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-   -   Why does my generator frequency fluctuate under load? (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=537748)

  • Dec 26, 2010, 10:34 AM
    mikekath
    Why does my generator frequency fluctuate under load?
    Generator frequency
  • Dec 26, 2010, 11:13 AM
    jcaron2
    As the load on the generator goes up, the mechanical force necessary to turn it increases as well. That means that the engine has to work harder, so it's speed may decrease slightly as it gets bogged down.

    If you mean that the frequency fluctuates up and down, it could be that your engine needs a tune-up. If it's a small gasoline-powered generator, it could be that the carburetor is a little bit clogged, so it can't supply quite enough fuel under a heavy load. You might consider running some carburetor cleaner through it. Otherwise, a small engine shop should be able to fix it no problem.
  • Dec 30, 2010, 02:50 AM
    mikekath
    Generator frequency fluctuating
    The generator for my inverter/charger for my house is running normally at around 230 volts.
    But the frequency fluctuates from about 20 to 90 Hz.
    I wonder could it be the condenser,or perhaps something else?
    Please help.I am afraid it may damage my Inverter/charger
    Thanks
    Mike
  • Dec 30, 2010, 02:58 AM
    mikekath
    Comment on jcaron2's post
    Thanks for your reply
    I think that I should have put more detail into my question.
    The motor is fine,and the output voltage is stable.But the output frequency fluctuates from about 20 to 90Hz.The normal being 50Hz. 230 volts.
  • Dec 30, 2010, 12:44 PM
    jcaron2
    Wow, that IS strange. On most generators the frequency is simply determined by the speed of the motor, so I just assumed that the motor must be revving up and down.

    How exactly are you measuring the frequency? The reason I ask is that, depending on what sort of instrument you're using, a distorted waveform (something other than a nice smooth sine wave) might "confuse" the frequency counter. An oscilloscope would be the best way to look at it, but most people don't have one of those just lying around. :) If you have any tools or appliances that use an AC induction motor (like a table saw, for example), you could try plugging that into the generator. The speed of an induction motor is determined mostly by the frequency of the power source, so if you're generator is truly fluctuating that much, you should observe a similar fluctuation in the speed of the induction motor. If the induction motor operates smoothly, it really may just be that generator's waveform is getting clipped or distorted (which wouldn't be unusual under load).
  • Aug 19, 2013, 02:35 PM
    alzion
    The generator makes heavy noice and under load it's output fluntuate. The generator type is TIGMAX and the model is TIG2500DXE. I would be happy if my question is attended to and I can overhaul it to give it a new piece of life. Thank you and God bless.

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