Simple Question on KWhr

[goofeedad]

Sorry gang! I forgot that I already asked this question over the labor day week end. I got very good answers and regret taking up anyones time.

Here's what I wrote because I don't know how to remove my post. Again Sorry.

"I'm writting a brief paper to a co-worker about a machines power useage. The internal label states 7.6KW, 21.2Apms and 208VAC. I don't want to say the wrong thing but I need to know if the machine runs for an hour does it use 7.6KWhr of power? It sure seems obvious to me that that's it but like I said I don't want to write the wrong thing."

 

[MikeMl]

If a machine operates on 7.6kW of power, and it runs for 10 hours, it will use 76kWatt-hours of Energy (which is what you pay the Power company for).

 

[tcmtech]

It may depend on what the machine is doing also. 7.6 KW may be its peak power consumption.
Just as a 10 hp electric motor is rated at 10 hp that doesn't mean that its always drawing that much power if the work load its under is less.
Typically a KW rating is used as part of the calculations in designing its power source or for figuring out how much it can draw even though it may actually only do it for a short time.

My one welder is rated at 24 KW but it rarely ever gets any where near that. But still the wiring that supply's it has to be properly sized to handle that load should it ever get used at that power level.