An engine turning an alternator — a separate source that must never touch the supply network.
An engine turning an alternator — a separate source that must never touch the supply network.
Defined in the glossary — each one opens at its own entry.
Back-feeding a generator into an installation that is still connected to the network can kill a linesman on the street, so a generator must be interlocked with the supply — a changeover switch or a mechanically interlocked breaker, never a lead plugged into a socket. It also needs its own earthing arrangement: a portable set is a separate source, not an extension of the building's earth.
Set Portable Generator Set into a live circuit, inject a fault, and watch the protection respond — all in your browser.