Battle-Tested Diesel Generators and Parts › Forums › Military Generator Troubleshooting › Purchasing motorized machines from Thailand and China to operate in the U.S.
Tagged: Foreign motorized equipment, motor, three phase
timothy.crear.
timothy.crearI am looking to purchase a 5HP 220V 3-phase motorized piece of equipment from Thailand to use in the United States. The manufacturer in Thailand gave me two types of motors to choose from: 5HP 220V single-phase OR 5HP 220V 3-phase. I am going with the 3-phase because I hear it is more efficient and I can probably expect more life performance out it over the single-phase. With that being said, I am looking to power the equipment via a GMG generator because only 220V single-phase is available in the United States on a residential level. 220V 3-phase in the U.S. is available only on a commercial level and may be a bit more expensive to install (I hear). My concern is whether or not the Thailand 5HP 220V 3-phase motor will work 100% efficiently by using the GMG military style generator. I have no clue. Can someone enlighten me please? I really need to get this right because I am looking to spend several thousands of dollars on this piece of foreign equipment (as I can’t get it in the U.S) and I need it to work properly as the manufacturer intended. Additionally, I am looking to buy another piece of equipment from China. I’ve never purchased anything from Alibaba and this will be my first time. This second piece of machinery is also going to be motorized but the motor size will probably be 15HP. How do I make sure that the imported motorized machines from Thailand and China will work 100% properly in the United States (with no overheating, with no over-working, under-working, etc)?
GMGCheck the voltage on the 3 phase 5HP machine. It is usually 208 volt, not 220v. The specs of the motor should clearly ID the following:
voltage (for 3 phase, 208v is most common, but sometimes it will show 208-240v as being an acceptable range.
frequency (our units are 60 Hz, so make sure the specs show 60Hz or 50-60Hz as being an acceptable range.
3 phase motors will last longer, can be reversed with a switch, and have less vibration, so 3 phase is a stronger motor.
Yes, having the utility install three phase power to a residence is typically cost prohibitive if available at all. Many places do not offer three phase power options.
A 15 HP motor would be around the limit for a MEP003A or a MEP803A military unit. Just ensure that the Hz, Voltage, and Phase all match.
timothy.crearAdditionally, are there any effective methods of quieting these types of Generators (MEP003A or a MEP803A) via boxes or some other method?