Wayne Dohnal wrote:
I've been in the middle of numerous "can an eu2000i run a 13,500 air conditioner" threads. They get very heated and run many pages, and it's not my desire to run this thread into the trash heap by going there.
SNIP
I remember them well. I was reading most of them but elected NOT to be a contributor on the trash heap.
Wayne, I realize you all ready know what I am going to write about so this is not a lesson for you. Rather, it is added information related to the subject that may help another individual that is not as knowledgeable on the subject as you are.
The Locked Rotor Current is the major deal killer on getting a 13,500 BTU A/C started. Somehow, the generator must overcome the LRC with a surge of "reserve power". Sometimes the capacitors in the starting motor circuits can overcome much of the initial resistance. Purely resistive loads do not have LRC currents to deal with like inductive loads. It is easy to ramp up an electric heater to the full rated load of an inverter genset without choking it down or off. Once started and running, an A/C compressor or fan motor can also be sustainable. It is getting it started that presents the problem.
One thing I have noted about inverter vs. non-inverter capabilities to provide significant surge power is that the inverters depend solely on capacitors to give a surge - often advertised at up to 2x their continuous power. But the deal killer is how quickly the power stored in the capacitor is dissipated. With a load like an A/C compressor it disappears too quickly for a smooth start. Non-inverters do not have capacitors like inverters. They depend upon the constantly changing flux field surrounding the spinning magnetic poles of the alternator. This field collapses when one or more AC cycles flatline due to load and are added to the power output of the alternator (genset). Of course, engine size and torque are also important factors related to surge capacity - perhaps more so than with inverter gensets as the limiting factor on inverters is often the design of the inverter module itself. Large engines in inverters can keep their 3 phase alternators spinning and providing power to the module, but excess power in does nothing to improve power out
beyond the limits of the module design.
Still another issue that can make it or break it is the type of overload protector the inverter uses. On my Kipor KGE200Ti there is NO external circuit breaker to kick off or reset. Everything is done
electronically within the inverter module. Overload the Kipor and it immediately disconnects. A red light flashes indicating an overload. To clear the problem and reset the innards you must stop and restart the genset. Sort of a PITA in my opinion. Not sure what Honda or Yamaha have for overload protection on their 2000's but I am under the impression it is similar. There is an external circuit breaker for the 13.8 VDC battery charging circuit. Maybe someone with a CPE 2000 can tell us what overload protection it uses. There is a switch type external breaker, but is it for 12 volt DC or 120 volt AC?
On/Off controls and Thermostats used in the RV can also be a deal killer. The original and very simple analog on-off-fan-temperature knobs mounted on the enclosure have far fewer bells and whistles than many wall controls. They tolerate voltage drops much better and can make it easier for an inverter to start and run the A/C. On the other hand, the thermostat in my Cedar Creek is a purely digital control module that receives external power via a separate 120 VAC line independent of the A/C power line. Inside there is a comparator that will quickly disconnect the compressor if the voltage on the A/C power line drops to a critical point in reference to the control line. In short, it simply will not let any power source start the A/C where the instantaneous voltage drop that occurs on the A/C power line exceeds a predetermined level. When that happens, you will get nothing but the flashing E6 on the thermostat LCD display. I have thought out several ways to circumvent this control if the need every becomes necessary, but to date what I have does work with my Champion 3,500.
So, adding to the heap and all of the "maybes", the only accurate comment I can make is the one often shown in small, unreadable print at the bottom of your screen at the end of a TV commercial,
"Individual Results May Vary - What You Have Just Seen is not Typical."
Professor Randy T. Agee & Nancy Agee. Also Oscar, the totally ruined Dachshund.
2009 Cedar Creek 5th Wheel - 2004 Volvo VNL670 class 8 MotorHome conversion as toter.
Turbocharged, 12L, 465 HP and 1,800 ft. Lbs. of torque.
