Power controller made safe

The power controller for the 240V AC centrifugal fan has now been packaged in an earthed metal casing.


The speed of any 240V AC motor can now be controlled from standstill all the way up to full speed.

Power controller for centrifugal fan

I happened upon a very useful AC power controller on eBay. The Kemo M028N power control cost about £22, which is a lot cheaper than the equivalent variac. The device can handle anything up to 4000 watts at 240V or 2000 watts at 110V. However, a heat sink and fan will have to be employed for high power devices.

The photo above shows a quick test using a light bulb. The light is dimmed to its lowest possible level. Now, I need to rewire my centrifugal fan to handle AC again, after converting it to DC a few weeks ago. At last I have a controlable fan. No more excuses to avoid completing my downdraught gasifier.