Solid state phase converter? Vintage....

Apr 20, 2010 2 Replies

Awl --



How Vintage???



From Hurco KMB-1's, and obsolete even for THEM, as they are generally swapped out in any still-existing kmb1s.



But goddamm, are these, like, the FIRST solid-state 3 ph converters?? I have 3 boards from 3 machines, each weighs 45 lbs!!! Half of that is transformer. Parametrics is the mfr, it seems.



These are the boards that have those very large caps, in my DC cap post.



Basically, there's two screw inputs for the single phase, and a three-screw output for the 3 ph, rated, I think, 5 hp, by Parametrics. And apparently a variable voltage, so they were proly the spindle drive boards.



There is a terminal strip with a bunch cut wires. Will these wires/their components be necessary to operate this board, or can I expect to full 3 ph power (230 V) when I connect the single phase?



I'll try this later, just curious what to expect..


Then one hopes that those caps are properly rated for the service they're in. Certainly they're being used for DC-only -- the converter no doubt rectifies the AC, stores it with the caps, then generates three phase from the DC.

It may even generate two-phase, and convert it to three with that transformer -- that'd save on semiconductors, which back then would have carried more weight than saving on a huge transformer.

Maybe it only needs to generate a single phase. The wild leg. The other two phases are exactly the same as the single phase 240V coming in anyway.

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