Gentlmen, I have a small 120V MIG Welder with a max. output of 87 Amps at 25V. with an O.C.V. of About 35V. If I installed 100,000 UF of capacitance or more after the rectifier bridge and smooth out the pulsating DC into more pure DC. How much more in output would I gain? Thanks,
All that capacitors could do for you is smooth out the voltage/current, so that the value at any given time is closer to the average. It would not help you increase the average itself.
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Maybe I'm wrong, but my intuition says you would gain a number of watts, and that number is ZERO.
GWE
None.
Want more power, buy a bigger welder.
"Grant Erwin" wrote: Maybe I'm wrong, but my intuition says you would gain a number of watts, and that number is ZERO. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The capacitor would charge up the the max open circuit voltage, and release the charge as you strike the arc. This might help you get an arc started on work that's a little heavy, but it could also be a problem on very delicate work.
Hummmmm? Are you sure that gain is "watts"? Maybe its just plain old what's?
First there is insufficient data to say. We don't know what voltage you have - what it looks like - is it pure sine that is full wave rectified or half wave (1 rectifier) so the ripple content is missing.
You may have a lot of capacitance already - unknown.
My input is this - I'm not a MIG welder - don't have one - wish I did. If the system is putting out a 50% duty cycle (half wave) waveform - it is cooling the machine during that off time and also the gun. The work also allows the metal to setup - and not run off. Something like stick overhead - run 15% lower current so the steel sticks and not drips...
A cap that large would have a massive impulse current as it charges up - stealing it from the load - remember it dumps back into the load as the supply dies away - ...
I think the net effect under loads like this can be positive, but research has to be done for good results.
Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH, NRA Life NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
snipped-for-privacy@pe> Gentlmen,
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