Kohler maintenance program takes on generator wet stacking

The Power Systems division of Kohler Energy has launched Conscious Care, a new maintenance program which includes multiple maintenance protocols for KD Series  engines that are designed to help customers lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reduce their carbon footprint.

Conscious Care is a new maintenance program which includes multiple maintenance protocols for KD Series engines. (Photo: Kohler)

The program includes options to address “wet stacking,” a condition that typically occurs in diesel-powered generators that are operated in light or no-load conditions for an extended period of time, which can result in incomplete combustion. If left unchecked, it can cause impaired performance and even engine damage.

The industry’s previous solution for wet stacking has been to exercise generators at 30% of their rated capacity once a month to burn off unused fuel and prevent buildup. With Conscious Care, Kohler said it has deployed the latest engine technologies on its KD Series engines to reduce the need for this procedure.

Two options are available as part of the Conscious Care program. The first being rolled out is the No-Load Exercise, which enables a diesel generator’s regular monthly exercise to be run without load while avoiding any wet stacking. According to Kohler, this option can reduce GHG emissions by 40% per year compared to loaded cycles, while also delivering a 44% reduction in fuel consumption. A second option, the four-month Extended Exercise, will enable customers to perform the test every four months with no load, reducing total GHG emissions by 69% and fuel consumption by 71%, the company said.

Customers can choose the option that best suits their maintenance schedule and regulatory requirements. In addition, the Conscious Care maintenance program enables an operating method that reduces noise emissions and appearance of black smoke at cold start.

If the customer chooses to use HVO fuel (hydrotreated vegetable oil) in place of fossil fuel, the carbon footprint can be reduced by as much as 90% throughout the product’s life cycle, Kohler estimated, adding that all KD Series generators are compatible with HVO fuel.

In announcing the program, Charles Hunsucker, president, Power Systems, described Conscious Care as “another step in our journey to creating a Better Planet,” adding that it “gives tangible benefits to our mission-critical customers and demonstrates our support in their journeys toward more sustainable backup power solutions.”