dirty dc to a dc linear actuator

[thekman]

Hello,
In a nutshell, I cannot incorporate a voltage regulator, a new power supply, a different transformer, or add any significant cost....I've got a 24VDC linear actuator and my control voltage choices are a lumpy rectified 24vac (~22VDC, 120Hz) or 34VDC from using a cap across the rectifier. I will be verifying, but I believe the tolerance on the thing is +/- 10%...which is going to kill this actuator quicker? Or am I fairly safe either way?

 

[itsmoked]

Running 10V over the actuators rating is asking for it.

The 22V pulsing DC is actually more like 31V not 22V so I don't see much improvement. The pulsation will probably be worse. Go with the cap.

If there are no electronics in your actuator it will probably be fine if the duty cycle is low.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[Henneshoe]

Does your actuator draw a lot of current? Does the load vary significantly? If the answer to both questions is no, you should be able to add a resistor in series with the actuator to drop some of the voltage after the capacitor.

 

[MikeHalloran]

I put a 12V linear actuator in a design once. It had to start under load because of the system geometry.

I never imagined that the dweeb EE on the project would _not_ use a battery to power it, since it would also be handy for emergency egress from the system.

Said dweeb spent months designing some super- duper custom power supply with super filtering and a rating just above the running current, which I think was about 20A.

Our ace lab tested the first actuator to arrive, using a laboratory power supply with foldback circuit, and declared the actuator dead.

Of course the actuator was perfectly fine.
It just took >200A for a few milliseconds to start.

Said dweeb was then paid to design a custom trickle charger for the car battery that should have been there in the first place.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[itsmoked]

Yep. Running most linear actuators without batteries is generally going to be a problem.

The OP said he didn't want to spend enough money to do the job correctly..

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[sreid]

Just run it on the unfiltered Full Wave Rectified power 22 VDC]. This is done all the time.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Mike,

What did the boss say about calling me names?

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[MikeHalloran]

Dweeb is the least rude descriptor I could find.

His circuits did exactly what he designed them to do, he just designed them to do the wrong thing, and he designed stuff that he should have just bought.

He had zero common sense, and was arrogant and stubborn.

Nice guy, though. Couldn't have been you. ;-)






Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[itsmoked]

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com