voltage revs variation petrol generator.

[Oshi]

Can anyone tell me why turning down the idle of a 1100 watt Ryobi 4 stroke petrol generator would allow a washing machines water pump to start working again.

The long story. I live off grid and at times use the generator for a LG direct drive washing machine.

I turned up my generator's idle expecting to increase the voltage output from 230 volts closer to the 240 volts that is recommended in Australia for electrical goods.

Some days later my wife noticed the washing machine still washing, was no longer pumping water, but would still spin if the drain hose was lowered to the ground. So I pulled out the pump, checked for blockage, wired it out off the machine, but it only spun sporadically.

I bought another generic 40 watt pump on eBay. Wired it in the machine and still nothing. Tried external pipes of water, wired it up separate from the machine and still nothing.

One last attempt was to turn the revs back down a bit and it worked.

Original pump is rated at 30 watts and works fine.

[goontron]

Re: voltage revs variation petrol generator.

RPM operates frequency, not voltage. You would need to modify the voltage regulation circuitry. I would imagine that pump wasn't meant to run at 132hz...

[Oshi]

Re: voltage revs variation petrol generator.

RPM operates frequency, not voltage. You would need to modify the voltage regulation circuitry. I would imagine that pump wasn't meant to run at 132hz...

Cheers goontron

[petehall347]

Re: voltage revs variation petrol generator.

yes set generator by frequency not voltage . but of course check voltage at same time.

[Oshi]

Re: voltage revs variation petrol generator.

yes set generator by frequency not voltage . but of course check voltage at same time.

Thanks Pete also.

It is all mystery to me so I googled up petrol generator regulators.

I took a I look at the regulator circuit box.
So then I went to my fleet of old discarded, smokey ,noisy, gennys of the same design to see if I could find a another regulator box but was surprised that they did not seem to have them?
I started one of the clunkers and found it was giving out 248volts.

The washing machine pump works after turning down the revs to get back to the original frequency and at 230 volts so I pretty much happy about it all.

[goontron]

Re: voltage revs variation petrol generator.

One trap for new players. Higher-end and diesel generators generally are 1500RPM (1800RPM for 60hz), while homegamer gassers (petrol-ers?) are 3000RPM. (Not 3600RPM, of 60hz mode Goontron) Looking in the service book, its the second.

[Oshi]

Re: voltage revs variation petrol generator.

One trap for new players. Higher-end and diesel generators generally are 1500RPM (1800RPM for 60hz), while homegamer gassers (petrol-ers?) are 3000RPM. (Not 3600RPM, of 60hz mode Goontron) Looking in the service book, its the second.

So you're saying I should find the 3,000RPM mark for a two pole motor giving 50hz?
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/s...eed-d_649.html

[eccerr0r]

Re: voltage revs variation petrol generator.

Or you can get the true sine wave generators that electronically regulates like solar panels, and the actual RPM of the motor doesn't matter... though these tend to be a bit spendy compared to the direct generator output generators which tend to regulate via a mechanical governor.

Technically you can retrofit a mechanical governor generator to a true sine one with a high current charger, battery or large capacitor, and a true sine wave inverter... No voltage or frequency problems as long as the generator (and/or battery/capacitor holdover) supplies enough power for the load.

[goontron]

Re: voltage revs variation petrol generator.

So you're saying I should find the 3,000RPM mark for a two pole motor giving 50hz?
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/s...eed-d_649.html

You could peg it up to 3600RPM and see what happens. Some devices use the mains power frequency as a timesource, but ive not seen that in anything modern since crystal oscillators became so cheap.

Maybe a $3 alarm clock from Asda/Walmart and old mechanical timers, but anything microcontroller powered probably doesn't care if the mains is 60hz. I do have some old UK tube equipment running on America's odd split-phase, center tap ground-bonded oddity. It works OK. Motors will run faster and transformers cooler, but other than that…?

[eccerr0r]

Re: voltage revs variation petrol generator.

increasing RPM will also increase voltage for the direct generator ones, so watch out.

[goontron]

Re: voltage revs variation petrol generator.

^ Most ive seen have controllers that vary output voltage by varying the armature voltage. Then again, high end vs home-gamer. You could be right about that.. Best to do unloaded anyway so you don't fry anything.

[eccerr0r]

Re: voltage revs variation petrol generator.

High end ones should not change frequency depending on engine RPM, either...

[goontron]

Re: voltage revs variation petrol generator.

^ High end 30 years ago, do.

These days "high end" is inverter crap.

[eccerr0r]

Re: voltage revs variation petrol generator.

I'd say the inverter "crap" is pretty good... it's the same technology as solar cell inverters and are quite efficient nowadays, just costs money.

I'd even venture that inverters are the BEST solution because now there's a possibility of hooking them up in parallel - whether it be for grid tie or just needing more power than a single generator can supply. And having a bank of these parallel tie capable generators, you can stop and start them as needed when you need more power or need to take one down for maintenance or refueling without a "blackout".

Old generators... and ones that don't have grid tie/parallel capability tend to self immolate if you hook them up in parallel.

[goontron]

Re: voltage revs variation petrol generator.

just costs money.

And wipe out the AM band...

[eccerr0r]

Re: voltage revs variation petrol generator.

And wipe out the AM band...

no more than a typical SMPS... which basically is what it is...

[goontron]

Re: voltage revs variation petrol generator.

^ Ill stick with the RF quite design. Thanks.

[llonen]

Re: voltage revs variation petrol generator.

I repair quite a few of these unbranded 3000 watt Chinese clones for a Landscape gardening client, the the regulator goes bad they can produce up-to and higher that 300 volts or zero volts depending upon the fault. The auto voltage regulator (AVR) for the generator sets I see tend to be built into the alternator and as mentioned work by varying the armature voltage.

They tend to look like the below, there is usually an adjustment for voltage (trim pot).

[eccerr0r]

Re: voltage revs variation petrol generator.

sometimes I wish I can add a big heavy flywheel to my generator...
alas it would make it not so portable and harder to start...

[petehall347]

Re: voltage revs variation petrol generator.

I repair quite a few of these unbranded 3000 watt Chinese clones for a Landscape gardening client, the the regulator goes bad they can produce up-to and higher that 300 volts or zero volts depending upon the fault. The auto voltage regulator (AVR) for the generator sets I see tend to be built into the alternator and as mentioned work by varying the armature voltage.

They tend to look like the below, there is usually an adjustment for voltage (trim pot).

ones i have done the trimpot is for over-current cut out . i set a diesel one up with the customer there and he shouted look at the black smoke from exhaust . i said lets let it run for a while flat out to clear it . it did of course clear it . plenty of black soot and sparks came out of that thing .