Vibrations are an issue

Noise and vibrations are typical of rotating machines – they even deserve a subject in the Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the university – and generator sets are no exception: if the appropriate measures are not taken, the equipment produces both vibrations and noise.

The growing demand for silent and more sustainable generator sets has changed the way of doing things and today anti-vibration systems are gaining prominence in industrial designs.

Vibrations are considered during the whole manufacturing process. In addition to being annoying, they can be dangerous as they generate undesirable contact, friction and instability for the machine. They are the bilateral damages that the generator sets bear due to their own rotating condition. Avoiding vibrations is fundamental to ensure the good health of the engine and the rest of the equipment.

First of all, a good alignment in the coupling between engine and alternator is essential, but still here will always be residual vibrations.

At Genesal Energy we mount anti-vibration blocks between the engine and alternator block (monoblock) on all our machines. As vibrations are absorbed by these mounts, they are not transmitted to the bench that supports the block, and therefore, to the ground.

A good alignment in the coupling between engine and alternator is essential.

• The total weight of the engine-alternator block and its centre of gravity are calculated.

• The position of the blocks on the bench is defined.

• The appropriate blocks are selected according to the distribution of the loads on the supports.

• The arrow of each mount is analysed, trying to make it similar in all of them.

• It is verified that the percentage of load that the block is supporting does not exceed 70% of the maximum.

• The natural frequencies of the equipment are studied.

• The percentage of isolation provided by the selected antivibration mounts is checked.

There are cases in which the calculation of the antivibration elements requires special attention:

Generating sets in mobile or seismic applications

In this kind of equipment, the selected antivibration blocks must be anti-shear and, therefore, designed to withstand sudden movements in all possible axes of movement (accelerations, braking, potholes, seismic vibrations, etc.).

Grupos electrógenos marinos

La aplicación marina es un caso especial de montaje no estacionario. Para los grupos que vayan a ser instalados en un barco se instalarán tacos marinos, adecuados para soportar las torsiones producidas por el movimiento del buque en el mar.

Marine Generator sets

The marine application is a special case of non-stationary mounting. For the generator sets to be installed on a ship, marine anchors will be installed, which are suitable to withstand the torsions produced by the movement of the ship at the sea.

The rigidity of stability of the ground, the type of bench or the precise calculation of the centre of gravity are key in each analysis. Because no case is identical, we do not offer equal solutions.

Specific locations or areas of high transmissibility

These areas where vibrations can be a major problem due to the characteristics of the floor, such as roof slab. In these cases, the option is to install spring-type mounts between the bench and the ground, in addition to the mounts placed between the monoblock and the bench.

Genesal Energy develops solutions to minimize vibrations in a personalized way. Our carry out a detailed study of each situation and assess key aspects until they get an optimal result for each generator set.