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Participant

Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 4

120 volts to 220 volt conversion

05/02/2008 4:10 PM

dear all,

i have received a task of conversion of powersupply of 110v/60hz to 220v/50hz.

it's a 10 ampere cvt type transformer with 10mf/440ac/60hz aluminium liquid filled capacitor attatched 2 of it;s primary.

transformer doesn't have any specs of 50/60hz. i tried connecting it to simple stepdown transformer of 110v but 24vdc output was reduced to 20v and 12v to 11 v. will changing the capacitor to any other value ?? give proper results?

equipment further has a power watchdog circuit which continuosly give alarms of 24 v error. i have got some circuit layout which i can post but that doesn't show component details.

i have succesfully changed the equipment to 220 v by changing the main transformer to a 220v new one but i had used a simple transformer and not a cvt one .

my concerns are :-

1. using a simple transformer instead of a cvt transformer is it safe and advisable?

2.how to connect a step down transformer and do not disturb the original.

3. any way to check frequency specs of transformer seperately?

ac power is not distributed to any other component so sorting the 1st point will sort my problem

it is basic transformer with 120 v primary and 21 v in secondary which further gives output of 24v dc and 12 v dc.

basically a 1.2 kwatt load equipment

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#1

Re: 120 volts to 220 volt conversion

05/02/2008 6:26 PM

Just for clarification - are you saying that this thing gives up to about 50 amps at 24Vdc?

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Participant

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#2
In reply to #1

Re: 120 volts to 220 volt conversion

05/04/2008 1:23 AM

not exacly 50 amp but around 30 amps.

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Guru
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#3
In reply to #2

Re: 120 volts to 220 volt conversion

05/04/2008 10:20 AM

To get back to your original questions(s) -

"1. using a simple transformer instead of a cvt transformer is it safe and advisable?"

This set-up is certainly safe, if the Safety circuits are correctly designed and built. Safety-rated monitoring relays, timers etc. will shut themselves down to a safe state if their input voltage is out of spec.

Unless your mains input voltage is all over the place, or you have very sensitive kit on the DC side (in which case you'd be better to supply them from a regulated PSU), I can't foresee any problems, so: advisable? - I'd have no trouble advising it.

But beware! I'm just some bloke on the internet, who may not know his arse from his elbow. That's the problem with the internet!

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Power-User

Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Chicago, IL, USSA
Posts: 141
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#4

Re: 120 volts to 220 volt conversion

05/05/2008 10:47 AM

Hi Amatuer,

Becareful of the frequency because going from 60hz to 50hz could cause the internal components of the power supply and cvt to over heat.

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Participant

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#5
In reply to #4

Re: 120 volts to 220 volt conversion

05/06/2008 3:37 AM

sir,

cvt overheating ;; we are already changing that to 220v 50hz, other ineternal components are already of 50/60hz.

my issue is that is there any way to know if original transformer is of 50 or 60hz. there is no mention of that on xfrmr. but capacitor makes a mention of 440vac/60hz.

or can we change the capacitor value which is 10mf to any other value and will there be any difference?

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Power-User

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#6
In reply to #5

Re: 120 volts to 220 volt conversion

05/06/2008 10:49 AM

The only way to be sure is to contact the original transformer manufacture. I will say it cost more money to build a 50/60hz transformer vs. a 60hz only transformer. Most US transformer models are 60hz only unless they are intended for international use. The heat that comes off a 60hz transformer when run at 50hz is considerably higher than 60hz and will damage the transformer in time. CVT by their design actual puts off even more heat especially at low loading. It is a difficult problem if there are no markings on the transformer to trace back.

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Participant

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#7
In reply to #6

Re: 120 volts to 220 volt conversion

05/06/2008 4:18 PM

even i think that it is 120volts/ 60hz transformer only.

as i tried it for around 2 hrs on full load and it was heating till 68degrees centi.

and was giving all kind of errors and alarms where as simply by replacing the main transformer by 50hz everything was normal.

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Power-User

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#8
In reply to #7

Re: 120 volts to 220 volt conversion

05/06/2008 5:06 PM

To run a 60hz transformer at 50hz, the input voltage must be reduced by a factor of 5/6 and the kva capacity must also be reduced by the same factor. The problem is when the input voltage is reduce the output voltage also is reduced by the same factor. The CVT will have a caps so I do not know how the output voltage will be effected but I believe it will be lower than it should be.

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