On 2008-07-19, wrote:
At a local plant, there once was a computer center. The room was fed
with a motor generator to provide clean power to it. I made an
inquiry and the unit might be available.

It has been years since I saw it, but it was a motor, probably 480
3ph, driving a generator with a large flywheel between them.

Hmm ... unlikely to be used just to clean the power. I'll bet
that it produced 400 Hz as well.

Any reason not to pursue it? Were the old mainframes run off of
anything other than 60Hz AC?

Yes -- some at least ran from 400 Hz to allow smaller lighter
power supplies scattered closer to the points where they were used. 400
Hz in place of 60 Hz results in a major decrease in the iron needed in
transformers. And the components were easier to get at that frequency
than at higher ones, because 400 Hz power was common in aircraft.

I am sure that it was a top quality unit when installed. I am hoping
that it would be a upgrade over the ST15 generator run by my 16-2
Lister CS. I am working at getting in there to inspect it.

What were you planning to power with it? And do you have enough
power to spin it up? If so you probably have a serious shop, not a
hobby one.

Enjoy,
DoN.

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