Another Rotary Phase Converter

Nice Jim,
Defiantly the coolest RPC I'v ever seen. I'v wanted to add meters to my system from the start but lost motivation. You just reignited my interest:).
Your work is always inspiring.
 
Thank you Paco. This is my first RPC so I thought I would jazz it up a bit. Originally I was just looking for some volt meters, but I found those power monitors and they were cheap. We'll see how well they work.
 
Jim just so you know they DO make little clips you can buy for mounting caps, you don't have to make swiss cheese panels for em. I know, you
needed an excuse to fire up the CNC.
I didn't know you were planning to keep all those switches in the design- some of them you'll probably throw once and never again. Hey as long as it works, right? Looks impressive that's for sure. ;)
Mark S.
 
Jim just so you know they DO make little clips you can buy for mounting caps, you don't have to make swiss cheese panels for em. I know, you
needed an excuse to fire up the CNC.
I didn't know you were planning to keep all those switches in the design- some of them you'll probably throw once and never again. Hey as long as it works, right? Looks impressive that's for sure. ;)
Mark S.


I looked at those clips. They wanted about $4.00 each and you have to drill & tap two screw holes per each. And as you said I have a CNC. :grin: I decided to just put the switches in, makes the setup easier. Thank you.

I should just have bought a 15HP motor, using this compressor motor has turned into more trouble than it's worth. After removing the screw I had to modify the front bell bearing bore, build motor mounts, and fight with it. Just about done now. Hopefully I'll get back to the wiring tomorrow.
 
Well if it's any consolation I've spent ridiculous darn fool amounts of time rebuilding my bandsaw. Just finishing the hydraulic feed now, there's light at the end of the tunnel- pics soon.
Mark S.
 
There have been some questions about what I'm going to run with this RPC.

Here is a picture of the electrical cabinet on the CNC lathe
1510091809762.png
 
The first test run did not go well. :( The pony motor spun up the idler and everything switched in as planned. The idler took over and ran just long enough for me to look at the voltages (which seemed about right), about 15 seconds or so.......then the 50 amp breaker tripped. :mad: *^^%^&. So disconnect the idler and do a quick phase to phase check with an ohmmeter: 0.4, 0.4, 0.2. That's not good, I think it has a shorted winding. Maybe that's why the air compressor failed. Headed to the motor shop on Monday, I'll have them put it on the bench. I have no way to properly test a 15 Hp, 3 phase motor in my shop. I really kinda hope it is the motor, at least that would mean I didn't foul something up. It was running unloaded, no caps in circuit. Rated at 15 Hp, 48 amps at full load, there is no way that motor could be drawing >50 amps unloaded if it's healthy, even single phasing. :confused 3:

Here is a couple of pictures of the nearly finish panel. Still have to wire in (gray cable) the current transformers (little black things) for load monitoring.

That's a big ball of wires, wrapped with spiral wrap at the bend.
1510455490560.png

The back of the door
1510454828186.png

And the main panel
1510454919266.png

My son designed and machined a mounting bracket for the current transformers, mounts under the 3 terminal power block.
Here is the design, I'll post more pictures later. Made of UHMW.
1510455192409.png
 
Back
Top