IMPACT OF EMERGENCY BACKUP GENERATORS ON LOW-VOLTAGE POWER SYSTEMS: STABILIZATION, TRANSIENTS, AND HARMONIC ANALYSIS

Authors

  • Chaminda Mahesh Edirisinghe Department of Physics, University of Colombo
  • Mr. L. K. Sasanka Kavinda

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37255/jme.v21i2pp040-048

Keywords:

Emergency Backup Generators, Low-Voltage Power Systems (LVPS), Voltage Stabilization, Switching Transients, Power Quality and Harmonics

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of distributed electricity generation using emergency backup generators in low-voltage power systems (LVPS). Three generators, PERKINS FG WILSON P60 (G01), Denyo DCA-220SPK3 (G02), and Honda EG-1000X (G03), were analyzed in terms of stabilization time, switching transients, and frequency harmonics. A total of 15 start-up waveforms were recorded to evaluate stabilization behavior. The results show that G01 required 10.42 s and 11.77 s to reach a 2% voltage fluctuation level in positive and negative voltages, respectively, whereas G02 and G03 achieved stabilization within approximately 2.35 s and 1.66-1.73 s. Transient analysis of G01 revealed multiple switching patterns, with switching-off transients exhibiting higher peak-to-peak voltages (mean: 366.32 V) than switching-on transients (mean: 105.36 V), indicating a greater potential impact on connected loads. Oscillatory transients demonstrated an average burst duration of 123.1 μs and a mean frequency of 12.195 kHz. A linear inverse relationship between burst time and frequency was identified. Harmonic analysis showed that G01 operates at 52.21 Hz, slightly deviating from the nominal 50 Hz, while the grid supply exhibited higher harmonic content. These findings highlight the importance of generator design and control systems in ensuring power quality, stability, and reliability in LVPS applications.

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Author Biographies

  • Chaminda Mahesh Edirisinghe, Department of Physics, University of Colombo

    Department of Physics, University of Colombo, Colombo 00300, Sri Lanka.

  • Mr. L. K. Sasanka Kavinda

    Department of Physics, University of Colombo, Colombo 00300, Sri Lanka.

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Published

2026-06-01

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Articles

How to Cite

[1]
“IMPACT OF EMERGENCY BACKUP GENERATORS ON LOW-VOLTAGE POWER SYSTEMS: STABILIZATION, TRANSIENTS, AND HARMONIC ANALYSIS”, JME, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 040–048, Jun. 2026, doi: 10.37255/jme.v21i2pp040-048.

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