You need at least 24 volts, I use two ATX PSU's in series to get that, at 17 amps.
Also, you need thick tracers or wires on your ZVS driver or you wont get very good arcs.
I grouped all the same voltage wires from my ATX PSUs together and crimped them with a decent aligator clip.
Make sure all the colors go together, even the two thin orange and black wires that appear seperate from the 3.3v and ground planes, otherwise the PSU will start up and go into suspend mode (off)!
@Doom2pro hey there! couldn't help noticing your comment , but currently i am having trouble with my 3 PSU's from a computer and it just keeps switching off even with a load on the 12V+ rail. can you help modify or just tell how to make it run and so that i can use it to power my zvs? please? thanks!
@a380rockerfan : Only connect them in series, and make sure the two primary windings are going in the SAME DIRECTION!!! For example: Imagine the primary as one coil of wire with 14 windings, the center of the windings should be tapped as the center. Some people wind the two separate and join the middle as center but accidentally wind the second wire in the OPPOSITE DIRECTION which cancels the other winding out causing the ZVS driver to appear as a short to the load. Make sure you have it right.
@Doom2pro : Correction, opposite windings make the driver appear as a short to the power supply. Other things that cause one or both of the PSUs to trip:
1. Dead or incorrect MOSFET(s)
2. Dead Zener Diode
3. When the Arc extinguishes causing a temporary high load spike
@Doom2pro oh, sorry. what i meant was connecting the power supply units in a way to generate a sufficient output, not stuff to do with the zvs itself. sorry witht eh confusion, but what i meant was how do i get a power supply unit from a computer to run without stopping and switching off?
@a380rockerfan Are you sure the PSU works? Usually when you turn them on (connect green to black) and the fan spins for a second and then stops, it's due to a dead PSU (output rectifier has failed or failed caps). Some ATX PSUs are real anal, so even a 12v fan on the +12 rail might not be enough to convince it to turn on.
Other than that, not sure what you mean. If you are talking about disabling the over current protection, that is hard as each PSU usually has a different protection circuit.
I hope you put thicker vires in your modified psu, from the vidwo i see you just cuted off all the vires you didn't needed, but you left a lot of them. The psu can diliver a fiew amps but they are dilivered over moustly 4 vires. so you have to put a 4 times thicker wire to replace those thin...
you call that a ZVS? what kind of mosfets are you using? that might be the answer it the arcs are small (no offence!) but i can help.
a380rockerfan 1 year ago
@a380rockerfan : The Arcs are "So Small" because it's only 12 volts input, I get 4-5 inch arcs with 24 volt input (at 17 amps).
Doom2pro 1 year ago
You need at least 24 volts, I use two ATX PSU's in series to get that, at 17 amps.
Also, you need thick tracers or wires on your ZVS driver or you wont get very good arcs.
I grouped all the same voltage wires from my ATX PSUs together and crimped them with a decent aligator clip.
Make sure all the colors go together, even the two thin orange and black wires that appear seperate from the 3.3v and ground planes, otherwise the PSU will start up and go into suspend mode (off)!
Good Luck!
Doom2pro 2 years ago
@Doom2pro hey there! couldn't help noticing your comment , but currently i am having trouble with my 3 PSU's from a computer and it just keeps switching off even with a load on the 12V+ rail. can you help modify or just tell how to make it run and so that i can use it to power my zvs? please? thanks!
a380rockerfan 1 year ago
@a380rockerfan : Only connect them in series, and make sure the two primary windings are going in the SAME DIRECTION!!! For example: Imagine the primary as one coil of wire with 14 windings, the center of the windings should be tapped as the center. Some people wind the two separate and join the middle as center but accidentally wind the second wire in the OPPOSITE DIRECTION which cancels the other winding out causing the ZVS driver to appear as a short to the load. Make sure you have it right.
Doom2pro 1 year ago
@Doom2pro : Correction, opposite windings make the driver appear as a short to the power supply. Other things that cause one or both of the PSUs to trip:
1. Dead or incorrect MOSFET(s)
2. Dead Zener Diode
3. When the Arc extinguishes causing a temporary high load spike
4. Short somewhere in circuit
Hope that helps, good luck!
Doom2pro 1 year ago
@Doom2pro oh, sorry. what i meant was connecting the power supply units in a way to generate a sufficient output, not stuff to do with the zvs itself. sorry witht eh confusion, but what i meant was how do i get a power supply unit from a computer to run without stopping and switching off?
a380rockerfan 1 year ago
@a380rockerfan Are you sure the PSU works? Usually when you turn them on (connect green to black) and the fan spins for a second and then stops, it's due to a dead PSU (output rectifier has failed or failed caps). Some ATX PSUs are real anal, so even a 12v fan on the +12 rail might not be enough to convince it to turn on.
Other than that, not sure what you mean. If you are talking about disabling the over current protection, that is hard as each PSU usually has a different protection circuit.
Doom2pro 1 year ago
I hope you put thicker vires in your modified psu, from the vidwo i see you just cuted off all the vires you didn't needed, but you left a lot of them. The psu can diliver a fiew amps but they are dilivered over moustly 4 vires. so you have to put a 4 times thicker wire to replace those thin...
Take this as a advice
By
izidor7 3 years ago
Comment removed
Doom2pro 1 year ago
what the hell is wrong with your voice
skuitarman 3 years ago
HAHAHASSHOLE
triggerhappy77707 3 years ago 5
you can see my zvs driver running at 14V
mumish13 3 years ago
nice!
but the arcs like a single transistor flyback driver...
the best type of flybacks are the ac flybacks from old (very old) tv's sets :)
mumish13 3 years ago