3 Phase
Converter Types and Comparison
Good old fashioned research will help
guide you to make sure that you are able to get the
proper product to give you balanced 3 phase
power. The US
Phase Converter Standards Organization has some
excellent guides to help choose the appropriate
technology for your need comparing them side by
side. Check out their Phase
Converter Type Comparison Chart to read about the
strengths and weaknesses of each type side by side
with their ratings on quality, durability, safety, and
3 phase power quality produced. They also offer
a useful 3
Phase Converter Resources page.
Rotary
Phase Converters
The most common type of phase converter is the Rotary
Phase Converter. Not all Rotary
Phase Converters are the same. Many just
convert single phase power into unbalanced 3 phase
power, while the best kind that we were able to find
will actually generate true balanced 3 phase
power. This is the best kind to use. There
were only a few companies who manufacture this type
with the most notable brand being TEMCo Phase
Converters. A few other companies called this
type of 3 phase generating rotary phase converter a
motor generator set.
Static
Phase Converters
The next most common type of phase converter is called
a Static
Phase Converter. These can only be used on 3
phase motor loads. These units only generate a
3rd leg of power during start up but then turn off
leaving motors to run simply on 2 out of 3 of their
windings. This can damage some types of 3 phase
motor loads by over heating the motor and burning it
out when it is put under its full load. Many
times a load has 3 phase circuitry and not simply a
motor load so it will not even work with a static
phase converter. Read more about Static
Phase Converters here.
Analyzing
"Build Your Own
Phase Converter
Plans"
There is a lot of info out there about how to Build
Your Own Phase Converter Plans, but most of these
actually are simply showing how to use the equivalent
of a static phase converter with an inferior electric
motor as a generator and can waste valuable time and
capital. Read the US Phase Converter Standards
Organizations site for more info on these and the
other types below.
Understanding
Phase
Inverters
and VFDs
There is a product sometimes referred to as a Digital
Phase Converter. Sometimes this is a just a
marketing term, and other times this is to say that it
does not have any moving parts and has a circuit that
calculates part of the output. These tend to be
very sensitive and are prone to damage if a circuit
has a spike or feedback from your 3 phase load. Others
are simply a Phase
Inverters also known as a variable
frequency drive (VFD).
These are manufactured to control the speed of
electric motors and can run some 3
phase motors on single phase but cannot power any
other type of 3
phase load. These solid-state
inverters are only used to power some 3 phase motors
from a single-phase supply. They are never used
for a mixed type of load and are very sensitive.
They also have a short operational life.
The last common type is the CNC
Phase Converters. These are simply a Rotary Phase
Converter with more balanced 3 phase output
manufactured to provide 3 phase power to sensitive
computers that are a part of CNC machines.
1
Phase Loads on 3 Phase Power
1-phase
loads may be connected to a three-phase system in two
different ways. This can be done either by
connecting across two live conductors (phase-to-phase
connection), or by connecting between a phase
conductor and the system neutral, which is either
connected to the center of the Y
(star) secondary winding of the supply
transformer, or is connected to the center winding
of a delta
transformer (High Leg Delta system). Single-phase
loads should be distributed evenly between the phases
of the 3 phase system for efficient use of the supply
conductors and supply transformer.
Click here to read more about connecting a 1
phase load to a 3 phase power supply line.
Continue
And Read About Additional 3 Phase Power Details:
3 Phase Contents
