We were able to get help from an electrical expert from Mombassa named Mr. Kimani. Mr. Kimani owns a workshop for electrical equipment repair and he also teaches at Mombassa Polytechnic. He confirmed that the synchronizing panel was working fine. He also suspected that something with the droop CT’s might be the problem. We decided that they should be located somewhere on the generators, near the Automatic Voltage Regulator. After opening up one of the machines we located a droop CT and found it disconnected from the AVR. The second machine, the one that was taken to be rewound, did not have the droop CT installed. No one knows where it might have disappeared to. We are sure that replacing it will go a long way to solving the problem because connecting the droop CT on the first machine brought the inter-circulating currents down by half. If we can get the second one replaced from the manufacturer the currents should drop all the way down to near zero.
What bothers me is that I still can’t figure out why there are these inter-circulating currents in the first place. A voltage difference between the two generators would produce current nearly 90 degrees out of phase with the voltage, but we see the zero volt meter drop to zero and remain at that level even when the machines are connected. According to Ohm’s Law for AC circuits, the current between the two machines must be zero if the voltage drop between the machines is zero. Hopefully that question will just remain a curiosity and the problem will disappear with the installation of the second droop CT. The manufacture of the generator sent us a quote indicating the parts can be shipped to us in five days and that the total cost will be only about $300.
By jove, I've got it now! After looking at the updated picture(s) of Mpekatoni, I had far more time to deliberate the answer to riddler 2. It must be the lack of droop CTs! It must have to do with intercirculating currents!
ReplyDelete(Alright, I confess, I read the answers.) But I sure did enjoy all of your updated photos, Andrew. What a beautiful experience you are having! The pictures are outstanding and it is great to be able to have more visuals to go with your descriptions of life in Kenya. I love you! Mom
Andrew! Just checking in on your webpage, having not looked at it for about a month. Sounds like you are having a great time. I am getting all nostalgic about Tanzania reading about your adventures. I don't know if I ever lent you the story that I wrote about my trip to Tanzania, but my record for crowded transport was 31 in a small toyota van (I recal that about 10-12 of these people were little kids, each of whom was give to someone to hold on their lap)! Man was that crowded! Look forward to reading more.
ReplyDeleteWhow, Andrew. I'm glad you enjoyed your stay overnight at Lamu - so you could have time to write so much here. I really enjoyed it! So did Grandma Charlotte. It is very moving to get it first hand from a blood relative what Kenyans experience in daily life there - hardships as well as customs. And I get such a kick out of your adaptability. Your face shines. The pictures are great. And more prayers, for Emma! Bless her too, God! Love you, Aunt Naomi
ReplyDeleteYour wonderful letters have just caught up from Oct. 13 to 21 and how well received. SO very interesting and enjoy reading about your contacts with so many people. Very interesting about the gen. resolve and what you all have gone through to get this far along. A wonder they did so well for so long. Your trip to just get the messages out is a story in itself and we all appreciate it. Granpa Paul
ReplyDelete