I'm too tired to reason this out; does anybody know: Can a motor designed to run off 50 Hz successfully run off 60Hz? I dimly recall that motors designed for one frequency will operate safely on the other, but which way can you go? Assume I'm using the proper voltage for the motor.
Motor question
Dec 06, 2011
17 Replies
Most should work, but bear in mind that many of their parameters depend on the frequency. What kind of a motor is it?
weland@sdf.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.org
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Simplest explanation:
A small increase in frequency shouldn't be a problem other than the possible speed increase..
Going the other way is more of a problem as the motor would not have enough iron in it for the lower frequency.
"spamtrap1888"
** Synchronous motors will normally be OK at either 50Hz or 60 Hz.This includes AC fans, turntable motors and workshop motors on bench drills etc.
Thing is, 50 Hz equates to 230 volts and 60 Hz equates to 120 volts.
The motors will run 20% faster at 60 Hz - and maybe a tad warmer.
... Phil
"Phil Allison"
** A 60Hz design motor will run slower and warmer at 50Hz.... Phil
Why warmer?
weland@sdf.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.org
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Magnetic saturation of the iron in the rotor and stator. It's the same as transformer saturation at a lower than design frequency, if you don't reduce the input voltage.
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.
Fans and drills don't use synchronous motors. Old clocks/timers and turtables/tapedeck might.
"Cydrome Leader"
** OK - so they use " induction " motors, which spin at a speed determined by the AC supply frequency but are not synchronised with it..... Phil
Years ago when I worked on military aircraft electronics we would sometimes connect the lab clock up to the 115V 400 HZ supply. Who says time doesn't fly on a Friday afternoon....Lenny
In my youth I often puzzled why HP test equipment was rated to work off 400 Hz -- why did the Air Force use that?
Because the power transformers, filter chokes and capacitors were smaller and lighter. Both very important things when designing aircraft equipment.
Jeff
"Everything from Crackers to Coffins"
everything was smaller at those frequencies..
smaller and lighter.
Jamie
spamtrap1888 wrote in news:65ea6884-eee0-468b- snipped-for-privacy@18g2000prn.googlegroups.com:
To save weight and power on airplanes. And to have compatebility between ground- and airborne equipment.
Ah, indeed. I forgot about this one, all I was thinking was higher frequency should result in the motor running warmer due to increasing iron losses.
Thanks!
weland@sdf.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.org
% grep me no patterns and I'll tell you no lines
You're welcome. :)
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.
haha.
rills
Thanks, Phil and everyone. I was concerned, because while I can get a
2:1 transformer to operate a constant-speed motorized appliance, I can't easily supply power at a different frequency.Join the Discussion
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