|
Here is the Volvox GenStation
This is a DC Generator, designed to work with a bank of deep-cycle batteries and one or more inverters.
The combination of a DC Generator and a bank of batteries allows the GenStation to help you build a power generation system that can cope with the peaky demand of domestic power consumption - no more concerns about what appliances you switch on when.
With an AC generator, you generally need specify one that can cope with your peak energy demand. There are however, two problems with this:- firstly, you only need your peak demand for a very small proportion of the day, and secondly, for the rest of the time the generator will be significantly underloaded, which is very bad for diesel engines.
The GenStation avoids this problem by allowing you to have a generator whose output is much lower than your peak electrical demand. It achieves this by allowing DC power to be drawn from both your battery bank and the generator at the same time.
It is assumed that you take the DC power from the GenStation and your Battery Bank through your Inverter(s), to provide you with domestic grade AC power. Your peak electrical capability will be limited only by the peak available output from your Inverter(s), and the duration of that load is only limited by the capacity of your batteries.
There are three modes of operation of the GenStation/Battery Bank/Inverter system:-
 Heavy Load - The power being drawn through the Inverter(s) (to power your house) is greater than the GenStation can deliver alone, so the GenStation provides as much as it can, and the rest comes from the Battery Bank.
Medium Load - The power being drawn through the Inverter(s) is less than the GenStation is capable of delivering. The GenStation delivers all the power that is required by the Inverter(s), and uses the rest of its capacity to recharge the Battery Bank.
Light Load - The power being drawn through the Inverter(s) (to power your house) is very low. Under this scenario, the GenStaton runs until the Battery Bank is fully recharged (requires extra equipment or manual monitoring), and then it is shutdown so that all the power is supplied from the Battery Bank.
The principle of the system of the system is the same as the electrical system in a car. It's just much bigger. Electrical loads can be drawn that are great than either the battery or alternator can provide alone, and the engine charges the battery when lower loads are being used.
This means that the engine of the GenStation is used more effectively and more efficiently. There are very few occasions when the engine is being run underloaded (which is bad for diesel engine), if any.
The GenStation also only makes you use the battery bank when absolutely necessary - during peak load periods, and very low load periods (night time). Whilst the GenStation is running, power to the Inverter(s) comes from the GenStation in preference to the Battery Bank. |
