Phase Converters !

[RobWilson]

Morning Lads ,

I am in the market for a new Rotary Phase Converter    about 10HP    , I have been using a Transwave  3HP static for about 5 years  that I bought used and it has been great .


So do I go Transwave  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TRANSWAVE-Rotary-Converter-10hp-7-5kW-Single-to-3-Three-Phase-240v-to-415v-/152197216754?hash=item236fa939f2:g:ZKMAAOSwbsBXp4Zl


Or  SMP  http://www.digi-phase.co.uk/digi.htm    anyone had dealing with these blokes ? 

Any other options out there ?  thoughts ?


Cheers Rob

[chipenter]

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Drives-Direct-Inverters-LTD?_trksid=p2047675.l2563 not a customer he is my brother , their help is very good as he has HNC in electrical engineering .

[Spurry]

I have one of the Transwaves indicated, but the next size down (7.5HP, 5.5KW). It powers my Warco WM40 ok. The only downside is the noise, but I suppose it depends on what you are used to.
I have now put it next door and made the control panel remote, so I can operate it from the mill vicinity. It does tend to walk round the floor a bit, so may have to secure its rubber feet somehow.
Pete

[Jo]

I also have a 5.5Hp unit. Yes the rotary transformer is noticeable above the noise of my Hardinge HLV-H running but all the other machines drown it out.

By the way : That is a rotary transformer on the side not a motor being used to invent the missing third phase 


Inverters are ok for one motor but when some have three motors each 

Jo

[nrml]

I will second Chipenter's recommendation. No connection, just a satisfied customer. I bought a VFD drive from them a few years back and they were very helpful in guiding me through the set up for my application. They know their products inside out .

[RobWilson]

Here we go   

A VFD is not what I am looking for ,thought that was clear . I am looking for a larger  Rotary Phase Converter to run my shop , As Jo points  out I would need 3 VFD's  on each milling machine and 2 per lathe .  so thats  17 VFD'S in total  .



Jo, Pete  any chance I could please  trouble you for a photo of the inside of your Transwave converters ,just interested to see whats inside the box .

Cheers Rob

[awemawson]

A true rotary converter uses the dual wound motor to transform from 240v to 415v, but it is perfectly practical to use a separate transformer for this function, and a pilot motor together doing the same function.

Before I moved here and had 3 phase delivered to the door I made several static and rotary phase converters, and also had a couple of Transwave ones which were super reliable.

All you need is a transformer, a pilot motor, a voltage sensitive relay and two banks of capacitors (start & run). Capacitors are best to be paper / oil filled and rated at 500v

(the voltage sensitive relay 'looks' at the third (generated) phase and switches in / out the start bank of capacitors)

[RobWilson]

Hi Andrew , Interesting .

Did your Transwave use a dual wound motor as a rotary transformer ?    from the few photos I have seen on the web of the larger converters, there dose not seam to be a separate transformer .

The other supplier I mentioned in post 1 looks to use a separate step up transformer ,similar to whats in my static converter I have now .   

any pros cons to either method ?

To lazy and I dont have the time to make one   


Rob   

[inthesticks]

Morning Rob I just dug these out and then read your not interested in building one. I will upload them anyway you may find the 7.5 HP schematic interesting and others may be interested in building their own.

Cheers
CB

[awemawson]

Rob, yes both my Transwave Rotary Converters used a dual wound motor to get the higher voltage. I specified '5 wire' output ie 3 phases, neutral and earth, as having the neutral at the machine is often very useful for running 240 volt single phase lights etc between phase #1 and neutral.

(You can just add a pilot motor to your current static converter which will allow starting of much larger loads than without it)

[Spurry]

Here's a few pix of the inside of my Transwave. They do mention in the small print restrictions which specify the size of feed cable and MCB size and also the max size of a single motor.
Not quite sure how to include text between pictures, so that first.
1. whole of the insides
2. top half
3. bottom half
4. front plate
5. remote box (awaiting labels)
Pete

[Spurry]

Just noted Andrew's post. My Transwave came with the 5 wire 415v output feed incorporated already, but the mill did not, so had to just replace the mill supply wire.
Pete

[RobWilson]

Hi CB ,,,,,,,,Allot of very good info there  ,filed for possible future use ,

 If I did not have so many other things on the go I would make one ,but at the moment I just have way to many unfinished and on going projects   


Cheers Andrew 

Having an available Neutral never crossed my mined as being an option  ,handy .

(You can just add a pilot motor to your current static converter which will allow starting of much larger loads than without it)

That did cross my mined ,but it still would not have the grunt needed , so I will just keep the smaller static as an emergency backup .


  Nice one Pete  thank you for taking the time to take the photos , its good to see whats actually in the box .


So it looks like its a new  Transwave  for Wilsons shop 

Cheers for the input Lads and Lass   

[nrml]

Here we go   

Cheers Rob

Sorry if that got your goat . I wasn't telling you to buy a VFD. Just saying that the mentioned company were very knowledgeable folk in all things related to 3 phase power supplies and they back up their products with excellent after sales service - things I felt might be relevant to someone about to spend a significant amount of money on one. They do sell a kit which I thought would be right up your street.