The Craftmans Shop > New from Old
Puma / Dorman 6LE / MacFarlane B46B / 110 kVA Generator Resurrection
awemawson:
Well that went spiffingly -NOT :bang:
This morning I did a bit of pruning and removed the remote control wiring and power wiring to the big Hydrovane compressor.
Then apparently it was ESSENTIAL that I visited a local cliff at the seaside where fossils could be found - OK nice flask of coffee and back home for lunch (with no fossils!).
So the afternoon was spent making off the 6 mm four core SWA cable - one end to flying leads, the other to a 125 Amp male plug. Amazingly stiff stuff that cable, but job done. Then flying leads made off to the compressor having first modified it's termination box to take a 20 mm SWA gland (original was 38 mm. Slight issue with the compressor panel isolator switch that wouldn't mate with it's actuator rod. Decided to fly by the seat of my pants and have the panel open and operate the switch internally.
Time to try things out :bugeye:
Started the generator, turn on the switch on the 125 amp socket (which felt a bit wishy washee) - turn on the compressor inside the panel and . . . . . . . NOTHING :bang:
Out with the voltmeter - no volts in the compressor panel - go to the generator to turn off and remove the plug - no chance - plug stuck FIRMLY in it's socket - what the heck :scratch:
Now this socket is interlocked. It can only be turned on if a plug is inserted, and the plug cannot be removed unless it is turned off. OK after MUCH investigation I find that the operating shaft for it's switch has not engaged properly, knocking the actual switch unit off it's DIN rail and JAMMING THE INTERLOCK :bang: This must have happened the last time that I put the fascia back on the socket.
Now this socket is designed such that you cannot get into it if switched on with a plug in it - exactly what I had. Two hours later, with much careful bending of plastic, poking and prodding eventually I break into this inner sanctum to reveal that the plastic retainers for the switch onto the DIN rail had broken. Getting a bit fed up by this time, so I carefully re-assembled the 125 amp switch on it's DIN rail, and applied hot melt glue in places that I sincerely hope will fix it in the correct place, then beat a retreat for a restorative Gin and Tonic.
Tomorrow the glue should be good and hard so I can start again, but initially I'm going to remove the interlock to avoid a repeat performance.
. . . at least nothing went bang :lol:
Pete.:
Those damn interlock outlets I hate them with a passion. I can't tell you how many times I've been in that situation. If I have to use them on site I always grease the plug up so it slides in and out very easily because some of them you can get the plug not quite in far enough for the interlock to release properly and invariably something expensive breaks. If it's not that it's neanderthal operatives who don't undestand what an interlock is, but manage to unplug it anyway, destroying the mechanism.
I don't think I've ever seen one on site that lasted the job out intact.
awemawson:
I went back out after supper and re-wired the main output switch - the heavy cables were still trying to pull it off it's mounting - I had to dress them back with a soft faced mallet quite brutally.
The interlock mechanism isn't going to jam again Pete, as I removed it and it's labelled up in a plastic bag in the cabinet :lol:
I also manage to sort the cabinet interlock on the compressor itself, so hopefully ready for a re-run of the tests tomorrow - even here I daren't make the noise at this time of night !
mattinker:
. . . at least nothing went bang
awemawson:
. . . and still hasn't Matthew :thumbup:
Bright and early this morning I started up the generator and had another go. Control panel gave an error message saying that the main motor over-current trip had triggered:
Poking about in the compressor panel I found the offending breaker and reset it and tried again, this time it appeared that the motor actually started on power up despite being in manual mode, then reported an input over temperature alarm
So intensive study of the manual that I have, that refers to a controller that is markedly different to the one fitted, it can be configured to the in Auto or Manual mode and obviously I need to change it to manual. Nine buttons on my model, six in the manual and only a couple correspond :bang:
I then opened up the covers to the compressor and found that the motor was warm. Could it perhaps be turning in the wrong direction? I had been extremely careful to keep the phases consistent wiring up the generator, it's output socket, the interconnecting cable and the connection in the compressor panel, however probably worth a try. Two phases swapped on the compressor input terminals and the generator re-started and another test.
Guess what, again it auto started, but this time with a blast of air emitting from the output pipe - cannot stop it with a hand over it, hand blows off at about 2 bar !
Load on the generator is barely discernible - the current meter moves just a tiny amount so I need to put a clamp ammeter on a cable the actually measure it.
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