Trying to re-purpose high voltage power supply. Need help

[ARMANDO]

Thanks again for the help guy's.

I tested it and nothing blew up
So here is how I got it connected ,

First- off what do you guys think does this look normal?
Should I decide to just use this part of the supply.
How should I go about regulating the output 63VDC? to say something like 15VDC ?
And what kind of current do you suppose It will handle?
Second -there is another big water cooled board Inline with these out puts.
Populated by 13 transisters
4 2N682 high current Diodes
6 high current resisters
and a bunch of smaller resisters and capacitors
Im working on a schematic for this board now it might take a while,
this one's more complicated. Take a Look.

Also there were 5 smaller Boards IN those green slots I get pic of those latter.

 

[davenn]

How should I go about regulating the output 63VDC? to say something like 15VDC ?

difficult, none of the normal regulators go that high, would probably have to be a discrete transistor reg circuit .... some one may have a better idea

And what kind of current do you suppose It will handle?

well it's fused at 7A so a little less than that, maybe 6 amps continuous .... that's nowhere near your 20++ Amps you were looking for earlier

Again, since you didn't answer me before ... what did you need such high current for ?


Dave

 

[ARMANDO]

Ah yes @ davenn<

I meant to answer your question in my last post, sorry about that. It's probably the question on every one else's mind also ( that has read this thread.....).

So I made a CNC Router of my own design. It's been evolving into a multi purpose tool. It's Now! set up as a 3D printer But it started as a simple Pen with 2 axis X and Y had very little movement on the Z. For Drawing architectural -Diagrams, Patterns for woodworking or signs. it was small, had a work area about the size of a legal doc. Eventually I wanted more and it grew bulked up an traded the pen for a dewalt router. pretty cool right? except I hated the constant noise and dust! This motivated me to evolve it once again into an additive process and much more efficient way of making things. only this time I kept the router attachment so I can go back and forth to suit my needs.
Ah! Don't feel sorry for the Pen it weaseled its way back into the mix. and found a permanent home on the attachment base(Z axis).

So the Machine now has a.
1) sound proof enclosure with ventilated air
2) Lighting
3) heated bed!
4) 4 steppers
5) Extruder heater and fan
6) All the electronics - micro controller (arduino mega) - Ramps board - and 4 stepper drivers
7) occasionally I use a probe mounted on a servo (for Bed leveling)

As you can see the power demands are quite high here!

That brings us to the Latest Evolutionary Path A new better, bigger, faster Machine is in the works
which may adopt some new functionality Like maybe a laser for etching or even a plasma torch!

 

[kellys_eye]

Firstly - any power supply you build will have to dissipate the product of the input-output voltage multiplied by the current being drawn.

For a supply with a 63V input and 15V output that's drawing (say) 5A you will have to regulate (dissipate) (63-15)*5 = 240 watts!!! A lot of waste (heat) that will require a mega heatsink and loads of transistors!

Rather than 'finding' a purpose for this transformer/power supply, give us a list of what you NEED in terms of voltage/current and we can offer our advice on the suitability of the parts you have to achieve the desired result.

I'm a lot like you and loathed to 'waste' old equipment when I could re-purpose it but sometimes you end up flogging a dead horse, causing unnecessary waste of time, resources etc only to discover a one-shot solution that covers all your needs for less money than you'd expect.

Power supplies have dropped dramatically in price recently but there are some people that actually want/need the type of transformer that you have and would pay good money for it - certainly enough to purchase a stand-alone SMPS that covers most (if not all) of your supply needs.

That transformer may be a potential source for your needs but we need to know precisely what those needs are before committing.

 

[(*steve*)]

Another option is to use a switchmode regulator to reduce the voltage from 63V to 12V.

In theory, if you have 63V at 7A, you can get 12V at something between 30A and 35A (depending on efficiency).

Practically though, most off the shelf modules will not be specified for an input voltage this high, or an output current this large.

To solve this you generally go for a design substantially the same as an SMPS running from the mains. All you will end up with is a power supply like a pc power supply, but more expensive, and attached to a huge transformer.

You are probably better off looking for a server power supply. These are often rated for 50A or more at 12V and are built to last. Old servers are often cheaper than old desktop PC's and often contain redundant per supplies.

 

[ARMANDO]

Gentlemen thanks for all the great advice.

As I had mentioned earlier and per your advise I did order a bigger ATX. just 2 days ago!. And I received today my 1050W! ATX supply. After all that work! but I'm not throwing it out just yet....Make a heck of a paper weight. The knowledge I gained is invaluable . Anyway the new ATX still has to prove itself capable of delivering and sustaining the heavy load. Not to mention I have a lot to learn and explore with this curiosity of a lion I have.......

I'm a lot like you and loathed to 'waste' old equipment when I could re-purpose it but sometimes you end up flogging a dead horse, causing unnecessary waste of time, resources etc only to discover a one-shot solution that covers all your needs for less money than you'd expect.

@kellys_eye
Oh you don't know how right you are LOOK! at this Humanoid Robotic Arm I made from stuff I had lying around.

kelly's eye thank you,
Steve and davenn and every one else Thank you!
I'll let you guys know how the new ATX performs. and I'll try to stick around I like it here.
I'm always up to something involving electricity.

 

[kellys_eye]

Now that's steam punk taken to a new level!

Brilliant!