3 phase welder power supply

Esab Pulse-arc 400 welder, nameplate says 60 amps at 220 3 ph, and I'm finally getting ready to fire this beast up.....

The phase converter is a 30 hp idler fed off a 100 amp single phase breaker--should I expect any problems ???

Thanks,

Reply to
PrecisionMachinisT
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It should be interesting in as much as the idler and load HP are close. Let us know what happens.

Reply to
Robert Swinney

My opinion is that under full load, your singe phase source is woefully lacking. It should otherwise work fine so long as the wild leg isn't a part of the control circuitry of the welder. I'm curious what those that really understand phase converters will have to say, though. I am to electricity what most machinists are to ballet dancing.

Harold

Reply to
Harold & Susan Vordos

Harold sez, while executing a graceful piroutte:

" My opinion is that under full load, your singe phase source is woefully

Yep, it will certainly be a test case of the ratio of load to idler.

Bob Swinney

I'm curious what those that

Reply to
Robert Swinney

I run 2 Fadal and a Fanuc machining center off that converter all at the same time--Im not seeing where the load would be that much different, its not like theres any big motors that gotta spin up.

Im a bit worried of electrical noise though, and thinking probly best not to weld at the same time as Ive got any cnc running.

I will check back once I get it all wired in.

Reply to
PrecisionMachinisT

Reply to
Steve Lusardi

It is pulsed dc.

CV / CC

There is 3 sections on the input transformer, I know because I changed all the taps over from 440 to 220 operation just yesterday.

I could probably just use a large capacitor bank to the wild leg and go with about a 100 amp single phase feed, but since I already got a large phase converter its probly easier to just use that instead.

The 400 amp capacity at 60% duty is something I will probly never need, more like 200 amps with 100% duty cycle instead.

I still need to buy wire and conduit, ect and so wont get back to it till sometime next week--ours is not a hobby shop but I still felt this was probly the best place to post my question.

Thanks for the input.

Reply to
PrecisionMachinisT

I'm curious. Is this a rotary machine, or a 'solid state' welder? If it is not a rotary machine, I'd think the "large capacitor bank to the wild leg" would be an unnecessary expense. I'd have to study the schematic before deciding to plug it into single phase, but, I'd expect the welder to function at a diminished capability when fed single phase.

Jerry

Reply to
Jerry Martes

The only thing that rotates inside there is the cooling fan, as currently set up Im pretty sure it needs 3 phase.

Reply to
PrecisionMachinisT

PMT I was considering the situation to be one of trying to weld with the ESAB PULSE-ARC 400 (which was designed to be run from 240VAC 3 phase) when only single phase is available. If I had this situation, I'd sure try to feed the welder from a big rotary converter. I wouldnt even try to feed single phase to it with that bank of capacitors to the "wild leg". But, if I didnt get decent performance with the rotary converter feeding the welder, I'd sure try re-connecting the welder's input and feed 240VAC single phase to *one* of the input windings if each of the input windings can be connected to 240 VAC (like in DELTA connection). Or some variation on the theme of re-connecting the input windings and/or disconnecting taps to the rectifier diodes.

Jerry

Reply to
Jerry Martes

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