5030
Epic Contributor
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2003
- Messages
- 24,625
- Location
- SE Michigan in the middle of nowhere
- Tractor
- Kubota M9000 HDCC3 M9000 HDC
A little clarification....
Chances are, if the power unit is diesel, the alternator head will be 4 pole simply because most diesels, with the exception of small, single cylinder ones like Hatz are designed to turn an optimum rpm of 1800 for fuel efficiency, torque rise and longevity....
Whereas, gasoline engines because of their design, are more efficient at a higher rpm, thus a 2 pole head and 3600 rpm.
Understand, an alternator (in a standby unit) don't need to turn 1800 or 3600 rpm to produce power. On the contrary. The alternator will produce useable power at a lower or higher RPM, it's just that the Hz (hertz) won't be 60 cycles.
...and it's not about horsepower when driving an alternator head, it's about torque because as the load increases, so does the resistance to rotation of the armature. Torque is the force necessary to overcome that resistance, not horsepower, which is why companies that build standby units dont blow about horsepower because horsepower means very little,
The exception would be a coupled alternator like a Winco where a gearbox increases the PTO speed from 540 to the required alternator armature speed, 1800 or 3600 as the case may be.
I won't get into inverter units because it will just muddy the water, suffice to say that an inverter unit capable of providing standby power in sufficient quantity to power a whole house or farm operation is out of the reach of most folks, me included.
Chances are, if the power unit is diesel, the alternator head will be 4 pole simply because most diesels, with the exception of small, single cylinder ones like Hatz are designed to turn an optimum rpm of 1800 for fuel efficiency, torque rise and longevity....
Whereas, gasoline engines because of their design, are more efficient at a higher rpm, thus a 2 pole head and 3600 rpm.
Understand, an alternator (in a standby unit) don't need to turn 1800 or 3600 rpm to produce power. On the contrary. The alternator will produce useable power at a lower or higher RPM, it's just that the Hz (hertz) won't be 60 cycles.
...and it's not about horsepower when driving an alternator head, it's about torque because as the load increases, so does the resistance to rotation of the armature. Torque is the force necessary to overcome that resistance, not horsepower, which is why companies that build standby units dont blow about horsepower because horsepower means very little,
The exception would be a coupled alternator like a Winco where a gearbox increases the PTO speed from 540 to the required alternator armature speed, 1800 or 3600 as the case may be.
I won't get into inverter units because it will just muddy the water, suffice to say that an inverter unit capable of providing standby power in sufficient quantity to power a whole house or farm operation is out of the reach of most folks, me included.