[NSRCA-discussion] Luminex Power supply

[Bob Kane]

I feel compelled to respond to this . . . . 

While it is true many electric powered devices are sensitive to the frequency of the incoming AC power (linear power supplies and anything that contains one, classic TVs, AC motors and anything that contains one, etc.), digital power supplies are not as sensitive. They rectify the incoming AC power directly into DC to power their own high frequency generator (this is what the "switching" part of the name is all about) which in turn goes through a transformer and is rectified again to produce DC power.  There is a rule in transformars that the size of the transformer for a given power rating is inversely proportional to the operating frequency.  So by generating a very high frequency AC signal, the transformer can be much smaller for a given power rating than the equivalent 60Htz transformer. That is why a 600 watt switching power supply is much smaller and lighter than the linear equivalent.

In the end, as long as you are not at the power limits of a cheap generator, I would not worry about it.


Bob Kane

getterflash at yahoo.com

--- On Mon, 7/11/11, Keith Hoard <khoard at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Keith Hoard <khoard at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Luminex Power supply
To: "General pattern discussion" <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
Date: Monday, July 11, 2011, 5:30 PM

Scott,

Something I learned from one of our club members who owns an HVAC business. . . get a generator with an inverter.  The cheaper generators (like my $199 Tractor Supply special) are basically an alternator connected to a Bliggs & Sratton motor with a mechanical governor keeping it on speed.  

.
If you start approaching its power limits or the motor begins losing it rhythm, bad things happen with the volts and Hertz and then you let the magic smoke out of your power supplies and chargers in a big $$$$-shaped cloud.


Keith Hoard
Collierville, TN
khoard at gmail.com





On Mon, Jul 11, 2011 at 2:42 PM, Scott McHarg <scmcharg at gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks Mark.  I appreciate this.  I was looking at the Luminex Chris Moon sells and just wondering if my little generator would hold up.  

On Mon, Jul 11, 2011 at 2:40 PM, Atwood, Mark <atwoodm at paragon-inc.com> wrote:


The math is correct, but you need to add about a 10% loss factor, or even a little more.  My Iota 55am power supply under a full 55amp load pulls about 850.   More importantly, my Iota will frequently deliver in excess of that 55amps for short periods of time and draw over 900.  I'm currently using a Honda 1000watt generator without any problems.







Mark Atwood

Paragon Consulting, Inc.  |  President

5885 Landerbrook Drive Suite 130, Cleveland Ohio, 44124

Phone: 440.684.3101 x102  |  Fax: 440.684.3102

mark.atwood at paragon-inc.com<mailto:mark.atwood at paragon-inc.com>  |  www.paragon-inc.com<http://www.paragon-inc.com/>









On Jul 11, 2011, at 3:24 PM, Scott McHarg wrote:



Can someone give me a rough idea of how big a generator I need to run the Luminex power supply?  I have a small 2-stroke 800W generator from Harbor Freight but not sure how to tell how many Watts I need to power the Luminex supply. Volt x Amps=Watts?  So, can I draw the conclusion that something that puts out 55 Amps at 13.4 Volts needs 737 Watts input?





Thanks y'all,

Scott



--

Scott A. McHarg



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