When Elkhart, Ind-based Gillette Generators started using 3600 rpm Honda engines for its line of residential standby generator sets, it was faced with the prospect of also developing a new engine/generator controller to address specific control requirements of the new engine.
The Honda engine was posing a tricky situation when it came to detecting low oil conditions, according to Tedd Bailey, Gillette’s chief engineer. It seems that existing controllers that Gillette was using at the time were erroneously reporting low oil faults, something that could not be tolerated in a residential standby gen-set application.
The company had worked with DynaGen Technologies in the past on various gen-set control and transfer switch projects, and Gillette was again turning to DynaGen to help them with this particular controller challenge. The result was the development of Gillette’s GSC2 controller.
“Prior to the DynaGen controller we had several vendors supplying controllers but each seemed to be missing a different feature, so you had to make certain sacrifices in Choice A or Choice B, for example,” Bailey said. “DynaGen was very responsive in the prototype stage of this controller, making the changes necessary to adapt to the requirements of the Honda engine.
“I have a very strong sense of confidence in DynaGen’s products,” noted Bailey. “I trust their boards.”
The GSC2 controller is derived from DynaGen’s GSC 102 AutoStart engine controller. The GSC series is specifically designed for small generator applications, including portable, residential and light commercial. The unit features seven fixed controller settings, including crank disconnect, crank tries, crank/rest, underspeed and time delays. The controller is capable of sensing low battery voltage, low oil temperature and high engine temperature.
The controller is able to exert full control over the low oil process without sacrificing other functionality and without taking the Honda engine out of EPA compliance, Bailey noted.
“The Honda engine had control requirements that were somewhat nonstandard,” said Shane Samson, DynaGen’s chief engineer. “Another factor in the equation was keeping the product cost down, while maintaining a certain level of simplicity.
“Within a matter of two to three weeks we deployed a prototype to Gillette that met their functional requirements, and was also within their cost constraints,” Samson said.
Charlie Habic, Gillette’s vice president of sales and marketing, reflected, ”We like simplicity in our controllers, but we also value reliability. This controller is a slam dunk in reliability, so we’ve settled into the GSC2 for our home standby line.”
The Honda engines for these residential applications are natural gas-fired. “Once we completed the first implementation of this product, we were also able to add features, such as remote annunciation,” Bailey said. “It’s a very likable little unit and, over time, it has developed into a rather sophisticated controller.”