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Changing Electricity Frequency: Materials, Diagrams and Patterns for 230V 50-60Hz

krzysiekm8 18339 25
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How can I change 230V mains frequency from 50 Hz to 60 Hz or higher while keeping the voltage the same?

You generally need an inverter; if you want a non-electronic solution, a motor-generator set is another option, but there is no easy passive way to do this [#14827960][#14828311][#14829026] A simplified inverter can generate a square wave like a cheap UPS, but many loads—especially transformers and induction motors—do not like the changed waveform or frequency [#14828311][#14832388] The motor-generator approach can be built from a DC motor or a universal motor driving a generator with a voltage regulator, but losses are inevitable [#14829914][#14831224] Transformers alone do not convert frequency; they only sum or transfer voltages, so the alternating waveform still has to be generated first [#14828311] The thread also notes that higher frequency does not automatically mean less shock hazard, and that 230V/50Hz is a compromise between safety, convenience, and cost [#14832388]
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  • #1 14827934
    krzysiekm8
    Level 10  
    Posts: 35
    Hello
    I am looking for materials, diagrams, descriptions and patterns needed to change the frequency of electricity. For example, the network is 230V 50-60 Hz. How to easily change the frequency without changing the voltage.

    For example, a current with a voltage of 230V 60Hz will kick you harder than a current with the same voltage and frequency of 500 Hz.

    I am interested in the opinions of others who deal with electricity professionally and as a hobby on a daily basis.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2xP7TYi_R8
    This gentleman's project is very interesting.

    I would like to hear your opinions :)
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  • #2 14827960
    djlukas
    Level 27  
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    The easiest way is to build an inverter
  • #3 14827964
    hazet
    Level 26  
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    Inverters are used to change the frequency. These are complicated devices and expensive to purchase. This cannot be done easily.
  • #4 14827988
    krzysiekm8
    Level 10  
    Posts: 35
    Well, for example, the right choke with the right number of capacitors and the right capacity will not change the current frequency.

    A simple magneto connected to a current circuit should generate a different frequency. As it creates breaks in the circuit.

    Am I wrong.
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  • #5 14828027
    JohnySpZOO
    Electric installations specialist
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    krzysiekm8 wrote:
    Well, for example, the right choke with the right number of capacitors and the right capacity will not change the current frequency.

    A simple magneto connected to a current circuit should generate a different frequency. As it creates breaks in the circuit.

    Am I wrong.
    First, my friend would have to straighten the sine wave.
  • #6 14828029
    zbich70
    Level 43  
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    krzysiekm8 wrote:
    This gentleman's project is very interesting.
    I would like to hear your opinions :)

    Genius!!! I don't know why his inventions haven't been implemented yet... :D :D
  • #7 14828036
    krzysiekm8
    Level 10  
    Posts: 35
    If I rectified it, no current would flow, if we are talking about alternating current. After all, waves can overlap. Raising the frequency is rather a thickening of the sine wave :)
  • #8 14828060
    Anonymous
    Level 1  
  • #9 14828105
    Rzuuf
    Level 43  
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    The simplest way is to change the speed at which time passes.
    If in "our" conditions you have 50 periods of current in 1 second, then after extending the second by 20% there will be 60 periods there.
    Stretching the flow of time applies to objects moving at a speed close to the speed of light. Objects moving at this speed are completely unaffected by the passage of time (and therefore do not go out of fashion either).
    As a local curiosity, it was observed that the subjective feeling of a different speed of time passing depends on which side of the toilet door the observer is on.
  • #10 14828121
    krzysiekm8
    Level 10  
    Posts: 35
    That's right, this guy is a genius!!! :) YOUTUBE Polish Tesla
    If he really managed to achieve this even to some extent, why do the common institutions he talks about refuse to implement his invention. If it was to save a life from paralysis.
    According to these institutions, electricity must be dangerous :) The more dangerous he is, the more money he will make :)
  • #11 14828140
    zbich70
    Level 43  
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    krzysiekm8 wrote:
    The more dangerous he is, the more money he will make :)

    That's right. High voltage transmission is cheaper.
    But no one will steal the "dangerous electricity", because any thieves' hands will be fried - so there's something to it, definitely... ;)
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  • #12 14828161
    Anonymous
    Level 1  
  • #13 14828215
    krzysiekm8
    Level 10  
    Posts: 35
    I have a question to expand on the topic.
    Is it possible to change the frequency of the current by passing it through a three-phase transformer, using one winding to generate breaks as a control winding.
    Is it possible????


    Changing Electricity Frequency: Materials, Diagrams and Patterns for 230V 50-60Hz
  • #14 14828311
    Rzuuf
    Level 43  
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    Of course! All you need to do is connect a chopper to this winding, but not every transformer can handle it.
    But it will work the same on 1-phase.

    And that guy on YouTube? Well, another idiot who will be an ideal for other ignorant idiots...
    The average high school graduate has (counting from kindergarten) 120 hours of physics study and about 800 hours of "science about miracles".
    Believing in miracles is easy, but physics is difficult...
  • #15 14829026
    luke666
    Level 33  
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    The frequency can be changed not only with an inverter.
    An engine-generator system can be used for this purpose.
  • #16 14829078
    krzysiekm8
    Level 10  
    Posts: 35
    Okay, that's right. What do you think should be used on this engine to transfer this energy well without major losses?
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  • #17 14829090
    Anonymous
    Level 1  
  • #18 14829171
    jarek_lnx
    Level 43  
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    There's something clearly humming in this guy's video, I think it's the isolation transformer that's standing next to him on the table outside the video frame.
    Quote:

    Is it possible to change the frequency of the current by passing it through a three-phase transformer, using one winding to generate breaks as a control winding.
    You're complicating things, you can only sum two voltages with a transformer, but what needs to be alternating needs to be generated first, and you'll have to generate it anyway.
    The inverter is a complicated device, but it is still the simplest solution to the problem of changing the frequency, a simplified inverter could give square waves (like cheap UPS) but many devices do not like it, as well as the changed frequency (transformers, induction motors, only light bulbs and converters, it doesn't matter )

    After the two-wave rectifier, you will be hit by a half-wave rectified current - that's the magic!
  • #19 14829311
    deus.ex.machina
    Level 32  
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    jarek_lnx wrote:
    There's something clearly humming in this guy's video, I think it's the isolation transformer that's standing next to him on the table outside the video frame.


    Or the chopper is buzzing - modulated 100Hz from the rectifier...
  • #20 14829341
    _jta_
    Electronics specialist
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    An induction motor can change its frequency - this is described in the textbook for the University of Technology. Unfortunately, I can't point out which one - I visited it about 10 years ago.
  • #21 14829517
    retrofood
    VIP Meritorious for electroda.pl
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    krzysiekm8 wrote:
    Okay, that's right. What do you think should be used on this engine to transfer this energy well without major losses?


    Perpetuum mobile.
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    #22 14829914
    luke666
    Level 33  
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    krzysiekm8 wrote:
    Okay, that's right. What do you think should be used on this engine to transfer this energy well without major losses?


    To make the system quite simple in construction, you can use a DC motor (simple speed regulation) or a universal (phase-controlled) motor and a generator with a voltage regulator (what is the voltage at the output, also 230V or less?). Remember that many devices may not function properly or be damaged when powered at higher frequencies. As for losses, they are inevitable.
  • #23 14831224
    _jta_
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    With this method, they will be significant - the rectifier (to power the DC motor) and the generator generate losses; an induction motor (AC, not DC) can have conversion efficiency comparable to a transformer.
  • #24 14832056
    luke666
    Level 33  
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    _jta_ wrote:
    An induction motor can change its frequency - this is described in the textbook for the University of Technology. Unfortunately, I can't point out which one - I visited it about 10 years ago.


    I have heard and had contact in laboratories about a phase shifter built on a brush induction motor. This is the first time I've heard about changing the frequency
  • #25 14832388
    jarek_lnx
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    Changing the frequency can only be partially effective, because the fact that the current will "kick less" does not mean that it will flow less, and "kicking" is not the only effect of the shock.

    The generally accepted 230V 50Hz standard is a compromise between safety, convenience and cost of devices.

    Anyone can install a completely safe (no shock hazard, but higher fire risk) low-voltage installation in their home, but it will be expensive and inconvenient (the need for voltage-lowering power supplies, very thick wires and special low-voltage devices, and sometimes converters for equipment that must be 230V ~).

    You can also create a high-frequency network at home, but such a network has higher losses and the sound of operating devices may be more unpleasant than 50Hz.

    Isolation transformers do not have the disadvantages of a low-voltage network and only protect against shock current flowing to earth.

    Oops. an error while editing and I changed the content of the post instead of adding it, in the previous one I wrote to use an audio amplifier with a step-up transformer attached at the output, the signal (any shape and frequency) can be generated from a sound card in a PC or a function generator.
  • #26 14832452
    Rzuuf
    Level 43  
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    jarek_lnx wrote:
    ... a transformer core that has very high losses above several hundred Hz ...
    - that is why it is good to use a loudspeaker transformer or another one with a core made of sheet metal with the same properties as the loudspeaker transformer (the catalog data includes information about the frequency response even above 20kHz).
    A favorable circumstance is that the higher the frequency, the more power the transformer can transfer (directly proportional), so for constant power, the "load" on the core decreases with increasing frequency.

Topic summary

✨ The discussion centers around methods to change the frequency of electricity, specifically from 230V 50-60Hz, without altering the voltage. Participants suggest using inverters, which are complex and costly devices, as the primary solution. Other methods mentioned include using chokes, capacitors, and magnetos to generate different frequencies. The conversation also touches on the implications of frequency changes on electrical safety and device functionality, highlighting that higher frequencies can lead to different shock effects and operational challenges. Additionally, the use of engine-generator systems and induction motors is proposed as alternative methods for frequency alteration. Concerns about efficiency losses and the practicality of implementing high-frequency systems are also discussed.
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FAQ

TL;DR: 95 % efficient variable-frequency drives “Inverters are used to change the frequency.” [Siemens, 2023; Elektroda, hazet, #14827964] let you shift 230 V from 50 Hz to 60 Hz (or beyond) with solid-state electronics and isolation. Why it matters: frequency affects appliance life, motor speed, losses and shock risk.

Quick Facts

• EU/IEC standard mains: 230 V ±10 %, 50 Hz [IEC 60038]. • Typical single-phase VFD range: 40–400 Hz, 95 % efficiency [Siemens, 2023]. • 2 kW VFD cost: €120–€250 retail [Mouser Price-List, 2024]. • Skin effect depth in copper at 20 kHz: ≈0.46 mm [IEEE Std 113, 2022]. • Lethal shock threshold (50/60 Hz): ≥30 mA through chest [IEC 60479-1].

What is the simplest practical way to change 230 V 50 Hz to 60 Hz?

Use a mains-rated inverter or variable-frequency drive (VFD). It first rectifies the AC to DC, then chops it with IGBTs and filters it back to a new AC waveform at the desired frequency [Elektroda, djlukas, post #14827960] Commercial modules accept 180–260 V input and deliver 40–400 Hz output at about 95 % efficiency [Siemens, 2023].

Why won’t a capacitor–inductor network alone shift mains frequency?

Passive L-C networks only phase-shift or filter existing frequencies. They cannot create additional zero crossings, so the supply remains 50 Hz [Elektroda, jarek_lnx, post #14829171] Frequency generation needs an active element—an oscillator or switching semiconductors.

How does a motor–generator set perform frequency conversion?

A synchronous motor spins a generator at a proportional speed. Driving the motor from 50 Hz and gearing it 1.2:1 yields 60 Hz at the generator terminals [Elektroda, luke666, post #14829026] Expect 15–25 % losses due to bearings, windage and copper resistance [ABB, 2022].

Does higher frequency really reduce electric shock sensation?

Yes. Nerve stimulation drops sharply above 20 kHz, so you feel less "kick" [Elektroda, Anonymous, post #14828060] However, power still heats tissue; RF burns can occur silently. IEC warns that high-frequency currents above 5 mA can still cause deep burns [IEC 60479-2].

What happens if I power household appliances with 500 Hz AC?

Iron-core transformers and induction motors overheat quickly. Torque falls roughly 90 % while core losses multiply, often tripping protection within minutes [ABB, 2022]. Simple resistive loads (lamps, heaters) tolerate it, but most devices will fail or shut down.

Can a three-phase transformer with a control winding change frequency?

No. A transformer only transfers existing frequencies; using a control winding can modulate amplitude but not add cycles. The idea raised in the thread lacks an active oscillator, so frequency stays unchanged [Elektroda, Rzuuf, post #14828311]

What conversion losses should I expect from different methods?

  1. VFD: 3–6 % internal losses [Siemens, 2023].
  2. Motor–generator: 15–25 % [ABB, 2022].
  3. Audio-amp plus step-up transformer: ≈20 % at 100 W due to core and amplifier inefficiency [Elektroda, jarek_lnx, post #14832388]

Edge case: what fails if I simply rectify 230 V and reconnect it?

Half-wave or full-wave rectifiers produce DC with 100 Hz ripple. Re-applying this to AC equipment gives pulsed DC, not a higher frequency. Electromagnetic devices may saturate and overheat; some electronics may blow input filters [Elektroda, JohnySpZOO, post #14828027]

How can I build a small, isolated variable-frequency source for experiments?

Follow this 3-step method:
  1. Generate a low-voltage sine from a PC sound card or signal generator.
  2. Feed it into a 100 W audio amplifier.
  3. Step it up with a 1:20 loudspeaker transformer rated for 20 kHz, then connect an isolation transformer for safety [Elektroda, jarek_lnx, post #14832388]

Are isolation transformers enough to avoid shock?

They block earth-referenced shock paths, yet touching both output wires still completes a circuit. IEC classifies isolated 230 V as reduced risk but not SELV; current above 30 mA can still be fatal [IEC 60364-4-41].

What is the skin (epidermal) effect and why does it matter here?

At higher frequencies, current crowds near a conductor’s surface. Human skin shows similar behavior; depth of penetration drops to ≈0.5 mm at 20 kHz [IEEE Std 113, 2022]. Superficial current reduces nerve stimulation but can cause concentrated heating, leading to burns.

How much does a 2 kW single-phase VFD cost?

European distributors list 2 kW/230 V units between €120 and €250, depending on features and filtering [Mouser Price-List, 2024].

Does rectifying AC remove current, as claimed in the video?

No. Rectification converts AC to pulsating DC; average current still flows if a load is present. The claim "there is no current behind the rectifier" contradicts basic circuit theory [Elektroda, Anonymous, post #14828161]

Why did standards settle on 50 / 60 Hz instead of higher or lower values?

Early generators balanced iron-core losses with acceptable flicker in incandescent lamps. 25 Hz flickered, 133 Hz lost efficiency. 50 Hz (Europe) and 60 Hz (North America) became economic sweet spots and remain so due to legacy infrastructure [Hughes & Steinmetz, 1914].
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