Designed to Outlive the Life of the Engine
Last month, we talked about GAC products coming to the rescue of old engines. This month, we have an old engine that GAC equipment has been supporting for 20 years and 11,000 hours.
A photo posted on LinkedIn, showed an engine that had obviously seen a lot of life. On it was what looked like a GAC 225 series actuator—a little corroded but according to the posting, still very much in service. Peter Rushton, of Rushton Plant Services in Essex, UK, was happy to share more information as GAC was new to Peter, “It’s a school day for me as I had no idea who GAC was,” he said.
Peter was hired to service the 250 kva generator, built by Staines & Golding Ltd with a Scania engine and a Marelli generator, after the owner noticed a small oil leak. After eight hours of cleaning, everything was in really good shape. It’s used to run large fans to dry wheat on a farm in the UK. The speed controller, an ESD5131 that was also 20 years old, was also good to go.
GAC manufactures products that last, and stories like this one offer proof in real life. So many GAC stories involve no drama, no hard decisions. Our products just work!
Product of the Month: ESD5131–ESD5100 Series
The ESD5100 Series speed control units are all-electronic devices designed to precisely control engine speed with rapid response to transient load changes.
Ruggedly built to withstand all engine environments, the ESD will control a wide variety of engines in an isochronous or droop mode, and offer simple installation and adjustment. The ESD5131 also comes with DIP switches that allow you to add Lead Circuit and Soft Coupling features.
- Simple Installation and Adjustability
- Auxiliary Accessory Input
- Idle Speed Circuit
- Adjustable PID
- 10 V DC Supply for Accessories
- 10 Amp Drive Circuit
- Isochronous, Droop & Variable Speed Operation
5100 Series Specifications | |
---|---|
Isochronous Operation | ±0.25 % or better |
Speed Range /Governor | 1 K – 7.5 K Hz Continuous |
Speed Drift with Temperature | ±0.5 % Typical |
Idle Adjust | CW MIN: 1200 Hz Below set speed CCW MIN: 4100 Hz Below set speed |
Droop Range | 1–5 % Regulation Adj.MAX: (K-L Jumpered) 875 Hz., ±75 Hz per 1.0 A change Adj. MIN: (K-L Jumpered) 15 Hz., ±6 Hz per 1.0 A change |
Speed Trim Range | ±200 Hz |
Remote Variable Speed Range | 500 – 3.7 kHz |
Terminal Sensitivity | J – 115 Hz., ±15 Hz/V @ 5 K Impedance L – 735 Hz., ±60 Hz/V @ 65 K Impedance N – 148 Hz., ±10 Hz/V @ 1 M Impedance P – 10 V DC Supply @ 20 mA Max |
Available Models
GAC PART | FEATURES |
---|---|
ESD5111 | Multi V DC / Standard Unit |
ESD5111T | Multi V DC / Temperature Compensated |
ESD5119 | Multi V DC / Cummins EFC Reverse Acting (Normally open) |
ESD5120 | Multi V DC / Light-Force (Low Current Optimized) Cummins EFC Forward Acting (Normally Closed) |
ESD5131 | Multi V DC / Switchable Soft Coupling and Lead Circuit |
ESD5150 | Multi V DC / Cummins EFC Forward Acting / 4–20 mA Output |
ESD5159 | Multi V DC / Expanded Frequency Range to 14 kHz |
ESD5160 | Multi V DC / Cummins EFC Reverse Acting for Fire Pump Applications / Expanded Frequency Range to 10.5 kHz |
How Does an AUX Terminal Work?
The Auxiliary (AUX) input, Terminal ‘N’, accepts signals for load sharing and synchronizing multiple generators. The input is reversed polarity, so increased voltage will decrease speed at the rate of 145 Hz / volt; it’s a nominal 5.0 volt setting with a range of ± 5.0 volts. Any accessory connected to Terminal N must be shielded.
If an auto synchronizer is used alone, not in conjunction with a load sharing module, a 3 Ohm resistor should be connected between Terminals N and P. This is required to match the voltage levels between the speed control unit and the synchronizer. A +10 volt regulated supply from Terminal P can be used to provide power to GAC governor system accessories. Up to 20 mA of current can be drawn from this supply. Ground reference is Terminal G.