ThreeDogsNE

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I'm playing with options for a power stirrer for my direct fire mash tun. I ran across this motor, the third item down on the page: http://www.sciplus.com/category.cfm/subsection/18

I was looking aroiund for a way to provide power to it, and saw these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-12V-10A-Output-Metal-Housing-Universal-Switching-Power-Supply-/280914843143?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4167d4 5607

I'm no engineer. Can this be used to provide power to such a motor? Is there something better and perhaps cheaper? Any insights are welcome.

Another item I found is the 12 V, 2 A $8 power supplies on this page: http://www.sciplus.com/category.cfm/subsection/13 Could a couple of these be combined to drive the motor?

And before anybody says it; yes, I have considered HERMS and RIMS, and no, I don't want to do those. I want to keep my direct fired mash tun with PID temp control on my current rig.

TimpanogosSlim

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hm, well, you're on the right track i think. I don't know how much more current it is likely to pull under load. Since it's a gear reduction motor - it's actually a higher speed / less torque motor with some gears - I'm gonna say, probably?

terror_storm

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You might consider picking up a power window motor from a car at a junkyard. Cheap and should be about the right speed for what you want.

Edit: Right, so the question was about powering the motor, not what motor to use.

emjay

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A universal laptop charger would work nicely. Just make sure it's one that is able to do 12V.

TimpanogosSlim

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OK but the description says that the motor was tested to draw 3.5 amps with no load.

That implies that it draws more than 3.5 amps under load. Which is likely.

However, I doubt that it's 3x as much. the 10A supply should be more than enough.

It would just be nice if someone with EE training would chime in.

oh, and no, you can't reliably combine two 2A supplies, but having more amps available isn't going to hurt anything if you get the 10A.

You could probably shoot for 5A and be ok, but i don't really know.

If the OP has a car battery and a DC ammeter around, he could build his mash tun and then find out how many amps the motor draws, and then find a suitable supply. In general you want to shoot for a supply with some headroom over your measured current draw, just in case. like 30-40%.

Old_mil_guy

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I agree with Slim. It would take 3.5A to run the motor. Turning a stirrer will increase current but 10A should be fine.

ThreeDogsNE

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Thanks, guys. I went ahead and ordered the motor, and will get the power supply. Probably overspec, but I'd rather overdo it than underdo it. I do 10 gallon batches, and stirring that much grain for an hour in a 20" diameter pot seems a lot to ask of a power window motor. I'll post back when I get it all rigged up.