# Power supply



## pinman (Aug 8, 2010)

Would this power supply be sufficient for a small silver cell?
http://www.tequipment.net/ElencoXP-620.html


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## goldsilverpro (Aug 8, 2010)

pinman said:


> Would this power supply be sufficient for a small silver cell?
> http://www.tequipment.net/ElencoXP-620.html



It looks like it's only 3 amps max. Not much, but big enough for about a 1/2 gallon cell that could produce about 12 grams per hour.


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## butcher (Aug 8, 2010)

for a small cell you are limited by cell size because of current capacity.

why spend big money on power supplys? do you have acsess to a computer power supply, from an old computer you are scrapping? that is a regulated power supply, with just as much or more current capacity than the one you are looking at,you can find information on the web for wireing them using a resistor for a trick load, 
once you have a DC source, voltage or current can easily be limited, with resistor's or light bulbs or by other means, a transformer, 
a bridge rectifier, and a hand full of other electronic components can be put together to build a power supply, or a regular car battery charger and light bulbs will work(if you want to get fancy add a variac, to adjust voltage, large reostat to limit current.

with a little study in basic electronics power supplys can easily be made.

one of the guys here on the forum got ahold of some very nice powersupplys and oscilliscopes and he will probably sell you one at a more than fair price.

I have made my own large reostats with nichrome heater wire and ceramic.


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## pinman (Aug 8, 2010)

Appreciate the insight. It came into the 2nd hand store so I figured I'd ask, they're only asking 4$. What about for a deplating cell, same parameters?


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## butcher (Aug 14, 2010)

four dollars get it.


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## copperkid_18 (Aug 14, 2010)

gets What?


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## butcher (Aug 14, 2010)

the power supply


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## copperkid_18 (Aug 14, 2010)

whats the specs


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## butcher (Aug 14, 2010)

see PinMans post above.


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## copperkid_18 (Aug 14, 2010)

the elenco one? if so ill take it


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## T3sl4 (Aug 15, 2010)

Oh, speaking of power supplies, I designed an adjustable, programmable 5V, 100A power supply for heavy duty (but nonindustrial) electroplating applications. I'm thinking I could build them for $800, or quite a bit less if you don't need the laundry list of features the complete design has (maybe $400 for two knobs, two meters, a power plug and some big honkin' terminals).

Tim, shamelessly advertising :lol:


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## Lou (Aug 15, 2010)

Well at least your prices are a fifth of what a Lambda power supply would be.


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## Harold_V (Aug 16, 2010)

Lou said:


> Well at least your prices are a fifth of what a Lambda power supply would be.


I just happen to have four of the Lambda supplies. 5 volts, regulated---one of them is an LM H5-OV-Y-M. Good for 140 OA @ 40° C. Two are smaller, model LM F5-M-R, each good for 48 OA @ 40° C. Fourth one is smaller yet, good for only 30 amps. Don't happen to have the specs at my disposal at the moment, but virtually identical in appearance to the second two that were mentioned.

I need a 15 volt supply---for anodizing. 

Harold


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## qst42know (Aug 16, 2010)

Harold

Will close do? 

A 12 battery charger should put out about 14.5v.


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## lazersteve (Aug 16, 2010)

Harold_V said:


> I just happen to have four of the Lambda supplies. 5 volts, regulated---one of them is an LM H5-OV-Y-M. Good for 140 OA @ 40° C. Two are smaller, model LM F5-M-R, each good for 48 OA @ 40° C. Fourth one is smaller yet, good for only 30 amps. Don't happen to have the specs at my disposal at the moment, but virtually identical in appearance to the second two that were mentioned.
> 
> I need a 15 volt supply---for anodizing.
> 
> Harold



Here's a link that may solve your problem Harold. If you need help with assembly or parts, shoot me a PM.

Simple High Current DC Power Regulation

All you need to know is the amperage requirements of the load. The power will be supplied from the mains, a step down transformer, and a bridge rectifier of the appropriate amperage rating.

Steve


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## Irons (Aug 16, 2010)

Your wish is my command:

http://www.national.com/analog/power/buildit


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## Harold_V (Aug 17, 2010)

lazersteve said:


> Here's a link that may solve your problem Harold. If you need help with assembly or parts, shoot me a PM.
> 
> Simple High Current DC Power Regulation
> 
> All you need to know is the amperage requirements of the load. The power will be supplied from the mains, a step down transformer, and a bridge rectifier of the appropriate amperage rating.


Unfortunately, the load is, and will be, variable. It's determined by the area of the item(s) to be anodized. I have learned that 15 volts is desirable, however, so I'm on target in that department. 

I am awaiting more information before I make any decisions. I may have to dig out the large three phase rectifier I have, which offers adjustable voltage, and is capable of up to 300 amps. It's dismantled, needing a sand blasting and painting in the worst way. It came from a plating shop, so the cabinet has considerable corrosion. I will eventually do the rebuild, but I'd like to be able to anodize before that is accomplished. Therefore, my interest in, possibly, using the power supplies I mentioned. 

Steve, from my casual observation, the link you provided makes it clear that the devices are not well suited to high amperage. I expect I'd have to have the ability to run as high as 30 amps. I'd appreciate your professional opinion in that regard. Seems the items in question are very limited as to the amperage that can be controlled. Maybe I misunderstood what it said. I'm not well versed on electronics. 

Harold


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## Harold_V (Aug 17, 2010)

Irons said:


> Your wish is my command:
> 
> http://www.national.com/analog/power/buildit


Sounds expensive, Irons. I'd like to do this without a huge investment. Thoughts?

Harold


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## Harold_V (Aug 17, 2010)

qst42know said:


> Harold
> 
> Will close do?
> 
> A 12 battery charger should put out about 14.5v.


A friend that has anodized for quite some time suggested a battery charger would work, although it must be one without any frills. He claims reasonable success when using one with a battery in the circuit- and also mentionded that anodizing can be accomplished at somewhat lower voltages. That is one avenue I may have to explore. I do have a large battery charger as a last resort. Thanks for your thoughts, Q42!

Harold


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## Higashi (Aug 25, 2010)

lazersteve said:


> Harold_V said:
> 
> 
> > I just happen to have four of the Lambda supplies. 5 volts, regulated---one of them is an LM H5-OV-Y-M. Good for 140 OA @ 40° C. Two are smaller, model LM F5-M-R, each good for 48 OA @ 40° C. Fourth one is smaller yet, good for only 30 amps. Don't happen to have the specs at my disposal at the moment, but virtually identical in appearance to the second two that were mentioned.
> ...



that's a good one.

I found another good one (good as in the tutorial is comprehensive) from website of a plating company.
i simulated it in Proteus, doesn't give out that much amp as said, but i don't really trust simulation in Proteus for stuffs other than digital and microcontroller related stuffs.


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## T3sl4 (Aug 26, 2010)

Ah, I designed one of those once upon a time. The idea was to turn a regular 3.3-5-12V supply into an adjustable, current limited one:

http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms/Circuits_2008/Hi-amp_Regulated_Supply_2.gif

Compensation capacitors (not shown) are probably required across the op-amps. LM324 is suitable, and for the MOSFETs, you might use IRFZ34 or so. Big heatsinks.

Tim


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## joem (Nov 14, 2010)

will this power supply work with a small gold deplating cell about the size of steve's cell in his video
it's only $5


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## Barren Realms 007 (Nov 14, 2010)

Yea it should. Don't try to do much material at one time.


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## butcher (Nov 14, 2010)

This supply may not be much different from your car battery charger, or could be very different, without seeing design I cannot tell if it is a constant current and variable voltage supply or a variable current and constant current design, from the looks of the case I would assume it is not a switching power supply, but just a simple transformer, with bridge rectifier and capacitor filter, and maybe a possible regulator.

a lead acid 12 volt battery charger is constant voltage (usually 13.5 to 14 volt), and a variable current power supply, (which means its output voltage would stay 13.5 volts, but as the cells resistance changes the current draw will change.

I would also use some current limiting or current protection devise, to protect your power supply from short circuits, like a series lamp or fuse, cells can have varibles resistance all the down to none (a short) that can ruin a working power supply.


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