Skip to main content
 

Pushing the boundaries with versatile alternator, the DIG130.

The AvK brand is being pushed to new boundaries with the DIG130 as we prepare to reveal the powerful alternator in America for the first time at the POWER-GEN trade show (Las Vegas, 5-7th Dec).

First produced in Germany in the 1990s and now manufactured in our Craiova factory since 2003, the DIG130 has always been a suitable machine for the biggest European OEM's †' growing from AvK's history of supplying medium-high voltage industrial gen sets world wide

And now, as the demand from other regions increases, AvK machines are heading to new shores to help customers optimise their power performance.

The DIG130 covers a wide range of applications from the most simple and standard designs to the demanding operating conditions.

Building bespoke alternators with AvK

The DIG130, with a voltage range 3300 ' 13800v, exudes one of the key characteristics of AvK alternators in being incredibly versatile and able to perform in almost any customer application.

With flexible options for; bearings, cooling options, feet adaptability, terminal box location and other customisations, the DIG130 can be utilised in a number of applications like grid code, prime power and oil and gas.

AvK Sales General Manager, Cristian Rila, explains how the company's experience in the field and bespoke testing practices help develop partnerships with customers in order to develop the best product tailored to their needs:

'We understand the situations where our design expertise meets the market or the application requirement and others where the business case simply doesn't make sense. Sometimes to make the gen set work it would cost so much that nobody's willing to pay for.

'We're going into joint developments with our customers. We design the products specifically for that application so that we understand exactly what that application is and then we test and validate it in the field †for many operation hours.

'We build validation units and we go in there with the customer and perform the installation quality assessment. Our specialists check the operational conditions and make sure the alternator is performing in a way it is supposed to.

'That gives us the confidence our products are suitable for that application operation and they're fully compliant to what we prepare them to be. We have got the design expertise and long lasting successful operating fleet to stand for our quality and durability'

Harsh environments require robust designs

Often AvK machines are deployed in harsh or arduous environments where standard connections to power grids are not available and off-the-shelf power generation sets cannot handle the unique conditions of operation.

Like the rest of the AvK range, the DIG130 can also be produced dependent on the requirements of the individual customer:

'The application operating conditions need to be known at the time you commit to sell in those environments because the operating conditions dictate the design and the manufacture of the product,' Rila explains, 'Generally our design expertise can provide products for severe or harsh environments like -40 degrees and beyond for storage and operations.

'Applications like oil and gas need a robust design due to the contamination and humidity and other factors that will impact the life and performance of the machine. We've been working for a long time with our customers and end users to come up with solutions that are suitable for those environments.'

AvK alternators UL certified and grid code compliant

One of the biggest emerging markets for the DIG130 is the grid code sector which comes with its own unique compliance regulations. Unlike individual applications where the user only needs to ensure their alternator complies with their gen set, a grid code compliant machine must be able to plug into the main network and ensure smooth operation.

As well as achieving a grid code compliance, AvK experienced one of its most significant developments with the announcement that the entire range of alternators secured certification from UL (Underwriters Laboratories Inc.) enabling OEMs to integrate them pre-approved into their generator sets.

Rila outlines the importance of achieving grid code compliance and UL certification, especially in opening up potential new markets for the AvK range:

'The UL certification is the latest development and we're the first to the market as well. With certification for medium and high voltage products that is the most significant development in the past 3-5 years.

'In some of our applications in Europe for prime power you're not able to procure products if you're not grid code compatible. Our alternators, in combination with the customer's engines, are able to provide a certified set for those obligations.

'It's a long process and it's an ongoing development to be able to offer that solution to the market. We were first to the market with a product compatible for grid codes with the DIG130 and now our product is well embedded with the main engine manufacturers applicable to power plants.'

Delivering more power through AvK

Although the current DIG range has been in production for over 25 years, there's no resting on the laurels for AvK as more enhancements are in the pipeline for optimising performance across the range:

'As part of our continuous product development and our new product introduction plans we are looking at introducing the CoreCoolingTM technology and power density to our range. We're going to take that forward with our product development.' Rila revealed, 'We're trying to improve the design to make it easier to service in the field but also able to deliver more power to the end user, or extended life, depending which way they want to play it. We will standardise across the range in such a way that we will be quick to market and cost effective, so we will continue to be first choice for our customers'

Find the full specifications of the DIG130 and download the product manuals, leaflets or datasheets on the DIG130 product page.