Higen / Lsis 15kW motor

It seems odd that the nameplate does not state the voltage or the frequency. The specifications call for 145 volts, but still no frequency. For a two pole three phase motor, 45 Hz would be 2700 RPM, so 2500 RPM would be about right for 8% slip. But since this is a motor with high power density and designed for higher frequency, it seems more likely to be a four pole motor with 90 Hz base frequency, or six pole for 135 Hz, or eight pole for 180 Hz. The 9000 RPM maximum speed would require 153, 307, 460, and 613 Hz, respectively, assuming a constant 200 RPM slip.

That is 200/3600 or 5.5% slip at 60 Hz and 200/3000 or 6.7% slip at 50 Hz, for a two pole motor. I can't come up with any other way to get the 2500 RPM as rated except with a sync speed of 2700 and 200 RPM slip. The frequency and pole count are unknown factors.

Also, the 87 amps per phase and 145 volts phase to phase works out to about 22 kW. The 15 kW rating would be for 100 volts phase to phase.

boekel said:

I have a 15kw Higen 'tuned bij Lsis' motor:

Who knows more about these motors and can recommend what controller to use?

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A Curtis might work. You'd have to tune it and that could be difficult (read expensive). I'm not sure if the Sevcon AC controllers support induction machines. You could check.

major said:

A Curtis might work. You'd have to tune it and that could be difficult (read expensive). I'm not sure if the Sevcon AC controllers support induction machines. You could check.

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I guess I have to wait and see if Higen sends me a reply to my information request...

I might be able to test with an industrial (ABB) frequency converter, but will need more information for that too (and problem: low voltage / high amps thus need about a 50(?) kW 400v unit)

boekel said:

... (and problem: low voltage / high amps

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Yeah, that's why the Curtis might be a nice fit---100-144V and 550A.

You can probably test the motor at lower power with a small VFD. You may even be able to set the motor characteristics to what seems to be the specifications, which I think are four pole, 97 V, 60 Hz, or 145 V 90 Hz, and you may be able to set the power to that of the VFD. So you just fool it to think it is, say, 5 HP, and it will just trip out at a much lower current.

It is also possible to run a lower voltage motor by using step-down transformers. I did that with my 8 VAC motor and a 2 HP Fuji VFD. I have some Superior "Flexi-Formers" which are essentially toroid cores rated at 120 VAC 60 Hz, and 0.3 volts/turn. So I used about 30 turns and I was able to run the motor at as much as 180 or 240 Hz. I used just two transformers, A-B and B-C. It worked just fine, but I did not try to get much power. It was just a 1/2 or 3/4 HP single phase motor that (IIRC) I rewound for 12 poles and 3 phase.