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Better impeller for Grizzly G0548ZP as a cyclone?

2K views 11 replies 4 participants last post by  clagwell 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I know a bunch of folks have swapped the stock HF impeller for a larger Rikon model, but has anyone done a similar swap with the Grizzly G0548ZP 2HP canister DC? I've built a sheet metal cyclone and put the blower assembly on top, but I'm wondering if there's a way to squeeze more performance out of the unit with a better impeller. Looking at the Grizzly website, I see there's a 14 1/2" impeller for the G0440 that might be able to work.

I don't necessarily mind being the first to try this as I picked up the Grizzly very cheap and it's not the end of the world if I kill the motor, but I'm very much hoping that someone has done this already!
 
#2 ·
Some people do do swaps. Maybe great, but also maybe not so great. You hope who designed the blower selected a motor for the load of THAT impeller. Adding a larger impeller may suck more, but also put a phase lag on the motor making it run hotter than designed. Give it a shot if you wish, but profile the motor temps anc current draw first so you have something to compare it to.
 
#3 · (Edited by Moderator)
What's your current draw now? The Fan Laws tell us that the fan swap you are considering will increase current demand by 47% or so.

What's your system exhaust side look like? Can you post a pic?

I assume that you have already checked to see if that fan would actually fit in the housing and also fits your motor shaft.

Also, can you post a pic of the motor label?
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
My understanding is that the impeller on this DC is a heavier cast aluminum unit with straight blades, and swapping to a lighter steel unit with backwards-curving blades might allow me to switch to something a bit bigger.

I'm not sure of the actual current draw as I don't have a clamp-on meter, but the motor plate claims it draws 9 amps at 240v (I will have a dedicated 20 amp 240v circuit for my DC). I neglected to measure the hole in the housing before I assembled my cyclone, so I'd have to take it apart again to see whether there was enough room and check the size of the shaft. That's why I was hoping someone else had already taken the plunge!

I haven't finished installing the exhaust side yet, I still need to build a 90 degree transition into the top of the filter/cleanout stack.

Filter:


Exhaust where the filter will attach:


Here's the motor plate:
 
#5 ·
Your configuration looks good. The cyclone adds loss but by getting rid of the collector ring you've eliminated enough loss to make up for it. You should be back near the original performance of the DC without the cyclone.

What that means though is if you still had a six inch inlet on the cyclone you wouldn't likely have any extra margin on the motor to support the bigger impeller. On the other hand, the inlet duct looks like it might be 5" so there's still some hope.

It would be good to get a meter. You can learn a lot about your DC performance with current measurements.

Also, how much space is there between the motor and the ceiling? The motor is cooled with air drawn in that end and it shouldn't be blocked.
 
#7 ·
1/2" is a bit tight. The recommendation is no less than 1/2 the shaft height, so about 1/4 the motor diameter. I think you need that current meter. You will likely over heat the motor if you run it at full rated current.
 
#8 ·
The 1/2" of clearance was based on looking at the design for the Clearvue CV1800, which has a total height of 95.5" and is supposed to fit under an 8' ceiling.

I did finish the transition to the filter and I'm pretty happy with how everything is behaving at the moment. I'm going to try to get a clamp meter tomorrow and get a sense of how much current it's actually pulling.



 
#12 ·
I can't see your pictures anymore.

I assume that the current reading is with the filters in place. If that is true, then congratulations, you have put together a system that makes the most of your motor's capacity!

The larger impeller is not an option, you've done the best that can be done with that motor while staying within it's maximum ratings. Overloading it would shorten it's life.
I don't necessarily mind being the first to try this as I picked up the Grizzly very cheap and it's not the end of the world if I kill the motor..
Ok, but isn't it replacement cost that counts?
A straight blade is supposed to have a much better flow than a curved blade. If you really need more, could consider the clearvue motor and impeller, and make your own housing. They do sell parts separately.

- farmfromkansas
My understanding was that straight blade is better than forward curve, but that reverse curve was the best for dust collection purposes (this is the style that clearvue uses).

- elschaefer
It's more complicated than that. One is not necessarily better than another, they're just different. All else being the same, at the same flow rate a forward curve blade will have the most pressure but also the highest current draw. The current increase is greater than the pressure increase when compared to a radial blade fan. So you pay for this increase. Similarly, a backward curve has less pressure than a radial and even less current.

The point is kind of moot anyway because, as hobbyists, we have an extremely limited choice of fans available to us for hacking DCs. If you can find something that fits at a reasonable price you just have to make do with whatever the blade curvature is.
 
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