# Repurpose that old air compressor?



## dcb (Dec 5, 2009)

Hello.

you would need a 340v pack to get it back to its rated power (240v is a rms value, not a peak value), more than that if you need more power. You can't even rewind it for a significantly lower voltage as the brushes would need to carry significantly more current for the same power.

Lets say it is a 3hp motor, at 108v it would be a 1hp motor, same torque but 1/3 the rpm, and probably prone to overheating if just using the internal fan.

And the thought of it pushing even 9 lead acid batteries around and a driver, on a bike?

I mean you *could* put a bunch of smaller lithium cells in series to up the voltage, but that is rife with its own headaches and hazards.

Sorry, no.


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## didraedimus (Jul 10, 2017)

Yup, that's about what I figured. But hey, until you ask, you never know....
Thanks!
Now I can get back to forklift hunting (slim pickin's around here).


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## dcb (Dec 5, 2009)

fyi I made a bit of an error, this is probably a "universal" motor, so it would probably be close to rated power by applying 240vdc. So with a 120v pack you would be at 1.5 hp at 1/2 the rpm.

Still not simple.


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