Discuss 3 phase conversion on Car Ramp in the Commercial Electrical Advice area at ElectriciansForums.net

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Hi All
I am new on here and looking for some advice on converting a car ramp to single phase. This particular ramp is sold in 2 versions single or 3 phase. I bought a 2nd hand 3 phase version at very handy money so can justify a bit of spend on it.
The 3 phase version i have has a 2.6KW 4 pole motor driving a 4.8cm3/g pump
The factory single phase version would have had a 2.2KW 2 pole motor driving a 2.0cm3/g pump
So question is ,worth a shot at buying a cheap 7.5KW VFD of Amazon and wire it in 240v delta config or swop it over to a 3.0KW 2 pole Cap start single phase motor B14 not sure what route would provide the most start up torque especially when the ramp is loaded
Any advice would be most appreciated
 
If I was doing it, would probably go for the single phase option.
 
I too, bought a second hand 3 phase ramp, about 15 or so years ago, and only have a single phase supply. It has been in regular use ever since, and hasn't missed a beat, except for a small hydraulic leak through the main ram seal, which means the fluid level needs topping up every couple of years.
Mine has a 2.2kW motor, IIRC, and crucially, could be reconfigured from 415V 3 phase to 240V 3 phase. The supply was connected across 2 of the 3 terminals and a capacitor connected between one of those and the 3rd terminal. A current operated relay was included in one of the supply wires, and it's NO contacts used to switch a second, larger capacitor in parallel with the other one. The initial current is sufficient to close the relay, connecting the 'start capacitor, but as soon as the motor picks up speed, and the current drops, the relay opens, leaving just the ''run' capacitor in circuit.
A bit of online research should give you an idea of the value of the capacitors required, and some experimenting with a simple switch connecting the run capacitor will give you an idea of the pull in and drop out currents required for the relay's spec.
All the parts for this were second hand parts from my spares boxes, apart from having to buy a 240V coil to replace the 415V one in the conntactor coil.
 
Note that the starting torque of the converted motor might be reduced, and the current quite high, so watch for voltage drop. The cap values are a best-fit for specific torque loads. It's not clear if this is a commercial application but if you modify the control gear, you will be taking responsibility for the new design.
 
Note that the starting torque of the converted motor might be reduced, and the current quite high, so watch for voltage drop. The cap values are a best-fit for specific torque loads. It's not clear if this is a commercial application but if you modify the control gear, you will be taking responsibility for the new design.
it would be better to replace it with a single phase motor .
 
Starting torque is definitely reduced, but is still more than adequate in my case.
The motor in my ramp drives a hydraulic pump, which feeds a single large vertical hydraulic cylinder on one corner of the ramp. The other three corners of the ramp are connected to the first corner by pulleys and three steel cables.
To operate the ramp, you push a button which starts the motor and raises the ramp. When you reach slightly above the height you want, you release the button, motor stops, and then you push down a lever, which lowers the ramp onto one of a series of mechanical stops, which are spaced at about 50mm intervals.
If you forget to drop the ramp onto a stop and push the button again, the motor will turn, but not move out of the starting phase, so will quickly trip the overload relay. The same may happen with the correct single phase motor for all I know, or even the 3 phase version
 
it would be better to replace it with a single phase motor .
Of course it would, but I'd have needed a motor with the correct flange and shaft to fit the pump.
My ramp cost me a total of £100 + the new coil. It had been removed from a workshop for sale, and replaced by a new higher spec. one. It had been stored outside, all covered up, but the river running alongside flooded, and the ramp had been under a couple of feet of flood water, which reduced its sale value somewhat.
Even came with most of a second identical scrap one, less hydraulics, so I cut the legs of the scrap one down to about a foot, turned them upside down, and concreted them into the floor. This left four square steel pads just above the floor, with a hole in each corner, which my new ramp bolted straight onto.
 

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