I’ve been playing with a new toy. A 3kw surplus gen set. Has a very cool little 4cly. 32cu inch air-cooled motor. Seems very good except the meter that registers % load doesn’t seem to be working. I was running a ½hp. grinder, a belt sander, a palm sander and an electric drill without it registering anything. The genset bogged a little when I plugged everything in too start that ½ hp. grinder and the gauge still didn’t register anything, although the hertz dipped when the engine bogged for a sec.
Anyway this puts out 110/220 - 60 hertz in single phase and 3 phase. I’m trying to understand the difference between the single and 3 phase, and everything I’ve read is not clear. My intent is to use this with an inverter charger, battery backup setup with about 850w of solar panels. I’ll run the genset a little in the morning and in the evening to top off the batteries if the grid is down.
Will I use the 3 phase to go to the inverter charger and still have the single phase plugs operable?

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89 300E
79 240D
72 Westy
63 Bug sunroof
85 Jeep CJ7
86 Chevy 6.2l diesel PU

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
Marcus Aurelius

You normally would not use 3 phase with any household appliances. It's typically used in heavy duty motors that can take advantage of the 3 phase. Instead of a single AC waveform, there are three AC waveforms, spaced 120 degrees out of phase from each other. The device (typically a motor) needs to be wired to accept three phase current.

As best as I can determine from your description of what you wish to do, you will be dealing with single phase for all of the devices that you mentioned.

Thanks - I'm just not up on all of thid yet. Seems like if I don't distribute with the 3 phase, and then tap each phase I'm loseing 2/3 of the generators ability. Dumb I know, but this is day 1 of my learning curve. Gotta go I've been called to brunch

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89 300E
79 240D
72 Westy
63 Bug sunroof
85 Jeep CJ7
86 Chevy 6.2l diesel PU

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
Marcus Aurelius

three phase electricity is my nemisis, well that and thermo dynamics but I think I can safely say you won't be losing or not taking advantage of any generated electricity. single phase you will generate a certain number of amps of electricty, across three phases you will generate less amps per phase but about the same net. There will be generating efficiencies that come into this that will create the difference between the two principals and I'd have to estimate that 3 phase is more efficient which is probably why it is used in industrial applications nearly exclusively. Either that or it has to do with the resrictions of conductor size for higher amperage loads. I could pull out my old texts, but I don't think I will understand much more of them now than I did 15 years ago.

This forum might have someone to help you:
http://www.blue-room.org.uk/lofiversion/index.php/t6943.html
Good luck... sounds interesting.

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-Marty

1986 300E 220,000 miles+ transmission impossible
(Now waiting under a bridge in order to become one)

Reading your M103 duty cycle:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showpost.php?p=831799&postcount=13
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showpost.php?p=831807&postcount=14

Yes there are 4 lugs on the side for hooking up the three phase. The single phase is distributed through two regular plugs. I'll have an electrician over next week to wire everything up. I'm just trying to understand the reason for needing all the flexability.
This unit is a real study in military overdesign. They paid $4500 for this in 82. The genset is mounted on a cast aluminum frame that floats via large rubber shocks inside another skid mounted frame that all weighs about 300 lbs. The 3kw rating is wildly understated unless your on top of Mt. Everest, and it has all of 14hrs. on the clock.
I've ordered reprints of all the manuals, so maybe that will make it all come togeather.

__________________
89 300E
79 240D
72 Westy
63 Bug sunroof
85 Jeep CJ7
86 Chevy 6.2l diesel PU

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
Marcus Aurelius

The voltage available from each phase to ground is 120 and from phase to phase is 240.

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Regards

Warren

Currently 1965 220Sb, 2002 FORD Crown Vic Police Interceptor

Had 1965 220SEb, 1967 230S, 280SE 4.5, 300SE (W126), 420SEL

ENTER > = (HP RPN)

Not part of the in-crowd since 1952.

I seem to remember 208 volts across two of the legs on a three phase.

But, it was a long time ago..........................

Warren, that's only on single phase.

Look around on eBay and other places where used stuff is sold and you will find GREAT deals on 3-phase equipment - lathes, compressors, etc. It's a buyer's market because there is such a small demand for used 3-phase stuff. I don't know whether 3 KW is enough power to run anything like that, but you should look around and see what you can find.

Just be careful that it is not 460/3/60.

I'm thinking of standard 3 phase AC systems where each pahse is 120 degrees from the next one, such as:

http://www.tpub.com/content/doe/h1011v3/css/h1011v3_84.htm

http://www.tpub.com/content/doe/h1011v3/css/h1011v3_85.htm

and there are usually 2 phases coming into a home.

BTW, voltages have increased over the years, up from 110 and 117 to 120. That's one reason why older tube equipment must be carefully checked to make sure the capacitor voltages are not exceeded when used with 120 volt power as opposed to yesterdays 110 volt power.

A Dogpile search turned up these references.

http://www.dogpile.com/info.dogpl/search/web/3%2Bphase%2Bac/1/-/1/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/417/top

__________________
Regards

Warren

Currently 1965 220Sb, 2002 FORD Crown Vic Police Interceptor

Had 1965 220SEb, 1967 230S, 280SE 4.5, 300SE (W126), 420SEL

ENTER > = (HP RPN)

Not part of the in-crowd since 1952.

I've always been confused on this issue. An engineer explained it once but, I forgot the answer.

The 120 single phase that comes into the house are two single phase lines. However they are 180 degrees out of phase. This is referred to as single phase, but, I never understood how the power company managed to send two lines into a home that are 180 degrees out of phase. If you measure across the two lines, you get 240V. Any one line to the neutral is 120V.

So, the electrical engineer needs to speak up, again.

I stand corrected.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/hsehld.html

__________________
Regards

Warren

Currently 1965 220Sb, 2002 FORD Crown Vic Police Interceptor

Had 1965 220SEb, 1967 230S, 280SE 4.5, 300SE (W126), 420SEL

ENTER > = (HP RPN)

Not part of the in-crowd since 1952.

There are two different 3 phase systems in use in the US today: delta and Wye. Make the distinction between the two or be lost forever.

Two common '220V' three-phase systems:

208Y/120V. The windings are connected in a 'wye' or 'star' configuration. Phase-phase voltage is 208V, and any phase-neutral is 120V.

240/120V. The windings are in connected in a 'delta' configuration. One winding (usually A-C) is center-tapped and grounded.

Phase-phase is 240V. A and C to neutral voltages are 120V. B to neutral is EDIT: 208V. This system is also known as 'red-leg', or 'high-leg' since the one phase is a higher voltage to ground.

Either system can accept 3-phase load.

The 208Y/120V can accept 1-phase load on any phase, A, B or C.

The 240/120V system can accept 1-phase load only one phase.

Check for a namplate and wiring diagram on the alternator!

Best Regards,
Jim