3 phase coverter or VFD?

[Bradley Gray]

I feel a rotary phase convertor will outlive cheap VFDs by a long shot. If the rotary phase convertor will last twice as long, then we are talking about more than 14 VFDs in the equation.

I have a homemade rotary converter that cost me around $50, including a used 3 phase motor. I have been using it for 40 years. I have 15 3 phase machines so it would have cost quite a bit more especially when you roll in replacements.

A couple years ago I added a Kay 10hp RPC that I now use to run my biggest motors and they do run much better mostly because my old idler is 7hp.

I would consider a VFD for a specific machine only if I needed the speed control feature.

[Chris Parks]

Rotary Converters are few and far between in Oz, I have never seen one or heard of one being used.

[Matt Mattingley]

A Vfd. It is a single source conversion for one machine. It can provide soft start, variable speed, breaking, sensor less vector torque settings, and about a dozen other things.

A Rotary phase converter(RPC) is great for many machines and if you have a transformer with machines with different voltages.

The cheapest and dirtiest of them all is a static converter.

At any time if you’re going big-time, there is always phase perfect.

And at any time if you think you’re a superstar, go out and rent yourself a piece of industrial property that has three-phase on it. Or let us know how or what the costs are to bring three-phase into your residential property

I know longer have PM privileges.... so keep posting your problems.... or Call phase perfect.... or any VFD manufacture. And give us your full review.

[Matt Mattingley]

Rotary Converters are few and far between in Oz, I have never seen one or heard of one being used.

Do you have three phase in your residential buildings? North America has what is called a split phase. We have 120 V above ground and 120 V below ground alternating at 60 Hz. This is generated off of one single line of a three phase generation circuit.

In Europe most parts it is a 50 Hz at 220 V single phase. This is only one hotline generated to ground.

RPC’s and VFD’s still work in oz. step up and step down transformers do as well.

In Canada they have 600 V in their industrial sectors. The Canadians must be super silly or there must be a lot of deaths there... it is a big country. Maybe they’re like transmit higher voltage and less amps.

Why are the Canadians throwing around 600 V when the rest of the world plays with 220 or 460/480?

What makes the Canucks so special that their industry has 600 V?

I personally have a bunch of Canadian 600 V equipment in One of my shops. They start, they work, they shut off. This is not black magic.

[Chris Parks]

After the second world war just about every house in Australia had 415V three phase for hot water and also (I think) electric stoves but these days it is not done. I think every industrial building would have it as par for the course @ 415V, what heavier industry have I don't know but Canada and Oz tend to be very similar in some ways. The power supply to homes these days is 220 Volt for everything. It was for this reason we could use the Leeson motor that was supplied from Clearvue for 3 phase applications in the US but the US Govt decided to make that motor illegal so we were forced to use a locally sourced dual voltage motor @ 220V 3 phase or 415V 3 phase. Either way we used a VFD for all the advantages it presents.

[Chris Hachet]

I have (at least) seven VFDs running machines in my shop. Almost all of them are TECOs from Factorymation. I don't baby them, put them in special enclosures, etc, I just run them. Many of them are energized 24/7 and I'm pretty sure quite a few of them are over 7 years old. A 1 HP VFD from Factorymation will work fine and the added advantage is you can really fine tune the speed with it.

I use several of these myself and they have been bullet proof.