Re: PIRANHA-III Power control? (fwd)

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Original poster: Gerry Reynolds <greynolds@xxxxxxxxxx>



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2006 19:59:17 -0700
From: Terrell Fritz <terrellfone@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: PIRANHA-III Power control? (fwd)

Hi,

I am thinking now the design of the power controller should be "all 
custom".  The COTS stuff is pretty cool, but just "not perfect" :-|  The 
boxes do a lot of things right, but some things wrong too...  Just too 
cheap to be doing what we want done "really well"...  So I'll swipe all the 
good ideas from them *;-)))

The snubberless or "alternistors" are a good idea but I think one still 
needs a hefty snubber.  If anything goes wrong, a snubber can eat a LOT of 
problems.  Also need MOVs and TVSs above them.  I can random switch the 
models to get real nice spikes under unusual conditions (like the fuse 
blows or you snap it off)...  It only takes "one" of those to blow the crap 
out of it...  The snubber also kills a lot of line noise.  The snubber is 
"tuned" in my case.  It is sort of hard to make them universal.  But 
probably "close enough"...  It will also dissipate about 20 watts since 
mine is "BIG" ;-))

The "Pulse Train" things seems like a real good idea too!!  The one circuit 
in the data sheet is pretty simple...

I don't see any use for the line side inductor which seems like 5 pounds of 
extra dead weight...  But the PIRANHA is current limited and the power 
factor is naturally very high...

I also like the "double (triple) insulated" approach.  The Triac in the 
router controllers is insulated from your hand just by the Al2O3 layer in 
the device.  The thick aluminum back is nice, but the thing really is not 
exploding fault safe to "hold on to"...

I also want a different layout with indicator lights and maybe an ammeter 
more typical of what we like in a controller.  "I" don't worry about 
keylocks in my case.

Cost should be low.  But I might add a hydraulic breaker and Simpson meter 
just to pump the cost up 10X $:o))

I was going to try the Harbor Freight thing, but decided to "save" it to 
use on my router and universal motor table saw ;-))  It is 10X better than 
a "lamp dimmer"!!!

Cheers,

	Terry