How Does a Generator Work
Explained In Layman’s Terms
By The Generator Pros

How Does a Generator Work? Ever asked a question and after having received the answer you walked away scratching your head wondering what he or she just said? When most people ask questions about generators, they want straight easy to understand answers. In this session, I won’t waste your time explaining electromagnetic scientific theory. Neither will I delve into the discoveries made by British scientist Michael Faraday and American scientist Joseph Henry. What I will share with you (in layman’s terms) is how generators work. 

How Does a Generator Work?
The answer to that question starts with, “It depends!” It depends on the type of generator you’re speaking about. There are numerous types of generators. There are: Propane Generators, Diesel Generators, Wind Generators, Gas Generators, Natural Gas Generators and even Bio-Fuel Generators. Of course, there are probably some sources of generator power that I’ve missed. For example, I have a friend who is an engineer, inventor and perpetual tinker guru. He invented a magnetic gizmo generator that has been providing the electricity for his house for three years now. He’s been off the grid, for over 38 months and counting. As they say, “brilliant!” I can’t wait until he decides to release this invention to the public at large. Just think, no more monthly electric bills! Can you say, “Yippee ki yea!” Ok, let’s get back to answering your question, “How does a generator work?”

Just Think of a Generator As Electricity In Reverse, Huh?
Picture yourself plugging the cord of a fan into a 120 volt AC power outlet and then you hit the “On” button and bod-a-bing, you’ve got a nice breeze of air blowing on you from the fan. That electric motor in the fan is put to work due to the electricity causing it to turn. In a nutshell, the electricity comes from your electrical utility company, into your house and then directly to the outlet that you’re plugged into and that electricity gets the fan going or whatever “Thing a Ma Jig” you’ve plugged into the outlet.

Generators that produce electricity operate on that same principle, just in reverse! Since I used a fan as an example, I’m going to spin things around and use a Wind Generator to explain this principle. This time we’re going to take the same fan and place it outside, not to provide a breeze, but to receive a breeze. As the wind blows, the blades on the fan turn. Attached to the blades is a shaft that goes into an electric generator motor. As this shaft attached to the motor turns, it produces electricity. Depending on the size of the generator, it may have just enough power to accommodate a small electric saw. Or, it can produce enough power to light up an entire hospital!

Your question was, “How does a generator work?” Well there’s your answer; in it’s simplistic form. If you want to get more technical questions answered such as, “What is the principle of electromagnetic induction? How does a generator convert mechanical energy into electrical energy?” Search the generator megasite, Findgenerators.net