Regenerative Blower & Phase Convertor

[dubliner]

I'm planning on installing a 30 hp 1725 rpm Rotary PC and a 15 hp FPZ regenerative blower in my shop for vacuum. Will I be driven insane by the noise. Its all so heavy that I would only like to install it once and theres a possibility that I could get a cheap portable building on the other side of the wall from the bot and get some isolation. thats not as practical as it might seem, but if the noise & heat is hazardous then perhaps I have no real choice in the matter. I'd love to hear from people running things in both configurations and if you had to choose the more difficult outside placement would you go to the extra length to do it> TIA Dubliner

[davidp]

Neville,

We run 15 hp Regen Blower, on the output side get a large muffler and then vent the exhaust outside. This will reduce the noise and the heat build up. The exhaust on ours is between 70 and 80 degrees C and during summer it heats up the factory considerably.

David.

[dubliner]

So David, the noise of the regen itself is not too much of an issue? 70-80 C, thats hot even in Texas. It came with a muffler, but it looks like a piece of 3 inch conduit with lots of holes in it, can't imagine it muffling anything. Although if all the noise was diverted outside it would be OK, as I'm somewhat remote. I could hook some bagpipes to the end of it :-)

[steve_g]

My background in the paint booth industry makes me ask… Have you thought about “make up” air? If you remotely locate the exhaust, air will come back in the building from somewhere… the easiest route, if not planed for, is often furnace and water heater vents. This can result in an unhealthy situation.

[dubliner]

Very good points, in my case not an issue as I have none in the workshop, AC in the summer may get suckd out, but probably not a huge issue. Very good point for those with those items though.

[thewoodcrafter]

I run a 15HP Regen. It is located under my machine.
It is VERY noisy.
I would locate it outside if I were you.
The exhaust is very hot. I haven't measured the temp but I would concur with David.
It must be 150F at least. I tried piping it out of the shop with some thin wall drainage pipe but it melted it.
The makeup air is not a big deal. It is only about 180CFM I think. Building infiltration is more than that.

[zeykr]

I put my new regen blower for PRS outside in an attached shed and I like it much better outside than having it under the table as I do with the 7.5hp on the PRT. I'd go for outside if you can do it.

Dryer hose works for redirecting the output if needed. On 7.5 I throw end of dryer hose out the door when it's warm and leave inside during winter.

[bill_lumley]

Careful wtih all that heat . I recently had some comm error issues and the folks at Shopbot traced it to heat so far . I had my central vac motor pumping heat right at the Alpha control box heat sink at 190 F. Since redirecting the heat I have not had the issue .

[wberminio]

I run a 16 hp regen blower.I have it located near my bot.
I noise is not nearly as bad a my shop vac.It is NOT a high pitch noise.
I also have a valve on the exhaust.It is directed in the shop for the winter and outside for the summer.

[dubliner]

Thank you all, I guess I'll try it inside for now ( a little more practical ), and if its too noisy, out she goes.