GENERATOR MAINTENANCE
per cent – on a pounds per year basis (see Figs 4&5). There are also the onsite savings too
such as reduced load bank and associated labour costs.
Before revisiting maintenance schedules The Medium Combustion Plant Directive (MCPD) became UK law in December 2017 (Directive (EU) 2015/2193) and covers diesel engines with ratings between 1 and 50 MWth requiring them to meet a level at or below 190 mg of NOx/Nm3
plus levels of other emissions
too. These ‘medium sized engines’ represent an important source of emissions such as Nitrous Oxide and dust (Particulate Matter). The directive seeks to regulate the emissions of them with the aim of reducing the production of these substances known to be harmful to human health. Devolved governments also carry additional responsibilities for environmental protection, as do local and large city authorities, and it is these local bodies which typically mandate site specific/local air emissions levels and permitting of the site or facility. These local decisions, depending on the site, can dictate or influence the testing requirements/regimes adopted especially when using aftertreatment devices. Before changing any maintenance
procedures, please consult with your dealer, service provider, or the manufacturer. Depending upon the types of exhaust aftertreatments that are fitted to the set, service schedules and capacities may well differ. For example, low-temperature operations in the presence of a SCR emissions control system may run the risk of oxidising stored hydrocarbons and damaging the SCR catalyst, particularly when exhaust temperatures are later raised through load testing or full system operation. IFHE
Acknowledgement The author fully acknowledges the major contribution made in the production of this paper by KOHLER and in particular Brad Meissner who currently works as a product manager with responsibility for >700 kW diesel generators at Kohler Co in the USA.
200 100 0 0 2 4 6 Months Generator running at 1800 rpm Figure 4. Loaded versus no-load monthly exercise fuel consumption. n 30% load exercising scenario n No-load exercising scenario
200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0
82% reduction 8 10 12
l Fuel used (30% load) l Fuel used (no load) 700 600 500 400 300 Month 12
represents the once-per-year full-load
testing of the generator set
} 86% reduction
44% reduction in fuel
consumed for exercise and maintenance in a single year
70% reduction 41% reduction Nox PM CO 82% reduction HC Total pollutants Figure 5. Loaded versus no-load monthly exercise pollutant creation.
IFHEDigest Providing insights into the vast field of healthcare engineering and facility management IFHE DIGEST 2025 29
Annual emissions (lbs)
Consumption (US gallons)
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96
