Power supply for wheelchair motor?

Question

I recently dumpster dove for a couple of 24 volt 400-600 (estimated) Watt, 3000rpm motors with controller off a Ranger II (1999) wheel chair. They each have a gear box that should be either 18:1 or 24:1. Would these be good for converting to a variable speed drill press? I need a power source as these ran off 2 12v car size batteries. I haven't been able to determine the exact specs of the motors as the manufacturer is not cooperating, and the motors have a minimal amount of information. Any suggestions on obtaining a reasonably priced power source? How many amps?

-Mike

Don Foreman · Accepted Answer

600 watts at 24 volts is 25 amps -- but current under heavy load for short durations could easily approach 100 amps. Ignoramus may be able to steer you to a surplus source -- I know he has recently bought and sold such power supplies.

In order to build your own you would need a pretty humongous 24-volt transformer rated for 500 to 1000 VA -- pricey if bought new. You could probably re-wind a new secondary on an old microwave oven transformer if you were up for that.

Ignoramus22440 · Answer

Don, sorry, I sold all of my PP-1104C/G power supplies (which would work for the OP). They are all gone. Turns out that they have many good uses, some guy bought 3 of them at a time. One of them was bought by a person who is restoring an old helicopter.

I do, however, have a "Eagle Picher" UPS that is rated for 500 VA (if I recall correctly) and that produces 24 volts output (that is, it is a UPS, but one with 24 volt output, not with 110V output as is normally the case). The OP could adopt it to his needs, I think. I have not tested it yet. I had 3 of them, sold two to a guy who just wanted them for cases, it has a nice aluminum case. This thing is a size of a desktop computer. It is not heavy as it is without batteries. I could sell it for not too much.

I think that the OP could do well looking for some local deal like a burned out machine with a suitable transformer, a battery charger, whatever.

If he could buy four like this:

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he would be set. If he is interested, I could try that Eagle Picher UPS to see if can be used just as a voltage source.

i

mlcorson · Answer

Iggie:What do you mean 4 of these in reference to the ebay listing? Use 4 inseries? The UPS, would it have sufficient amperage? Thanks-Mike

Ignoramus22440 · Answer

I mean four in parallel:    are 24V each, 6.5 amps.That I am not yet sure about, I will try to remember to look at ittonight. It is in the ballpark, if I recall correctly. I want to makesure that it powers up and get to its nameplate.i

David Billington · Answer

I've made a tracer for a lathe using a car wiper motor and more recently a vibrating table for refractory castable material like concrete using a car cooling fan motor, both these were 12V and used occasionally for short periods so I just ran them off the 12V car battery. The wiper motor would run off a 12V power supply I made but as the use was occasional it was easier to charge a battery and use that as the supply. The same was true of the vibrator, it would run for a couple of minutes before tripping a 10 amp  battery charger but was just easier to use off a battery and use the charger to charge it. So far as a recent project the vibrating table has been used to cast a 39kg glass furnace gathering port which probably required running the table for about 15  minutes, the 44 Ahr car battery seemed fine. mlcors

Ignoramus22440 · Answer

See my separate post "whoever wanted the 24VDC 500W power supply". Itook some photos. See that post.i

clare at snyder.on.ca · Answer

How about a light duty arc welder for the transformer, and a full wavebridge rectifier?*** Posted via a free Usenet account from  ***

Ignoramus22440 · Answer

That should work if OCV is good (ie not 17v) and if voltage does notdrop too much with load. i

clare at snyder.on.ca · Answer

Or a heavy duty booster/charger (starter assist). Would have to be 24 volt, obviously. Or something like the old Sebring Vanguard electric car charger. (24 volt, 50 amp). I still have one ot those hiding somewhere from my old Fiat 128 ElectraMobile.

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Don Foreman · Answer

A wirefeed might work OK, definitely not an arcwelder meant for stickwelding.

Power supply for wheelchair motor?

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