TESTING THE PULSE WAVE MODULAR AS A HEAT CONTROLLER

Posted by Moonshiner Chuck on

Now we're going to discuss the pulse wave modulator. Remember we discussed that sine wave and then the duty cycle in time now I want to get too technical because you don't really need to, talked about the infinite switch on the stove and turn the switch on by metal connector, starts to heat up. When it gets to a certain temperature, it deforms and causes the contacts to disconnect. So you got it on low. Your heater element on your stove gets like six to eight seconds worth of 240 volts. It shuts off until that by metal connector cools and it cools in about 10 to 15 seconds, then it comes back on, and then it goes back off. So what that is this can be considered a very rudimentary pulse wave modulation. 

That does is it takes we're going at that sine wave, the amount of average power over a period of time and it was 25%. It seems that in your voltage and your amperage will adjust accordingly, over the full period of time if you're using 25% of the duty cycle. I'm going to set up real quick and we're going to test the one that I've got built. I've got a pulse wave modulator. My modulator is a 4000 watt hundred and 20-volt pulse wave modulator. That's all just type that in pulse wave modulator, 120 volts 4000 watts. I've also got a 10,000 watt. They come in 240 models as well. And we can take advantage of something that's already built. 

What I have a mini grinder and I've got my pulse wave modulator already. I've plugged it, my pulse wave modulator plugged into 120 volts and I've turned this all the way up to it, Scott 10,000 RPMs and that's how little brass score runs. But and you'll notice 17 volts and point two amps which are nothing in comparison, that's just with leaking through into a receptacle. As I start to turn the amperage starts to go up and my grinder starts to turn I got 46 volts and 5.5 amp, one point just one amp is 77 volts is it 93 volts 1.1 amp and turn that all the way up to max and nothing will run 10,000 RPMs or 19 volts won three amps. 

That works just like your stove connection. My mini grinder sees the apparent average power going through the pulse wave modulator and adjusts accordingly. So that's why I've got that voltage that amperage and I are able to adjust that back and forth. One of the benefits of a pulse wave modulator is that with the components inside, it produces very little heat. So a large heatsink is not necessary and most of them come with a fan that is mounted on top I'll I’d mount one anyway because these only get about 116 or 118 degrees and then you put a fan to keep it cool.

I'm gonna discuss with you what happens when we do with a three-gallon kettle, because I got a 3500-watt heating element, wired it 120 volts. If it's a 240-volt element, and we wire for 120 volts, we only get 25% of the wattage, so that's an 875-watt heater element. We're back with the three-gallon kettle and that 3500-watt heater element wired at 120 volts, so it's only 175 watts, but it's gonna be hot enough to heat the water anyway. 

I've got the ground, a white and a black, and that's all it takes. The first point of entry in your main box is the same thing after they have to make sure that you keep them separated. Right now I've got the set. I'm at 23 volts and it's a point eight amps as I continue to turn, my amperage starts to increase. My voltage increases all the way up until its max voltage was now 170 volts. That's running to 6.4 amps at 117 volts. The heating element is now getting hot whenever you do it never dry fire a heater element they'll snap and dry fire means don't have any water in your pot. 

Now I can control the heat inside my kettle or inside my brew pot or inside my kiln or Anywhere else I have by merely turning the dial-up or down. Now, I would call this an analog system because there is no feedback mechanism, the feedback neck, and the mechanism lies. I'll be turning the knob appropriately. 

So if I need more power to raise the temperature or turn the knob, I go above my temperature. I'll turn the knob back down, but you've got to give it time to settle because that heater elements only going to react to the time it takes for it to get hot and or cold. It will run you probably all put together. If you put one together yourself all the pieces and parts are gonna probably run you about 50 bucks on the outside. 

Keep in mind, we're going to discuss on how to wire because there are two different ways to wire I've got it wired now to read the voltage going to the heater element. Next, we're going to do read the voltage that's coming into the box. 

Happy to still!