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Your generator is actually two generators. One outputs 230V ac and 850Watts and the other 14V dc at 20A which is 12 x 20 = 240Watts. The maximum power out of the 230V scoket is 850 Watts. The maximum power out of both 12V terminals is 240W (ie 100W from ones on left and 140W from one on right). Total ac and dc power is 850 + 240 = 1090W.

The generator struggles to power two olive machines because their combined power requirement is more than the 12V generator can provide, so they slow down the generator a bit which reduces its voltage output which reduces the power consumed by the olive machines motors which reduces the current flowing between the generator and the olive machines until the ability of the generator to supply power - its lower output voltage times the current is equal to that consumed by the olive machines. In electrical engineering this is called droop - the lowering of output voltage with increasing load for a generator, and the lowering of output power of a motor as its input voltage reduces. If possible the motor and generator interact through their individual droop characteristics to find a point of equilibrium where torque times speed of the generator = torque times speed of olive motor.

With regards to the length of cable - it takes energy to move electricity along wires and this energy appears as heat - the wires warm up. So if you put int X amount of energy at the supply end of the wire you will only be able to use X-Y at the load end were Y is the heat loss I just mentioned. To keep the the heat loss small the wires should be short and thick. This is especially important at low voltages such as 12V because it takes larger currents to move energy than at a higher voltage. eg: 12Volts x 10Amps -= 120Watts could be moved by 120Volts at 1 Amp since 120 x 1 = 120W.

The amount of heat loss depend not on the current but the current x the current. So in my example, the heat loss depends on 10 x 10 = 100 not 1 x 1 = 1 which means the heat loss in the connecting cable at the lower voltage of 12V is 100 times greater than at 120 V.

Wires have a property called resistance R which is a measure of how difficult it is for electricity to flow. Short thick wires have less resistance than long thin ones. The power lost in a wire is the current(I) x the current x the resistance IsquaredR = I x I x R.
 
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Hi - just to add to @marconi reply, it’s very likely your existing generator has the 12V capability for standby battery charging and it’s main game is generating 230V AC. That said, they do make generators specifically for 12V. These typically have 50A or more capability and are based (cheap ones anyway :) ) around automotive alternators. And as per M’s post are intended to work with battery storage.
I like the idea of running one machine off the generator’s 12V output and the other via the 230V output and a battery charger.
 
What a forum - someone is now getting advice on olive harvesting techniques! Nice one Marconi :)
 
Thank you DPG. The line of thought is: London Underground had/has a problem with sweltering heat in summer on its platforms and in its trains , and like most companies wants to reduce its electricity consumption. So it took a long, hard look at the types of dc motors which propelled its trains and decided to ......?
 
Thank you DPG. The line of thought is: London Underground had/has a problem with sweltering heat in summer and like most companies wants to reduce its electricity consumption. So it took a long, hard look at the types of dc motors which propelled its trains and decided to ......?

......harvest olives ??
 
Thank you DPG. The line of thought is: London Underground had/has a problem with sweltering heat in summer on its platforms and in its trains , and like most companies wants to reduce its electricity consumption. So it took a long, hard look at the types of dc motors which propelled its trains and decided to ......?

Carry on using 50 year old trains to make the ride as rough as possible?

Signed

A regular user of the Bakerloo line.
 
Carry on using 50 year old trains to make the ride as rough as possible?

Signed

A regular user of the Bakerloo line.
Patience - your day will arrive after which you will travel in some modicum of improved comfort. Anyway, I think a man of your calibre and curiosity would be easily pre-occupied thinking about things to worry little about some brief temporal discomfort.
 
Permanent magnet motors(PMM). I was wondering whether there are any PMM powered olive harvester poles which would be more energy efficient than those the OP uses now - and thus consume less power and current at 12Volts dc.

Noting your need for convenience, you could but the battery(batteries) beside the generator (on a wheeled cart).

Please keep us informed on what you do to improve performance.
 
Dear Shadyabs,

I managed to find a telescopic olive harvester which uses a permanent magnet motor running off 12V and a car battery (80-100Ah). This one will be more efficient in the way it uses electrical energy and converts it into mechanical energy to agitate the olives. It is also more powerful (500W). You may/will still need to connect your generator to the battery to maintain performance if you operate the machine all day - it all depends on how long you use the harvester for. If you used this PMM machine you would need a battery for each one because it draws about 40Amps. Then again, a more powerful motor may do the work of your current two in the same time or less.

Brumar Magiko 4x4 Telescopic Olive Harvester 8033655482008 | eBay - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/183572481738
 

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