saw the shredder this would drive today on modern marvels. biggest motor I've ever heard of. I didn't think electric motors could even get over 500HP. this one is 8000 HP.
http://www.dadecapital.com/equipmen...-alstom-8000-hp-shredder-motor-new-995-000-00

 

I guess this is for the power hungry.
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/22/worlds-largest-diesel-engine-makes-109-000-horsepower/

 

I found out the largest electric motor built has a rating of 55 MW, but it didn't state how much horsepower it delivers.

In December 2002, ABB delivered the world’s largest four-pole motor. At a rated output of 55 MW, it drives an air compressor at Sasol’s synthetic fuels and petrochemicals plant in Secunda, South Africa.

 

I found out the largest electric motor built has a rating of 55 MW, but it didn't state how much horsepower it delivers.

Since 1hp = 746W, 55MW would be nearly 74 thousand horsepower.

 

saw the shredder this would drive today on modern marvels. biggest motor I've ever heard of. I didn't think electric motors could even get over 500HP. this one is 8000 HP.
http://www.dadecapital.com/equipmen...-alstom-8000-hp-shredder-motor-new-995-000-00

The traction motors in a modern diesel-electric locomotive are commonly in excess of 2000hp each.

There are also very large traction motors on ships to turn the propellors using electricity generated by a steam or gas turbine (or even batteries in the case of diesel submarines).

The Queen Mary II has four electric propulsor pods each with 21.5MW output (pushing 30,000 horsepower).

 

I've never seen them myself, but my boss was reminiscing lately about a place who builds motors so big that they have to be built on site. The stator/case is cast in concrete and is the size of a jetliner. Tens of thousands of HP and running on high voltage.

 

Biggest motor I ever saw powers this wind tunnel test facility.
http://www.arnold.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=13714
I did a lot of work out ther in the 80's and 90's and got to get a look at this monster. There is a small placard next to it with some info about it. I don't remember the exact numbers, but it's something like this: It's taller than a 2 story house ( tunnel itself is a little shorter), and it's about 75-100 feet long.

The rotor is constantly turning at a very low speed, they claim if it stops, it could bend from the great weight. To keep it turning there is a smaller motor that rotates the big motor via ring gear. I did not see the smaller motor. They have to coordinate with TVA when they plan on running it.

A little more, 2 of the motors are 83,000 hp EACH..http://www.nimr.org/systems/images/pwt.html

 

These ones are pretty big:

The power station comprises six 300MW GEC generator/motors coupled to Francis-type reversible turbines. The generators are vertical shaft, salient pole, air cooled units each having 12 electromagnetic poles weighing 10 tonnes each, producing a terminal voltage of 18kV, synchronous speed is 500rpm. From standstill, a single 450-tonne generator....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinorwig_Power_Station

 

I asked my boss again today about those motors he saw. He said they were built by Westinghouse. Here's their brochure for their larger motors, up to 31,000HP. They make bigger ones apparently, like the ones that he saw being installed, but I guess those are special order. He said he saw them laying giant field coils into a poured concrete stator.

 

Not an electric motor...but....
I was at the Smithsonian once in Washington, Dc ...taking a break cause there is so much to see...
I was in the Science and Industry Bldg (I think) and I was leaning on a metal column....I noticed that the column went down through the floor thru a metal grate ...as I looked down to the floor below..I saw the wrist pin on a huge piston....I was leaning on the piston shaft and above me about 10 ft. was the head of the piston...
I was a piston out of a subway engine from the 1930's or something...
I guess it was all cast iron....amazing...