Review of my 37 kva Denyo Generator ~ Pics + Video with commentary

[nomicool]

Owing to the constant load shedding and hot weather, generators have now become a necessity. UPS, of course, remain a good back up but they cannot power Air conditioners, LCD tvs, dishwashers, and lots and lots of other electrical appliances. Plus, due to the frequency of the power outages, their battery cannot even get enough time to recharge and eventually they will start giving you less and less up-time.

I am no engineer - neither have I ever studied engineering - the knowledge that I'll be sharing in this thread is purely derived from my tiring search for generators which lasted for over a week, in the warehouses and godowns of Daroghawala - Shalimar Bagh. Whatever questions you might have regarding generators and how to set them up and cost related questions and all, I will try to answer those as well.

A generator is mainly powered by two components. One, is of course the engine - a 4 cylinder, 3856cc, ISUZU diesel powered engine, in this case - and the other is an alternator - that produces voltage / current.

MY SETUP:

So let us see my setup:

It is basically a 45 kva (according to Japanese voltage) Denyo Generator powered by an Isuzu 3856cc 4 cylinder diesel engine. When you convert that @ 220volts, it comes to 37 kva.

Denyo is one of the top two Japanese brands in the market for Generators; the other one being Nippon Sharyo. Couple of other good brands for generators from around the world include Perkins (British) and Kohler (American brand / German technology).

Here the pics of my generator (weighs 1180 kgs and dimensions you can make out in the pictures):

THE SOUND PROOF CANOPY OF THE GENERATOR, ALSO SHOWING THE RADIATOR SIDE AND THE CONTROL PANEL BOX NEXT TO THE MAIN CIRCUIT BOARD. WE HAVE PUT ON A CUSTOMIZED EXTENDED SILENCER ON THE GENERATOR TO SAVE RAIN WATER FROM POURING IN IT:






THE FRONT PANEL:


THE ISUZU 3856CC, 4 CYLINDER DIESEL ENGINE:


THE CONTROL PANEL BOX THAT CONTROLS THE GENERATOR (EXPLAINED FURTHER ON IN THIS POST):


TECHNICAL DETAILS OF THIS GENERATOR:

It is a 3 phase generator and on each phase, the supported power output is 40amps. 40 x 3 = total of 120 amps, which is enough to power a small village. A split unit takes around 7-8 amps. So you can do the maths yourself.

Just to give you a basic idea of how much load can a 37 kva generator support: we have tested the capacity of this generator by running all our 9 x 1.5 tonne acs, one 42 inches LCD tv, one 32 inches tv, two refrigerators, one freezer, one dishwashwer, one home theater system, 3 water fountains, all at the same time, apart from all lights on inside and outside our house, and this thing dint even give out smoke.

But you should never run your generator on 100 percent load. We ran all these appliances simultaneously just once to test its capacity. Ideally you should never give more than 80 percent load to your generator. But even with 80% load on a Generator of this capacity, you dont need to worry about switching off any running appliances in the event of a power outage, in case the generator would be over loaded or anything. No worries of that sort with this kind of power output.

Since it has got a sound proof canopy, you can easily talk in a normal tone standing right next to this generator. And inside the house, you cannot even hear the sound of the generator.

The control panel box that you can see in the picture above contains all the settings and emergency cut-offs for the generator. It will automatically start the generator in the event of a power outage, and then auto stop it when the main power is back again. The timings of auto start and auto stop can be changed through this panel. Before the load shifts onto the generator, it will run idle for a few seconds to warm up and then take the load. And once the power is back again, it will monitor the main power for few seconds to check its stability, before taking off the load and shutting down after a few seconds of running idle for cooling down.

This auto start/stop is controlled by two components. One is called the AMF (Auto Main Failure) and the other is ATS (Auto Transfer System). What the AMF does is that it will automatically turn on the generator in the event of a power outage and then after some time the ATS (Auto Transfer System) will switch the load of electricity on the generator. And that is how it works. The set up and the generator's auto start/stop function is further explained in this video that I have made, along with commentary by me:

YouTube - Denyo 37 kva Generator

MAINTENANCE / COST

This generator is giving us a really good fuel consumption figure of 2.8 ltrs of diesel per hour. Maintenance requirements include changing fuel filter / air filter / oil filter and oil. Oil needs to be changed every 250 hours. Fuel filter and other mechanical parts are easily available for this engine, for cheap. This is one of the advantages of a Japanese engine, and that too one that is popular in the market and used locally as well - in heavy duty trucks. Parts are easily available and are not that expensive. Kohler / Perkins and other foreign brands require much more maintenance cost than this.

To reduce your cable cost, place it near to your main circuit board, like we have placed, as you can see in the pictures.

Do not block the radiator - if you plan to keep it in your garage / against a wall / etc, place the radiator side of the generator where it can get ample air - as you can see in the pictures, the radiator side is fully exposed.

To reduce vibration, you can put dampers underneath your generator or wooden blocks, like you can see in my setup. It should be a little raised from the ground so cleaning / oil draining is easy.

Cost

The AMF / ATS function and the control panel along with cables and all cost us an additional around Rs 55,000. Plus you have to pay some bucks to the towers / lifters as well - so add around Rs 5000 - Rs 6000. Some generators come equipped with AMF, but you will still have to install ATS along with it. A simply AMF function means that the generator will only start in the event of a power outage, automatically, but wont take the load; someone will have to go to the generator and put it on load / off load manually every time. In newer, latest models, you might find both these functions. But if you're buying a generator without these, then its recommended that you install these functions so that you dont have to go start your generator every time when your power goes out.

The price of a generator of this capacity these days is around Rs 5 lacs. The setup cost (amf / ats) differs according to the capacity of the generator. The generator's cost will obviously depend upon its engine / condition. Hino and Isuzu are good, long life, powerful engines with cheap maintenance cost and easily available parts. Mitsubishi is another option but maintenance cost is a little bit expensive on that.

Prices of generators have increased since we bought it, and we got it around a month back for quite a good price actually. I do not wish to reveal that figure. But you wont find a 37 kva generator for less than Rs 4.50 lacs anywhere in Lahore these days. Someone in my neighborhood came up to our place the other day to check it out and offered us 6 lacs on the spot. And yeah, its gonna give us an amazing resale, even if we sell it after 10 or so years. It has done 6500 hours in Japan previously, and its engine is in A-one condition, as it gives out virtually no smoke at all when its on load. It will give smoke on starting. That is normal.

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So that was it. Hope I have shared enough and this will help the people out there who are looking for generators. The best place to find them is Daroghawala - Shalimar Bagh. We went to a lot of places apart from there as well. But all the big warehouses for generators are situated in that area. Any further questions you might have, feel free to ask them.

[Kursed]

You forgot one important part of the review, the total cost of the system?

[babarhyd]

Its a wonderful setup! but a bit of problem here.. its not giving us UNINTERUPTED power? If ya have invested that much why not purchase a good branded UPS which KICKS OFF as soon as Load shedding occurs and when diesel generator is all up go back to normal state? Many of organizations have this setup including these most commonly seen Mobile Towers!

[ScArFaCe]

how much did it cost u?

[imadsani]

exactly.. how much did it cost u ??

plus what kind of generator would be suitable for say ... 3 ac's .. 1x1.5, 1x2 and 1x1.25, 2 tv's, 2 fridge's, 1 computer and 2 laptops ..(considering they'll only be charging if needed on power)

just need a rough sketch of how much im looking at with these requirements..

[strings]

Nice review and congrats!Why didnt you go with the gas generator(I mean energy cost wise) although 2.8ltrs seem ok?Or was the maintenance cost arguement the deciding factor?

On a lighter note looking at your load(9ac's++)how about a mini nuclear reactor(get it in black from iran and uranium well our beloved country has uranium reserves!).

Seriously energy crisis should be the government's top priority from a common man all the way to an industrialist its taking toll.Tough times ahead!

[sheharyar]

Originally Posted by babarhyd

Its a wonderful setup! but a bit of problem here.. its not giving us UNINTERUPTED power? If ya have invested that much why not purchase a good branded UPS which KICKS OFF as soon as Load shedding occurs and when diesel generator is all up go back to normal state? Many of organizations have this setup including these most commonly seen Mobile Towers!

Generators can also be set to uninterrupted, as soon as light goes they start and automatic relay will switch over to Generator from WAPDA

I have a 4kv HONDA generator my father bought it back in 1982, it is still running kick ass MashAllah but though it is not automatic at that time he bought it for Rs. 15000/- now it costs around Rs. 70000/-

This 4KV generator can bear upto 4000W of light, now all of you can calculate

[Cateye]

@ noomicool mention the price... & any idea from where/which shop to get Kohler generator???

about split 1.5 ton A/C i thought they take 13 Amps ons tarting and then comes down to 10Amp? are you sure about 7/8 Amps??

[|BloodBath|]

Power Calculator

[babarhyd]

Originally Posted by sheharyar

Generators can also be set to uninterrupted, as soon as light goes they start and automatic relay will switch over to Generator from WAPDA

I have a 4kv HONDA generator my father bought it back in 1982, it is still running kick ass MashAllah but though it is not automatic at that time he bought it for Rs. 15000/- now it costs around Rs. 70000/-

This 4KV generator can bear upto 4000W of light, now all of you can calculate

NO generator in the world is so powerful to give UNINTERUPTED Power Supply!

[Ali Tayyab]

Originally Posted by Cateye

@ noomicool mention the price... & any idea from where/which shop to get Kohler generator???

about split 1.5 ton A/C i thought they take 13 Amps ons tarting and then comes down to 10Amp? are you sure about 7/8 Amps??

kohler = technovision = 111-211-212 (i think) = lahore

genset cost was 350,000 ATS was 40,000 (2 meters) miscellaneous (pipe, gauges, cables) = 12,000

review of 12RES: (mine )
Kohler 12RES Generator -First Impressions - PK Forum Community

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hxxp://www.pkforum.com/vb/computer-hardware-reviews/3829-kohler-12res-generator-first-impressions.html
]

[nomicool]

Originally Posted by KuRsEd

You forgot one important part of the review, the total cost of the system?

Originally Posted by ScArFaCe

how much did it cost u?

I have now mentioned the cost under a new heading, Cost in my first post. Just for your convenience, I will repeat it over here as well. You will be getting a generator of this capacity for around Rs 4.75 ~ 5 lacs these days. Depends upon the engine / condition. Hino and Isuzu are good, long life, powerful engines with cheap maintenance cost. Mitsubishi is another option but maintenance cost is a little bit expensive on that. Prices have gone up since we bought it. The control panel + cables cost us an additional Rs 55,000. Revert to first post for other cost related details. I shall confirm the cable cost per meter and add that in the first post later on as well.

Originally Posted by babarhyd

Its a wonderful setup! but a bit of problem here.. its not giving us UNINTERUPTED power? If ya have invested that much why not purchase a good branded UPS which KICKS OFF as soon as Load shedding occurs and when diesel generator is all up go back to normal state? Many of organizations have this setup including these most commonly seen Mobile Towers!

I do have a ups which supplies uninterrupted power to my computer, modem/router and lcd tv. It only has to take the load for around 6/7 seconds at a time, when the power goes out, until the generator turns on and takes the load.

Originally Posted by imadsani

exactly.. how much did it cost u ??

plus what kind of generator would be suitable for say ... 3 ac's .. 1x1.5, 1x2 and 1x1.25, 2 tv's, 2 fridge's, 1 computer and 2 laptops ..(considering they'll only be charging if needed on power)

just need a rough sketch of how much im looking at with these requirements..

Imad, you should always buy a generator with a bit higher capacity than your actual load. With your requirements, say if you want to run all these 3 acs at the same time, along with the rest of the appliances, a 20-25 kva generator is ideal. Owing to the frequency of power outages, the generator must always be of a higher capacity than your actual load, to prolong its life. If you're giving it full load all the time, the engine will get weak pretty soon.

Originally Posted by strings

Nice review and congrats!Why didnt you go with the gas generator(I mean energy cost wise) although 2.8ltrs seem ok?Or was the maintenance cost arguement the deciding factor?

On a lighter note looking at your load(9ac's++)how about a mini nuclear reactor(get it in black from iran and uranium well our beloved country has uranium reserves!).

Seriously energy crisis should be the government's top priority from a common man all the way to an industrialist its taking toll.Tough times ahead!

I dont think so gas generators of this capacity are available in the market. It is giving is an excellent fuel consumption figure, as previously mentioned, but i would still like to know if there's any place where I can get a gas kit installed in it?

Originally Posted by Cateye

@ noomicool mention the price... & any idea from where/which shop to get Kohler generator???

about split 1.5 ton A/C i thought they take 13 Amps ons tarting and then comes down to 10Amp? are you sure about 7/8 Amps??

1.5 split unit, according to my knowledge takes around 9/10 amps on starting and then comes down to 7/8 amps. I'm talking about Mitsubishi, LG and Kenwood over here, at an average. Sabro, on the other hand consumes more power. Mitsubishi consumes the least power.

[strings]

Originally Posted by nomicool

I dont think so gas generators of this capacity are available in the market. It is giving is an excellent fuel consumption figure, as previously mentioned, but i would still like to know if there's any place where I can get a gas kit installed in it?

A & J GenTECH

A & J GenTECH

Office / Display: 99- Railway Road, Australia Building (Brandreth Road), Lahore, Pakistan
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There is even a 180Mw Gas generator for sale in Lahore not at Gentech.Definitely no one will be buying it for home use.

[nomicool]

But I need to know about installing a gas kit in a diesel generator. Anyone has an idea about where to find the right person to do this?

[babarhyd]

Originally Posted by nomicool

But I need to know about installing a gas kit in a diesel generator. Anyone has an idea about where to find the right person to do this?

Installing gaskits/LPG kit in Diesel Generator is impossible! you should have gone for petrol one! ..

This is impressive setup although!