Glossary of Diesel & Power Industry Terms

An introductory list and definitions of common terms related to diesel engines, generators, electricity and power generation:

A

Alternating Current (AC): Current flowing from zero to a positive maximum and then back to zero, flows down again to a negative maximum to return back to zero.

Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR): A solid-state electronic device that automatically regulates the generator’s output voltage by controlling the excitation current.

B

Blackout: Sudden disruption of electrical power.

C

Contactor: An electromechanical switch used in control circuits.

Current: The flow of electrically charged particles.

D

Direct Current (DC): Current produced by a storage battery or electromagnetic induction, with a unidirectional flow.

Diesel Engine: An internal combustion engine in which fuel oil is burnt by heat produced from air compression.

G

Governor: A device used to automatically control the speed of an engine.

M

MPU (Magnetic Pickup): A speed sensor that generates an AC signal proportional to engine speed.

P

Power Factor: The ratio of real power flowing to the load to the apparent power in the circuit.

R

Reactive Power: Power used for the exchange of electric and magnetic fields in the circuit, expressed in Kvar.

Rectifier: A device that converts alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC).

S

Solenoid Valve: An electromechanically operated valve controlled by an electric current through a solenoid.

Speed Governor: An electronic control unit that regulates engine speed by controlling the fuel actuator.