What's needed to wire up a rotary 3ph converter?

Not sure how your phase converter is setup up, but I strongly suggest you make sure it won't start back up on its own in the event of a power failure and return to power. Could be very dangerous. Make sure you ALWAYS have to manually start the phase converter.

I agree, use an electric contactor instead of just a manual switch. Set it with a START/STOP set up.

You sould expect about 180 amps starting current.

i

Yes -

I have one in my shop - generates 3-phase (one a little wild) and then I step up the 220 to 380v and send it to my grinders.

I have a circuit - you can look at mine and strip down.

I have circuit breakers and contactors I have a box that holds them - pro grade - and a hand plug that plugs into my 220 plug in the shop. (I have a 30x30 building) From the box I have 22o on a second local breaker - and a contactor that switches 220 to the rotary. Rotary comes back through a breaker to a contactor and then to distribution sockets.

I have extension cords on mine - 3 phase ones - but some want to wire and use more often than I. My grinders are 1% use. Want to get rid of one.

If you want the design - I might be able to find it - and send you a copy.

Mart> Rotary converter will be installed in my garage and used to run lathe& mill

Overvoltage?

Gunner Asch on Sat, 09 Apr 2011 15:28:52 -0700 typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:

Just for your amusement. Friend reports that one of the main machines is down at work. It had been acting up, errors in Z, and last week - it tripped the breaker. Somehow, he didn't know, and I couldn't follow the explanation on possible causes (out of my area of understanding.) 1400 amp, 3 phase, 430 volt service. tripped the breaker. "Ooops".

Good news - with that machine down, he can get Holy Week off.

Worse news, the supply factory for the inserts for the 2 inch face mill which does the majority of their work - is dun got washed away. So, they have about a week's supply on hand and then .... they do not even have enough on hand to cover wheel they scramble for a replacement.

tschus pyotr

You are truly a numbskull, Gunner.

Since, surprisingly, your house hasn't ( yet ) caught fire...

Zoom....

Hmmm...

In the case of my installation, the OUTPUT side is into a 20 circuit 3ph breaker panel and if I were to put a 30 amp fuse there at the output it would barely allow even running the air compressor let alone the rest of the machines that are wired onto the buss...

--FWIW the input side is a 125 amp breaker which feeds single phase to the idler which is a 50 hp Toshiba Hi E

BTW, whoever it was here that mentioned using a contactor and definate start /stop circuit to forbid auto-restart upon power fail or brown-out is spot-on..

--You definately want the magnetics to drop input power altogether in this instance otherwise you will get huge HV transients sent down the line--not good if you have any computers or equipment that uses varisters to protect against spikes.

1400 amp at 430 ( 430 ? ) is enough to power a small city here where I live in rural Wa State

I have never encountered a machine tool that uses that much power but for academic purposes let's just run the numbers....

1400 x 430 = 602,000 kva ( WATTS at PF 1 )

= 4,289.4 horsepower....

Well, since it's unlikely they can afford the power bill anyways...

Sounds to me like the place is run by total idiots--and it's readily apparent that you would probably fit in very well there.

This video shows at slow speed how hex cutting is achieved:

Dave

The breaker is a GFI breaker and is tripping on a short to ground on the machine, not necessarily drawing a lot of amps but on the unbalanced flow of current.

John

Okay. He said that they don't have Ground Fault Interrupts on that setup, but ... who am I to say?

ELI the ICE man.

Voltage leads current in Inductive Current leads voltage in Capacitive circuits.

Rotaries are inductive. Motors are inductive. The rotary is somewhat balanced over a range. But motors are not.

Starting and stopping motors causes surges and spikes. The impedance quells some of that and enhances others.

Mart> >> >>

Gunner can count them on his fingers and toes at customer sites. Lots of them in his work area.

I got one from him and have it running in my shop on 220 and 3PHase contactors. I have some 220 contactors if anyone needs one or two.

Mart>> >>> >>>

I believe that on newer 480 service disconnects Ground Fault interrupts are required over a certain amperage. Newer would be in the last fifteen years or so.

John

I'll ask when I see him next.

Most of them are out of business now....

Hiring him probably was a major contributing factor.