176 photoflash capacitors parallelled
Freitsu, Thu Nov 18 2010, 02:07PMHello there everyone!
I went to a photoshop in this town I live and asked for used disposable cameras, and to my surprise they had over 200 of them that they could give me. :D
Getting the capacitors out of all 200+ cameras was a project in itself aswell!
Here are some pictures showing the finished capacitor bank and all the cameras. ;)
In the pictures you can also see my crude version of a coilgun. I used 50RIA120 thyristor for triggering on that experiment...
Re: 176 photoflash capacitors parallelled
Proud Mary, Thu Nov 18 2010, 02:16PM
My goodness, Freitsu, you should be given a prize for enthusiasm!
Proud Mary, Thu Nov 18 2010, 02:16PM
My goodness, Freitsu, you should be given a prize for enthusiasm!
Re: 176 photoflash capacitors parallelled
Freitsu, Thu Nov 18 2010, 03:11PM
I got many months of frustration out when tearing those cameras apart! :)
Freitsu, Thu Nov 18 2010, 03:11PM
I got many months of frustration out when tearing those cameras apart! :)
Re: 176 photoflash capacitors parallelled
Killa-X, Thu Nov 18 2010, 03:38PM
Nice. Most I did was 100 xD good luck with it!
Killa-X, Thu Nov 18 2010, 03:38PM
Nice. Most I did was 100 xD good luck with it!
Re: 176 photoflash capacitors parallelled
Arcstarter, Thu Nov 18 2010, 08:01PM
And they will work better than a typical computer grade electrolytic of the same value because they are made for pulse applications. And, because there are tons of small low ESR caps paralleled, that will further reduce ESR and ESL.
Oh, and if you need an SCR, the SK065K is a nice SCR. I have paralleled 5 and they work fine for 600j... And if you want faster current rise, series two parallel banks, i bet that would toss an alu platter hard enough to make it fold around a steel bar
Arcstarter, Thu Nov 18 2010, 08:01PM
And they will work better than a typical computer grade electrolytic of the same value because they are made for pulse applications. And, because there are tons of small low ESR caps paralleled, that will further reduce ESR and ESL.
Oh, and if you need an SCR, the SK065K is a nice SCR. I have paralleled 5 and they work fine for 600j... And if you want faster current rise, series two parallel banks, i bet that would toss an alu platter hard enough to make it fold around a steel bar
Re: 176 photoflash capacitors parallelled
Freitsu, Fri Nov 19 2010, 05:26AM
Thanks for the suggestion about connecting those 2 banks in series, Arcstarter. But right now there comes enough power out of it to shoot a 8 mm diameter X 40 mm steel rod pretty damn hard, I have no idea about the velocity but if you blink, you'll miss it! ;)
RLC simulation says I have about 1200 amps going through that scr, thats right on the edge what it can take so right now I'm waiting to get some more heavy SCR's from Timo here on the forum.
Freitsu, Fri Nov 19 2010, 05:26AM
Thanks for the suggestion about connecting those 2 banks in series, Arcstarter. But right now there comes enough power out of it to shoot a 8 mm diameter X 40 mm steel rod pretty damn hard, I have no idea about the velocity but if you blink, you'll miss it! ;)
RLC simulation says I have about 1200 amps going through that scr, thats right on the edge what it can take so right now I'm waiting to get some more heavy SCR's from Timo here on the forum.
Re: 176 photoflash capacitors parallelled
GhostNull, Fri Nov 19 2010, 09:54PM
Lol if one of them fails and stuffs up the whole bank.
GhostNull, Fri Nov 19 2010, 09:54PM
Lol if one of them fails and stuffs up the whole bank.
Re: 176 photoflash capacitors parallelled
Arcstarter, Sat Nov 20 2010, 12:53AM
Arcstarter, Sat Nov 20 2010, 12:53AM
Freitsu wrote ...
Thanks for the suggestion about connecting those 2 banks in series, Arcstarter. But right now there comes enough power out of it to shoot a 8 mm diameter X 40 mm steel rod pretty damn hard, I have no idea about the velocity but if you blink, you'll miss it! ;)
RLC simulation says I have about 1200 amps going through that scr, thats right on the edge what it can take so right now I'm waiting to get some more heavy SCR's from Timo here on the forum.
I used one to trigger some lower ESR caps, which equaled 200j and it never died :PThanks for the suggestion about connecting those 2 banks in series, Arcstarter. But right now there comes enough power out of it to shoot a 8 mm diameter X 40 mm steel rod pretty damn hard, I have no idea about the velocity but if you blink, you'll miss it! ;)
RLC simulation says I have about 1200 amps going through that scr, thats right on the edge what it can take so right now I'm waiting to get some more heavy SCR's from Timo here on the forum.
Re: 176 photoflash capacitors parallelled
Freitsu, Sat Nov 20 2010, 09:12AM
Freitsu, Sat Nov 20 2010, 09:12AM
GhostNull wrote ...
Lol if one of them fails and stuffs up the whole bank.
Actually 2 of them initially failed while testing those banks separately, they're really going out with a big BANG. Earplugs is a must but ofcourse I didn't know that so my ears were beeping for some time after that experience... Lol if one of them fails and stuffs up the whole bank.
Arcstarter wrote ...
I used one to trigger some lower ESR caps, which equaled 200j and it never died :P
It died yesterday, RIP. Time to get some more durable now.I used one to trigger some lower ESR caps, which equaled 200j and it never died :P
Re: 176 photoflash capacitors parallelled
GhostNull, Sat Nov 20 2010, 10:55AM
lol xD all those months wasted D=
Disposable camera photoflash capacitors don't tend to be very reliable considering they only need to work for 27 cycles (number for exposures on a standard film thingy) and costs are kept at a minimum since they are disposable/single use
GhostNull, Sat Nov 20 2010, 10:55AM
lol xD all those months wasted D=
Disposable camera photoflash capacitors don't tend to be very reliable considering they only need to work for 27 cycles (number for exposures on a standard film thingy) and costs are kept at a minimum since they are disposable/single use
Re: 176 photoflash capacitors parallelled
Freitsu, Sat Nov 20 2010, 11:56AM
Time will tell if they're any good, so far I haven't had any problems with them except those that blew up but that is probably because they were internally shorted/dried out for some reason (probably because of age)
Freitsu, Sat Nov 20 2010, 11:56AM
GhostNull wrote ...
lol xD all those months wasted D=
Disposable camera photoflash capacitors don't tend to be very reliable considering they only need to work for 27 cycles (number for exposures on a standard film thingy) and costs are kept at a minimum since they are disposable/single use
You seem to think I've collected these cameras for months when I actually got all the cameras from one guy at 1 occasion. So all the time wasted is "only" the time spent ripping them apart and soldering caps on PCB.lol xD all those months wasted D=
Disposable camera photoflash capacitors don't tend to be very reliable considering they only need to work for 27 cycles (number for exposures on a standard film thingy) and costs are kept at a minimum since they are disposable/single use
Time will tell if they're any good, so far I haven't had any problems with them except those that blew up but that is probably because they were internally shorted/dried out for some reason (probably because of age)
Re: 176 photoflash capacitors parallelled
ScotchTapeLord, Sat Nov 20 2010, 07:24PM
Derating the voltage can work wonders for capacitor lifetime!
ScotchTapeLord, Sat Nov 20 2010, 07:24PM
Derating the voltage can work wonders for capacitor lifetime!
Re: 176 photoflash capacitors parallelled
Conundrum, Sun Nov 21 2010, 01:59PM
i did this a while back and ran into problems switching them..
didn't get a single capacitor failure though
-A
Conundrum, Sun Nov 21 2010, 01:59PM
i did this a while back and ran into problems switching them..
didn't get a single capacitor failure though
-A
Re: 176 photoflash capacitors parallelled
101111, Sun Nov 21 2010, 02:40PM
Had a similar setup a few years ago.
Yours looks even better!
101111, Sun Nov 21 2010, 02:40PM
Had a similar setup a few years ago.
Yours looks even better!
Re: 176 photoflash capacitors parallelled
Adam Munich, Sun Nov 21 2010, 09:42PM
I figured I'll post my photoflash bank. It holds somewhere around 200J.
Watermelon sizzles if you drop a piece on the wires.
Adam Munich, Sun Nov 21 2010, 09:42PM
I figured I'll post my photoflash bank. It holds somewhere around 200J.
Watermelon sizzles if you drop a piece on the wires.
Re: 176 photoflash capacitors parallelled
klugesmith, Sun Nov 21 2010, 10:37PM
Costs are reduced even further by re-use. Photofinishers get (or used to get) about $0.25 for used cameras, which are sorted by brand & returned to the makers. Kodak, for example, then gives each flash module an electrical test and a brand new AA battery before snapping it into a new disposable camera.
klugesmith, Sun Nov 21 2010, 10:37PM
GhostNull wrote ...
Disposable camera photoflash capacitors don't tend to be very reliable considering they only need to work for 27 cycles (number for exposures on a standard film thingy) and costs are kept at a minimum since they are disposable/single use
Disposable camera photoflash capacitors don't tend to be very reliable considering they only need to work for 27 cycles (number for exposures on a standard film thingy) and costs are kept at a minimum since they are disposable/single use
Costs are reduced even further by re-use. Photofinishers get (or used to get) about $0.25 for used cameras, which are sorted by brand & returned to the makers. Kodak, for example, then gives each flash module an electrical test and a brand new AA battery before snapping it into a new disposable camera.
Re: 176 photoflash capacitors parallelled
Freitsu, Mon Nov 22 2010, 06:26AM
I read on HvWiki that photoflash caps are good for 100.000 cycles or so.
Freitsu, Mon Nov 22 2010, 06:26AM
Grenadier wrote ...
I figured I'll post my photoflash bank. It holds somewhere around 200J.
Watermelon sizzles if you drop a piece on the wires.
That's a nice start, are you planning to expand it further?I figured I'll post my photoflash bank. It holds somewhere around 200J.
Watermelon sizzles if you drop a piece on the wires.
Klugesmith wrote ...
Costs are reduced even further by re-use. Photofinishers get (or used to get) about $0.25 for used cameras, which are sorted by brand & returned to the makers. Kodak, for example, then gives each flash module an electrical test and a brand new AA battery before snapping it into a new disposable camera.
I intended to point that out too, thanks.Costs are reduced even further by re-use. Photofinishers get (or used to get) about $0.25 for used cameras, which are sorted by brand & returned to the makers. Kodak, for example, then gives each flash module an electrical test and a brand new AA battery before snapping it into a new disposable camera.
I read on HvWiki that photoflash caps are good for 100.000 cycles or so.
Re: 176 photoflash capacitors parallelled
Adam Munich, Mon Nov 22 2010, 06:30AM
If I find more cameras, sure I'll make it bigger. I need to make my rounds at the pharmacies soon anyway. It's been a while since I asked for some cameras.
Adam Munich, Mon Nov 22 2010, 06:30AM
If I find more cameras, sure I'll make it bigger. I need to make my rounds at the pharmacies soon anyway. It's been a while since I asked for some cameras.
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