Generator voltage and amp calculations

[k9medic]

While sitting around waiting to be able to get back into my house in the Bahamas I’ve managed to frustrate myself thinking about voltage and amp calculations.

I have an 803a which peaks out at 53 amps. If I am correct, this is measured at line 1 or line 3 but they amperage is not combined.

IE 20 amps on L1 and L3 is only 20 amps, not 40 amps.

Each line produces 120v when I show 240v on the meter.

If this is a 10kw system how much power in watts am I pulling if each leg shows 20 amps? Is it 4800 watts?


What if I turned the voltage back to 220v? Could I pull more amps?


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[Scoobyshep]

If you are drawing 18 amps on L1 and 22 amps on L3 you are drawing 22 amps overall. The extra 4 amps are going to chassis.

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[Scoobyshep]

220 and 240 are the same thing. If you are not needing 3 phase (120/280) then keep it in single phase mode. In an ideal world the legs are balanced, any imbalance is wasted to ground.

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[nextalcupfan]

"If this is a 10kw system how much power in watts am I pulling if each leg shows 20 amps? Is it 4800 watts?"

Yes, keep in mind though this is rated at 10kw it can actually put out more continuously.
Gen is rated at 52 Amps, 52A x 240v = 12,480 Watts or 12.48kw.

"What if I turned the voltage back to 220v? Could I pull more amps?"

This is a little confusing but as I understand it for a resistive load (heater) less volts is ALSO less Amps because all the generator sees is the resistance of the heater coil.
For example a heater rated at 10kw @240v has 5.9 ohms of resistance (pulls 40.3A)
If you lower the voltage to 220v that same heater is putting out 8.134kw (pulling 36.975A).

Not 100% sure how inductive loads (motors) change with voltage but I think they will increase amps.[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

 

[Scoobyshep]

If your rating is 53 amps at 240 you can pull 53 amps at 240 or 53 amps 120 on l1 and 63 amps 120 on l3.

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[nextalcupfan]

If your rating is 53 amps at 240 you can pull 53 amps at 240 or 53 amps 120 on l1 and 63 amps 120 on l3.

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I don't think he can pull 63 amps on L3, did you mean 43 on L1 and 53 on L3?
You said yourself earlier the higher amperage is your total draw.

 

[Scoobyshep]

I don't think he can pull 63 amps on L3, did you mean 43 on L1 and 53 on L3?
You said yourself earlier the higher amperage is your total draw.

Yea. Thats a fat finger plus small keyboard thing


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