What is the difference between an air-cooled & a liquid-cooled generator?
Air-Cooled generators are smaller generator usually ranging between 6 & 20kW. These generator use “lawnmower” type engines. The expected lifespan of an air-cooled generator is 2000-3000 hours. Liquid-Cooled generators are larger generators ranging from 18 kilowatt to over 1 megawatt. Smaller Liquid cooled generators use automotive style engines with a typical lifespan of 6000 to 8000 hours. Larger Liquid cooled generators typically use truck engines running Natural Gas or Diesel. A typical lifespan for a diesel generator can exceed 20,000 hours. The largest generators in this class utilize locomotive engines powered by diesel or a combination of Natural gas & diesel otherwise known as “bi-fuel”.
