Large DC motors

[angus]

Hi.  I have several very large DC motors that came off overhead gantry cranes (circa 1950).

    For example.  British Thompson Houston  660rpm dc 200v 50 amp 12hp.

                  General Electric  725 rpm dc 230v 65 amp 16hp.

   They are large and heavy about the size of a 44 gallon drum cut in half!

   They have 4 very large coils as a stator and have large carbon brushes an the armature (rotor).

   Can these be modified for use as a genny/alternator or should I use them as a boat anchor?".

  Thanks for all responses to my previous post(" why do we need an alternator").

Regards

Angus  (The older I get the better I was).

[willib]

I dont know about you , but i would find a use for them.

If you spin one by hand what kind of voltage do you get?

[gizmo]

Sound like series wound DC motors. No magents. Not much good as a wind driven generator. Big hydro installation maybe. Put them on ebay, the EV car conversion guys would use them.

Glenn

[hiker]

take the coils out and replace with mags-might have to build up a base to hold the mags..unless you have some thick mags..

 i tried it on a small 1/3hp dc motor 12v--sucked as a gen--motor still spun over

but not as strong--[ceramic mags]  

  just a idea---not sure if it would work for you.

[Flux]

Yes you can use them but would you really want to. The weight alone is a major problem.

They need much higher speed than you can reasonably get with direct drive, they are not wind or waterproof and the brushes and commutator will require constant maintenance.

The end performance will be very poor compared with modern neo magnet alternators.

You could fit magnets but still you will have a poor performing machine that weighs far more than a modern wind turbine alternator.

Years ago we tried our best to adapt unsuitable technology of the time and I wouldn't have chosen any of them then, no way would I even think about it now but the rest of the world wants to re invent the wheel rather than learn from past experience.

One thing has changed though, nobody wanted to build wind generators years ago before  grid power was universally available and cheap. Candles and oil lamps were fine for my generation but they don't make the mobile phone and computer work.

Flux

[captain nodge]

You cant be that old flux lol

your definatly right there, puts it all into perspective that does

nodge

[angus]

Flux.. I agree and boat anchors they shall be! I had origionally kept these motors with the idea of making a rotating machine ( genuine sine wave).

 Maybe I'll strip the copper wire out before they get condemned

[Flux]

Yes there is a lot of copper and the fields are easy to strip. The armature and commutator require more effort but still a lot of copper to recover and they make just as good anchors without it.

Flux