
A rating plate on a machine carries information about its operational limits. The plate frequently contains the names of the machine and its manufacturer, so the rating plate is often called a
name plate
A nameplate identifies and displays a person or product's name. Nameplates are usually shaped as rectangles but are also seen in other shapes, sometimes taking on the shape of someone's written name. Nameplates primarily serve an informa ...
(hence the term "
nameplate capacity
Nameplate capacity, also known as the rated capacity, nominal capacity, installed capacity, or maximum effect, is the intended full-load sustained output of a facility such as a power station, " for a generator), although many devices carry separate nameplates and rating plates.
For an
electric machine
In electrical engineering, electric machine is a general term for machines using electromagnetic forces, such as electric motors, electric generators, and others. They are electromechanical energy converters: an electric motor converts electrici ...
, the
power rating
In electrical engineering and mechanical engineering, the power rating of equipment is the highest power input allowed to flow through particular equipment. According to the particular discipline, the term ''power'' may refer to electrical or ...
is the number on its rating plate and corresponds to a maximum
electric load
An electrical load is an electrical component or portion of a circuit that consumes (active) electric power, such as electrical appliances and lights inside the home. The term may also refer to the power consumed by a circuit. This is opposed t ...
it can carry. There is a distinction between the ''continuous rating'' (for generators, continuous maximum rating or CMR
), at which the machine can be operational without a time limit and short-term rating that can only be used for a specified amount of time.
Generators
A typical electrical generator rating plate contains the following parameters:
* ''power rating'' is specified in terms of
apparent power Apparent may refer to:
*Apparent magnitude, a measure of brightness of a celestial body as seen by an observer on Earth
* Apparent places, the actual coordinates of stars as seen from Earth
*Heir apparent, a person who is first in line of successi ...
(KVA or MVA), since the exact
power factor
In electrical engineering, the power factor of an AC power system is defined as the ratio of the '' real power'' absorbed by the load to the '' apparent power'' flowing in the circuit. Real power is the average of the instantaneous product of ...
will be determined by the external factors;
* ''power factor'' (PF) is the nominal power factor for other ratings; usually PF = 0.8;
* ''
insulation class'' (B, F, H) for the
primary coil. Typical value is F, although older generators might use class B;
* ''type of enclosure'' (
IP code
The IP code or ingress protection code indicates how well a device is protected against water and dust. It defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) under the international standard IEC 60529 which classifies and pro ...
);
* rated voltage can be either line to line ("
line voltage") or phase to neutral ("
phase voltage");
* rated current is derived from the rated power and voltage:
;
* ''
line frequency
The utility frequency, (power) line frequency (American English) or mains frequency (British English) is the nominal frequency of the oscillations of alternating current (AC) in a wide area synchronous grid transmitted from a power station to th ...
'' (50 Hz or 60 Hz) and
rotational speed
Rotational frequency (also known as rotational speed or rate of rotation) of an object rotating around an axis is the frequency of rotation of the object. Its unit is revolution per minute (rpm), cycle per second (cps), etc.
The symbol fo ...
of the
prime mover
Prime mover may refer to:
Philosophy
*Unmoved mover, a concept in Aristotle's writings
Engineering
* Prime mover (engine), motor, a machine that converts various other forms of energy (chemical, electrical, fluid pressure/flow, etc) into energy ...
in
RPM
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimension ...
;
* ''connection'' (
star or delta).
See also
*
Per-unit system In the power systems analysis field of electrical engineering, a per-unit system is the expression of system quantities as fractions of a defined base unit quantity. Calculations are simplified because quantities expressed as per-unit do not chang ...
References
Sources
*
Electric power systems components
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