Protecting Electrical Generators

Please ignore my comments, if my understanding of your post is flawed.Your mention of Faraday cage, suggests that you have portable gen sets. Now, what makes you think of EMP? Yes, Faraday cages give protection against EMP, if grounded effectively. Your idea of operating gen sets, below ground for better protection, is not done, since the subject gen sets, normally are air cooled.

Faraday cages don't need to be grounded; they will work just as well in outer space.

Wrap very tightly in aluminum foil whatever you want to protect from the EMP spike.

Please engage brain before typing. Your responses this morning are without any logical thought.

Do you wear an aluminum foil hat, by chance?

To Rob johnson:

I'm with kramarat here.

Please review this thread, Pneumatic Starter for Diesel Engine, we've gone over this already. No need to rehash.

Faraday cage will protect them fine - as long as you don't have any (electrical) inputs or outputs. Which unfortunately kinda limits their use.

I'd just ground the frame, if anything. I haven't heard many stories about generators getting fried by EMPs.

There are lots of simple solutions on the web, but they won't work if your generators are plugged up to anything outside the cage.

http://preparednesspro.wordpress.com/2009/06/18/emp-101-part-iv-faraday-cage/

Where are you living that has frequent issues with EMP discharges large enough to damage portable generators or other such equipment?

How about storing them in a disused mine until needed?

Are you concerned about atomic warfare that is about to happen?

After the EMP pulse and all the other hazards, I doubt you will care any more about your DG working.

One cage is a good as three. If you have the generators below ground, the earth will act as a Faraday cage to a great degree. Decide how you will keep them cool, then use the less expensive method. You will need line filters in either case to keep RF out of the cage/room generators. Line filters may be the only thing you need.

In my client Hospitals we installed SPDs in our generators MDPs after we experienced several busted Synchronizing Electronic units and relays. But we had to weigh the cost and benefits since SPDs are little bit expensive.