Alternator winding
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Copper. Copper winding is typical for advanced class generators. The copper alternator is characterized by high conductivity and low resistance. The conductivity of copper is 1.7 times higher than the conductivity of aluminium, such a winding heats up less, and compounds made of this metal endure temperature drops and vibration loads. Among the disadvantages of the copper winding, one can only note the high cost of the alternator. Otherwise, generators with copper winding have high reliability and durability.
— Aluminium. The aluminium winding of the alternator is typical for low-cost-class generators. The main advantages of aluminium are light weight and low price; otherwise, such a winding is usually inferior to copper counterparts. An oxide film is created on the surface of aluminium, it appears everywhere, even in the places of contact soldering. The oxide film undermines the contacts and does not allow the outer protective braid to securely hold the aluminium conductors.
Launch type
Method of starting an electric generator engine. To start an internal combustion engine (gasoline or diesel, see “Fuel”), in any case, it is necessary to rotate the engine shaft; you can do this in two ways:
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Manual. With this starting method, the initial impulse is transmitted to the engine manually - usually the user needs to forcefully pull the cable that spins a special flywheel. The simplest in design and cheapest starting method, the additional equipment requires only the cable itself with a flywheel. On the other hand, it may require significant muscular effort from the user and is not well suited for high-power units.
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Electric starter. With this type of starting, the engine shaft is rotated using a special electric motor, which is called a starter; The starter is powered by its own battery. This option for starting the generator power unit is the easiest for the user and requires a minimum of effort. Depending on the implementation of the electric starter, it is usually enough to turn the key in the ignition, press a button, turn a knob or spin a special drum, etc. The power of modern starters is sufficient even for heavy engines where manual starting is difficult or impossible. Also note that an electric starter is by definition required to use ATS autostart (see Features). On the other hand, additional equipment affects the weight and cost of the unit, sometimes quite notic
...eably. Therefore, such starting systems are used mainly where they cannot be avoided - in the aforementioned heavy equipment, as well as generators with ATS.Weight
The total weight of the unit - as a rule, excluding fuel; The full fill weight can be easily determined by knowing the tank capacity.
In general, more powerful generators inevitably turn out to be heavier, but models with similar characteristics can differ noticeably in weight. When assessing these differences and generally choosing an option based on weight, it is worth taking into account the specific application of the generator. So, if the device will often be moved from place to place - for example, when used “on the road” - it may be worth paying attention to lighter units that are more convenient to transport. However, it is worth considering that the downside of a lightweight design is often an increased cost or a reduced degree of protection. But for stationary use, you can not pay much attention to this parameter - or even the opposite: choose a heavier (and, as a rule, more advanced and functional) option.
Regarding specific numbers, it is worth noting that modern generators in general are quite massive. So, a small weight for such equipment is considered not only
up to 20 kg, but even
20 – 30 kg ; Many units weigh
150–200 kg, or even
more, and the weight of stationary industrial models is already measured in tons.
