Auto fan shutoff sensor?

[geezer]

the fan on the 256 pulls .6 amps and the cooler was a little over 1 amp. You're still not getting what I'm saying as a bi metal strip takes too long to react to a change in temp and by that time the components have already heated up and you're behind the power curve. Hence the hall effect sensor. If/when I get around to building it, I'll post up pics

O.6 amps is like turning off a 150 watt light bulb, to save electricity at the risk of overheating your machine in the process, I am familiar with Hall effect devices, owned a dodge since they invented electronic ignition. However when you get it built I would interested in seeing it. I'm not against new ideas, had some myself, not all turned out the way I expexted them to, but a guy has to keep on trying, that's how inventions are made.

[Timberwolf]

Well perhaps I'll wait until the warranty is out then I reckon. No sense in pushing it. I've been more than pleased with the machine...I don't regret getting it over another Lincoln precision TIG 375 that we had back at the farm. Guess I'll just keep plugging away at the air compressor intercooler for the plasma since this humidity blows in florida.

Geezer, didn't mean to sound brash....I know what you're talking about, some college buddies and myself started a company a little while back that deals quite a bit with inventions. Just got started at the beginning of the year and already have one product out and a few more in the works and on the way.
http://www.ideadevgroup.com/index.html

[geezer]

No problem, Timberwolf good to talk about these things, you did get me to thinking which is good exercise at my age (the old brain doesn't fire on all 8 cylinder like she use to). So here goes FAN ON DEMAND and how much can you really save.

Assuming you work 10 hours aday with your machine and it has 50% duty cycle and electricity costs 15 cents a kilowatt and your fan draws 0.6 amps which is equal to say 150 watts.

That would be 150 X 10hours/1000 X .5 duty x 15 cents.......or 11 and 1/4 cents perday times 365 = 41 dollars and 6 cents per year

So much for the FAN ON DEMAND touted by some people

Wanna save money around the shop build a can/bottle container to recycle them.

[everlastsupport]

Hang on. I figured the reason for this project was fan noise. There will be NO major power savings unless unit is on 24 hours a day. But the temp sensor will cut it off if cool.

If for power savings, like Geezer said, get a recycle bin. A Kw/H is dirt cheap, the fan draw can not be much.

I figured it was noise, because I will use my IMIG200 over the IMIG250 generally because of the noise. You can whisper with the 200 and yell with the 250P. I love my 250P, but that fan is like the ones in our larger TIGs.

[Timberwolf]

Hey Mike, yes I was looking to kill the fan for the noise primarily and the power draw secondly. The idea behind using a microcontroller was that it can be programmed to monitor the water temp, heat sink temp, and ambient air and know when to turn off the power to the cooler and the welder fan. That way the only thing it's doing is keeping the fans off when not in use. Thats why I was saying it won't effect the duty cycle since the unit will cool down as usual and once cool it would be like just flipping the switch on the back, only instead of doing that the front screen will still be on and it would just be in standby mode. If it did get hot just sitting idle for some odd reason, the fan could again kick back on.

But like I said I'll just put this on the back burner for now and get busy on the air compressor intercooler. Seems as though moisture down here really eats up my consumables, even with a few filters in line.

[everlastsupport]

Oh yea on the consumables and moisture in the tank. I have the throw away desiccant ones stacked behind the cutter.

I will have to get the specs on the fan. Maybe a resistor and a switch even on the front to drop the speed and noise but still running. No uC required that way.

Your project would not be hard, 3 ADC pins over 1. cut and paste code and change pin names. If you re-visit it, I have a one channel version done and code that just needs to be change a hair.

[Grizzly1944]

Sounds like you're opening up a can of worms just to save 1.6 amps.

If it aint broken, don't fix it!

In my chosen profession as complex as it may be, an old axiom always manages to hold true. K.I.S.S.

As long as you have good coolant flow and good heat transfer for the coolant and machine. It will work fine all day long. I just did a bunch of welding with my 250EX at more than 225 amps, with nary a rise in coolant temperature.

I could never understand why people make things more complex than they are.

Have a great weekend!

Don

[acourtjester]

Sometimes the adage just because you can does not mean you should.
Running you cooler just when you are welding will not cover residual heat that is left in the torch. You could end up with enough heat to boil the water in the torch between welding times.
Also running the cooler with on demand fan could allow the water to slowly increase in temperature and reduce the effectiveness of the cooler. In warmer climates this could be a real problem.
Are you tilting at windmills Don Quixote???

Timberwolf look into a franzinator for you water problem
http://www.shopfloortalk.com/forums/...ead.php?t=8004

[blasphemy000]

I know none of it is needed. I just like to build things with electronics. As for residual heat in the torch, I had that covered. I said after you stop welding if the temp is over a set point the pump/fan will continue to run until things are cooled off, only then will it shut off.

[Ray]

yes the power has to be cycled to clear the OC light. it will not go off by it's self after the Duty Cycle has been exceded.

[Grizzly1944]

Blasphemy,

For a cooler, a thermostatic fan switch isn't required. I converted an old computer power supply for the twelve volts required to run a HF pump and a computer case fan. I used a heater core from a Crown Victoria and a 2 1/2 gallon plastic gas can for a tank.
The pump is a bit loud, but when I hear silence, something is wrong and I stop to fix it.

The water flows from the tank, through the pump, through the heater core, through the torch, and back to the tank.

There isn't much need for such a switch unless you prefer to make things more complicated than they need to be.

Best Regards!

[coonass]

I was reading this and thinking couldn't u replace the whole fan assembly with a quieter squirrel cage blower they move alot of air with tolerable noise