Generator engine loading

Joined
Dec 16, 2009
Messages
131
Location
Rhode Island
When a 2 pole 120/240 permanent magnet generator is loaded down on one leg only versus two legs, what is the relation to the torque applied to the engine crankshaft? For example, if I load L1 to near full load, I can hear the engine bog down. Adding further load to L2 doesn't seem to make it bog any further. Is the engine seeing the same amount of load if I load L1 and leave L2 unloaded, as if I had both L1 and L2 at full load at the same time? Would I expect the same fuel consumption with a full load on L1 and no load on L2, as if I had a full load on both legs at the same time?

I know it is ideal to balance the load across L1 and L2. I'm just curious how the load on each leg effects the overall load the engine sees.
 
Load is load, watts are watts, joules are joules. If you’re powering something the generator has to be generating the power regardless of what winding or how.
 
The two windings are magnetically in parallel and electrically in series, with the midpoint the neutral wire.

It doesn't matter which one you apply load to.
 
I think you’re implying some sort of lopsided loading would cause a vibration or motion that could wear something funny…. I don’t think that’s likely over the amount of time thst s typical genset operates.

What does make a difference is inertia and base load. Taking some load off idle has some transient response. Incrementally more generally has less of a transient because of the inertia and fueling conditions.
 
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