There are systems available called "soft start" that modulates the amperage load when turning on a motor. Before retirement, we used it on 10 to 20HP motors. Do not know the relevancy with smaller scale motors. Google may provide a current source or, possibly Grainger has a listing in their vast catalog.
R. L. Vetter, PhD; Dipl. ACAN; President AGRI-BIO SYSTEMS, INC. 2811 Edgewater Dr. Elgin, IL. 60124 Tel:847-888-2382 Fax:847-888-1484 Cell:630-564-8523 --- On Thu, 7/26/12, Alexander Eaton <[email protected]> wrote: From: Alexander Eaton <[email protected]> Subject: [Digestion] Electrical Generation To: "For Discussion of Anaerobic Digestion" <[email protected]> Date: Thursday, July 26, 2012, 7:29 PM Group: Very close to successfully running milking and refrigeration equipment with a biogas powered electrical generator...but yet so far away. We have converted a variety of gasoline engines to biogas without issue, the latest being a 8.5 kW Evans that is givings us about 5-6 kW (approximately 24 amps @ 240 volts). The running demand of the entire milking system is about 3.5 kW, but the starting peak of the motors are 5 times the normal running demand. Problem: The start-up peak on the motors of the milking equipment exceed our (feasible) generation capacity, as the jump to 3-5 times the running power demand. We can get the main suction pump (3 HP) to run and start, but the tiny (0.5 HP) pump the pulls the milk to the refrigeration unit shuts us down every time on start-up. That pump only is on for very short times, but is very necessary for the system (we have considered how to eliminate with no luck). Two options: 1. Some sort of capacitor, battery or X device that would allow us to "smooth" out the demand spike of the motors as they start. 2. A good way to connect this small generator to the electrical grid so that the grid does the "smoothing", maybe not even at the same time. For this option, please focus on the technical, not the bureaucratic issues surrounding grid connection. Thoughts? What are we not considering? Options that include product suggestions welcome. Our potential to provide a cost effective biogas use for small and medium dairies has a lot of potential, but has been a slow starter! Best, Alex -- Alexander Eaton Sistema Biobolsa IRRI-Mexico RedBioLAC Mex cel: (55) 11522786 US cel: 970 275 4505 [email protected] [email protected] sistemabiobolsa.com www.irrimexico.org www.redbiolac.org -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ Digestion mailing list to Send a Message to the list, use the email address [email protected] to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/digestion_lists.bioenergylists.org for more information about digestion, see Beginner's Guide to Biogas http://www.adelaide.edu.au/biogas/ and the Biogas Wiki http://biogas.wikispaces.com/
_______________________________________________ Digestion mailing list to Send a Message to the list, use the email address [email protected] to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/digestion_lists.bioenergylists.org for more information about digestion, see Beginner's Guide to Biogas http://www.adelaide.edu.au/biogas/ and the Biogas Wiki http://biogas.wikispaces.com/
