powering a windshield wiper motor - please help me out on this one.

[jousley]

Hey all - I'm on a team that puts on a Halloween event for the local community in an impoverished area. I got some cool ideas on making a rocking chair rock by itself, powered by a windshield wiper motor. Well, I put the whole thing together and powered it with an old 12v motorcycle battery to test it - and it worked great.

Here's the problem:
the old battery is now dead, so I need to find a new power source. I have access to 120v regular wall plug with this thing, and was hoping to find some inverter to give me what I need.
The windshield wiper motor is from an 02 impala, and I can't seem to find out how much amps it requires for the life of me. I've called dealerships, autozones, and online - but can't find it. Other posts of similar motors indicate anywhere from 10-15 amps.
Can someone please point me to the product that I need to power this thing. I would GREATLY appreciate it, as the event is on the 28th, and if I have to buy something, I have to account for shipping time. Any other info I can give you, please ask.
Please help me out on this one, as this is one of our best props for the event. Thank you

J

 

[chopnhack]

Hey all - I'm on a team that puts on a Halloween event for the local community in an impoverished area. I got some cool ideas on making a rocking chair rock by itself, powered by a windshield wiper motor. Well, I put the whole thing together and powered it with an old 12v motorcycle battery to test it - and it worked great.

Here's the problem:
the old battery is now dead, so I need to find a new power source. I have access to 120v regular wall plug with this thing, and was hoping to find some inverter to give me what I need.
The windshield wiper motor is from an 02 impala, and I can't seem to find out how much amps it requires for the life of me. I've called dealerships, autozones, and online - but can't find it. Other posts of similar motors indicate anywhere from 10-15 amps.
Can someone please point me to the product that I need to power this thing. I would GREATLY appreciate it, as the event is on the 28th, and if I have to buy something, I have to account for shipping time. Any other info I can give you, please ask.
Please help me out on this one, as this is one of our best props for the event. Thank you

J

You might be able to find out the max working load of the motor by checking a wiring diagram of said vehicle. The motor may be on a fuse or even a fusible link. The rating of that item would certainly be in excess of required amperage of the motor.

You could also connect a multimeter in series with the motor and battery to see what current is drawn to answer that question.
HTH

 

[(*steve*)]

The DC resistance of the motor will allow you to calculate the stall current. However the only way to determine the operating current is to measure it under load. It is unlikely that the datasheet would specify the typical range of currents when the motor is used to rock a chair

 

[KrisBlueNZ]

I'm hesitant to recommend no-name products sold on eBay but there are suitable-looking units there:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/To-DC-12V-1...sonJardin_Luminaires&var=&hash=item43cda7586e

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-1...arts_and_Accessories&var=&hash=item5d4f902fac

Don't choose a "constant current" power supply, and I recommend using a power supply rated for at least 50% more than the maximum current you can imagine the motor needing. There is a 50A model available!