three phase generator

[little jimmy]

I guess Im what you would call a lurker on this site. I have a chance to purchase a generator out of the hospital that i work at. My question is it is three phase and I dont need three phase but would like to get 240 out of it. Is this possible? I dont have the info about the generator at home but can get it tommorow if any one has thoughts I would really appriciate the help.

 

[kvom]

For 240v 3PH there is 240v single phase between any two of the leads.

 

[little jimmy]

I had to go in to work this morning so I wrote down what info I could find on the generator.
md. 45def-4r8/1675c
ser. 0270171297
stdby kw 45 kva 56.25
cont. kw 40 kva 50
rpm 1800
AC volts 120/208
AC amp 156
cy 60

 

[mrb]

some of these generators can be rewired for single phase operation. Look at the generator head itself inside the unit, see if there are 12 wires coming out of it. If there are, you are good to go. Make sure you find the proper diagram and dont lose track of which wire is which. If you hook them up wrong you will permanantly damage the generator. Some generators also have a switch inside to switch from 3ph to single phase.

Youre not going to get very much current of 120/240 single ph out of it by using a transformer, so if it cant be converted i would sell it and buy a single phase unit.

 

[walrus]

What do you want it for? what are you going to run with it?

 

[BigChevy80]

For 240v 3PH there is 240v single phase between any two of the leads.

That would be 208v, between 2 phases. But most 240v appliances will run on 208v without issue.

Jimmy, if you can get it for cheap, I'd just re-sell it for a profit and use some of that money to buy a nice single phase generator.

 

[little jimmy]

I can get it for 500.00 It includes all the switching components and assorted stuff. I figured the ford industrial motor was worth more than the price. I have a pto operated gen. that we use on the farm if we lose power but I thought if this would work I would get something that would be a little bigger.

 

[Fast Orange]

That's a lot of generator for residential use-40 KVA is about 3 times what would be the max needed for a normal home.I'm also going to assume it's set up to run natural gas.If I were in your place,I'd clean it up,tune it up and quadruple my money by selling it to a business that needs that kind of power.Then go buy a 1 PH unit sized to your needs.Between trying to get a big enough natgas line to your home,trying to convert it to 1PH and boosting output voltage to 120/240V,you'll be way ahead by going for the right generator in the first place.Or-even better-find a clean used Miller or Lincoln welder/generator that will put out about 10KW on either diesel or gasoline.

 

[little jimmy]

fast orange, it runs on diesel but you are right about just selling it and getting the right sized one or maybe spend the extra money on something more fun then a generator. I figured the electricians on this forum would have good advice and I thank you all for your thoughts.
Jim

 

[mike944]

That's an awful big generator. Kind of like using a sledgehammer to put tacks into the wall for hanging pictures.

 

[Junkman]

Is it the Ford industrial 6 cylinder engine that runs on natural gas or gasoline? I had the same generator and sold it right before the Y2K hysterical crunch for $2000. It was a very large unit, but finding a user was just about impossible. Mine was an Onan made in 1973 with about 700 hours on it, and run on natural gas its entire life. If it is a diesel engine, it should be a lot easier to sell. The buyer of mine told me that he was going to break it up for the parts, since there was little demand for units like that. Today, most are diesel, and much more compact in size. I sold it on ebay, and also threw into the deal the hospital quiet muffler. This muffler was about 24" diameter, and 60" long. When the unit was running, the cooling fan made more noise than the generator itself. Should have kept the muffler...........

 

[little jimmy]

Junkman, It is a six cylinder diesel that has not been out side of its heated garage since it was new. Seems like a deal to good to pass up if it all works out. I wish it had a muffler like you did this one sound like a tractor running wide open.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I wish it had a muffler like you did this one sound like a tractor running wide open.

That's interesting. Most hospital generators are equipped with very good mufflers, just because they're located in a hospital zone.

One thing I don't think has been pointed out yet is that diesel generators don't like being run at real light loads for very long - they can suffer from what's called 'wet stacking', where unburned fuel collects in the exhaust pipe and it oozes out through the end of the pipe and around joints (my local Cat generator distributor calls it 'slobbering.' ) It doesn't really harm the engine, but it can be a maintenance issue. As mentioned earlier, a 40kva unit will most likely be overkill for residential use, unless you have electric heat or some other big electrical load.

 

[Torque1st]

The voltages on a three phase 208Y/120 system are 120 between any phase and a grounded conductor, and 208 between any two phases. There is no 240 involved.

 

[2LTim]

Little Jimmy: Where are you and this generator located? I hav a buddy that buys and sells gen sets quite often, and if you are close enough, he may be interested.
Thanks, Tim

 

[little jimmy]

Tim PM sent

 

[Torque1st]

Tim PM sent

We all do not need to be notified that you have sent a PM to someone.

There is no need to tell someone a PM has been sent. The recipient has PM message reminders they can set in their User CP.

 

[jocool1585]

$500 for a generator that size is a smokin' deal. You shouldn't have a problem selling it, even in this sagging used equipment market.

 

[HOTFR8]

If it was here I would have it tomorrow and set it up on a small trailer.