DISCLAIMER: Please forgive me for this, and future, nooblet questions.
When you have a generator powered by a normal combustion engine, what happens to the electricity as the engine is revved up? Does the generator produce more amps/volts/watts?
Thanks,
Michael
[QUOTE=mnewcomb;3525]DISCLAIMER: Please forgive me for this, and future, nooblet questions.
When you have a generator powered by a normal combustion engine, what happens to the electricity as the engine is revved up? Does the generator produce more amps/volts/watts?
Thanks,
Michael[/QUOTE]
Thats a good question… So you’re saying, when you have your generator on - but nothing plugged in - what happens to that energy?
Theres not batteries or caps … are there?
[QUOTE=PATZKE;3527]Thats a good question… So you’re saying, when you have your generator on - but nothing plugged in - what happens to that energy?
Theres not batteries or caps … are there?[/QUOTE]
There would be batteries, but more specifically:
I’m interested in using a combustion engine built from the ground up to run at a constant speed so I can build the engine to be extremely efficient at one primary rpm/load level.
But, if I wanted maximum power from the generator, fast charge mode for instance, where I didn’t care about efficiency, just raw power, what kind of electrical issues have to be dealt with?
I mean, hopefully a faster spinning generator means more power, but what does ‘more power’ mean? The batteries can draw more to charge faster? Is it the same voltage, just more current?
Thanks again!
RPM=More volts… Torque=More amps…
One thing is, you’ll need a very large generator. If you have a car, running 200Wh/mile, and go for 30 miles, thats 6000w. Take into account inefficiencies, power conversion from the generator… and the extra weight, you’d need closer to 10,000w generator, just to keep it going. Its possible, but large.
[QUOTE=mnewcomb;3528]There would be batteries, but more specifically:
I’m interested in using a combustion engine built from the ground up to run at a constant speed so I can build the engine to be extremely efficient at one primary rpm/load level.
But, if I wanted maximum power from the generator, fast charge mode for instance, where I didn’t care about efficiency, just raw power, what kind of electrical issues have to be dealt with?
I mean, hopefully a faster spinning generator means more power, but what does ‘more power’ mean? The batteries can draw more to charge faster? Is it the same voltage, just more current?
Thanks again![/QUOTE]
It depeneds on what kind of generator your talking about. If it is a standard AC generator you don’t rev them up. They run at a constant speed to maintain frequency and can make full load at that rpm. Alternators on cars make more power with an increase in rpm to a point. Their voltage regulator really determines ouput.
Your describing a commercially available HONDA Generator
Most AC generators run at a constant 3600 rpm to provide 60 hertz C.voltage. As current (load) increases the generator develops more torque to maintain 3600 rpm 60 hertz voltage.
The constant frequency generators run only as fast as required to provide the 60 Hertz voltage at what ever load is required, To do this expensive electronics convert the DC output of the generator to 60 Hertz AC. In these units RPM increases with current load. (example Honda 2000)
These units are popular with Camper and RV people.
Rodney.