# Power Supplies?



## Anonymous (Nov 21, 2007)

Are powers supplies from computers worthwhile for PM/scrap, and if so, what components and techniques are best? Thanks ~Adam


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## Never_Evil (Nov 22, 2007)

You can bag the components and sell them on ebay for a buck or two. Aluminum heat sinks, steel housing, copper wire in transformers and turoids. Other than that...no precious metals. You could gather a whole lot of them and offer them on Ebay for custom computer builders.


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## Anonymous (Nov 22, 2007)

Okay. Thanks.


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## Joe (Nov 24, 2007)

Just a brainstorm here. Uses for power supplies: 

*Battery Charger*: Power supplies can be wired in series to deliver the desired voltage. For instance, they would work for an indoor trickle battery charger by simply adding battery clamps to the terminals. It seems like there would be a market for them. 

*Electolytic cell:* I've used one on a cell. It worked fine as long as the current flowed through the gold plated object. By this I mean that if the source was connected to the plated object and the other end of the object placed in the acid, it deplated very well. When I put objects on a mesh screen and connected the power source to the screen and then dipped the screen and objects in the acid, the objects wouldn't deplate. The current passed directly from the screen to the acid with no effect on the plated objects. Perhaps the power supply doesn't deliver enough amperage for a screen mesh?

*Power inverter:* DC to AC power inverters are kind of spendy. Would there be a way to reverse the inversion so that the power supply could be sourced to a battery and deliver 120 VAC at the other side? It would be great on a camping trip. 

*Green energy:* I doubt there would be any use for power supplies in homemade wind or solar collection. It seems more direct routes of power conversion, would be more efficient. I was thinking there might be ways to use some of the componets especially those in relation to the CRT to take advantage of the efficency of high voltage. I've heard that under the right conditions capacitors can collect and store a lot of atmospheric energy (lightening). 

I mean no harm. I'm just throwing out crazy ideas that might "spark" a thought among forum members (excuse the pun).


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## Never_Evil (Nov 24, 2007)

1. Battery Charger - Possible, but may be ineffective and or dangerous. The power supply in computers are typically 350W supply. Ohm's law states Watts = Volts x Amps, thus working out to be 350w/120v = 2.9A. You can fiddle with the input voltage and go from 2.9 to 3.15, its a small difference. These power supplies are no designed or engineered to run at full power for a long time. This is also the power supply will not supply the 5v or 3.3v lines, unfortunately I do not know the max amp of each power supply line. Using this as a trickly charger may work, but you will be popping power supplies frequently.

2. Electrolytic cell - Again using the numbers in the first thought, there isnt enough amps for the electricity to cut through the plating. 

3. DC to AC power - Yes they make them. The range from 100 watts up to 3000 watts if you want to get crazy. You can find them at Radio Shack, Wal-mart, truck stops, auto parts stores and nearly any retail place that has an automotive section. I have a 750 watt unit for camping and it powers my airbed, lights, music, and what ever else I need for the weekend.


Great visions to reuse the resources at hand, but they are not going to have the oomph you need. 

Dennis


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