Subject:
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Re: LEGO Capacitors use on Trains?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Thu, 8 Feb 2001 03:48:13 GMT
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Viewed:
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729 times
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In lugnet.trains, Martin Legault writes:
> In lugnet.trains, Josh Baakko writes:
> > In lugnet.trains, Martin Legault writes:
> > > there is some spec for the capacitor on TLC web site
> > > http://www.lego.com/dacta/elab/default.htm
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Specifications:
> > >
> > > 1 F (Farad) 2.5 volt electrolytic capacitor
> > > Operating voltage 2.5 normal
> > > Charging voltage maximum 4 volt
> > > Maximum charging and discharging current 0-250 mA
> > > Red LED indicator when fully charged at 2.5 volt
> > > Protected against reverse polarity; capacitor will not fully charge
> > > Charged to 2.5 V the capacitor will store about 3.125 J of energy
> > >
> > > the regulator (I tested 2) have output voltage of 3.0-3.1 Volts on setting #1
> > > and 4.2-4.3 volts on setting #2.
> > >
> > > At 3Volts the ligth is not brigth at all.
> > >
> > > the suggestion to use the capacitor was good but not working with that
> > > capacitor, again sorry to bring bad news.
> > >
> > > Martin
> > >
> > > In lugnet.trains, Martin Legault writes:
> > > > oups!
> > > >
> > > > don't try it or be very carefull.
> > > >
> > > > the capacitor is a 1Farad 3Volts max capacitor.
> > > >
> > > > that would limit the voltage that you can put your regulator at 3V. If you • go
> > > > past that voltage, you'll end up blowing up your capacitor (quite a messy
> > > > situation with electrolytic capacitor). At that voltage the ligth will be
> > > > really dimmed.
> > > >
> > > > so that suggestion will not work, sorry :-(
> > > >
> > > > Martin
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > In lugnet.trains, James Powell writes:
> > > > >
> > > > > > Of course, that might be an interesting way to make the train more "speed
> > > > > > realistic" - it would gain speed more slowly since the capacitor would be
> > > > > > pulling power from the motor, and it would slow down more slowly since the
> > > > > > capacitor would be pushing power back into the motor.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > IANAEE though... (I am not an electrical engineer!)
> > > > >
> > > > > You'd have to use a diode. Trust me, it is very unlikely that the cap • would
> > > > be
> > > > > able to deliver much in the way of power to drive the train (they only hold • a
> > > > > few joules of energy, not much when compared even with the speed of a Lego
> > > > > train).
> > > > >
> > > > > I think constant lighting is out for the same reasons, just not enough • energy
> > > > > density in the cap.
> > > > >
> > > > > James
> >
> > Well, if you can keep it at 3V maybe 3 cap's would be able to run the light,
> > or maybe 2, if its hitting 4.5V?
> > Josh
> >
> > "Where's the box car door again?"
> > > > > (IANAEE either, IAAME)
>
> The problem is not the amount of energy that the capacitor can keep, it is the
> voltage that it can withstand between the 2 side.
>
> You could try to put 2 capacitor in serie, that would bring you 8V maximum
> voltage but will cut in half the amount of energy that you can store. It would
> also require you to do some trick with the wire (possibly cutting the wire,
> solder, ...) and still, you'll need to run your train at almost full speed
> regularly in order to charge the capacitor.
>
> You can see the capacitor as a beaver dam:
>
> the voltage represent the difference in heigth of the water on both side
> the capacity (in farad) the amount of water in can hold in the resevoir
>
> the highest the water fall, the brigther the light is.
>
> in order to charge the dam (capacitor) you need water coming from the highest
> point possible, if the creek (regulator) feeding the dam is not high
> enough(voltage) the water will not accumulate much, water level will not rise
> higher. this will prevent the ligth to lit as brigth as possible even if you
> have a reservoir the size of Texas or Michigan.
>
>
> In my opinion the best solution would be to use a 9V battery in the lego case
> power the ligth.
>
> Martin
I think we'll have to wait for a DCC system :-(
Josh
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: LEGO Capacitors use on Trains?
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| (...) go (...) would (...) a (...) energy (...) The problem is not the amount of energy that the capacitor can keep, it is the voltage that it can withstand between the 2 side. You could try to put 2 capacitor in serie, that would bring you 8V (...) (23 years ago, 8-Feb-01, to lugnet.trains)
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