Single Phase to 3 Phase DURApluse GS10 AC Driver

Turning the blades of this 72" Mega Storm fan requires a 3 Horsepower motor running on 230 volts 3 Phase 3 AC electricity. 

That is going to require some electronics and here they are. A $1500 set of gear and engineering from Tuescher Electric in Darlington, WI. Master electrician and owner, Don Tuescher has been a supporter of the the KidWind program in Darlington and generously discounted this expense with a $1000 donation. As you can see in the picture above this turn key set up had everything I needed to finish the Variable High Speed wind tunnel project.

First and foremost is SAFETY in the wind industry. We intent to "practice what we preach" and make this wind tunnel a teachable moment for the KidWind teams that use it. The LOTO (Lock Out Tag Out) protocol is front and center for KidWind teams to see and experience during the educational presentation of this wind tunnels use and operation. Locking Emergency Stop button that requires unlocking with a key by authorized personel preventing restarting before inspection and any necessary corrective action being taken. 

When the Test Chamber is not attached to the fan the fan blades are unprotected. To eliminate the possibility of anyone coming into contact with the blades a safety system was needed. Another set of interlocks between the removable Test Chamber unit and Fan unit insures that the fan motor cannot be energized unless the interlocks are engaged by having the Test Chamber attached and in place.

And last, but not least. The power cord connecting the Fan motor to the control unit has a unique plug design and matching socket. This eliminated the possibility that if a standard 220 volt welding plug were used it would be possible that someone could plug the Fan motor directly into any 220 volt power outlet thus bypassing all the safety devices. Again a first class operation designed and engineered by Tuescher Electric and his team. 

Having a look inside the control box is another display of engineering and professional craftsmanship. Something that to often goes unnoticed by most but is appreciated and valued by those that work in this field. The KidWind program and this wind tunnel is a lot like this. Sure the excitement and action is in seeing the blades turn but the KidWind teams know all the design work and engineering that goes into making a wind turbine and producing electricity.

I would be remiss if I left you thinking that installing this "plug and play" system was as easy as it looks. When I opened the box on the side of the 3ph motor and saw the 9 wires it gave me pause. I learned a lot!

Here was the set up for the first tests. You can see the anemometer in the middle. The cattle panel with yard flags is at the opening and shows the flow of the air with little wind turbulence.

First tests show a wind speed of 9 m/s (18 mph). Some fun facts. The motor turns at 1750 rpm and is connected to the blades by a gear box that has a 5.85:1 gear ratio. This results in the blades turning at 300 rpm. The 3 phase drive unit can vary the frequency of the 3 phase input power and is set to range from 0 to 300 cycles per minute. So by controlling the input frequency to the motor we can control the rpm of the fan blades and wind velocity. Wallah! More testing and results to follow. Thanks for following along.