
By Alan M. Petrillo
Generators come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and types for use on fire apparatus, and generator manufacturers are using technology to bring their power-producing capabilities into the 21st century.
The assortment of generators available to fire departments for their rigs is wide, and where they are located on the vehicles varies according to need and vehicle size.
1 Harrison Hydra-Gen makes the Falcon MAS generator in 6-, 8-, and 10-kW models. (Photos 1-3 courtesy of Harrison Hydra-Gen.) |
Designed for the Truck
Paul Newton, marketing director for Harrison Hydra-Gen, says Harrison builds its generators around the fire truck type it is to go on, resulting in eight models of generators used in the fire service. “Our Falcon, Vulcan, and Stealth series are basically the same generator, but each has a different footprint to fit a different spot on a truck,” Newton says. “Falcon is the shortest of the three and can be turned sideways instead of going across the middle of the vehicle.” Falcon uses the Harrison designation of MAS and is available in 6-, 8-, and 10-kilowatt (kW) models.
“Vulcan is the low-profile generator we make, the LPG, that typically will be placed under an aerial ladder,” Newton says. “Stealth MCR is the opposite of the Falcon; instead of being square and low, it is thin and tall, aimed at an aerial customer that doesn’t have to worry about generator height but might only have a couple of feet between the aerial and the body for it. All three of these models have self-contained hydraulic systems.” Vulcan is available in 6-, 8- and 10-kW sizes, and Stealth is available in 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-kW versions.
2 The Patriot MPC generator made by Harrison Hydra-Gen is available in models ranging from 10 to 30 kW. |
Newton says that Harrison’s Stinger MSV “is designed as a smaller kW-rated unit in 3.6-, 4.8-, and 6.0-kW sizes with 15-, 20-, and 25-amp main breakers. Stinger is the smallest footprint generator in the industry and is optimized for LED lighting packages.”
Other models made by Harrison Hydra-Gen include the Modular Component Series (MCS) that is available in ratings from 3.6- to 30-kW; the Patriot MPC in 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, and 30-kW ratings; the Hornet NCM in 15- and 20-kW sizes; and the Avenger MDS in 6-, 8-, 10-, 12-, and 14-kW models.
3 The Stealth MCR generator made by Harrison Hydra-Gen is tall and thin, aimed at aerial customers that don’t need to worry about generator height. |
Modular Design
George Adams, vice president of sales at Smart Power, says his company makes three models of generators that are used in the fire service. “Our HR model is an open frame design of the kind of unit that Smart Power developed 20 years ago, but we took that design in the early 2000s and changed it to a modular design so it wasn’t as big and bulky as before,” Adams says. “We made it smaller in terms of length, width, and height. We only need about an inch of space around it to let cool air in and hot air out. It’s available in sizes from 6.2-kW up to 30-kW.”
Adams points out that the HR is designed so an original equipment manufacturer can mount various generator components in different locations on the vehicle and then connect them. “It allows the HR to be mounted on much smaller vehicles,” he says, “like the Ford F-550. And, it can be mounted either inside or outside of a compartment.”
4 Smart Power makes the HR model generator in sizes from 6.2 up to 30 kW, shown here installed on the top of a rig. (Photos 4-6 courtesy of Smart Power.) |
Smart Power also makes the Emergency Response (ER) model generator in 6-, 8-, and 10-kW sizes. The unit is stainless steel and can be mounted inside or outside a compartment, Adams notes. “It’s lower in height than our other models and often is mounted under a ladder on a midmount aerial or a tractor-drawn aerial,” he says. “We’ve even seen it tucked inside pump modules, under turntables, and outside the body of an aerial.”
Adams says Smart Power came out with the Liberator model generator in 2009 by changing the alternator to have a pass-through shaft with a male spline on it that sticks out of the end of the generator housing. “XRT Power Systems sends us a hydraulic pump with a female spline receiver that bolts onto the generator,” he says. “It’s a small pump that fits in the palm of your hand but will power any type of rescue tool. Having the pump on the end of the generator frees up a compartment for a fire department because it doesn’t need a separate hydraulic pump.”
5 This Smart Power ER generator is installed on the side of an aerial. The ER model comes in 6-, 8-, and 10-kW sizes. |
Adams says that Smart Power debuted its Multiplex Generator with an electronic control module at FDIC International 2017. “The generator runs on the J1939 CAN Bus system by having an extra pigtail that plugs into the vehicle’s multiplex system,” Adams says. “Every warning the generator might have will show up on the vehicle’s control screen as well as its maintenance information, which means the units just got smarter than before.”
Bob Hansen, owner of XRT Power Systems, says his company also sells a rescue pump and generator in a 5-kW size that fits on a Ford F-550 4×4 and can power two hydraulic rescue tools. “You don’t need to modify the vehicle for Live Drive by using our system,” he points out. “We also have put a 10-kW Smart Power Liberator on a Dodge chassis and powered three hydraulic rescue tools with it.”
6 Smart Power makes the Liberator generator, shown here installed on top of a rig, that includes an XRT Power Systems hydraulic pump on one end to give the unit the added ability to power hydraulic rescue systems. |
Hansen notes that the most popular Smart Power Liberator generators with the XRT hydraulic pump on them are 10-, 12-, and 14-kW generators. He says that XRT Power Systems also sells Westerbeke diesel generators that are used for idle-down technology by the U.S. Air Force in 20- and 26-kW sizes.
Self-Contained or Modular
Bob Fury, president of Fabco Power, says his family-owned business has been making generators for more than 50 years. “Our 12-kW generator is the most popular model we make that is used in the fire industry,” Fury points out. “That’s our Hydro 12KSC model, which is a self-contained system that has our patented Precision Power CPU system for controlling frequency and voltage.”
7 XRT Power Systems makes a 5-kW generator and hydraulic rescue pump combination that fits on smaller fire vehicles like Ford F-550 chassis. (Photos 7-8 courtesy of XRT Power Systems.) |
Fury notes that Fabco Power also makes the Hydro 14KSC (14-kW) and Hydro 20KSC (20-kW) models that have the same features as the Hydro 12KSC. Fabco’s range of generators runs from 8 kW to 20 kW, he adds, and are available in either self-contained or modular models. “We’ve found that with the advent of LED lighting, a lot of fire departments are going back to using smaller generators,” he says. “They can get the same lumens of light with a generator one-quarter the size.
ALAN M. PETRILLO is a Tucson, Arizona-based journalist, the author of three novels and five nonfiction books, and a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment editorial advisory board. He served 22 years with the Verdoy (NY) Fire Department, including in the position of chief.
8 This Westerbeke diesel generator by XRT Power Systems is used by the U.S. Air Force for idle-down applications on some of its vehicles. The unit is available in 20- and 26-kW sizes. |