Crazy stuff, isn’t it? I work hard at gathering empirical data without a bias. So I try not to guess which ways the numbers should go until I have a full set of data. I was a bit stunned when I saw the trend.
I’ll publish Part 3 next week which will drill down into the mystery even further.
I also thought the current would have increased when you dropped the voltage then I remembered you had the soft start in the circuit. I believe you are seeing why utilities use capacitor banks on distribution lines and also large inductive customers use them at their facilities to help control over current draw. VARS -Volt Amp Reactive, voltage and current are out of phase with each other. You introduced the capacitor bank that is going to effect the power factor.
Wow! I'm as stunned as you. Should I run out and buy a soft start and save 250 watts while running. AC with Soft Start draws 2+ amps less at 120 volts. We gotta be missing something so inquisitive minds wanna know. Power factor...SoftStart undisclosed efficiency???
I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for your following tests.
If the soft start is a microprocessor controlled SCR circuit, is it doing what it is programmed for? Following a ramped startup line until it reaches full running voltage. The experiment is running that ramped startup line in reverse. Both voltage and amperage are being controlled.
The first test makes perfect sense if the SoftStartRV is working properly. The SoftStartRV makes the air conditioner look like a resistor. Without it, reactive current of the harder-working air conditioner goes up with decreasing voltage.
This should prove to be one interesting rabbit hole! My elephant in the room is with the lowered ampacity with the soft start in line is the actual cooling ability of the unit dropping as well or staying the same. And the flip side of the equation without the soft start and increased amp draw is the actual cooling ability of the unit dropping or staying the same?
Typical physics would say that with less amp draw the amount of output (effort) would also drop.
Crazy stuff, isn’t it? I work hard at gathering empirical data without a bias. So I try not to guess which ways the numbers should go until I have a full set of data. I was a bit stunned when I saw the trend.
I’ll publish Part 3 next week which will drill down into the mystery even further.
I also thought the current would have increased when you dropped the voltage then I remembered you had the soft start in the circuit. I believe you are seeing why utilities use capacitor banks on distribution lines and also large inductive customers use them at their facilities to help control over current draw. VARS -Volt Amp Reactive, voltage and current are out of phase with each other. You introduced the capacitor bank that is going to effect the power factor.
Agreed…. It does feel like Power Factor voodoo, but I need to dig deeper to know for sure.
Looking forward to your findings.
Wow! I'm as stunned as you. Should I run out and buy a soft start and save 250 watts while running. AC with Soft Start draws 2+ amps less at 120 volts. We gotta be missing something so inquisitive minds wanna know. Power factor...SoftStart undisclosed efficiency???
I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for your following tests.
Just a question.
If the soft start is a microprocessor controlled SCR circuit, is it doing what it is programmed for? Following a ramped startup line until it reaches full running voltage. The experiment is running that ramped startup line in reverse. Both voltage and amperage are being controlled.
Like I said, just a question
The first test makes perfect sense if the SoftStartRV is working properly. The SoftStartRV makes the air conditioner look like a resistor. Without it, reactive current of the harder-working air conditioner goes up with decreasing voltage.
Interesting.
I wonder if there are differences in compressor motor temperatures at different voltages, while presumably the RPMs remain stable.
This should prove to be one interesting rabbit hole! My elephant in the room is with the lowered ampacity with the soft start in line is the actual cooling ability of the unit dropping as well or staying the same. And the flip side of the equation without the soft start and increased amp draw is the actual cooling ability of the unit dropping or staying the same?
Typical physics would say that with less amp draw the amount of output (effort) would also drop.
Maybe there really is "Magic Smoke" in that Soft Start!