Used Generators – Power Generation

Generators are designed to transfer energy from either burning fuels or capture of waste heat into electrical power. Generators fall into four major categories classified by the fuel that drives the generator.

There are Diesel Generators, Electric Generators, Steam Turbine Generators, and Gas Generators.

Generator Sets are defined as the boiler or engine that burns the fuel with the electrical generator. These sets include the “prime mover” or engine, the generator, reduction gear, and exciter. Many of the generator sets powered by internal combustion engines (gas turbine, diesel, etc) the set usually included all of the components to produce electricity on one skid. Power plants are complete plants for the production of electricity.

Power plants usually contain steam boilers, generator sets, transformers, and all the auxiliary equipment required to make electricity and may also produce steam for process use.

Some common terms used for steam turbine generators include:

• Prime Mover – the engine or turbine that moves the generator
• Condensing – a steam turbine that exhausts directly into a condenser at below atmospheric pressure
• Back Pressure – a steam turbine that exhausts into a process steam header at positive pressure – also called non-condensing or counter pressure.
• Extraction – steam bled off of a steam turbine before the exhaust. This steam is used for process application or for steam cycle efficiency. Can be “controlled” or “uncontrolled”. Also called bleed.
• Controlled – In extraction, this indicates that the turbine includes valves and regulators to control the pressure of the extraction flow over the rated flow range.
• Load Gear – this is the reduction gear between the prime mover and generator