Patent ID: 8519565

Claim:
A control system for use with a plurality of generator sets configured to provide power to an external load, each generator set of the plurality of generator sets being associated with a delay time and configured to have an operational status of an online mode or an offline mode, the online mode being a mode in which the generator set provides power to the external load, the offline mode being a mode in which the generator set does not provide power to the external load, and the delay time being a measure of time the generator set takes before it triggers its operational status change after detecting a signal, the control system comprising: a plurality of cables electrically coupling the plurality of generator sets, the plurality of cables including: at least one load discrete signal cable, the load discrete signal cable being configured to transmit a signal that indicates that a load on a generator set in the online mode is outside a desired operating range; a ramping discrete signal cable, the ramping discrete signal cable being configured to transmit an inhibition signal that indicates an ongoing operational status change of a generator set of the plurality of generator sets; a switching device configured to selectively connect each generator set of the plurality of generator sets to the external load; and at least one control module connected to the switching device and the plurality of cables, the at least one control module being configured to: detect a signal on the at least one load discrete signal cable and trigger an operational status change on a triggered generator set in response to the detection, the triggered generator set being one of (a) each generator set operating in the online mode, or (b) each generator set operating in the offline mode; activate the switching device to implement the operational status change on a first generator set of the triggered generator set, the first generator set being a generator set having the lowest delay time; and generate the inhibition signal on the ramping discrete signal cable to inhibit other generator sets of the plurality of generator sets from changing their operational status during the operational status change of the first generator set.