Building a Phase Converter - Part 1
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- čas přidán 14. 09. 2017
- This is part one of a three video series on building a phase converter. This part is the heart of the subject. I will lay out the entire converter on a large sheet of plywood so you can easily see how I put things together. We will select the correct capacitors and test run the converter under load.
Part 2 and 3 will be about adding safety and convenience items, then mounting it all in an enclosure and wiring it up in the shop.
Dec2018 - I have had a couple of inquiries about the start capacitor: It is a 216-259mfd 330vac cap. ~P
Document I followed: www.practicalmachinist.com/Fit...
Midwest Surplus Electronics: www.midwestsurplus.net/
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The best phase converter video I’ve seen yet.
Exactly the series I needed! Open wire diagram and great explanation. Too many people complicate this and make it hard when it's not. Thanks very much. I have 3 phase in my shop now :)
Wow! Breaking it down to the essential components was very helpfull. Thanks for taking the time to make this series.
This is how CZcams should be done. Thanks for the efforts. They have been well received.
Re-watching this as I have one to build. Couldn't help but notice the old school Amprobe like the one that I have had since I was a cub. :)
This is a fantastic display of how a rotary phase converter works! This was very helpful for understanding how a RPC functions, one component at a time. Very well broken down. Nice work!
Absolutely the best rotary phase converter series on youtube. Thanks for taking the time to enlighten us. I bought a used, homemade one, with no diagram, not connected to the pony motor, and i was pulling my hair out trying to figure it out. Thanks again!
First off great video series, the most common sense explanation of a rotary phase converter build and testing on youtube.
I have to totally be honest with you Birdranch. This is the first video I have seen that totally goes over all the relevant points in down to earth language. I am wondering why others on CZcams have not figured out how to be so simple and to the point. Frankly this is just refreshing to see and hear your explanations. Great job fella. You should get an award for being number one. YOU ROCK FOR SURE. VF
What an excellent understandable tutorial you have put together for someone wanting to build their own converter! Wish I would have had this 20 yrs ago when I built mine and did all these very same steps as I figured out my start and run caps. You have made a seemingly complex subject very understandable for a first timer!! Kudos to you and all your efforts to help someone else you don't even know. Just Excellent!!😃
Doug I have read & watched so much crap over about three years trying to build one - this is by far the very best tutorial - you are a genius - I have to deal with trying to step up to 415v with a reverse wired transformer but your set up is ace.
So far this was the best phase converter video I have seen. Thanks.
Followed this Great Build making me a 10HP 3 phase for my shop! Works perfect for my Horizontal Milling machine and Grinder. Tuning Capacitors was lot of trial and error, Thank you from bottom of my heart I can troubleshoot and repair my own Unit! Randy
Best series of videos on this subject by far. Detailed yet clea well done
Best explanation of a rotary phase converter build...well done!
This is better than learning at some schools. Salute for the effort sir!
Probably one of the best, easiest video to understand. Thank you.
Wow! Did I ever! It is the first time in all the time spent figuring out how to do this - that I feel comfortable! Thank you! Subscribed! And will watch the rest of the series.
Awesome video, very good job of explaining the theory behind the concept
Thank you so much for your instructions. Now I can build my own with confidence. I was confused about amount of capacitors. Again, please keep us awake with anything news under your knowledge.
Glad I could help
Thanks a lot for the diagram and instructions !! really appreciate it !! please do not be tired of posting education videos like this !!
Well done! Thank you, SBR.
Hi It's Oliver again I really appreciate your quick response and explanation your explanation of the project is fantastic your make it look so simple compared to all the other videos Kind Regards and Thanks a lot Oliver
This is one of the best video illustration and tutorial on the subject. Thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Finally a video that explains things , is well made and complete. good job. Thanks
Best video series on Homemade phase converter.
For my college course I'm building a 120v stepdown to 15v 1ph AC then making a 15v rotary phase converter... You have no idea how much this video helps.
Excellent hands on demonstration! Thanks for sharing!
Your video is the best I’ve seen on the subject matter. Great work, thank you. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🇬🇧
Glad it was helpful!
Great video on sizing and methodology of inserting the capacitors. Everyone else just seems to gloss over this very important step. Well done!
Thanks. That is what motivated the making of this series. No details in others I found. ~P
@@sbirdranch Do you have a schematic available?
@@charlesleiker8896 there is a document link in the description.
Or just skip them entirely. This is how I've built converters in the past with no problems.
But I will admit that this is a much better way of doing things.
Awesome video. It's all about tuning the phase shift via capacitors.
This answers so much. Sir, you are a boone upon other tradesmen.
Thank you so much. Excellent video series. Best on CZcams. Actual guide
Thank you. I just bought a 3 phase welder at a auction. At the time I had know idea it was 3 phase.
This is a well explained video. I watched other videos about these rotary converters but I never got a full explanation on how they work and how to balance them. Thank you. 👍
Glad you liked it!
Thanks for taking the time. Awesome video
Just commenting again - this is exceedingly well done. I prefer this version over adding in yet another motor to remove the back emf resisting the initial start. Literally less moving parts.
Very good explanation. One thing you could do for your starter capacitor is to hang a centrifugal switch on the motor; that output shaft isn't doing anything else but spin anyways. That would be closed when the motor is off and open up as soon as it comes up to speed. No worries about a relay that might burn out.
great explanation great thank you
It is the best video that I have seen on the internet, thanks for your time.
I'm from Guatemala, Centroamerica and is difficult to find information about this system in spanish.
You video is very good.
Thanks.
Your welcome. Glad it helped you. ~P
Thank you! I bought a Phoenix phase converter and it came from the factory out of balance. I didn't realize this till recently. They said to add capacitors to fix it and this was a great resource!
I shake my head that they didn't balance it to start. I hope the price was very inexpensive. Also glad you got it squared away. ~P
This guy is brilliant .followed everything step by step and it is working better than my 5.5kw vfd
Its OK to have a sense of hummer. Some video makers think they have to burn up tools just for the show. That's OK if you are just entertaining . I see you're video as educational. That's why I clicked to watch it and I did learn from it. Ty
Sir your experience very very well thanks
Gracias amigo es exelente y pedagogico me sirve de mucho sobre todo el modo de enclavar el contactor sin contacto auxiliar. very good.
Great Job! Thank you for all explanations....
Great job......nicely put together and thank you.
ah thank you very much for this. i just got a big three phase motor and wanted to build a rotary converter but couldn't find instructions on balancing. couple dudes show their converters with a bunch of capacitors but don't explain how they determined what to use and where. also that document is suuuper helpful. thumbs up
Great , Man , you are so strong teacher , thank you so much , i really learned a lot with easy Method.
Awesome 🤩 video, thanks, I needed to know the capacitor values and you showed me!
I watched your videos on this and it worked perfect! I built one using your instruction video. Thank you!!! Excellent video
Great. Glad it was of use. I have done a total of 3 now. All the same way. Enjoy the equipment you hook to it. ~P
Excellent video, keep up the awesome content!
PROJETO MUITO LEGAL, OBRIGADO!
This is fantastic.
Pretty dang cool. Thanks for sharing
Your welcome.
Thank you so much that just taught me so much i had no clue before i watched this video your a great instructor. im subbed with thumbs up
Superb video.
I would like to thank you very much for a great and easy to follow video. By following the videos I was able to build a 10 hp rotary convertor and it works great. If its ok and somebody is interested, I will list the cap values for the 10 hp.
List the values you used. They may very a little between idler motors but its a good start.
Thank you very much
Great information
It really helps clear the view of how to accomplish a build
God bless you n your work
You are very welcome
Wow great job Sir ...!!!
This is so perfectly explained, I think I’ll be making one for my lathe, thank you!!!
they are also really inefficient. better to buy a VFD.
@@Savagetechie That may be so, but when you have several machines to run the costs for the VFD's become prohibitive for a small/hobby shop.
@@gilbertodiaz-castro626 true the get costly on multiple machines and some motors won't like them. There is a type of rotary convertor that has a true neutral which is also reasonably efficient. Most rotary designs have pretty nasty neutrals.
Good morning from Trinidad W.I.
I recently acquired a delta 10" unisaw for my home workhop. The tablesaw is powered by a 5hp 3ph motor. I have since been pondering if to change the motor to a 1ph.
Studying this video series. You make this so easy that I am gonna try this.
Thanks for an excellent demo.
Good evening from Ohio, USA. You can make one of these. And down grading the Unisaw to 1ph would be sad. A 3hp table saw will not let you down, where small sometimes does. Good luck. ~P
sbirdranch
Good morning again.
No no I am not installing a 1hp motor....... but looking into building a phase converter as you have demonstrated.
Also am told off and have seen a. 230v 3ph. 5hp run of a 220v 1ph supply.
The motor was running off two capacitors with a bell stwich connected to one capacitor to get the motor up to speed. Some similarities to your push button stwich.
Again there was one power loss,, I was told about 30%.
Are you familiar with this approach and iff so. Please enlighten us novices.
Thanks again.
Thanks for the video ...very helpful and informative concepts...salute to the content creator....
That was awesome
Very Educational. This has clarified a lot of my questions. I need one to run my 3hp 3ph lathe.
You can also use a vfd with single phase 230volt input. Then you have unlimited speed control also.
+byron devine - I am looking at another 3ph piece of equipment. The RPC will power both. From what I have seen VFDs cause a loss of torque on low end speeds.
wow, this was great.
Thank you, good videos
Hey man this is excellent. Thank you!
Very informative. Thank you
Thanks and hello from Las Vegas millwrights
❤thanks much for that video i follow it and made a rotary converter to run two peices of tools did as you said just have to balance the legs still alittle lost on what are the requied voltages per leg but it is the BEST❤❤❤
Best simple Explanation Ever!!! :)
Thank you. ~P
Nice! Thank you for the effort!
Your video helped me 4 years ago when I built my first RPC. Been utilizing it again to rebuild a new and improved version of it now that I moved.
I was having trouble somewhere so I pulled everything out of the cabinet and screwed it all down to a piece of plywood so I could see everything and what do you know, worked perfectly.
Any time I need to learn something or have questions about something, CZcams is one of my first resources. After 10 plus years of utilizing YT I think your video here is probably the best video I’ve ever watched. As far as making something that seems so daunting, become easily achievable.
(And I put some thought into that statement before posting it)
Anyways, Thank you for the resource! I may account for 200 or so of the views. 👍
Nice job
Best explanation
Well Explained great work
wohhh... this video is the best thanks this is the step by step on how to do it this is how should teacher teach in the school
I will do,thanks for share...
Super helpful! I've been using a 5hp phase converter for years. Problem is, it will not start a 7.5 hp motor in my 18" planer. Using this set-up to run my 7.5 means that "the board" becomes a "static" converter and my 7.5 will run at about 5hp output--which is plenty; it replaced a 3hp motor in a planer. Totally concise, and I have not even glanced at the paper you linked to.
Swap the 7.5HP with the 5HP and you will be all set then.
Pretty cool!
Great job
Very Informative..Thank you Very Much
As you said, this gives a much clearer idea on the capacitor use. One thing that has always confused me and you get all kinds of different answers on forums is the phase differences. You have an input power that that is 240 volt single phase where the two 120 lines are 180 degrees apart. Your pony motor and output power are 240 volt three phase but the phases are 120 degrees apart. So, is what your saying here is that using the capacitors are actually electrically moving the phases so they end up close to 120 degrees apart. I guess I am having trouble visualizing how you can start a 120 degree motor with 180 degree phasing power. Thanks, Tom
Yeah!, me to. I would like to see the output on a scope and measure the actual phases. Must be some ugly harmonics flying around.
Incoming is 180 then the cap absorbs some current and shifts it 90 degrees but that is still 30 degrees off. Maybe this is just a power factor thing where the phase difference gets kicked back onto the grid and is lost?
I have the same confusion, what is the phase angle between the outputs of this circuit? It seems like the phase shift of a capacitor is 90° (www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/alternating-current/chpt-4/ac-capacitor-circuits), actually up to but not more than 90° (www.electronics-tutorials.ws/accircuits/ac-capacitance.html) so I'd think maybe the outputs are only some fraction of 90° apart, say 0 (take the input's phase as 0 for reference), then +90°. So motors might spin but there won't be as much power transferred from the lines to the motor and maybe (I'm not sure) they will also heat up more than they would with the norm of 120° difference between each phase in 3-phase.
awesome job! thanks, very informative.
You're welcome!
WELL DONE!!!
Very nice video.
Superbly explained and great reference document.
One concern I have about rotary idler phase convertors like this is that the phases are +/- 90 degrees instead of +/- 120 degrees as in utility-supplied 3-phase systems. The L1 and L2 inputs are 180 degrees apart. 120 volts each (to ground and the power company's neutral) and 240 volts between the two phases. The synthesized idler leg driven by the pony motor and capacitors is right between L1 and L2, thus 90 degrees to each one. You will notice that if you measure your "ghost" voltage to ground, it will be about 240 volts rather than 120 volts like L1 and L2. This means ground isn't in the middle of your Wye any more. There are three phases and the voltages between them are all close to 240 volts, but they are not equal amplitude with respect to ground and they are not 120 degrees of offset between phases. Because of this, motor magnetics will not be optimally aligned and you should de-rate motors driven by this compared to the same motor driven from a true, 120 degree, 3 phase power supply.
the 3 phase is not balance
Wow, thanks alot!
Good job
I love how you break it down I wish I had your contact to help me with a small project
Very good
Best ever video and explanation. Well done. I am faced with powering a 550V motor( two speed lathe) so I am assuming that a step up transformer(230V up to 550V 10KVA) connected to your three phase outlet and then to the lathe motor will do the trick.
I appreciate any input. Thank you in advance.
Very nice videos, I was wondering if this same set up will work with a larger pony motor, I have a 15 hp cnc mill so would I need a 30 hp motor? And will 100 amp 220v power be sufficient?
Fck yeah ! I have seen many videos building the converter by far the most help full
Love your in depth explanation of this convertor build. my question is what size start capacitor do i need to start a 20HP motor? I see the biggest most places supply is 1000-1200 MFD. I think i would need more than that if 70mfd per HP. Thanks!
Thank you for the video.
You're welcome ~P
"Admittingly missing some safety options" , I giggled at that. Almost everything I own is missing safety options . Borrowed time is my motto i guess. Nice video !
OSHA doesn't have authority in your castle !
I'm impressed that you have this many viewers and no disliked . its a little dry but I was not looking for a clown show. Good job.
thanks....I guess. I hope my style someday evolves into being less dry, but...until then, I'll continue to avoid the clown show. I promise no unnecessary drama. ~P
thank you a lot for your video.
Your welcome. ~P