# Voltage on nameplate



## danj1997 (Mar 23, 2011)

Quick question, my company just recieved a piece of equipment from its sister company in the UK. On the nameplate the voltage is 415/240.
Is this 415 phase to phase and 240 phase to neutral. The equipment is
being supplied with 240 phase to phase 120 phase to neutral right now and does not reach temperature.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

That is 415Y/240, you will need a transformer.

That is 415 line to line and 240 line to neutral


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## walkerj (May 13, 2007)

Also, keep in mind it is likely 50hZ


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## danj1997 (Mar 23, 2011)

The nameplate says 50/60 hertz


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## wil335 (Feb 15, 2011)

You should be connecting it to 240v since the US is 60 Hz. I think you're looking at 3-phase. You would use 415v @ 50 hz


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

danj1997 said:


> ...On the nameplate the voltage is 415/240.
> Is this 415 phase to phase and 240 phase to neutral. The equipment is
> being supplied with 240 phase to phase 120 phase to neutral right now and does not reach temperature.


Doesn't reach temperature? No kidding. :laughing:

Half the voltage, probably 1/4th of the heat output. :thumbsup:

You're going to need a 240 delta by 415/240 wye transformer.


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

MDShunk said:


> You're going to need a 240 delta by 415/240 wye transformer.


What would that even look like?


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## walkerj (May 13, 2007)

Frasbee said:


> What would that even look like?


A transformer

Sent from my iPhone using ET Forum


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## walkerj (May 13, 2007)

It would be just like any other delta/wye transformer. 
Only difference is the secondary would be a voltage we are not used to seeing in the US

Sent from my iPhone using ET Forum


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

walkerj said:


> It would be just like any other delta/wye transformer.
> Only difference is the secondary would be a voltage we are not used to seeing in the US
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using ET Forum


Guess that was a bit obvious...was just reading the differences between delta and wye and my brain still hurts from it.


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## danj1997 (Mar 23, 2011)

Thanks for the help. The furnace was installed by another contractor, the feed available is 480 delta, they installed a 480delta to 240 wye, I have priced out a 480 volt delta to a 480/277 wye and will adjust taps and should come real close to 415volts.


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## walkerj (May 13, 2007)

Frasbee said:


> Guess that was a bit obvious...was just reading the differences between delta and wye and my brain still hurts from it.


Gotcha:thumbsup:

I was kinda being a smarty pants.

This is a great book for learning about transformers.


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## wil335 (Feb 15, 2011)

What does your nameplate look like? Does it have slashes for most of the info:

Voltage - 415/240
Amps - 1.0/2.5 (just an example)
Frequency - 50/60 Hz
KW - xxxx/xxxx

In my experience with foreign equipment, when I see something like the example above, I will connect 240 volts. You would use 415 volts only if the frequency is 50 Hz. Is there any internal connections to change according to voltage? You can get your 415 volts with a transformer, but I don't know how you would get your 50 Hz.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

danj1997 said:


> Thanks for the help. The furnace was installed by another contractor, the feed available is 480 delta, they installed a 480delta to 240 wye, I have priced out a 480 volt delta to a 480/277 wye and will adjust taps and should come real close to 415volts.


If it was me I would order the right transformer. The taps will not get it down to 415 and if the power company runs high you will be well over voltage.

As it is a heating unit running it over voltage may cause problems.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

wil335 said:


> What does your nameplate look like? Does it have slashes for most of the info:
> 
> Voltage - 415/240
> Amps - 1.0/2.5 (just an example)
> ...


I have to say that sounds very odd, maybe even untrue.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

A purely resistive load like a heater won't care about the difference between 50 and 60 Hertz, heck they wouldn't care if you were applying DC instead of AC. Just get the voltage right with the proper transformer.


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## mattsilkwood (Sep 21, 2008)

BBQ said:


> I have to say that sounds very odd, maybe even untrue.


I installed a steam table that was multi voltage. It wasn't 480 but if I remember right it was 120/ 208/ 240 and maybe 277. I do remember that I had to rewire the heats, parallel for 120, series for the higher voltages.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

mattsilkwood said:


> I installed a steam table that was multi voltage. It wasn't 480 but if I remember right it was 120/ 208/ 240 and maybe 277. I do remember that I had to rewire the heats, parallel for 120, series for the higher voltages.


Sure, but that's not what the other fella was saying. He was saying it was one voltage at 50hz and another voltage at 60hz.


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## wil335 (Feb 15, 2011)

I may have been headed in the wrong direction with my previous posts. I'm just used to seeing a lot of motors and controllers with these multiple voltages, which include voltages not common in the US.

What is this equipment we are taking about? I'm guessing the heating equipment is a 3-phase, 4-wire, with 415 volts for the heater and the 240 volts for the control portion. What is the amp rating of the equipment? That will confirm if I headed in the wrong direction previously. What is the KVA of the transfomer you are ordering?


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## danj1997 (Mar 23, 2011)

The transformer has been ordered. 15KVA 480 delta to a 415/240 wye. Thanks for advice all.


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## mattsilkwood (Sep 21, 2008)

MDShunk said:


> Sure, but that's not what the other fella was saying. He was saying it was one voltage at 50hz and another voltage at 60hz.


 Come to think of it the motors on the project I'm working on right now had a wierd rating, 480V @60hz and (I think) 380v @50hz. I'll be back there monday and I'll check it out and snap a few photos.


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## wil335 (Feb 15, 2011)

danj1997 said:


> The transformer has been ordered. 15KVA 480 delta to a 415/240 wye. Thanks for advice all.


You didn't say what the equipment was and what the amp rating showed on the nameplate. Does it have a single amp rating or does it have two amp ratings (xx/xx)?


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

mattsilkwood said:


> Come to think of it the motors on the project I'm working on right now had a wierd rating, 480V @60hz and (I think) 380v @50hz. I'll be back there monday and I'll check it out and snap a few photos.


Mattsilkwood.,

The 380 volts is common in few spots but nowdays it pretty much standarized to 400 or 415 volts so basically the V/Hz ratio is the same both 50 and 60 Hz so it will not really affect the motour very much but just remember that when you run on 60 HZ supply they will run faster than 50 HZ will be.

As far for Horsepower rating it will be the same but the service factor that can get tricky depending on IEC or NEMA rating show up on that motor and with IEC motour rating I Have a listing somewhere if you need it let me know I will dig it up.

Merci,
Marc

Note in case you need more tibbits let me put my quote from other area in this fourm 



> The SF on the IEC *motor* class is hidden it is not really well doucmented and they useally pretty converserly on the KW { HP } *rating* and it was been that way for last 30 or so years.
> 
> Yes there is a buffer zone on IEC *motor* class but they useally don't put that info on the nameplate not very often unless you have multi rated with Dual HZ rated motours which I know they will list the SF in there.
> 
> ...


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## danj1997 (Mar 23, 2011)

wil335 said:


> You didn't say what the equipment was and what the amp rating showed on the nameplate. Does it have a single amp rating or does it have two amp ratings (xx/xx)?


 It has a single amp rating, tech support in the UK says that what
I am doing with the new transformer is the only correct option.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Wouldn't the machine work at 240v line to line? How does the machine know the difference?


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Dennis Alwon said:


> Wouldn't the machine work at 240v line to line? How does the machine know the difference?


It is not an 'either' 415 or 240, it is 415Y/240.

It needs 415 line to line with 240 line to neutral all at the same time.

Just like an electric dryer needs 240 L to L with 120 L to N at the same time.



( 415/1.73=239.88 volts )


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

BBQ said:


> It is not an 'either' 415 or 240, it is 415Y/240.
> 
> It needs 415 line to line with 240 line to neutral all at the same time.
> 
> Just like an electric dry needs 240 L to L with 120 L to N at the same time.


Gotcha...


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

I have wired a bunch of milling machines that used 415Y/240 so I have run into this before.


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## Electric_Light (Apr 6, 2010)

In the USA, motors usually follow the 23/24th rule. 

120v = 120 * 23/24 = 115.
277v = 277 * 23/24 = 265

Line voltage is then the name plate value times 24/23.


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

danj1997 said:


> The transformer has been ordered. 15KVA 480 delta to a 415/240 wye. Thanks for advice all.


What's the lead time on that transformer?


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## danj1997 (Mar 23, 2011)

hardworkingstiff said:


> What's the lead time on that transformer?


 4 to 8 weeks


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