Rectifier for a silver cell.

[Yggdrasil]

I get your point the bottleneck here is not the supply side of things.

Assuming there are not limitations on the input power, increasing the voltage applied to the cell will increase the current running through the cell.

I believe not.

The input into the transformer will always have a limit of kinds.
And the relation between current and voltage is set by this there are also formulae describing the transformer process with the voltage into it and the amount of windings on the coils in and out.
An example to think about is this.
What happens to the voltage and current if you short a circuit?

 

[haveagojoe]

I get your point the bottleneck here is not the supply side of things.

Assuming there are not limitations on the input power, increasing the voltage applied to the cell will increase the current running through the cell.

The primary factor affecting the current is the surface area at the anode, which in a silver cell is your source material.
The rate of deposition can be increased by increasing the voltage (higher energy potential, electrons move faster) but that's not the same thing as increasing the current (greater number of electrons moving).

 

[Amol Gupta]

I believe not.

The input into the transformer will always have a limit of kinds.
And the relation between current and voltage is set by this there are also formulae describing the transformer process with the voltage into it and the amount of windings on the coils in and out.
An example to think about is this.
What happens to the voltage and current if you short a circuit?

Here is what I am trying to say increasing the power output from the transformer is a non trivial task(just change the transformer).
Changing the resistance of the cell is non trivial and includes a lot more variables that need to be factored in.

 

[Amol Gupta]

I'm guessing the thread is going of topic, a couple of valuable inputs I've got is use a dc-dc convertor to step down the 12V line close to 3V or use a step down transformer and condition the ac voltage to get a DC voltage voltage output both of which seem good options.

My plan is to build single large cell multiple small cells will involve a lot more manual work(scraping the crystals, avoiding shorts, etc).

 

[Amol Gupta]

I believe not.

The input into the transformer will always have a limit of kinds.
And the relation between current and voltage is set by this there are also formulae describing the transformer process with the voltage into it and the amount of windings on the coils in and out.
An example to think about is this.
What happens to the voltage and current if you short a circuit?

With respect to short circuits I am better off using fuses.

 

[kaisernine]

I was looking around after thinking about the one I posted above, but if you understand the datasheet / pinout and can solder up a potentiometer and add cooling this would get you a good bit of amperage at the voltages you want. They sell on digikey for around $38. I imagine there are others out there but non-isolated are the cheapest for the amount of watts you want to put out.

I think these are typically used inside of server power supplies for the 5v and 3.3v power rail, HP uses them I have removed a few in the past.

Delphi Ds12400 Non-Isolated PoL Module DC DC Converter 1 Output 0.84 ~ 5V 80A 5V - 13.2V Input

 

[Amol Gupta]

I was looking around after thinking about the one I posted above, but if you understand the datasheet / pinout and can solder up a potentiometer and add cooling this would get you a good bit of amperage at the voltages you want. They sell on digikey for around $38. I imagine there are others out there but non-isolated are the cheapest for the amount of watts you want to put out.

I think these are typically used inside of server power supplies for the 5v and 3.3v power rail, HP uses them I have removed a few in the past.

Delphi Ds12400 Non-Isolated PoL Module DC DC Converter 1 Output 0.84 ~ 5V 80A 5V - 13.2V Input

It's pretty tough getting components that are out of stock, the lead time is 30weeks

 

[kaisernine]

It's pretty tough getting components that are out of stock, the lead time is 30weeks

It was more for reference but Utmel electronics seems to have them in stock.

Rather than try to reinvent what exists just buy a high current plating rectifier with your needed voltage.

 

[Amol Gupta]

It was more for reference but Utmel electronics seems to have them in stock.

Rather than try to reinvent what exists just buy a high current plating rectifier with your needed voltage.

A 3.3V DC power supply seems like the best option to me

 

[BShan]

I am not commenting to the suitability of 3.3v, the need to adjust voltage or current, or anything like that. I only want to point out that 3.3V is a common voltage supplied by PC power supplies, and is very easy to get ATX power supply to work. If you scrap computers, you probably have plenty of these for free.

Look at the sticker on the PSU, it will tell you how many amps the power supply can give at 3.3V.

Most power supplies have the same pinout. If yours has a connector that looks like this with 20 or 24 pins, then here are the pinouts (took from websearch, no clue who bardimin is; if 20-pin, omit 11,12,23,24):


There is your +3.3V and Ground. To tell the power supply to turn on, connect (PS-ON) to a (Ground).

If you need something besides 3.3v, 5v, or 12v, you will need to build or obtain a DC-DC converter to power from this PC power supply, but if you are buying something, then at that point you might as well buy a power supply suited to your need.

 

[Amol Gupta]

I am not commenting to the suitability of 3.3v, the need to adjust voltage or current, or anything like that. I only want to point out that 3.3V is a common voltage supplied by PC power supplies, and is very easy to get ATX power supply to work. If you scrap computers, you probably have plenty of these for free.

Look at the sticker on the PSU, it will tell you how many amps the power supply can give at 3.3V.

Most power supplies have the same pinout. If yours has a connector that looks like this with 20 or 24 pins, then here are the pinouts (took from websearch, no clue who bardimin is; if 20-pin, omit 11,12,23,24):
View attachment 66185

There is your +3.3V and Ground. To tell the power supply to turn on, connect (PS-ON) to a (Ground).

If you need something besides 3.3v, 5v, or 12v, you will need to build or obtain a DC-DC converter to power from this PC power supply, but if you are buying something, then at that point you might as well buy a power supply suited to your need.

XH-M229 Desktop PC ATX Power Supply Transfer Module https://www.theengineerstore.in/products/xh-m229-desktop-pc-atx-power-supply-transfer-module

Here is a part I like to go with it.

 

[haveagojoe]

XH-M229 Desktop PC ATX Power Supply Transfer Module https://www.theengineerstore.in/products/xh-m229-desktop-pc-atx-power-supply-transfer-module

Here is a part I like to go with it.

I don't think that will be useful really, you don't need it. You just to need to cut off all the connectors, connect all the +3.3V wires together (orange) to connect to your anode, and the same number of ground wires together (black), those will be connected to the cathode; then you need to connect the green one to a black one to activate the module - you can connect them directly or put an on/off switch between them.
The red wires should be +5V, the yellow ones should be +12V, and the blue one should be negative 12V. But you won't need those so just wrap them up with insulating tape.

If its an old module you can put a 5ohm 10W resistor across 12V to ground, or for a newer one put a 22ohm 10W resistor across 5V to ground, this will act as a dummy load to ensure stable voltage. Alternatively on an older module you could use a 12V lightbulb from a car instead, which will give you a nice light for over your work area too.