Subject:
|
Re: LEGO Capacitors use on Trains?
|
Newsgroups:
|
lugnet.trains
|
Date:
|
Thu, 8 Feb 2001 02:00:56 GMT
|
Viewed:
|
953 times
|
| |
|
|
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
|
|
Message has 1 Reply:
Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: LEGO Capacitors use on Trains?
|
| (...) 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?" (...) (24 years ago, 8-Feb-01, to lugnet.trains)
|
14 Messages in This Thread:
  
- Entire Thread on One Page:
- Nested:
All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:
All | Brief | Compact
This Message and its Replies on One Page:
- Nested:
All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:
All | Brief | Compact
|
|
|
|
