AboutWill Expertise Three phase electic motors, controls and related problems or failures, three phase motor installation issues, performance issues, connections, data and duty cycle information. All other electic motors. Specialty motors, repair concerns, performance concerns, obsolete motors and solutions. Other specialty equipment issues. Lost nameplate data and identification, lost connection data.
Also DC motors of all types.
See my profile under Home/electrical at this site
Experience 30 plus years in the electrical motor and apparatus repair industry. VP level management of repair facilities, current owner of my own specialty repair and consulting firm.
Organizations EASA, IBEW [retired], other specialty organizatons, Lubrication, Vibration EDI, Triboelectric Councils
Publications Currently fielding concerns at this site under "Home Electrical"
Education/Credentials 4 year technical, College level specific courses, EASA repair courses, vibration analysis electronic and electrical trade school.
Question How do I determine what power of electric motor (newtons,HP,watts,foot pound)to open a driveway gate?
thank you
Answer Michael, tough question. But good question. Your gate swings I assume. A Gate Company will have some sort of dynamometer, or you can rent one, you need some sort of glorified fish scale to see what lb ft or whatever measure of power it takes to move the gate, regardless of direction.
Another way you could maybe do it, is to find a similar gate, and see what size motor is on it.
You will most likely want a gear motor, where the rpm of the motor is reduced by the gearing for a smooth motion and smooth close.
Maybe you have a garage door opener, and if so, remember if it has springs the motor is doing all the work, the springs are helping, but you can start estimating from there.
I would go visit a gate shop and explain what you have, they have pre-built gearboxes with remote controls, all types and choices of gate hardware that will probably be less expensive than trying to build it yourself.
I would think a swinging gate of any type, that is not bound up, would take very little HP to move, I would also suggest using a VFD which plugs into single phase, changes the voltage to three phase, and can vary the speed, ramp up and down, to open and close, has overload protection, can be adapted for remote, can be adapted for a safety device if something got caught in the path of the gate, all in one inexpensive box with a keypad. You can then use a three phase motor, which is cheaper, more reliable, and easy to control.
Below is a do it yourself gate opener site that might help you.
