This is used to do electrochemical machining (ECM for the shorthand) on very hard materials. The battery bank handled the kinds of work I needed to do to show the boys in the head-shed that you could sharpen carbide bits with 12 volts and salt water, but I need a more reliable way that doesn't lose its energy when the weather turns cold. I have looked at using a generator, but I figured I could come here and find out if there is a handier way to drop from 220 volts to 12, and then rectify it to direct current. For this to work, I most emphatically need direct current.
If we go back to the beginnings of this thread the original posts involved the use of a battery bank consisting of about 10 each of 12 volt batteries in parallel to get 12 volts with a 1,000 amp or greater current. The original post involves the use of ECM to sharpen machine tools or something along those lines. This, to my simple way of thinking is along the lines of the power required for plating. Thus I suggested power supplies inline with this type of application. Low voltage and adjustable supplies which as can be seen aren't cheap. It becomes one thing to develop a prototype using ten or so batteries costing less than $100 USD each and buying a $12,000 USD power supply.
Now as to a true industrial application the use of power supplies like those used for EDM (Electro Discharge Machining) isn't practical. EDM uses a submerged arc to do its thing. Most PSUs of this nature have a very high open voltage and also use RF start touch to initiate their arc to do their thing. I don't think the high open voltage is desirable in this case.
I don't see buying a pile of big truck alternators as a good solution either as a viable solution. The reason being is if we have 4 or 5 alternators driven by a gasoline, diesel engine or for that matter an electric motor to try and produce 12 volts at over 1,000 Amps we start looking at a few things, starting with the voltage regulation. Aside from that, how do we get them all running at the right RPM and how do we link them? A massive system of pulleys? Belt driven? Personally, and just my thinking (which may suck) doing it this way seems more simple on the surface than it really is. On the bright side assuming really good efficiency you will only need about 25 HP engine at the desired RPM for this to work. Don't forget the governor at the given RPM.
I like the thinking of TCMTECH as to using a welder type power supply assuming the open voltage can be overcome somehow. I just don't see a welding unit, designed for welding applications as a good solution. Though if I wanted to weld point A to point B TCMTECH would be my choice for advise in the forum and well outside the forum. I sort of view him as better than weld engineers I work with.
Power supplies like anything else are chosen for their intended use. In this case I see the use of a plating type (high current) as the overall best solution. Now if that cost is prohibitive then there is a problem.
OK, for this process the use of salt water as an electrolyte works, however ther is no mention of salt concentration? What is the conductivity of the solution? Makes a hell of a difference for the required current.
When doing the trial using batteries how much current was required? How frequently will the process be used?
Just My Take
Ron