Reactive Generator Research for everyone to share

[hartiberlin]

Hi Tim,
here is the modified circuit diagram
you can try.

Be sure to see exactly where your Neutral line is from your Mains Grid
and use there the 1 Ohm or 10 Ohm Shunt to measure the current.
If you mix this up you will blow your scope heads and maybe your Scope !!

So better do it with also another isolating transformer to begin with
as it will isolate the ground versus your circuit and then some errors
will not cause a short circuit to grid ground.

if you can, please also show the power factor together with the input Watts on your
digital Wattmeter.

Many thanks.

Regards, Stefan.

[tim123]

Hi Stefan
  Thanks for the diagram. So you just want to see the effect the circuit has on the incoming supply... I get it. I'll have to order a shunt today...

Unfortunately, my wattmeter will not show PF & Watts simultaneously...

I have some 60w, and maybe a 40w bulb too... Will play around with them later...

Regards
Tim

[hartiberlin]

Hi Tim,
you can also use several higher resistances, e.g. 10 x 100 Ohm resistors in parallel to get a 10 Ohm shunt.
Just be creative.
If the shunt resistor is 0.1 or 1 Ohm or 10 Ohm does not play such an importan role,
you only need to change the multilplication factor in your calculation then to see the right input amps.

1 Ohm is surely the easiest, as you have a multiplication forcator of 1 so the value does not change in
the calculation and is easiest to see the right current without needing to calculate in a multiplication factor...

Surely the shunt resistor should be at least 10 to 20 times smaller than the coil impedance of your variac then
to not introduce too much error...

Hope this helps.

Regards, Stefan.

[tim123]

Hi Stefan, I've ordered a proper 5A, and a 10A shunt. They weren't expensive. It's always worth getting decent equipment...

Luc, perhaps you could tell us the specs of your motor? Is it fixed speed / brushed or induction / split phase or caps...? What's it's power rating?

It would be interesting to know the specs for the generator too...

Regards
Tim

[tim123]

Hi Guys, I'd like to just talk about what 'reactive' power is exactly...

Attached is a diagram of a parallel tank-circuit. This, I think, is the clearest example of what reactive power is, but I'd be grateful if more knowledgable members would comment / correct.

On the left we have the AC input - which is real, in-phase power, but of a small amount.

On the right, after the tank, we have AC 'output' which is fully out-of phase 'imaginary' power, where the voltage and current are both amplified by the 'Q Factor' of the coil.

So if the 'Q' is 100 - there's 100 x more 'reactive power' circulating in the tank, than there is going into it.

But, you can't use that power - because it's out of phase etc...

Does that just about sum it up?

Regards, Tim