There are many brands of generators on the market. Because the materials are different, the price difference of generators is very large. When customers choose diesel generator sets as backup power, should choose full copper brushless generator, some bad manufacturers use semi-copper semi-aluminum or aluminum wire generators to directly sell to the customer. Before purchasing, the customer must ask supplier the material of the generator. Why should we choose a full copper brushless generator?

Briefly, the movement of the generator is mainly used for electrical conduction, and the conductivity of the metal material is better. Let's take a look at the reference value of metal conductivity:

Silver: 100%; copper: 99%; gold: 76%; iron 74%

From these values we can conclude that silver and copper are more suitable for electrical conduction. But the price of silver is relatively high, so copper is the perfect movement for the generator. Therefore, in selecting the alternator, Starlight Power recommends that customers choose a full copper alternator.

Conductive materials used as wires and cables are usually copper and aluminum (rich in the earth's crust, low price, good electrical conductivity, good metallability). The conductivity of copper is high and the resistivity of 50°C: 0.0206Ω·mm2/m for copper and 0.035Ω·mm2/m for aluminum. When the current-carrying capacity is the same, the cross section of the aluminum wire is about 1.5 times that of copper. The copper core loss is relatively low, the mechanical properties of the copper material are better than that of the aluminum material, and the ductility is good, which is convenient for processing and installation. The fatigue resistance is about 1.7 times that of aluminum.

How to detect if the generator is all copper or half copper?

1. The most accurate and direct way is to dismantle the generator to see the stator coil. After disassembling, divide the alternator into several points. Use a sharp blade to scrape off the insulating paint on the surface of the enameled wire. Look at the color of the metal: the purple color is the copper wire, the silvery white is an aluminum wire. After testing, it is best to cover with insulating paint to enhance insulation.

2. Another method is to measure the DC resistance of the stator coil with a bridge. The resistivity of copper is less than that of aluminum. The copper winding of the generator of the same power is smaller than that of aluminum winding.

3. The physical properties of aluminum are not easy to pull as thin as copper wire, so the aluminum wire of the same power is slightly thicker; because the resistance of aluminum wire of the same cross-sectional area is higher than that of copper wire, to obtain the same current, it is bound to increase the cross-sectional area of aluminum wire, that is, the diameter is large.

Common generators are full copper brushless generators, semi-copper semi-aluminum generators, and aluminum wire generators.

The difference between the copper wire generator and the aluminum wire generator

1. The all-copper generator is more durable. Aluminum has a greater resistant than copper, and the heat generated during use is relatively high, so it is easy to burn out the generator. Moreover, the welding of aluminum and copper can not be naturally integrated, and the connection point of the power line is also easily burned out, resulting in the whole life of aluminum wire generator being much lower than that of pure copper wire generator.

2. Pure copper wire generators are more energy efficient. The resistance of circuit component is proportional to the amount of heat generated, and the resistance is large and the heat is large.

3. The pure copper core generator is quieter. For every 3 dB increase in noise, the noise energy is doubled. The aluminum wire generator is 7 dB higher than that of copper wire generator, so the aluminum wire generator noise is more than twice that of the copper wire alternator.

In addition, the factors affecting the price of diesel generator sets are also related to whether the generator is brushless or brushed. The  full copper brushless generator is significantly more expensive than brush generator.

So what is the difference between a brushless generator and a brush generator in a diesel generator set?

Disadvantage of brushless generator:

1. large friction, large loss;

2. large heating, short life;

3. low efficiency, low output power.

Advantage of brushless generator

1. no brush, low interference;

2. low noise, smooth operation;

3. long life, low maintenance cost.

It is decided that the price of the diesel generator set is not only the brand, but also the material of the generator. The cost of the copper wire generator is higher than that of the aluminum wire generator. The quality of the brushless generator is better than that of the brush generator. Therefore, for the same configuration, the unit price of full copper brushless generator is relatively high.