Open Source Ecology - Universal power supply

(Creating a thread to brainstorm this idea, but) What kind of minimum power requirements would be needed to run an EDM machine and induction heater and any reason the power supply units for both couldn't be one in the same? (edited)

12:46 AM

@HopefulMGowner curious if you have thoughts on this

Wanna VC about it or text?

1:08 AM

@303adastra

1:10 AM

I am not an EE but IIRC an EDM machine uses high voltage to vaporise metal as it's cutting (which is why the electrodes are brass high thermal conductivity and cheap) and induction heating uses high amperage low voltage to induce eddy currents in the material to cause resistive heating

High amperage low voltage system you need big conductors, can use thin insulation(not a good idea as going through the insulation will kill you) expect a lot of heat build up though depending on the amperage it won't necissarily hurt you due to you dry skin having enough resistance to not complete the circuit High voltage(at low enough amperage) with shock the ever loving shit out of you but you can use thin conductors if you have a stable power supply go to thin and a drop in voltage will fry your board and use thick insulation, and IMO (again not an EE) pot the board make the conductors a good bit thicker then needed and pot the board in something that is a VERY good insulator and use a lot of it If it is high voltage and high amperage it will shock the ever loving shit out of you AND kill you

1

Why do you want a combo power supply? @303adastra?

1:39 AM

I think the Rack Robotics power supply(which is open source btw) will do just fine for EDM. Sizing a induction power supply depends on a few things what do you wanna heat, how much of it, what shape is it, how fast do you need to heat it etc

The rack robotics power supply is non commercial which doesn’t fit the oshw definition :((((

1

HopefulMGowner

Why do you want a combo power supply? @303adastra?

Mostly to be able to say it's multi-use, but if I have to build two separate designs then such is life

HopefulMGowner

High amperage low voltage system you need big conductors, can use thin insulation(not a good idea as going through the insulation will kill you) expect a lot of heat build up though depending on the amperage it won't necissarily hurt you due to you dry skin having enough resistance to not complete the circuit High voltage(at low enough amperage) with shock the ever loving shit out of you but you can use thin conductors if you have a stable power supply go to thin and a drop in voltage will fry your board and use thick insulation, and IMO (again not an EE) pot the board make the conductors a good bit thicker then needed and pot the board in something that is a VERY good insulator and use a lot of it If it is high voltage and high amperage it will shock the ever loving shit out of you AND kill you

Makes sense. One needs high voltage; the other needs high average

Alexa

The rack robotics power supply is non commercial which doesn’t fit the oshw definition :((((

Thats no good

2:44 AM

Though they should all work in a similar way so you could just figure out how it works then design your own

303adastra

Mostly to be able to say it's multi-use, but if I have to build two separate designs then such is life

The good news is the power needed for an induction furnace or forge should be similar to the power needed for a welder

1

@303adastra are you an EE?

4:24 AM

(Electrical engineer)

HopefulMGowner

@303adastra are you an EE?

no, former MechE

HopefulMGowner

I think the Rack Robotics power supply(which is open source btw) will do just fine for EDM. Sizing a induction power supply depends on a few things what do you wanna heat, how much of it, what shape is it, how fast do you need to heat it etc

I did see the RackRobotics power supply. Will probably start with that as a first pass at building an EDM machine then decide later whether I want to redesign it just to get around the non commercial license, if that's even enforceable

@303adastra has reached level 12. GG!