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Robin Graham wrote:

You can't really put two AC supplies in parallel because if they
get out of phase they'll start eating each other's power as fast as
they possibly can and will blow up

Are you sure you're right, here? After all, the National Grid is
supplied by no end of alternators all in parallel. Once an
alternator has been put on line it remains in phase automatically
because it can't do anything else. It's getting it on in the first
place that's the trick (but not a big one). Lamps across each pair
of phases will go out when the phases are in phase, so to speak, and
the alternators can then be switched together.

Rob Graham

Hi,
That makes sense in big national generators. As you say, the problem
is *getting* the generators in phase to start with, and making sure
they don't drift out. Alignment circuitry and things are a tiny
fraction of huge national-power-grid generators, but I'm guessing
they're a larger percentage of the components in a little homebuilt
system (and I'm assuming SS is not asking how to build a national
electrical grid on alt.electronics - you never know though G).
Still, on second thought, it probably shouldn't be too complex even
for a personal project; assuming you get both generators running at
the same *speed*, then *phase* matching is probably pretty easy.

Chris
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