Electric Building - Official Work Thread

[Bill Baskerville]

I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina and seem to have acquired a lot of old slang, either from my rural Virginia parents or my friends with whom I grew up.  Well, time for me to skedaddle.

[Brendan Barry]

Building is done.

[Bob Springs]

Perfect!

[Bill Baskerville]

Really nicely done!

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

It's  really a beautiful well-proportioned small building that will look fine in my backyard.

[Dave Buczkowski]

Alain,
Shipping costs could be expensive. Check with WW&F Logistics for a quote😉
Dave

[Bill Reidy]

Alain,
Shipping costs could be expensive. Check with WW&F Logistics for a quote😉
Dave

Yes, but thanks to Wayne we have become expert in shipping via container ship.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

 You're right Dave,  while WW&F has become expert at shipping oversea, all  things considered I think this cute building will match more Sheepscot yard than my backyard.

[Roger Cole]

This thread had comments on three-phase power a while back.  I have attached a screenshot from a local Facebook page here in West Virginia.  I don't know if you would have any use or need for a 10hp three-phase motor.  I also don't know if that is a reasonable price either.  If there is interest, you could always make an offer.  I can't believe they're going to get a lot of interest in their motor down here in rural West Virginia.

https://www.facebook.com/albrightfirehall

[Bill Baskerville]

Roger has an idea that with some modification perhaps could solve the problem.  How about a single phase 240 volt motor driving a 3 phase generator.  We would loose some efficiency but I suspect maintaining an electric motor generator combination would be a lot easier than maintaining our diesel generator set.  Of course, the diesel generator already has a 3 phase generator which could be connected to a single phase motor.   It probably has more resale value as a set.  I would think any combination of these solutions would be a lot cheaper than trying to get 3 phase power to us on Cross Road.

[Benjamin Richards]

How about a single phase 240 volt motor driving a 3 phase generator.  We would loose some efficiency but I suspect maintaining an electric motor generator combination would be a lot easier than maintaining our diesel generator set. Of course, the diesel generator already has a 3 phase generator which could be connected to a single phase motor. 

Agree. An IC engine, especially one used infrequently, is nothing but a money pit and a maintenance time-sink.

One should be mindful that the IC engine is governed to maintain constant speed under load. An electric motor would need some kind of closed-loop control to mimic this behavior, if the downstream equipment is sensitive to frequency fluctuations.

Alternatively, for the price of a decent single-phase motor, you could just as easily get a dedicated rotary- or digital-phase converter and be done with it.

It probably has more resale value as a set.

True, but if you have to separate the two, it would be easier to re-sell the diesel alone than the genny head alone.

[Jason M Lamontagne]

As previously discussed, we’ve already booked this choice down to a commercially available converter.  The electric service required for a home brew or a commercial unit is the same; we opt for the one which is fully engineered, rated for our service and rated for cold storage.  The price range for these units is well within the scope of the no 11 project- put another way- we want to keep our efforts focused on the main task at hand.

Honestly by the time you source the 50hp motor and generator, motor controllers, overload protectors for both sides, come up with a frame and or enclosure, and other ancillary concerns, the cost would likely approach that of the equivalent commercial units we’ve found, which are in the low thousands.  Some used units under $1000.

Thanks,
Jaosn

[Mike the Choochoo Nix]

I think the museum is on the right track buying a phase converter, they are not that expensive and a good one will last for years. Check out American Rotary's website if any of you are wondering about them. They are not the only game in town but they show what the current equipment is like and they show their prices.
M. Nix

[Ken Nelson]

Have Alan Downey and Josh Recave solved the 3-phase power requirement in the shop?  Have they acquired the phase converter?

[Mike Fox]

Josh has been spending a little time getting things ready.