Standby diesel generators cope with power crisis

The 2021 Texas power crisis is an ongoing crisis in the state of Texas in the United States involving mass utilities failure, such as power outages, water and food shortages, and dangerous weather conditions.

A standby generator is a back-up electrical system that operates automatically. Within seconds of a utility outage an automatic transfer switch senses the power loss, commands the generator to start and then transfers the electrical load to the generator. The standby generator begins supplying power to the circuits. After utility power returns, the automatic transfer switch transfers the electrical load back to the utility and signals the standby generator to shut off. It then returns to standby mode where it awaits the next outage. 

Automatic standby generator systems may be required by building codes for critical safety systems such as elevators in high-rise buildings, fire protection systems, standby lighting, or medical and life support equipment. Residential standby generators are increasingly common, providing backup electrical power to HVAC systems, security systems, and household appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, and water heaters.

Diesel power generators, or electrical generator sets, are widely used in industrial and commercial establishments such as data centers, hospitals, and financial and commercial buildings. Diesel generators can be either prime power sources or standby backup power sources.

OWELL INDUSTRIES provide emergency backup power systems for many different applications, including data centers, office buildings, construction, telecommunications, food and beverage processing, agriculture, laboratories, and medical facilities. At the heart of many of these backup power systems is a standby diesel generator. Diesel generators are available in a wide range of configurations to meet almost any need. Some of the advantages of diesel generators are that they have relatively low maintenance costs, and are considered very rugged and reliable with long service lives.