A diesel generator is a device used to convert the energy stored in diesel fuel into theelectrical energy used by household and industrial devices. A diesel internal combustion engine, similar to those found in some cars and trucks, burns diesel fuel and uses the energy to turn a shaft. Unlike in vehicles, however, the shaft is connected to an attached electrical generator and converted to electrical rather than kinetic energy.
Internal combustion engines, whether diesel or conventional gasoline powered, ignite a mixture of fuel and air. The energy of that explosion moves a piston that is connected to a crankshaft. The linear movement of the piston is converted into rotational movement of the crankshaft. In a vehicle, this rotational movement is used to turn wheels. In a diesel generator, it’s used to move a shaft that is connected to the electrical generator portion of the system.
Electricity is generated when there is relative motion between a magnetic field and a conductor. By attaching magnets on a rotating shaft so that their magnetic fields pass through a fixed conductor, significant amounts of electrical energy can be produced. The electricity is fed to outlets on the diesel generator to power various electrical devices.
