Running directly from the grid

Australia power supplies at 230V and on 50hrtz. If are using the above recommended motors and are on 60 hrtz and running from a 110V grid then you will have no troubles using the two terminals of the prime mover into the power socket. If not You may use step down transformer 230V to 120V in order to run in RV mode. A Variac (variable transformer) you can set any voltage you want. From 230V to 270V till 0V. So you have another parameter to play with other then capacitor tuning. Capacitor is also parameter because you can change what ever value you need by switching on & off (capacitor bank).

 

If you want run RV using fixed transformer 230V to 120V with high watt rated, no problem at all. A Variac (variable transformer) is to replace normal step down transformer. You don't have to buy normal transformer if you use a variac. The primary input will be 230V (house power). The secondary you can set between 0V to 270V. So 120V is in between that range and you can set it.

 

To set desired voltage, just need to turn the knob on top of the variac. It's very simple.If you plan to buy variac, just ask the electric shopkeeper as below:

 

Item : Variable Transformer

Phase : Single phase

KVA : 5KVA or 7KVA.

Amp : above 20 amp

 

Sample picture of variac :

http://www.elect-spec.com/variac.htm?tchxpo

http://www.stacoenergy.com/pdf/updated/cordandplug.pdf

 

for the capacitor switches regarding making capacitor banks, 

If you plan to buy on off switch, just ask the electric shopkeeper as below:

 

Item : On & Off switch

Amp : 20 to 30 amp

Voltage : 230V

Terminal (legs) : 2

 

Sample picture of on off switch :

http://asia.electrocomponents.com/largeimages/C354299-01.jpg

Tuning the alternator for radiant energy

You must wire the alt motor for 220vac and resonate it with the as shown in alternator cap arrangement picture here . You adjust the caps so the alt is resonating at about 220vac, then you should have radiant energy . According to hector you then take a magnet and place it near the alt ,LC it should vibrate in your hand giving you the confirmation. An explanation of such phenomena is touched on here, but more detail is available in the first e-book of this series entitled RV laymen’s theory.

Advice is for the first timer trying this is to put a 15a fuse (as a precaution) in series with the alt motor resonant cap. In an example of this arrangement an alternator was resonating at 220vac, the current was between  10 and 11 amps.

A simple example

You've got two motors coupled shaft to shaft. PM is 3500 and alternator-to-be is 1725. wire your alternator-to-be for 240v (480 is easier but you might blow your caps) and hook an oil capacitor (try 10 mfd-- 2 20mfd caps in series to be safe -- to start) between two legs. Put a wire nut on the other leg. it won't be used initially. Then start up the RV PM(prime mover). Pretty shortly, you should hear a hum of rising volume. If you play with the capacitance on the alternator, you should be able to hear a different hum and possibly load down the PM below slip (be ready to pull the plug if it slows way down) Once you have tuned to the most intense hum, put your clamp meter around one of the motor to cap leads. You should be able to measure a considerable amount of current "circulating" between the motor coils and the capacitor. You should also put a voltage meter across the two cap leads and from one cap lead to the wire-nutted unused motor lead record these voltages for future reference --should be well over 200V. Right now, your alternator is not doing any work except magnetizing the rotor and possibly generating some heat. But you are getting the alternator to generate voltage and "imaginary" current. And you should see some increased current draw -- or at least changed current draw on the PM side. The only problem you might have is the fact that you are driving your alternator at twice its synchronous speed. It will put out higher volts, start generating more quickly, and require more torque from the PM then if it were running at its design speed. Therefore, you may not hear a rising hum as it starts generating --it might start generating before the PM gets up to full speed. And it may put too much of a load on the PM to even get up to speed. And it's possible that it might generate close to 480V even though its hooked up as 240 (since it's being driven twice as fast) so you might blow a cap if it's not rated for that much voltage. (blowing a cap is not dangerous -- they have fuses inside that melt and the cap just quits working) Once you know what voltages and current your alternator "accepts" we can talk about the best load suited.

on the PM (prime mover) you are dealing with a parallel resonance and are tuning for PF=1 and minimal input current draw. on the alt motor you are tuning for a series resonance and will have to monitor the current circulating & voltage across the resonant loop. To get the alt motor to generate power you will need to put a cap across two of the motor leads. Use a cap box so you can adjust the resonance.

As you increase the cap value the resonant current and voltage will rise. So you need to make sure you don’t exceed the motors output voltage spec as well as it max current spec. If you go over the spec values you might see the motor core saturate and the sine peaks flatten.. the author as stated in the beginning recommends the use of a fuse in series when tuning. when you try to load the alt directly you will detune the resonance and have to adjust the capacitance to get it back up to VA.

For a load the author used a couple of 100w light bulbs. The alt motor is the same setup as 7.5hp in this guide. When bringing the alt motor up to volts get the system up and running and then switch in the alt caps. As you switch in the alt motor caps and it goes into resonance the load on the PM will increase and you will have to retune the PM run cap for minimal current for the increased load. If the alt motor won’t come up, take a 12v gel cell and quickly zap a phase of the motor with it and that will put some magnetism on the rotor.

Then power up the system again and it should work. Your 1750 motor spinning at 3500 should yield a doubled line frequency. So the alt capacitance for resonance will likely be smaller than then that needed at line freq. Once you get it working other options for a load is then try using a diode plug arrangement to isolate the virtual circulating current from the real.