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Getting Technical:
How the Phase-Changer Works
Phase-Changers
are based on the proven technique of a rotary conversion which
has been extensively used for the last 50 years - however we've
added some very important new technology improvements.
Traditional converters are quite simple, and basically use single
phase power, a transformer and a few fixed value capacitors
to create a phase shift in order to make a pilot 3 phase motor
rotate. Once this pilot motor is spinning the start capacitors
are disconnected and the motor also becomes a generator, creating
the missing phases. Fairly crude 3 phase power can then be drawn
off it to power other equipment.
Traditional rotary converters have always had performance limitations
that cannot be reliably overcome with traditional control techniques
such as mechanical switching. To compensate, rotary converters
have needed to have a dramatically oversized pilot motor to
cope with the high starting currents of external loads and to
provide some level of output voltage stability. |
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Typically,
voltages between phases can become quite unbalanced as the size
of the connected load varies. This can lead to motor vibration,
motor noise, poor machine performance, motor heating, excessive
& inefficient power consumption and even motor and machine
failure.
Voltage outputs can be changed by varying the capacitance in
the circuit, however the standard approach of using contactors
or
relays to switch in and out capacitor
banks is destined to rapid failure. Capacitors store very
large amounts of electrical energy. Contactors & relays
are mechanical switches that turn on randomly at any part of
the AC sine wave cycle.
Connecting the capacitors to the converter circuit at the wrong
time of a cycle will create massive arcing & damage across
the contacts of the contactor and creates stress on the capacitors
themselves, shortening their life. |
So What Makes the Phase-Changer Different?
Phase-Changers are based on the rotary converter
technique, it is well known and proven, despite it's performance
limitations. What we have done is added the "smarts". By using the
best current micro-controller technology available, we have
dramatically enhanced the performance of the rotary converter. By
continually monitoring the output of the converter, the
micro-controller controls the value of the capacitors required for
"ideal tracking". Using high voltage industrial solid state switches
called thyristors, capacitor banks are switched in and out quickly
and silently as determined by the micro-controller in 9 distinct
levels. All switching is done with precision while the AC sine wave
is at zero volt potential ensuring there is no stress to either the
capacitors or to the thyristors themselves.
In the real world of the connected load, this means that the quality
of the generated 3 phase is comparable or in some cases better than
that of a utility 3 phase power supply. The ability to reconnect
any capacitor bank
automatically based on real world load conditions, means that a
Phase-Changer can access this stored energy at anytime to hardstart
or boost machines with high mechanical loads.
DON'T BUY INFERIOR TECHNOLOGY,
INVEST IN THE BEST: PHASE-CHANGER
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