@The Chicken , this will sound stupid probably for those that deal in this stuff. Could a large capacitor, or bank of them, be used to soften the load impact? I only ask because back in the old days we’d run 1 and 2 Farad caps as an “accumulator” on big stereo stuff. In one instance, a setup had 5 Farad capsThe voltages and amps that these systems run may make it unrealistic, but the concept worked on the smaller scale, though extremely simplistic in comparison.
Capacitor banks or large capacitors are often used in AC power systems to help with voltage sag just like they are used in car audio.
They are also used to help with power factor correction, but that becomes another, more complex discussion.
Most high starting load single phase motors (think air compressors-one of the most common applications) use large starting caps, in conjunction with a high torque start winding that drops out once the motor reaches its rated operating RPM via a centrifugal switch. (Think of it as like a first gear for an electrical motor.)
You can’t really use caps to deal with a load imbalance(phase A loaded excessively more than phase B), and there is a limit to how much you can use caps for voltage sag in an AC system.
There are some creative ways you can deal with surge loads-but the best way is to just design the system to be properly sized in the first place and be done with it.
Sometimes, say in the case of an off-grid deep well pump-that system design may include using better pumps that are capable of using soft starts, VFD drives, or external start caps instead of your basic down hole pump.