Three phase power for planer

[Bruno of NH]

I tried to screen shot it but wouldn't work

[Al_Smith]

At the risk of sounding like a smart aleck things like generator repairs generally would be far above the average house wiremans scope of knowledge .I'm just pointing that fact out .I certainly don't consider myself to be an expert on them but have repaired a few that were older than I was at the time . Some I've had to get my books out to figure out,no wiring diagrams,long gone . 

[Larry]

I retired from the telephone company.  Most of the central offices had generator backups.  Size was dependent on the office.  Most of the use was a hour run up each month for maintenance.  Once a year an oil sample was sent off for analysis.  A written record was kept of all maintenance and repairs.  It was normal for a 20 year old generator to only have a few hundred hours of run time.  Our company only bought the best generators money could buy.  I can't remember any electrical problems at all and the only mechanical problems were winter time battery issues.

They would go surplus when a new central office was built or the generator capacity was exceeded.  The maintenance records went with the machine when it was sold.

If you could find one of those I would think it would do well. 

[YellowHammer]

Bruno, thanks for the lead.  They are putting some info together for me.  

Larry, yes I would love to get one of those.  I just need to turn over more rocks.  

[Walnut Beast]

You might want to check out Central States Diesel Generators 

[tule peak timber]

This unit is near me and has a 3406 engine, low hours, and is supposed to be one of the best motors Cat ever built.

 

[scsmith42]

I looked, not the same.  Those WhisperWatt generators look sweet, but I bet they cost some serious bucks.

I talked to a guy today who knows a guy who may can find some cell tower generators cheap, but doesn't know their rating.  

Oddly enough, I never heard squat back from the CAT generator guy.  

I didn't think it would be this deep.  

Robert, modern cell site generators from the 90's and newer are usually 25-45kw single phase units.  Typically cell sites operate off of a 200a single phase service.

Larger sites might have a 400a service.

Three phase is typically only found in a cell site located in a commercial building, but it is the exception rather than the rule.

Sometimes a portable cell site generator might have a selector between various single and three phase voltages.

And yes, the WhisperWatt units are very expensive.

[Bruno of NH]

I'm following this because if I ever can afford to get a planer , moulder and other equipment I will have to run a generator.
A power upgrade in NH would put me out of business. l

[farmfromkansas]

Think I would be calling Tule Peak Timber and check up on that monster cat generator.

[Al_Smith]

Rather timely concerned with this topic but just this morning I saw a set up on Face Book with parallel phase converters .What appeared to be two "Roto  Phase " units at a saw mill using a 50 HP Baker electric band saw mill .However it was a 600 amp single phase electrical service which is huge .It would be extremely rare to find a single phase service that large .
I suppose the double converters are for enough capacity for motor start up which I'd have thought could be done with just larger capacitors .It is another option though .

[tule peak timber]

This unit is new out of Miami Fl. and uses the Cummins 6Bt engine , another proven work horse. 125 KW for 17 K. No bells or whistles that are not needed in a fixed installation anyway.

 

[scsmith42]

This unit is new out of Miami Fl. and uses the Cummins 6Bt engine , another proven work horse. 125 KW for 17 K. No bells or whistles that are not needed in a fixed installation anyway.

Rob, what EPA tier is that?  

[tule peak timber]

The ad said non compliant. It is on Americas Generators Inc. I'm a fan of mechanical governors, no electronics,and equipment I can repair.
I did not ask the folks at AG anymore questions on this particular set.Just posting an example of what makes sense to me. The earlier Cat gen set (1998 ) I posted is no doubt non-compliant also today----which is why it is for sale.
  A lot to consider ...........

[farmfromkansas]

Who is going to tell you that you can't use one of these generators?  Farm tractors are not compliant either, built before these regulations came into effect, but we can continue to use them until they are used up. Buy a new one and it has all the pollution control additions.  My neighbor bought a new tractor, had to overhaul the thing in about 2 years, no warranty.  Bought another one just like it, new old model for a good price, they just took all the pollution control stuff off.  There is a guy near here making good money removing all the pollution control stuff off Dodge trucks. Diesels.  They have so many problems the dealers are sending him customers.

[YellowHammer]

Yes, a lot to consider.  That's a nice generator.  Another thing I hadn't thought about until it was mentioned was the noise factor.  I was reminded back in the day of working with Army generators for our projects, loud as a train.  I'm not sure I want that.  Not that the planer won't be loud too, but with our phase converter, I can't even hear it running, and we may run it most of the day, since it's wired into different pieces of equipment.  Also, I guess I'd need to build a building or shed for it.  One more thing.  

I was looking at the Whisper Watts.  I like the sound dampening, and the fact that they come with their own enclosure.  

All I want is a planer, but it seems like that's at the end of the road.  

[WoodenHead]

I'm not sure if this will help any, but I purchased a generator set (25kW prime) for my off-grid home from Central Maine Diesel (http://www.centralmainediesel.com/).  They were very good to deal with and shipping across into Canada wasn't an issue.  The genset was reasonably priced (less than $10k US at the time) and had a Kubota V3300 engine and a Stamford alternator.  The engine was same as that in the M6800 series Kubota tractors, so I always knew I had access to parts and common service items at the local farm supply.  It was originally wired as single phase 120/240V (12 lead - double delta), but I re-wired for 240V, 3-phase to power my Logosol PH260 planer.  It was also capable of 480V, 3phase.  They sell larger gensets that might work for you.  Mine did not have an enclosure (I built a shed for it).  The generator controller for mine was not fancy, but it was relatively inexpensive (I bought a spare) and did what I needed it to.

[scsmith42]

Rob, those both look like nice units.  Fortunately here in NC we can still operate the older units.

Robert, for some of the large commercial gensets, the sound enclosure can cost as much as the generator 

My Kohler is located in a sound deadened room in one corner of the shop.  2x6 walls, filled with open cell spray foam, two layers of 5/8" drywall with foam separation between them (and also foam separation between the drywall and the studs), and then 1/2" sound deadening board on top.  

Inside the generator room, you cannot carry on a conversation - even by yelling.

Outside the door you can talk in normal tones.

Point the radiator and exhaust away from your building, and this will reduce the noise level.  If you do a baffle chamber on the air intake and radiator exhaust, it will also reduce the noise significantly.

[longtime lurker]

I'm fortunate in that - tropical climate - my Genset doesn't need to be insulated for winter. So it's in an open shed and with a decent muffler system it's no worse than a loader or similar equipment.

I'm pretty deaf, that helps too.

The noisy one is usually the blower/ extraction system. They suck the noise up the pipe and it gets that resonance going... Neither the blower nor the 4 sider is that noisy but together they make a racket.  Can't hear the generator over that anyway.

[Southside]

When we had the Screaming Jimmy powered Genny we built a shed around it and insulated the walls, but ran out of insulation for the ceiling - which was tin.  The enclosure really tamped down the noise, or so I thought.  Found out a year or two later there was a guy several miles away that could not for the life of him figure out what on earth was making all that racket at times. Guess there was a unique geographical feature, combined with the speaker we had created, that would funnel the noise right to his place.... oops....

[Al_Smith]

You haven't experienced noise until you hear 4 Fairbanks-Morse 38D-8 1/8 10 cylinder engines  running a flank bell on a diesel submarine .It's a wonder if all those old enginemen aren't stone deaf .In the engine rooms you couldn't hear yourself think .

[tule peak timber]

Now you have me looking again....I found this fuel consumption chart on line today.

 

[tule peak timber]

I think that I am also concerned about operating costs past this November....

[scsmith42]

Rob, that's a great chart and my experience has been consistent with it.  When I add in depreciation, maintenance and a $3.00 per hour assumed fuel cost I get to the .33 per minute number that I reference.

Re November... no comment!

[Bruno of NH]

I'm with you guys on November 
I hitting it hard while I can.
Paying my $9,500 mill payment 6 months early.

[Don P]

I'm starting to appreciate the old lineshaft. Skip the electricity and just spin a shaft?