Gens in parallel

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Fred B

Fred B

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Upstate, NY
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Electrician
Not wanting to hijack the existing thread so the thread got me wondering about coordination of parallel gen sets.
I know on solar, it has equipment to monitor and coordinate the phase shift (wave form) to what is present on the utility side prior to linking the solar to the utility.
I Assume that the parallel Gen sets would need to link to each other in similar fashion. I Know that it is not coordinating with the utility as there is a disconnect before connect (time delay) application within the ATS. But is there specific equipment to accomplish coordination like the Solar has to act between the 2 gens?
 
Fred B said:
Not wanting to hijack the existing thread so the thread got me wondering about coordination of parallel gen sets.
I know on solar, it has equipment to monitor and coordinate the phase shift (wave form) to what is present on the utility side prior to linking the solar to the utility.
I Assume that the parallel Gen sets would need to link to each other in similar fashion. I Know that it is not coordinating with the utility as there is a disconnect before connect (time delay) application within the ATS. But is there specific equipment to accomplish coordination like the Solar has to act between the 2 gens?
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What size, type of generator are we talking about? Larger standby systems do have to have some automation involved to keep them in phase if they are running parallel to one another.

Small portables - maybe not impossible but they don't come standard with a means to assure they will be in phase other than some with inverter output that has been mentioned.
 
kwired said:
What size, type of generator are we talking about? Larger standby systems do have to have some automation involved to keep them in phase if they are running parallel to one another.

Small portables - maybe not impossible but they don't come standard with a means to assure they will be in phase other than some with inverter output that has been mentioned.
Click to expand...
Nothing specific, just the other thread got me wondering, knowing that PV required devices that would sync "phase" before connect, if such was possible to run parallel Gens. Seems would need to happen with some mid size gens, not the portable inverter that were linkable.
 
Fred B said:
Nothing specific, just the other thread got me wondering, knowing that PV required devices that would sync "phase" before connect, if such was possible to run parallel Gens. Seems would need to happen with some mid size gens, not the portable inverter that were linkable.
Click to expand...
A generator not intended to be run parallel to another source wouldn't necessarily have the controls on it to sync with the other source. Whatever interface components you use would likely contain these controls. You can't just tie the two sources together and expect them to remain in phase without something to control speed and phasing on at least one of them. Even utility sources need to sync with the rest of the grid before they can tie in with it.
 
Once they synch in to whatever grid there is, there is no need to control anything. It stays synced in. The only thing you can control is how much load a specific generator takes on.

You do need to protect each individual generator but that generally amounts to controls that just disconnect a unit from the grid.
 
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