Fisher & Paykel Smart Drive

[rcavictim]

If you are only talking about moving 200 watts single phase and if the AC source can be kept under about 80 volts (above this these xfmers start to saturate and efficiency goes into the toilet) and the frequency up near 60 Hz, a pair of large microwave oven power xfmers could be used at the ends of a coaxial cable transmission line operating well within ratings at about 1500 VAC on the coax.  Polyethylene (NOT FOAM CORE) coax in RG-59 is cheap and would work well here.  This stuff can be found for 10 cents a foot.  Microwave ovens to source the xfmers are free (curbside supply).

[BruceM]

I think the safety issues for 1500 volts should preclude it's use for most DIY'ers like Jedon, not as skilled in working with high voltages as RCAVictim, though it is an interesting technical approach. 

[Jedon]

I do seem to take every opportunity to make sparks :-D
Burning down my beautiful forest would certainly offset any electrical gains though...

[rcavictim]

It is amazing all of the interesting uses I have found for salvaged microwave oven xfmers or MOT's.  Not for the inexperienced though as the high voltage at considerable available current can fry you.

[Henry W]

1500 volts is Dangerous!!! Please be careful when you are working on high voltage. Test leads for most meters are rated to one thousand volts. Cracks or cuts in test lead insulation are dangerous and leads should be replaced. Always check test leads before using them. When testing high voltage use clip on leads. Clip them on before powering up electrical equipment. And when powering up KEEP YOUR HANDS OUT OF THERE. A thing I do when I test 500 volts B+ is I put one hand in my back pocket. Never use both hands. Having one hand is grounded on a chassis and the other used to hold test leads is a dangerous thing to do. One slip could be your last. The current will go from one hand, accross the chest to the other hand.

I know rcavictim works with much higher voltage than I do. And I believe he uses good safety practice, good test equipment and lots of common sense when he is working on high voltage. I think he can give good sound advice on this subject.

If you never worked with high voltage please find a good electronic course or an electornic technician that works with high voltage that can teach you proper proceedures.

Henry

[Jedon]

I'll spend a little extra money to stay alive personally...
Got some more snow so my hydro is progressing slowly, next step I think is to go down and check out the larger, further away site and take some real measurements.
Many people I talk to say to just use the Harris Hydro setup since it's proven and has been refined for 30 years and is local. Price sure is high though.

[M61hops]

I was working on a 220V heat pump one time that was in a pool pump room that had water running all across the floor and I had turned off the breaker that was marked for it.  I kept getting readings on my digital autoranging Fluke meter that didn't make sense so after disconnecting several components and wires I was stumped.  I decided to turn the power back on to check if both legs were there and I discovered that the breakers were mismarked and that I had been working on live wires and parts while standing in water  !  A lead wire to the Fluke had a broken conductor inside the insulation    !!  I had used the meter the day before and it had worked fine!  Very good thing I had good work habits as to where my hands are placed and what I touch  !  I always make sure not to make my body part of an electrical circut and I treat wires and machines as though they are energized even when the power is turned off!  I cultivated that habit on the advice of a couple of shop teachers in high school 40 odd years ago.  And now after that day I check the leads and the meter for proper operation before I check for the presence of voltage  !         Leland

[mobile_bob]

i work around 208, 240/480 three phase with some regularity, often inside large steel cabinets
even with lock out procedures, and verification that the box is dead, i still keep one hand in my pocket when i go
poking around.

my least favorite is a piece of equipment thats panel is about 6inches off the ground requiring me to be on my knees
on damp concrete, i always put down my pressboard or a rubber mud flap to kneel on.

and i still hate it!

i don't like being bit, but i really hate seeing magic smoke escaping from my ears  

i remember back in tech school, we worked predominately with lower voltage stuff, rarely over 120vac, but
we also had an RCA training station, it had seriously high voltages in it,,

a good friend of mine could not keep his mind on the fact that you simply must keep one hand in your hip pocket
when you go in for meter readings

seeing him thrown on the floor several times a day made it clear to all why there is the one hand rule.

for me moving up from 12/24volt dc to 48volt has been an eye opener too, you don't get bit on 12 and barely on 24 unless
you are very careless and wet, but 48vdc??  ya that is about the limit of where one wants to go when it comes to dc current
that is about where getting bit starts to get  your attention in a real way.

in the alternator/tranmission/transformer/rectifier tests, my alternator is putting out 99vac off the ac terminals
it also has the modified internal rectifier bridge that i am not using in these tests, however

i decided to check the open circuit voltage on those two posts, at full operational speed and 99vac on the ac terminals
the two dc post read out 147vdc!

i think they have the potential of killing someone careless, so the alternator would have to be fitted with a rear cover with vent slots
for cooling to protect against accidental contact with both the ac terminals and certainly the dc posts.

bob g

[Derb]

Hi Fellas. I have just finished converting a Fisher and Paykel washing machine motor into a generator. The machine I got for nothing was one with .8mm windings. It was a 42 pole unit and I simply followed the instructions which i got off the net - heaps of helpful fellas and all info free. I was able to dispose of the remains of the washing machine slowly through the rubbish collection. The most expensive part of the operation has been the purchase of 3 x 35 amp bridge rectifiers at about $3-50 each from what I can remember and a small pot of polyeurethane to reinsulate the soldered windings. These units poke out a lot of power at very low revs and can put out 12/24/48 and up to 100 volts just on a battery drill. They would work great on a dozy old lister using a good belt reduction system and then poke the output into an invertor. They are supposed to be good for around 1.1 kw. Hell - if I can do it anyone should be able to. It aint rocket science and it's pretty much free. Check out Utube and google - heaps of info on these. Cheers.

[rl71459]

Hi Everyone

I have been curious about these motors for a while... What washing machines have them in them?
Can they be found here in the US?

Rob

[Derb]

Just google ecoinnovations, a small croud in Taranaki, New Zealand. They ship cheap kits around the world. there are bound to be these machines in the states as Fisher and Paykel are having them built in Mexico for the american market. Good luck .