I have a friend with a machine shop who for many years used a homemade rotary phase convertor made from a 50 Hp motor. He recently bought a CNC machining center and decided he needed better power for it so he also purchased an electronic phase convertor. It wasn't cheap, but to my eyes appears to be very rugged and has performed beautifully for him. The three legs remain nicely balanced even under a wide range of loads. He is particularly happy with how much more power his "big" lathe (30 Hp) has now. He is also happy not to listen to the constant humming of that old 50 Hp motor.

This device monitors the incoming single phase power and generates a third leg at the proper phase angle and voltage. You can run multiple machines from it at the same time. In fact, my friend took the output from the phase convertor to a 3-phase breaker panel and uses that to distribute power to all the machines in his shop (about 8 in all).

Here is the link to the manufacturer's web site:

http://www.phaseperfect.com/

(Please note, I have no connections with this company, financial or otherwise etc. etc.)

Best regards,
Andy Hall

Geeze, the stuff you can find on youtube!

I just stumbled onto a video of the very steam powered wood splitter that I saw in the flesh at Lynden, WA (USA) last summer. Here's the link to the clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX0JXybkcB4&feature=related

Too bad they didn't show the steam engine and the boiler. By the way, the wood being split is to fire the boiler that powers the steam engine and also the steam forging hammer  (count your fingers when you're done...)

Best regards,
Andy Hall

Lowspeedlife:

208 V is convenient because you have 120 V to neutral for small loads and 208 V for bigger loads like stoves, water heaters, etc.

In industrial applications (in the U.S., at least) it is common to feed 208 V / 3-phase power to a breaker panel and then populate the panel with a variety of single pole, two pole, and three pole circuit breakers according to the needs of the loads.

For what it's worth, there actually was a 2-phase system developed way back in the early days of electricity. I believe it predated the 3-phase system. This system required four wires -- two for each phase, and the voltages in the two phases were 90 degrees out of phase with each other. The 3-phase system is superior in that it only requires 3 wires.

Best regards,
Andy Hall

Contaucreek:

No, that's not how I do it. I use a (rented) splitter that has platforms on either side of the beam to catch the split pieces--they don't fall to the ground.

My sequence is: Pick round off wheelbarrow #1, place in splitter, split, pick pieces off of side platforms, toss pieces into wheelbarrow #2, repeat ('til Hell freezes ). Everything takes place at about the same height.

If you look closely at the Split-Fire pictures you will see that it has platforms, too. The Northern Tool splitter has them as an option. I don't like to use a horizontal splitter without them.

Best regards,
Andy Hall

SteveU:

I've been thinking about getting a splitter myself and for many of the same reasons. I am looking at very seriously at buying one of these:

http://www.split-fire.com/

It splits in both directions. I haven't had a chance to try one yet, but I've read some very good feedback about it on several websites and I like the concept. One downside is that it only works as a horizontal splitter. I don't like vertical splitters, so that doesn't concern me.

Nothern Tool sells a cheaper version of a similar type:

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200365526_200365526

I don't like the look of this one as well as the Split-Fire, but the price is somewhat lower. I've read several positive reviews on it, too.

Regarding the flywheel type splitters:
I saw one at the Lynden, WA (USA) tractor show this summer. It was powered by a small steam engine via a flat belt. Sorry I didn't get a picture. It made me very nervous as I watched a man risk life and limb using it. And I don't think it would do well with knotty wood. The wood pretty much has to pop apart on the first try. Most of the wood I get isn't made that way--hence the need for a hydraulic splitter. On the other hand, this splitter is much faster than any hydraulic one.

Best regards,
Andy Hall

Macgyver wrote:

Reply #4 on: Today at 12:41:10 PM »
...keep in mind that rectifiers with higher PRV ratings typically also have a higher forward voltage drop... which means more heat dissipated in the device.

I, too, have long believed this to be true, but decided to review the data sheets you linked as well as a few others to confirm it. In all the data I reviewed, there was no difference at all in the forward voltage drop for the different PIV ratings.

Based on this, I would have to say that using a higher PIV rating will have no effect whatsoever on the power dissipation. So, go ahead and use the higher PIV rating and it will give you a larger safety margin.

Best regards,
Andy Hall

Steve:

Regarding belt length:
Here is a link to a online calculator that will give you a belt length given the pitch diameters of the pulleys and the center distance between the shafts:

http://www.gizmology.net/pulleysbelts.htm

Of course, I can't guarantee the results, but I can say that I checked this calculation against my layout and was happy with the number I got.

Best regards,
Andy Hall

Here is an interesting device that measures engine speed using a transducer that clamps onto an injector line. Don't see why it wouldn't work on a slow speed engine--it's supposed to work on any diesel regardless of the number of cylinders. Also serve as a run time meter and has a couple of programmable timers built in for service reminders. Price is a little high, though.

http://www.tinytach.com/tinytach/diesel.php

Best regards,
Andy Hall