What is a Power Chopper, and can it help my solar power pack?

bmet
bmet Solar Expert Posts: 630 ✭✭
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
Attachment not found.I have a power chopper, which states, " For use on AC induction motors only under 1/2 horsepower". Does this have any use for a small power pack powered by MSW inverter? Would it benefit power tools? Thank you.
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  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: What is a Power Chopper, and can it help my solar power pack?

    Clicking on you're link brings up the following message: "Invalid Attachment specified".
    So I tried Google, but only found devices for chopping food.
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: What is a Power Chopper, and can it help my solar power pack?

    I went looking for this on the 'Net to see what I could find. "Electronic Relays Inc" is the company and the name is so incredibly vague that it turns up lots of hits that aren't them. Even spelling out "incorporated" didn't help nor adding "power chopper".

    "Licensed from NASA"? That's interesting. Patent number too. That turns out to be "a power factor control system for AC induction motors which samples line voltage and current through the motor and decreases power input to the motor proportional to the detected phase displacement between current and voltage to thereby provide less power to the motor, as it is less loaded."

    You can read about it here: http://patents.justia.com/1977/04052648.html

    Will it be of any use to you? I don't know. Are you trying to use any AC induction motors under 1/2 HP on your MSW inverter?
    I can't draw any conclusions based on the information available.
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  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: What is a Power Chopper, and can it help my solar power pack?

    Fron what BB found, I expect it would be quite expensive, both because of it's complexity, and the fact that they wouldn't be mass produced, a slow moving item. Money may be better spent on a higher efficiency motor, or on more PV panels. Just guessing of course, but it seems likely to me.
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  • bill von novak
    bill von novak Solar Expert Posts: 891 ✭✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: What is a Power Chopper, and can it help my solar power pack?
    bmet wrote: »
    I have a power chopper, which states, " For use on AC induction motors only under 1/2 horsepower". Does this have any use for a small power pack powered by MSW inverter? Would it benefit power tools? Thank you.

    It's essentially a power factor corrector. It might help on medium sized induction motors (i.e. constant speed drill press motors) but will not help with universal motors (i.e. most hand tools and appliances.) MSW inverters may drive it nuts if it's the triac type - which based on the name it probably is. It will not save power unless you solve a power factor problem with it - but simpler methods (i.e. a capacitor across the motor) work better and are cheaper.
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  • boB
    boB Solar Expert Posts: 1,032 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: What is a Power Chopper, and can it help my solar power pack?

    Yeah, I imagine that this device may not do anything special with a MSW inverter. In fact, it might break ??

    boB
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  • bmet
    bmet Solar Expert Posts: 630 ✭✭
    #7
    Re: What is a Power Chopper, and can it help my solar power pack?

    well to be simplestic, is not every AC motor an induction motor?
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #8
    Re: What is a Power Chopper, and can it help my solar power pack?
    bmet wrote: »
    well to be simplestic, is not every AC motor an induction motor?

    Nope. Some of them have brushes.
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  • bmet
    bmet Solar Expert Posts: 630 ✭✭
    #9
    Re: What is a Power Chopper, and can it help my solar power pack?
    Cariboocoot wrote: »
    Nope. Some of them have brushes.

    That is SO 1950's :D
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #10
    Re: What is a Power Chopper, and can it help my solar power pack?
    bmet wrote: »
    That is SO 1950's :D

    There's something wrong with that? :D
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,654 admin
    #11
    Re: What is a Power Chopper, and can it help my solar power pack?

    Actually an induction motor has a rotating AC field (single phase, split phase, poly phase, etc.). And the "rotor" is constructed from steel "washers". The rotating AC field (from the coils) causes a current to flow in the rotor itself. That creates a North/South pole in the rotor which is now dragged around by the rotating AC fields.

    Hence the definition of "induction" motor. There are lots of other types of AC motors that are not induction type. But they tend to cost more, and have specialized usage so we don't seen them as often.

    A car alternator is actually a synchronous (typically) three phase generator and will work quite nicely as a motor too (when properly powered). The center rotor typically has slip rings and a coil to generate the N/S field in the rotor. And a Permanent Magnet Alternator is similar, but has strong magnets in the rotor to generate the N/S fields.

    The more I learn about electric motors, the less I realize I know.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #12
    Re: What is a Power Chopper, and can it help my solar power pack?

    Think I've got some old pump motors around here. I'll try to remember to take one apart tomorrow and take some pictures of its insides.
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