440v 3 Phase Rotary Converter Help

Capacitors in system currently are: 2 - 30 MFD 370 Vac (silver metal) 1 - 270-324 MFD 220/250 Vac (black plastic start cap.) I traced the wiring in the control box and came up with the schematic that I attached. The relay/switch in the dashed box is rated for 260Vac. It is not the greatest drawing..

Attached is a revised schematic diagram incorporating the following changes: 1) Exchange motor lead 2 for lead 3, 2) show the PFC capacitors as a representative example of this and the two other run-type capacitor composite units, 3) show resistors across each capacitor, for both voltage equalizing and for bleeding, and 4) show the internal "protection" resistors.

Based on the information that you supplied and using peter's diagram. You should have two run caps rated at 17.5mfd @ 370 in series between A and B, two more run caps rated at 12.5mfd @ 370 in series between C and B, two more run caps rated at 3mfd @ 370 in series for Cpf circuit. Your start caps circuit should have two start caps rated at 145mfd @ 250vac wired in series, make sure that all the capacitors have discharge resistors. If your on a tight budget, you can use the two 30mfd run capacitors in series between A and B and dont have any run capacitors between C and B and A and C ( Cpf circuit ). A good source of capacitors at reasonable prices is Burden Sales Co (Surplus Center) in Lincoln, NE. Here ... http://www.surpluscenter.com/sort.as...tname=electric ... is a listing of all 370 VAC motor run capacitors presently available. (Scroll down to find the larger value capacitors. Usually, you can ignore the dual capacitors as these have a small value and a large value capacitor in one case, for HVAC applications. If the two values are identical, then these would certainly be suitable for the above application). Alas, Burden Sales seldom has as good a selection of 250 VAC motor start capacitors. (Currently, they have none).

I was pricing the capacitors on Ebay as well. That website seems to have pretty good prices too. Are the caps. from that website protected? The don't seem to list it in their description. I edited the schematic from Peter to show physically what the circuit should look like and added the capacitor values macplus stated. Could you guys review it to make sure I got it correct? Thanks again. I will be ordering some caps. soon, as well as the 90-66. That way I can get going on building this. I think I am going to have to get a bigger control box on the RPC or go to a separate control box for all these capacitors...lol

Yes...dont forget to add resistors to all the capacitors. Ever since Pyranol, GE's fireproof insulant, was outlawed because of its PCBs, capacitor makers have had to use a substitute which is PCB-free, but is not fireproof. One name for the PCB-free, but not fireproof insulant is Dielektol. One solution to this safety issue is "protected" capacitors, where the capacitor has within it a protective device, possibly a "fusible" resistor, which will open if the capacitor overheats, thereby preventing a fire. Every modern run capacitor which I have examined has stated "PROTECTED" on it. Also, sometimes "CONTAINS NO PCBS".

The GE 97F series of run caps is pretty much the "gold standard", but there are other makers, too. Yes, of course, there should be a bleeder across every cap. This resistance is also there to equalize the voltage across the capacitors as these are in series connection to form a single, composite capacitor. The failure mode of the integral protective device is such that the capacitors fail "open". Another idea is use 600vac run capacitors, this way you would not need to series the run caps and the the resistor across them. I did check my stock on the run caps and have better prices than surpluscenter and graingers potential relay ( about 25% less and 40% less ) I take it you are part of an electrical supply store? Where are you located in Western NY? I am in that area of NY also. Do you also carry the resistors I would need (15K ohm 5 W)? I would prefer to drive to a store and get everything from one location. That usually saves on shipping cost from the internet, as long as it is not too far away. Thanks. "Another idea is use 600vac run capacitors, this way you would not need to series the run caps and the the resistor across them" A dangerous idea for a run cap, but OK for a start cap. Run caps must be rated (singly or in series connection) at least 1.56 times the RMS line voltage. 1.56 * 240 = 374.4 (370 is fine). 1.56 * 480 = 748.8 (two 370s in series connection are fine). Start caps must be rated (singly or in series connection) at the RMS line voltage. 250 is fine for 240. 500 (two 250s in series connection) are fine for 480. Note: whenever making a composite capacitor by placing two in series, the capacitors must be of the same rated value (not necessarily the same actual value, as caps are made with a tolerance). Otherwise, the "series capacitor law" has to be calculated in each case of unequal capacitor values: Ctotal = 1 / ( ( 1 / C1 ) + ( 1 / C2 ) ) It is generally a bad idea to place two dissimilar caps in series connection as the voltage across the individual cap will divide unequally. Resistors are already recommended even for the series connection case of equal value caps. The resistors become even more important for the unequal value case.

A side remark: one reason those cheap static converters have such a bad reputation is these generally have only 125 volt caps in them, for 240 volt SPCs. Some makers DO offer what they call a "heavy duty static", but all that usually means is they substitute a 250 volt cap for the 125 volt cap, with NO other changes. The "magic smoke" Genie is just waiting for the opportunity to be let out. Installing an under-rated cap is one sure way to let that smoke out!