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[Lone Wolf]

Hello!  I didn't see any previous topics covering 3-phase, so here it is. 

I'm opening a brewery in Northern Wisconsin, just a small 2-BBL setup.  I would really like to build my own control panel, but have never worked with 3-phase before.  Are there any general schematics out there that I could work off of?  I'm not trying to do anything too fancy.  Here's an outline of what I hope to accomplish per vessel...
-HLT: Timer to turn on before brew, temperature PID, 3X 5500W elements, and a float switch to protect the elements
-Mash: PID to control circulation pump for HERMs
-Boil: 3x 5500W elements, variable power or just independent on/off per element, and a float switch

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[barney the bear]

I think you can find something about 3-phase in the Electric Brewery forum http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/forum/.  I have also participated there.

I guess 3-phase is more common in Europe and Sweden where I live. I live in an apartment and have 3-phase there. My stove stove in the kitchen runs on 3-phase The voltages here is 230/400V but I think there are some different options in USA. I have heard of 120/208V but maybe there are more examples.

You can wire the elements in mainly two ways to vary the effect. If I wire an element in the "wye" (or "star) configuration it runs on 3x230V. If I wire it in a "d" (or "delta") it runs on 3x400V and the effect  is three times higher (!). The watt density is also three times higher but that will not be a problem when you only are heating water.

This does not effect the control panel itself where the functions are running on the lower voltage . The "star" or "delta" thing is happening "after" the 3-phase SSR.