipment. The engines used
are usually piston engines, but gas turbines can
also be used. Many different versions are
available - ranging from very small
portable petrol powered sets to large turbine
installations.
Human powered electrical generators
A generator can also be driven by human
muscle power (for instance, in field radio
station equipment).Human powered direct
current generators are commercially available,
and have been the project of
some DIY enthusiasts. Typically operated by
means of pedal power, a converted bicycle
trainer, or a foot pump, such generators can be
practically used to charge batteries, and in
some cases are designed with an integral
inverter. The average adult could generate
about 125-200 watts on a pedal powered
generator. Portable radio receivers with a crank
are made to reduce battery purchase
requirements, see clockwork radio. As it
required from Mahindra and Mahindra.