What voltage does your generator run at?
- Thread starter TomSeller
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TomSeller
Super Member
Yes, I think the idea is that loading it will slow it back towards 60Hz. I guess my Fluke 112 is accurate since it read my commercial power to be 59.998
Zerk
Veteran Member
Yes, I think the idea is that loading it will slow it back towards 60Hz. I guess my Fluke 112 is accurate since it read my commercial power to be 59.998
That is my guess to. The governor doesn't governor very well. Maybe that is typical off grid small stuff. But stuff I work with, even when islanded, is held to 59.99
OP
TomSeller
Super Member
And I think your budget is larger than mine at the homestead.
. However, it is nice hearing what "real" generators can do.
dadster4
Gold Member
OK...you win, yours is bigger than mine :drink:
Zerk
Veteran Member
And I think your budget is larger than mine at the homestead.
I am just curious if that is the typical governor on a home stand by unit. To me the governor should kick up the fuel to keep it at 60hz, and you shouldn't have to set it high. The problem I see, is loads vary. Your well kicks in, then turns off. Then again maybe it doesn't matter for most things. Electronics may need a UPS to clean the power.
A note on motors and power factor. An induction motor current draw is not linearly proportional to load. A light or no load, a motor can draw 40% of its FLA, but the PF will be low, typically about 0.4. As the load increases, the current creeps up and power factor goes up at the same time. At full load, the current will approximate the FLA rating, and the PF will approach 1.0 Older motors will run 0.85 to 0.89 for PF, while new "high efficiency" motors will be 0.92-0.95. While PF does not mean low efficiency, drawing high current at low loads results in higher resistive losses (I^2#R losses) in the windings. This results in heating due to these losses. However this efficiency loss is generally not a very big number. Adding PF correction capacitors, current is supplied to the motor (due to phase differences) and the result is lower current draw from the power line. They only reduce losses in wiring, transformers, etc which is a benefit to the utility infrastructure which would love a 1.0 PF.
Home energy saving devices are typically capacitors which help correct PF from a motor. But the savings to the homeowner is only some losses in the home wiring. A study a few years ago found that the savings to a homeowner was at best pennies per month.
One important note is that you only pay for watts of power, not Volt-Amperes. So a bad PF will not result in higher home energy costs.
paul
Home energy saving devices are typically capacitors which help correct PF from a motor. But the savings to the homeowner is only some losses in the home wiring. A study a few years ago found that the savings to a homeowner was at best pennies per month.
One important note is that you only pay for watts of power, not Volt-Amperes. So a bad PF will not result in higher home energy costs.
paul
Industrial Toys
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Most commercial (smaller) Onan Diesel sets are all set a bit high in the freq and come down to 60 when loaded. This is in no way bad, harmful, poor quality or lack of power. It is no big deal at all. The frequency is just a good reference point to see what the set is doing. To get very accurate speed, you need an electronic Governor, like provided by Governors of America.
Zerk
Veteran Member
Closer you are to PF of 1, closer VA=watts. I like the power trianlge to explain it. VA is hypotenuse, the long side.
For a heater, VA=watts, it is all resistance.