From: EskWIRED@panix.SPAMBLOCK.com
Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design
Subject: Re: Triac Hack?
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2002 02:33:57 +0000 (UTC)
Organization: Transcontinental Telegenetics, Ltd.
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[ This is a repost of the following article: ]
[ From: EskWIRED@panix.SPAMBLOCK.com ]
[ Subject: Re: Triac Hack? ]
[ Newsgroups: sci.electronics.basics,sci.electronics.circuits ]
[ Message-ID: ]
j.f.palmer wrote:
>> : EskWIRED@panix.spamblock.com wrote:
>> : I use a standard 600 watt dimmer switch in an unconventional way - to
>> : control the speed of a fan motor in a hot air popcorn popper which I use
>> : to roast coffee. It works well.
> The circuit you will need is a switch mode power supply. By switching the
> motor on and off rapidly and adjusting the 'on' and 'off' timing a very
> efficient motor control system can be made. I know what you are thinking....
> Bloody complex. It really isn't though.
But doesn't my light dimmer do exactly that? It uses a triac to switch
the power off every time the AC waveform passes the zero line, and then
turns on again later in the waveform.
It currently works well enough. I'm not looking to replace the whole
thing, but rather, to refine it by increasing the resolution.
It is a standard rotary light dimmer switch, rated at 600 watts. I have
it feeding the primary side of a simple 24 volt transformer, which in turn
feeds a simple full bridge rectifier.
All I want to do is to figure out what value pot to replace the standard
one with, so that I can turn it further (for more resolution) and ideally,
so I can turn it all the way and still have to motor turn enough to
prevent the heater coils from getting excessively hot.
Another idea ocurred to me, which is to put a resistor in parallel with
the pot, so that the effective value of the pot is reduced, and when the
pot is turned to full value, enough juice still flows.
How can I determine the optimal value for the pot? Or the resistor?
And which method makes more sense?
And why is everyone telling me to replace the whole thing, when it
currenly works pretty well? All I want to do is to tweak the value, so it
works somewhat better.
--
If you can't say something nice,
say something surrealistic.
- Zippy
--
If you can't say something nice,
say something surrealistic.
- Zippy