Can anyone settle an arguement re generators???

[numpty with a crowbar]

Been argueing about this with a mate of mine for some months now (and bearing in mind that neither of us are sparks) and we can't decide who's right

Last summer at the festival that I help put on, we has an issue with one of the generators powering one of the big music stages. Basically every time the stage lighting engineer "faded" up all the big lighting cans, the generator cut out with an overspeed fault.
At the time this was baffling me as it happened 3 times inside 15 minutes till I sussed that it hapened every time the lights all came up at once (and told the lighting engineer "don't do that FFS!"). Afterwards I found out that the lighting engineer was using 14 lighting cans, each loaded with a 1000 watt bulb, so when he faded them all up at once the generator chucked a hissy fit and threw up a fault (and it was a decent, 30k hire generator from agreko so I would have thought it wouldn't have been troubled - but hey...)
But what's confusing me and causing the arguement, is that all the lights were only plugged in via a single 32A socket, and it had a straight 32A breaker on it (as I was told in advance "all I need is a single 32A connection") So why didn't the breaker trip when the load exceeded 32A??

*confused*

 

[ebee]

Overloads are permitted, it does not trip instantly on exceeding 32Amps otherwise you`d have loads of problems at home too.
An overloaded cable must be disconnected at 45% overload (but this might take 4 hours). Very mall overloads of long duration are allowed, massive overloads will trip quickly. But small overloads of long duration are to be avoided, that might damage cable via overheating.
I suggest your Genny spaced out well before the MCB had time to on this overload.
In fact from the curve of a B 32 it would take about 200 seconds at this load, however the manufaturer probly made it better than that

 

[Lectrician]

The genny probably kicked a hissy as this was all on a single phase!

The trouble with newer gennies is all the protection. Always tell the company you hire from what type of load is going to be used - an event with loads of stationary loads like a catering exhibition will be hugely different from a stage with lights coming on and off rapidly.

 

[numpty with a crowbar]

Always tell the company you hire from what type of load is going to be used - an event with loads of stationary loads like a catering exhibition will be hugely different from a stage with lights coming on and off rapidly.

We actually did (spent was in regular contact with the fella who specialised in the supply of kit for music festivals etc etc) - but suspect they sent a bog standard one anyway

But at least I'm on the path to enlightenment - so to summarise; a short duration overload wouldn't neccesarily trip the breaker, but would mess up the generator??

Cheers for the answers anyway -

 

[Pensdown]

The other problem can be with the type of governor used. If it was mechanical, they are fine for fixed loads but for changing loads always specify a set with an electronic governer as they respond much quicker to load changes.

 

[Lectrician]

Very true - as with fuel aswell. If you have a blockage, or if they supply a diesel bund, and use long coiled or too small a bore, the fuel gets to the engine fine with a steady, moderate load, but struggles when the load is irratic.

 

[plugwash]

i can't imagine loading up a large bank of phase cutting dimmers is exactly good for a genny either.

as the other sparks have mentioned was this 32A socket single phase and the generator 3 phase? lots of load on one phase is not good for a generator (there is a REASON that all but the smallest generators tend to be 3 phase!)