Among alternative energy sources, various types of electric current generators are widely used. They are best suited for country houses and cottages, as well as other places where power outages often occur. In the event of a sudden power outage, it becomes necessary to quickly start a backup source in order to prevent a violation of the facility's life support. Manual start is quite complicated and requires special knowledge. Therefore, in such situations, as well as in the complete absence of people, the start function is performed automatically.
Mostly used ATS for the generator, arranged on a special shield. This system allows you to turn on the unit and resume power supply in a matter of seconds. The working process involves two magnetic starters and a relay that controls the presence of voltage in the shield and the autostart system in the generator itself.
AVR for a generator: what is it
AVR - stands for automatic inclusion (input) of the reserve. The reserve means any generator that generates electric current in the event of a power outage to the facility. The main function of the ATS is the timely switching of the load between two sources. Some ATSs are manually configured, but most devices are controlled automatically by a loss of voltage signal, including ATS for a gas generator.
One of the most important indicators necessary for automatic control is the voltage that controls the primary winding. The switch itself provides isolation of the standby generator from the AC power coming from the public electrical network. During this period, the generator is on and provides temporary power to consumers.
The work of automatic input of the reserve is carried out as follows:
- In the event of a power outage through the ATS, the generator receives a command to start work.
- After the device receives a signal about the readiness of the generator, the AVR connects it to the home electrical network.
- When the power supply to a private house is resumed, the AVR receives a corresponding signal and turns off the backup device.
- At the same time, the wiring between the generator and the home network is automatically switched.
If necessary, you can configure the switching to ensure that only the most important electrical circuits and sections are powered. Space heating systems, equipment cooling systems and other additional schemes are assigned as priorities. More complex distributions are used for large standby installations that form a soft load that smoothly transitions from a synchronized generator back and forth. As a rule, these settings are used in order to reduce the magnitude of peak loads.
ATS connection
Before making the connection, it is necessary to correctly place all the parts in the electrical panel. They are installed in such a way that there are no intersections of conductors, free access to contacts and terminals is provided. After that, the power section of the ATS and controllers are connected in accordance with the circuit diagram.
Switching of the power unit and controllers is carried out using contactors. After all connections, the ATS is directly connected to the generator. The correctness and quality of connections and connections of conductors and other elements is checked using a multimeter.
When using the normal mode, when voltage is supplied from a conventional power line, automatics for the generator are activated in the ATS system and the first one that supplies voltage to the shield of a private house is turned on. With the onset of an emergency mode, in which there is no voltage in the network, the magnetic starter No. 1 is turned off by means of a relay and a signal is given to the generator to autostart. After the start of the generator in the ATS shield, the second magnetic starter starts to operate, through which the voltage begins to flow to the switchboard of the home electrical network.
Work in this mode will continue until the main supply of electricity appears or until the end of the fuel in the generator itself. When the main voltage is connected to the network, the generator and magnetic starter No. 2 are turned off, and magnetic starter No. 1, on the contrary, turns on, and the entire system switches to normal operation.
The automatic transfer switchboard is installed after the electric meter. Thus, during the operation of the generator, the consumption of electricity is not accounted for. In addition, the ATS shield for the generator is installed before the main shield of the home network. As a result, it is installed between the electricity meter and
If the total power of consumers in the house exceeds the capabilities of the generator or the unit itself is not powerful enough, only those devices and equipment that are really necessary to ensure the normal functioning of the facility are connected to its line until the main power supply is turned on.
How to make your own AVR
Devices equipped with auto start are expensive, so it is recommended to assemble an ATS for the generator with your own hands, using the same elements as in the factory models.
The main and most expensive part of the machine is the universal controller. Contactors are used as the power part, which directly switch from the general network to the local network of the generator. To accommodate all the parts, you will need a shield or cabinet that is most suitable in size for this device. As a power supply, the ATS circuit for the generator recommends using a special control center for 1-3A, and the switch should have three levels of operating modes. Electric tools, cable and connectors should be prepared in advance.
To ensure a quality assembly of avr for the generator, certain recommendations and procedures must be followed. When choosing a controller yourself, you need to pay attention to the presence of an inverse air damper. This item is very useful for a generator equipped with a mechanical damper. When choosing contactors, you should focus on their throughput. If there is no electromechanical protection in the device, it must be purchased separately.
In order to assemble an ATS with your own hands, the circuit provides for an automatic control device, which must have a normal constant voltage. The fulfillment of this condition is assigned to the power supply. A high-powered battery is usually used, since it discharges very quickly under significant loads. With the help of this power supply, the output voltage is regulated. All parts are recommended to be purchased only at trusted specialized outlets, giving preference to products from the most well-known manufacturers.
The assembly begins with the installation of all parts and elements inside the electrical panel. Installation is carried out in such a way that there are no intersections of conductors with each other, and contacts and terminals are accessible. For assembly, the scheme for connecting the AVR to the generator is used. After that, the controllers and the power section are connected.
Serious attention should be paid to avoiding the parallel connection of the generator with the city electrical network. In this case, the unit can be seriously damaged, up to a complete failure. In order to avoid such negative consequences, it is recommended to use special shields that provide automatic or manual switching to automatic reserve input. These can be various types of high-current load switches or automatic generator voltage regulators.
When connecting, it is necessary to take into account the presence of two cables included in the ATS shield. One of them belongs to the main network, and the other to the backup network. With different algorithms of work, they are alternately switched. At the outlet to consumers, a single power cable is pulled.