Portable generators and electronic equipment, possible damage?

[hockeyoligist2]

I work for a sewer company. We have a "command center" truck for emergency's. It has a portable generator on board to supply power to it in the field when normal power is not available.

I have concerns with the generator, it is old and it will sometimes surge and\or run out of gas, which will cause the voltage and hertz to vary quiet a lot.

We have added a lot of electronic equipment to the truck, such as computers, a satellite TV dish and a HD TV to monitor the weather.

We have a UPS system installed for most of the electronics. Some are still on surge strips. Is that enough protection?

 

[G._S._Ohm]

Some are still on surge strips. Is that enough protection?

When the surge strips start smelling bad it means that there has been a prolonged overvoltage. That's what they did in our office once.

Any variation from the design center voltage of 120 v will probably shorten equip. service lifetime, except for incandescent bulbs which are only harmed by overvoltage. If you're handy with kits, an overvoltage/undervoltage detection circuit that opens a relay is probably $20 in parts and a day's assembly time.

 

[dbuckley]

If you have a double conversion UPS then the equipment is always supplied from the inverter, and the incoming power quality becomes a non-issue for the truck equipment. You dont need any surge supressors or anything else because the inverter power is clean. Ideally you want a sine wave UPS; the computers won't care what the waveform looks like, but some stuff will.

Then the only question is can the UP tolerate the generator.

 

[G._S._Ohm]

I have a spreadsheet on one of many equipment replacement strategies but I don't know how to post it so you can modify it.

Count the cost of ruined equipment as part of the maintenance cost for your generator. When the spreadsheet which I cannot yet post says "replace", then replace.

Also, Google the line below

"sunk cost" wiki

Being a "rational" decision maker is good.
if you keep the generator you are probably punishing yourself twice, once for not repairing it and again for risking equipment damage.

 

[hockeyoligist2]

"if you keep the generator you are probably punishing yourself twice, once for not repairing it and again for risking equipment damage. "

That is the reason I posted this!

I recommended replacing the generator, and/or getting a bigger UPS, or an additional one, so that all equipment is protected. Some circuits are not on the UPS. The boss is saying we have enough protection from the surge strips and a new generator would be too expensive.

However, if it fries equipment that costs 3 times as much as a new generator............ His boss will be looking for someones head! I don't want it to be mine!

As a side note, I have been documenting all of my recommendations, to CMA!

 

[charlietuna]

Why not split the electronics to a separate circuit and feed it during emergencies with an inverter type generator?