Decoding Generator Control Panels | Functions & Applications

22-12-2023

Generator Control Panel - What it is and How it’s Used

The Generator Control Panel (GCP) emerges as a critical component in the intricate web of power management, orchestrating the symphony of electrical systems. Selfguard is the best manufacturer of Generator Control Panel. This detailed tutorial seeks to explain the essence of GCPs by delving into their functions and highlighting their numerous uses.

Controlling Machines

Any complex piece of machinery requires a user interface to allow the user to monitor its operations, ensure proper operation, and intervene when necessary. Machines overheat, slow down, speed up, or otherwise change in performance due to a variety of factors such as fatigue, weather conditions, and component and part wear and tear.

These fluctuating variations generate an electrical signal in electrical machinery such as generators. These signals can be intelligently processed to control the machine's functioning. Because of such controllers, many machinery in urban contexts (such as signal lights and automatic doors) are self-managed. They have sensors that can detect changes in physical properties such as heat and speed and emit signals in response. Modern generators contain comparable sensors to monitor changes in a variety of factors. A control panel can be used to control the generator.

What is the Control Panel?

A control panel is a visual collection of displays that represent the measurement of various parameters such as voltage, current, and frequency using gauges and metres. To defend against the effects of rain or snow, these metres and gauges are housed in a metallic housing that is usually corrosion-proof. The panel can be mounted on the generator's body, which is common with tiny generators. They usually contain vibration-proof pads that help separate the control panel from shocks if they are installed on the generator. Larger industrial generator control panels can be fully separate from the generator and are often large enough to stand on their own. These units can also be shelf-mounted or wall-mounted adjacent to the generator, as is common in enclosures or inside applications like data centres.

Control panels are typically outfitted with buttons or switches that aid in the operation of the generator, such as a switch-off or turn-on key. The switches and gauges are typically organised by usefulness. This makes the panel more user-friendly and secure since it reduces the potential of an operator unintentionally picking or executing the incorrect control. Imagine trying to turn off a vibrating generator in the middle of the night with a spring-loaded lever, and you'll understand why having a simple cut-off switch at the control panel makes sense.

How does it work?

The control panel is becoming a more complicated piece of electronics, with a microprocessor that can manipulate sensor input to assist the machine in regulating itself. One example is temperature, which indicates overheating; other examples include over/under speed and low/high oil pressure. Typically, a heat sensor inside the generator would detect heat increase and transmit it to the control panel's microcontroller. The microprocessor will then take effective measures to regulate the machine's performance, such as shutdowns if, for example, the oil pressure is too low or the coolant temperature is too high, resulting in heat accumulation. This feature of control panels is becoming increasingly important in industrial settings. The microprocessor or microcontroller is embedded in the control panel's circuitry and is programmed to receive sensor input and respond to it using the control rules.

Control panels can be used in conjunction with an Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) to ensure power continuity. When your local grid fails, the ATS senses a power outage. It instructs the control panel to turn on the generator. The control panel may activate glow plugs (for diesel) for a configurable period depending on the type of generator being utilised. It will then start the generator with an automatic starter, similar to the one you use when you switch on your car in the morning. When the generator's engine achieves its maximum speed, the starter is deactivated. The ATS then switches to generator power, allowing you to resume normal operations without having to urgently investigate what caused the power outage. This feature of a control panel makes it particularly useful in households during inclement weather, as well as in industrial settings to ensure mission-critical continuity.

Unique control Panels

Typically, control panel units are designed and manufactured by the manufacturer of your generator. The majority of generators feature integrated control panels that are built into the unit.

Continuous digital readouts, large character LCD screens, displays with running time, oil pressure and water temperature sensors, set points and custom message options, wiring harnesses, remote and local start/stop capabilities, and, of course, shut-down capabilities are all common features of today's control panels.

You may have special requirements that go beyond the standard feature set, such as gauges and metres, very specific parameters to monitor, a preference for LCD indicators over analogue metres, automation requirements, and a variety of other factors that are typically not provided by the generator manufacturer's original control panel. In this scenario, you can have a control panel specially created and put into the generator, or you can look into obtaining one that matches your demands from several third-party control panel vendors. Custom panels are becoming increasingly popular in both industrial and household generators. In addition to selecting a control panel, the following page offers additional suggestions for purchasing a generator. So, the next time you're looking for a generator for your purposes, don't forget to look over the control panel and the features it has to offer to ensure it meets all of your requirements. Selfguard is one of the best generator control panel manufacturers. We also manufacture automatic phase sequence correctors, automatic generator changeover switch etc.