3 Phase For Shop?

[ericm979]

A lot of people with 1ph power get mills with 3ph motors so they can run a VFD for the speed control.

Sounds like a nice price for a large mill.

 

[Industrial Toys]

VFDs are great. I built a 10 hp rotary converter with much help from a friend to run a 600 volt 3phase lincoln MIG I bought by accident. Then I got a 600 volt drillpress/milling machine. It was a GIANT PITA starting and stopping that converter. Fine, if you are going to be using the tools for hours. The welder was the worst, plus the computer in the Lincoln never liked the fake phase.

Anyway, got rid of the welder and drill press. Still keep the converter, just in case. It also draws an insane number of amps on startup which is probably not allowed by the utility.

Some guy was here this week buying some old equipment from me and told me how the Utility Raped him in all manner of charges for 3 phase power, so he runs generators.

 

[Ortimber]

I installed a knee mill in my home shop and run it via a VFD. Works great and it’s a super simple solution.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I have a rotary phase converter in my shop... Here's what it looks like,

Walk over, turn it on, and away it goes... After that, I can run my 3 phase tools, no problem at all, including several tools/motors at once...

SR

 

[Industrial Toys]

If you are using it for production, no problem. But to drill a few holes, on with the converter, off with the converter. And like I said, mocking up something on the welder was terrible, running on the phase converter. I do say, I miss that 3 phase brute.

 

[stuckmotor]

Someone sends us a letter several times a year asking if we have a third wire at the top of our power poles. They say the third wire signifies three phase. The people who send out the mailings say they want sites with three phase to establish solar power farms. It seems to me they could get that information from the power companies without sending out so many letters.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Well maybe not. I ask questions of the crews I see locally and know exactly where our power comes from, out fifty miles or so back to Bruce Nuclear. Where the transformer station is and such stuff. I have a friend who was doing some security stuff at Ontario Hydro, and post 911, such information is restricted. He could not get me that information.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Thanks to those who recommended a VFD. I'll look into it.

 

[buickanddeere]

VFDs are great. I built a 10 hp rotary converter with much help from a friend to run a 600 volt 3phase lincoln MIG I bought by accident. Then I got a 600 volt drillpress/milling machine. It was a GIANT PITA starting and stopping that converter. Fine, if you are going to be using the tools for hours. The welder was the worst, plus the computer in the Lincoln never liked the fake phase.

Anyway, got rid of the welder and drill press. Still keep the converter, just in case. It also draws an insane number of amps on startup which is probably not allowed by the utility.

Some guy was here this week buying some old equipment from me and told me how the Utility Raped him in all manner of charges for 3 phase power, so he runs generators.

My Hobbart welder has terminals for 240V,480V and 600V. All single phase so all that is required to operate on 600V would be a transformer.

 

[buickanddeere]

Well maybe not. I ask questions of the crews I see locally and know exactly where our power comes from, out fifty miles or so back to Bruce Nuclear. Where the transformer station is and such stuff. I have a friend who was doing some security stuff at Ontario Hydro, and post 911, such information is restricted. He could not get me that information.

It isn't that complicated, the info is on the OPG web site. It goes more or less as the following. The Douglas Point Transformer Station is 52MW iirc from 230KV from the Bruce A Switch Yard down the 44KV. One 44KV line leaves the site and supplies the Bruce Energy Centre, Underwood, Port Elgin, Brucedale and South Hampton. The other 44Kv line supplies Inverhuron, Tiverton, Bervie, Armow, Kincardine, Pine River, Amberly, Point Clarke and Lurgan Beach. There are little substations here and there that drop the 44Kv to 2.3Kv,4160,7.2Kv, 13.8Kv and 27Kv depending of where what the loads are.
A old 230Kv line runs from the Bruce A site and joins a 115Kv at Owen Sound . Another 230Kv line leaves Bruce A into a new Wind Turbine Substation north of Underwood , can see it from Highway 21. iirc that line is the back feed from Hanover INTO the Bruce Site that powered most of the non generation buildings . Used to supply the Heavy Water Plant. A 3rd 230KV line heads east down the main power corridor between the 2nd and 4th concessions Has those d@mmed wind turbines on it too. . It turns to Bluevale and powers Lucknow, Wingham , Listowel and Teeswater. That same 230Kv carries onto Seaforth substation and powers Blyth, Clinton,Auburn, Goderich etc. . The 230 carries on and powers Grand Bend and then links to other 230 lines in a switchyard new Kitchener. Two of the 500KV Transmission lines go to Milton and other substations in that GTA area. A 3rd 500KV line swings south a few miles east of the plant and sort of meanders along to London, a cross to Nanticoke and up to Mississauga .
Just google " Hydro One distribution map "
Took almost a minute to find this link.Ontario’s Electricity System
Site Map
https://www.hydroone.com/businessservices_/generators_/Documents/honi_lsc.pdf