Generator Pre-Excitation Using Appliance Trigger Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inverter generators struggle to quickly adjust engine speed to meet rapidly increasing electrical loads, leading to voltage fluctuations and potential device shutdown or damage, especially with digital devices.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses trigger signals from appliances like air-conditioners, thermostats, and microwaves to immediately increase the engine to maximum RPM, adjusting engine speed based on load measurements to maintain stable power output.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the inverter generator uses normal load-based speed control, then the engine speed adjusts smoothly to match electrical load, but the response time is too slow and voltage drops occur during rapid load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by detecting trigger signals from appliances before their full load is applied, and proactively increasing engine speed to maximum RPM in anticipation of the load increase. This prevents voltage drops by having the engine already at the required speed when the load suddenly increases, rather than reacting after the voltage has already dipped.
2Reliability
If the inverter generator increases engine speed to meet rapid load increases, then voltage stability is maintained, but the system complexity increases due to additional trigger signal detection and control logic
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses trigger signals from appliance control circuits as intermediaries to detect impending load increases. These trigger signals act as mediators between the appliance's control system and the generator's control board, providing a simple binary signal (on/off) that indicates when to activate maximum RPM mode, thereby avoiding the need for complex real-time monitoring of appliance power consumption patterns.
3Speed
If the inverter generator runs at maximum RPM continuously to ensure rapid response, then the response time is minimized, but energy efficiency decreases and operating costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies dynamics by making the engine speed variable rather than fixed. The control board dynamically adjusts the engine RPM based on real-time conditions: it operates at normal load-based speed during steady-state conditions to optimize fuel efficiency, and only activates maximum RPM mode when trigger signals indicate an impending load increase. This dynamic adjustment ensures the engine operates at the most efficient speed possible for each moment, minimizing overall fuel consumption while maintaining rapid response capability when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein are exemplary embodiments of a generator having a combustion engine, a throttle operatively connected to the combustion engine, a control board configured to operate the throttle, and a trigger conductor connecting from an appliance to a DC input of the control board, wherein the control board is further configured to direct the throttle to increase the speed of the combustion engine when the trigger conductor is ON. The appliance could be any appliance including air-conditioners, thermostats, and microwaves. Several trigger conductors may be used where if any one is indicated as ON the engine can be driven at a MAX RPM for a Time (T) before returning to normal operations. The increase in RPMs of the engine may be directed by the control board even when the current drawn on the AC output wires of the generator may remain low.