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Affordable high current PSUs?
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KaneTW:
I'm planning out my physical vapor deposition project and it looks like I need a 1-3V 200-400A supply for most applications (with some edge cases going up to 10V, <100A). Ideally the PSU would have a constant power mode, but not strictly necessary.

Most commercial adjustable PSUs with these specs are at least in the 2-4k EUR region, which seems a bit excessive. So I've been looking to do it myself, but can't decide on a good topology.

Ideas:
1) Multiphase buck converter can give me 400A at 1-3V with enough phases (e.g. based on Renesas ISL68137). Not too expensive, but would have to monitor current draw closely and adjust V_out accordingly since the controller is a constant-voltage device.
2) AC power source and a transformer down to the needed region. AC power sources are expensive-ish, and a transformer for those currents is a lot of metal.
3) Salvaging a TIG inverter seems tempting, but they don't seem to allow voltages in the single volts (not sure about this).
4) Finding a used high-current supply is pretty hard, especially in Europe, but that'd simplify things a lot. Would probably need to use three-phase power if I don't want to swap units around (e.g. Agilent 6681A), but that's not an issue.
5) A new, adjustable PSU like a TDK-LAMBDA Gen8-400-1P runs over 3k, which is way out of budget.

Any ideas? I'm sure I'm missing something since I don't normally deal with high-current stuff.
BravoV:

--- Quote from: KaneTW on January 25, 2019, 06:11:20 am ---4) Finding a used high-current supply is pretty hard, especially in Europe, but that'd simplify things a lot. Would probably need to use three-phase power if I don't want to swap units around (e.g. Agilent 6681A), but that's not an issue.

Any ideas? I'm sure I'm missing something since I don't normally deal with high-current stuff.

--- End quote ---

Just sharing my experience, not sure if the situation is similar in Europe.

I love to hunt down cool & rare electronics stuffs, and mostly used of course, and usually for high power PSU, 1st, I did few detective work for local cellular tower installation contractors, they practically exist at every big cities since cellular industry explosions decades ago.

While ago I made few calls to them, and gathered few local contractors that do towers upgrade/installation and "decommission"  ;) ... voila ... there you go, made few calls again, I managed to snag few used but working fine TDK-Lambda PSUs, and "other" cool RF gears & stuffs too.

Yep, starting from early GSM era and then 2G so forth 4G and upcoming 5G cellular trend, usually these towers produced lots of cool stuffs that probably cost arm & leg when new.

An example, these beast can be parallel and series "by design", cost me $20/pcs and managed to get few of them.  ;) A TO-220 chip as reference size to show how big the output connectors size.


Hope this helps.
coromonadalix:
Nice findings   im jealous  loll   :-+
BravoV:

--- Quote from: coromonadalix on January 25, 2019, 08:05:38 am ---Nice findings   im jealous  loll   :-+

--- End quote ---

Thanks, yeah, I was lucky. If you think that is just another boring 36 volt PSU, adding insult to injury  >:D, just read at the attached fine prints below quoted from the user manual, its basically an "adjustable" PSU starting from 7.2 up to 43.2 Volt with 46.5 Amp capable throughout that range.

Also to OP, as the below attachment to give you clue what kind of capabilities of this kind of PSU capable of, especially your demand for high current, you can parallel them and set one as master while others as slave, its worth pursuing imo, if you could get the model that can be adjusted down to the voltage level you want.

Fyi, a brand new price of this PSU is about the cost of middle class oscilloscope.  ::)
Giaime:

--- Quote from: KaneTW on January 25, 2019, 06:11:20 am ---2) AC power source and a transformer down to the needed region. AC power sources are expensive-ish, and a transformer for those currents is a lot of metal.

--- End quote ---

A big transformer + big diodes and capacitors, and you do all the regulation with TRIACs on the primary side. This, with some analog circuitry, could be also adopted for CV/CC/CP operation. For example output current can be measured with an Hall sensor.
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