Tarp motor

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NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
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EC - retired
Customer has a 12v DC 6 amp motor normally used for covering trailers with a tarp. I need a power supply for it. A Tripp Lite PR 25 looks like it should work but I really don't need precise voltage regulation. Just the abiity to handle the motor load. Any thoughts? Could make one with a rectifier & transformer but probably wouldn't save any money doing it.
 

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
Customer has a 12v DC 6 amp motor normally used for covering trailers with a tarp. I need a power supply for it. A Tripp Lite PR 25 looks like it should work but I really don't need precise voltage regulation. Just the abiity to handle the motor load. Any thoughts? Could make one with a rectifier & transformer but probably wouldn't save any money doing it.
The DC motor will take many times rated current for starting. A current limited power supply might be an option. But beware of the fold back type.

Could something as simple as a 12V car battery do the job?
 
Location
NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
Occupation
EC - retired
The DC motor will take many times rated current for starting. A current limited power supply might be an option. But beware of the fold back type.

Could something as simple as a 12V car battery do the job?

Don't know what you mean by "fold back" but the car battery and charger is definately on the list. This will be opened/closed 2 to 4 times an hour 24/7 for the next 6 months.
 

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
Don't know what you mean by "fold back" but the car battery and charger is definately on the list. This will be opened/closed 2 to 4 times an hour 24/7 for the next 6 months.
I don't suppose fold back is new but it was new to me too until it bit me in the butt... a very costly discovery I might add. In an overlaoded state it collapses both current and voltage.
That's not ideal for starting a DC motor.
Your transformer rectifier isn't such a bad idea.
Simple and robust.
 

hillbilly1

Senior Member
Location
North Georgia mountains
Occupation
Owner/electrical contractor
Try Fry's Electronics, they have dc power supplies that may be large enough. Used to power smaller loads like CB and Ham radios, but come in larger sizes. Radio Shack has full wave rectifiers if you want to build your own. I think they have one rated at 25 amps, but you would need a step down transformer rated high enough also.
 

Jraef

Moderator, OTD
Staff member
Location
San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
Occupation
Electrical Engineer
As mentioned, DC motor starting is not as simple as a lot of people think. They see their little DC motors on their convertible car top and think it's no big deal. But that little motor has a BIG battery capacity behind it. That's why a car battery and charger is not a bad way to go.

6A is a lot of power for something from Fry's Electronics (which, by the way is a West Coast only chain). And retail / commercial PSUs are not the type that will likely have any reserve capacity. A better way to go (if you don't want the hassle of the battery etc.) is to get an industrial duty PSU that has reserve capacity. I used to work for Siemens, so I can vouch for theirs, which can supply 300% overload for a second or two, long enough to get through that starting inrush. But even this would still require a starting resistor in the circuit, otherwise the starting current surge could be as high as 1200%! So first you need to know if your motor has a starting resistor built-in (many do) and if not, what is the starting current. Then look at that value as the peak that the PSU must be capable of delivering and go backwards from there to decide what size you buy.
 

hillbilly1

Senior Member
Location
North Georgia mountains
Occupation
Owner/electrical contractor

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
Frys is no longer a west coast chain, there are two in Atlanta, GA.
I have been to one of the ones in Atlanta when we were in GA earlier this year. I was impressed by the vast size of the store and the range of items on offer. It was like being a kid in a candy store for me.
:smile:
 
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