alt.energy.homepower

"Daniel Who Wants to Know" wrote in
message news:$@attbi_s22...
>I am helping do an engine swap on a 91 Caravan and we are using the
>generator to power lights. The problem seems to be that the gen really
>doesn't like inductive loads as it ran the fluorescent lights or a metal
>halide light separately but not both together. With both on the voltage
>drops and the lights just flash on and off while the engine just loafs with
>no signs of being bogged down at all. I need to know if I can use some of
>the motor run capacitors I have laying around to power factor correct the
>lights and make them all work at the same time. The total load should be
>about half of the 750 watts continuous that this one claims to supply. As
>a test I plugged in a small toaster oven and the engine bogged right down
>so I know the gen is capable of supplying good power.
>
Your symptoms are consistent with having more inductive load than the
alternator can handle. Inductive loads do not load the engine but can cause
the voltage to drop excessively. I would think the capacitors would permit
the system to work okay. Just try the smallest capacitor first, preferably
connected at the same time as the other loads, and increase if necessary.
Too much capacitance can raise the voltage too much and ideally you would
want the capacitor current to nearly equal the inductive part of the load
current.

Don Young