[SEL] Westinghouse DC generator

[Tod Engine]

You're pretty lucky!  I've been looking for a DC generator for a long while. 
I have a DC overhead crane that will work if I had the DC to run it.  I've 
been thinking of using a 15 hp shunt would motor as a generator to provide 
the power I need.  Basically a DC motor and dynamo are the same machine. 
The main difference is in the direction the electricity is going.

I've been collecting old DC books and literature for years so if you can't 
find info. on these elsewhere I would be willing to provide you with some 
info. that I have.  Old ICS textbooks are great reference material.

When you go to set this up I have access to literally tons of DC electrical 
equipment from the same era.  All the mills around here ran on DC. I have 
contactors, rheostats, resistors, controllers, gauges, etc.  Depending upon 
what you need I could supply you with enough stuff to make a real nice DC 
setup.

An engine driving the generator hooked up to a barrel controller operating 
another motor driving some piece of equipment would be a great attention 
getter at a show.

Rick Rowlands
Executive Director
Tod Engine Heritage Park
William Tod 34" x 68" x 60" Cross Compound Steam Engine
Youngstown, OH
http://www.todengine.org/
Photo Albums Online: http://community.webshots.com/user/todengine


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Curt" <curt at imc-group.com>
To: "The SEL email discussion list" <sel at lists.stationary-engine.com>
Sent: Friday, April 22, 2005 2:45 PM
Subject: Re: [SEL] Westinghouse DC generator


> George,
> Nice find! There was one of these at Coolsprings last year that I lusted 
> after all weekend.
> Do you know if these were stand alone DC gens for lighting, etc. or were 
> they an exciter motor for part of a much larger gen set?
> Curt Holland
> Gastonia, NC
> P.S. You gotten great mechanical advice in several posts. For electrical 
> checks use your analog meter and check for wet windings by using the 
> highest megohm scale. Just choose one side of each of the 4 pole windings 
> to the frame. Only touch one of the meter leads or you will be reading you 
> bodies resistance. There should be infinite resistance if all is dry. If 
> not a baking in the wife's oven at about 200°F for a few days should dry 
> it all out.  :-) Do the same with the armature. On both the arm and fields 
> you'll need to disconnect them all electrically.
> Now switch the meter to the R1 setting and measure the resistance of each 
> filed winding. They should all be about the same. Very low resistance.
> You can check the arm/comm but it is a lot more work! If it passed the 
> above tests I'd venture a guess it is OK.
>
>
>
> Best, George wrote:
>
>>On our way to Tulare last week I bought this generator from a friend.
>>Supposedly it was used around Lake Tahoe.  Unfortunately, that's about
>>all I know of it's history.
>>
>>I've loaded some pictures on my Epson album:
>>
>>http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=4019318&a=31730100&f=0
>>
>>While this isn't an engine, it is related in that it has a flat belt
>>pulley for being powered by a gas engine.  I would like to hook it up
>>some time, but I've already got too many unfinished projects to start
>>another one.  So I'll most likely clean it up a little and let it sit
>>for awhile.
>>
>>Based on the patent dates on this generator, and the patent dates on the
>>generator at Mt Wilson (Larry Evans sent me some pictures), I'm saying
>>this generator was built some time between 1892 and 1896.
>>
>>Anyone have experience working on early generators and have some advise
>>on how to go about testing/cleaning/using this?
>>
>>WAIT George
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>SEL mailing list
>>SEL at lists.stationary-engine.com
>>http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/sel
>>
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> SEL mailing list
> SEL at lists.stationary-engine.com
> http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/sel
>