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Registered Member #7829
Joined: Sat Nov 03 2012, 08:16PM
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 16
I'd like to build a multistage coilgun with relatively low voltage and coil current. The main reason is cost, but also to raise efficiency due to less I^2*R losses. I found some 300A and 400A continuous IGBT bricks on eBay, but for the same cost ($120-$150 for 4 bricks), I would rather build more, less powerful stages using smaller IGBTs such as TO-247 package models.
The projectile I plan to use is a 3/8" diameter low-carbon steel rod. After some searching on the forum and reading different opinions, I'd like to try a projectile with length approximately equal to the diameter (maybe 1/2" length?). I am intrigued by the lithium polymer battery driven coils used by Saz and others and want to try my hand at these. Velocity doesn't have to be spectacular, this is just a low cost, low power learning experiment.
I know IGBTs have a maximum power dissipation rating and to ensure continued use of the device, this rating should not be surpassed. The current IGBT under consideration is :http://pdf1.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/view/
49567/ADPOW/APT60GT60BR.html
Given a voltage (50 or less) what is the most current I can put through this device? Can I just calculate I*V for a given pulse length to see how much power is dissipated by the device? I.E. does a 200A pulse at 25V allow for a maximum pulse time of 100ms or am I confusing power and energy? I feel like the device leads may not be able to handle the current even if the chip can...
Registered Member #2906
Joined: Sun Jun 06 2010, 02:20AM
Location: Dresden, Germany
Posts: 727
At 50V there is no reason for IGBTs. Dont put your money into that. You may look though the Digikey parametric search.. at this voltage, you can easily parallel some mosfets.
Easy 120A (continuous!) switching @ 75V Paralleling is verry easy du to their resistive nature and positiv temp.coeff.
The TO220 package limits the usable current to 75A.. however pulsed currents will not burn the bond wires (immediately).. so dont think too long about that. At this cost you can do some destruction-tests to get a feeling, whats ok and whats not.
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IGBT considerations for low power multistage
