I am also considering wiring up a 220v line in the garage, but my dad says it would have a different amps than a European outlet, and we don’t know if that would be a problem.
I’m not in NA anymore but if you’re actually going to end up drawing 2.2kW at the wall, you might run into issues. 2.2kW@110V = 20A and many outlets in NA only support drawing 15A. Also note that your transformer is only rated for 30 minutes at its 3000W maximum, for continuous use it’s only 1500W.
Would the 220V line in the garage be single-phase or dual-phase?
Honestly, given the costs we’re talking about here, your best option is probably to buy a new VFD. A 110V VFD looks to be ~$140 from Amazon (and is almost certainly cheaper from AliExpress, the source) and saves the messing about with transformers or rewiring your house. You’ll just need to make sure you’re using an outlet that supports 20A.
Pretty sure that most spindles don’t care about the source voltage. I might be wrong on that but I don’t think so. The VFD is what does all the work and they do care about the source voltage. I would definitely not use a step up transformer for this. I would either get a 110V VFD (EDIT: Actually, don’t do that. Most 110V circuits are built for 15A and you would need 20A minimum. If you have to do some electrical work, you may as well do it the better way.) or wire a 220V plug to your garage. A 220V 20A circuit is double what you need and would work great for this. If you are worried, consult an electrician for the most accurate info.
Electrical devices only pull the current they need. The amp rating of a circuit is just the upper limit of the amount of electricity it is built to deliver. I am not an expert on VFD’s and spindles. I just know the basics. Someone else will have to tell you if that will work. Once again, keep in mind that 99% of the time 110V circuits in homes are built for 15A and not 20A. You usually need to upgrade the wiring as well as the plug and breaker.
Here’s a thread about 110V input 220V output VFDs and step up options;
It would be unsurprising to run into problems trying to run a 220V spindle on 110V as the winding inductance is designed to require the full drive voltage to hit the full speed, see the voltage / frequency curves in the HuanYang and other manuals.
As for the total power requirement, if you find a non-destructive way to continuously consume the full 3kW input and 2.2kW output of that spindle on a Shapeoko, I will be in the queue to buy you a beer, that will be impressive. I hardly ever use more than a few hundred watts on my spindle which has a 13A fuse and 15A breaker upstream of it on an EU 230V single phase supply.
Your options, other than replacing the spindle are to find a 110V single phase input 220V output VFD as per the other thread or grab a step up converter, as per the other thread again.
The spindle current is only very indirectly related to the input current of the VFD. The spindle current is three phase not single phase and it’s at whatever voltage the VFD is outputting whilst the VFD input current is at your utility voltage.
From the HuanYang manual;
Assuming you have the HY02D223B then the inverter is able to drive a 2.2kW output motor with up to 4.4kVA of output. (that’s not kW that’s kVA).
The thing is you’re just not going to draw that much power, the Shapeoko will tap out well before the spindle does. The fuse or breaker will pop if you do somehow manage to draw that much power and your VFD will turn off.
One thing to note, the VFD accumulates 400V + internally when connected to 220V input, this persists after the power is disconnected. Wait for the VFD to discharge itself properly before messing with the output connections and make sure everything is properly grounded.
This may seem like a stupid question, but is there any reason I couldn’t just wire up 2 of these and plug them into 110v outlets and then stack them in the VFD?
So a 3hp 220v can run on 20 amp. Inverters, transformers and etc will be more expensive than paying an electrician. If you can run the circuit yourself even cheaper. 220 20 amp requires #12 wire a 20 amp 220 circuit breaker a plug either 3 or 4 pin plug. 3 pin for neutral and 2 hots or 4 pin with dedicated ground, neutral and 2 hots. Would suggest 4 pin for grounding. You measure distance from breaker box to plug add a couple feet and buy the #12, 3 or 4, wire at hardware store or whole roll if cheaper. Would recommend running in plastic flexible conduit or buy metal armored with wire run in side already. Many possibilities. If in doubt call on an electrician.
the VFD is supposed to be the thing to up-convert and chop the signal…
… anything short of having the VFD do this feels like just the wrong way to solve it in a way that you’ll regret. If it’s possible to get, try the 120V-in-220V-out VFD. Or wire proper 240V.
(I still need to do that, but my shop area is 10 feet from the panel so an electrician can do it)
Most dryer plugs in the US are 240V… not sure what your distance is there
While I can wire up a new 220v line, my concern is that inside the VFD where the wires connect are very small, while the wires I understand I need to use are very thick. Doesn’t seem right.
