Diesel generators are more harmful to operate at low load or no load.

    Nowadays, more and more enterprises rely on diesel generators to provide stable power. To keep diesel generators in normal operation for a long time, in addition to maintaining good lubrication and maintenance of the engine, the correct "load" is also very important. Diesel power generation Running the machine at low load or no load will bring more harm, why is this?

    Most agree that generators should run at a minimum load of 30% of their maximum capacity. This is the absolute minimum. Typically, a load of 60-75% of maximum capacity is considered desirable. But avoid running at no load, except for short diagnostic runs (eg checking for proper idle speed).
Low load or no-load operation will cause?
1. Low cylinder pressure
    Diesel engines work by compressing hot air to extremes (much more than gasoline engines) so that when the fuel enters the cylinder, it ignites without a spark plug. Therefore, when the generator is running at a low load, low cylinder pressure can lead to poor combustion, reducing the efficiency of the engine. Poor combustion can cause circulation problems - soot and unburned fuel residue clog already poorly seated piston rings, making the low-pressure problem worse.
2. Low temperature
    At low loads, the engine cools and operates at temperatures that do not burn properly. This also results in only partial combustion of the fuel. In addition to deposits, this results in a large number of exhaust emissions. Exhaust gas is the white smoke that is common in poorly running diesel engines—dangerous fumes with high hydrocarbon emissions.
3. Lower oil performance, higher fuel consumption
    Hard carbon deposits due to poor combustion can cause hole polishing that destroys the honing marks (grooves) of the oil. Oil will burn and oil consumption will increase. Unburned fuel can contaminate the lubricating oil due to poor piston ring sealing, as can condensate and residues, which can lead to damaging acid build-up.
4. Increased pollution
    White smoke due to low-temperature unburned fuel has already been mentioned. However, this is not the only reason for the increase in pollution caused by the low-load operation. The leaking oil enters the combustion chamber through the poorly sealed piston rings and is burned and produces obvious blue smoke, and the black smoke is the result of the damaged injector.

Low or no-load operation can cause many other problems:

• The pressure in the crankcase increases.
• Excessive turbocharger wear and oil leakage (if present).
• Carbon deposits on many surfaces, including valves, pistons, and exhaust manifolds.
• Engine Exhaust Fluid – Black oily fluid leaking from the exhaust manifold.
• In some cases, diesel generator sets can be operated below optimal load for a short period, while a no-load operation is recommended not to exceed 15 minutes.