People all over the world depend on electricity to power their lives. Electricity is essential for homes, businesses, and emergency facilities such as hospitals. Electricity is distributed through electrical grids and flows from the generating units to the end users. There is a need for a continuous supply of electricity to ensure that there will be no disruption of services. This is especially crucial in facilities such as hospitals, airports, and emergency dispatch centers. Even a brief minute of power interruption in those facilities could endanger lives.
Generators are used as a backup source in the case of a power failure. They can help ensure a continuous supply of electric power to vital facilities. Most generators are fueled by either diesel or gasoline.
Here are a few of the main differences between diesel and gasoline generators:
- Fuel consumption – Diesel generators are cheaper to operate. They burn less fuel than gasoline generators, and besides that, diesel is generally cheaper than gasoline.
- Power production – Diesel generators run more efficiently than gasoline generators. This is evident when you compare the compression ratios of the two types of generators. A gasoline engine has a compression ratio between 8:1 and 12:1 while a diesel engine’s compression ratio ranges from 14:1 to 25:1.
- Cold weather start – A diesel engine has no spark plug. The air compression in the cylinder combusts the fuel and starts the ignition. A cold weather start is difficult for a diesel generator, but this can be remedied by using a glow plug to help the engine rev up.Gasoline engines, on the other hand, start easily regardless of the weather.
- Durability – Diesel generators requires less maintenance than gasoline generators. Gas generators tend to get hotter the longer they run. Diesel generators don’t have this problem.
In the balance, many consumers prefer diesel over gasoline-powered generators because of their inherent advantages.
