North American electricity is different from that used in Europe and for this reason, we use special electrical components. It should be remembered that GENIO Stills need relatively high electrical power. The electrical connection should be performed by a qualified electrician and meet safety requirements of your country.
The most commonly used voltage in North American countries is 120V / 60Hz (Single Phase Power) – but due to the high power consumption of our stills, 120V power supply is not recommended by us, and therefore we do not produce stills that can be connected to 120V power supply.
Below are simplified electrical schematics for GENIO Stills in the US, Canada and countries in which the primary voltage is 120V / 60Hz.
For GENIO Still 50 and 100 supply charge of 2 (Dual / Split) or 240V 1-Phase Power.
For GENIO Still 250 / 500 we have two options for electrical power:
OR
GENIO Stills needs POWER, a lot of POWER! This is due to the powerful electric heating. Approximately 99% of electrical power is drawn by the still’s heating elements. High power causes high power consumption, and high current causes the need for sufficiently thick electrical wiring.
As an example, we can assume that:
POWER SUPPLY = VOLTAGE * CURRENT
Knowing the power requirement, and knowing what the supplied voltage is, we can roughly determine what the current will be.
For GENIO Still 50 / 100 the maximum power consumption is 5kW. If the power supply voltage is 240V single phase, we can assume that:
CURRENT = POWER / VOLTAGE POWER
CURRENT = 5,000W / 240V
CURRENT = 21 Amps
For 21 Amps we must have current protection (fuses) of 125% of current consumption. So if we consume a maximum of 21 Amps – the fuse should be approximately 26 Amps.
For GENIO Still 250 and 500 the maximum power consumed by each still is 18kW. If the power supply voltage is 240V, we can assume that:
CURRENT = POWER / VOLTAGE POWER
CURRENT = 18,000W / 240V
CURRENT = 75 Amps
For 75 Amps we must have a current protection (fuses) of 125% of current consumption. So if we consume a maximum of 75 Amps – the fuse should be approximately 94 Amps.
It often happens that the power supplied is 208V instead of 240V. Then we have a greater current requirement:
For GENIO Still 50/100 due to a lower voltage of 208V – current requirement is now 24 Amps.
For GENIO Still 250/500 due to a lower voltage 208V – the current requirement is now 87 Amps.
Lower voltage will result in larger fuses.
To solve the problem of such large fuses and strain on the electrical panel, 3-phase power is generally recommended. A simple way to explain the difference between 1-phase and 3-phase, is imagine a person in a kayak. If the kayak is to travel at speed X, it needs to consistently provide a certain amount of effort (current). Now imagine 3 people in that canoe, each taking turns to row one at a time. Less effort (current) is required now. Similar is with 3-phase power.
By supplying three wires (3-phase power) – the same amount of current flows through THREE supply lines, not two. As a result, we have less strain on the electrical wiring and less strain on the fuse and electrical panel.
The current requirement for GENIO Still 250/500 using 240V 3-phase power is calculated as follows:
CURRENT = POWER / VOLTAGE POWER / 1.73
CURRENT = 18,000W / 208V / 1.73
CURRENT = 50 Amps
As you can see, by having 3-phase power supply, you can decrease the strain on your electrical panel, use thinner wiring and smaller fuses. All of these aspects translate into savings for you.
Due to the benefits of 3-phase power, we now make GENIO Stills 250 and 500 using it in addition to the standard 1-phase power. When ordering your GENIO Still 250 or 500 please let us know your power supply preferences and we will accommodate accordingly.
Kind regards,
Cezary Trzciński & Adam Szymków
Leave A Comment