DC DC Converter

400 volt intermediate bus power systems are fairly common. Vicor does that, but Vicor is expensive.

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John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 
picosecond timing   precision measurement  

jlarkin att highlandtechnology dott com 
http://www.highlandtechnology.com

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 Thanks, 
    - Win

I'd like to point out two things. First, most AC-to-DC power supplies will in fact work from from a DC input. After all, most such supplies feature a full-wave input rectifier.

E.g., 230 Vac => 310 volts DC on the bulk capacitor. In most cases you can apply a similar DC voltage to the AC input.

Second, high-power supplies with PFC-correction input-boost stages have roughly 400V bulk capacitors. In principle one could bypass the PFC boost, and applying DC to this capacitor. Inrush currents, protective fusing, and all component voltage ratings would have to be respected, with safety margins.

But this opens a huge range of possible working solutions.

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 Thanks, 
    - Win

The output half of a PC power supply with a bit of modification?

The downside is, a lot of PFC circuits assume mains frequency pulsating input (or full-on AC, for the boost-rectifier ones), and misbehave for weird voltage waveforms or DC. So, it depends how much you want to go snooping around in a given PSU module, say tacking on a bodgewire somewhere, or worse...

Which I suppose is repeating what you just said... :-)

...So...now I'm curious, has anyone actually (i.e. in production) taken a non-potted module, added bodgewires, and customized them for an application?

I'd imagine the main downside is, having to go through testing anyway. But most products run the gauntlet anyways, regardless of what the module is rated for*, so is it really adding cost to the design beyond the labor itself?

*Most PC mounted PSU modules are terrible at filtering. The small bricks have no EMI filter; most modestly sized ones do, but they normally blow FCC regs by 3-10dB, say, once you attach a useful length of wire to them. The "medical grade" ones I've seen (specifically, a one of these ) do very nicely though, not needing any external filtering to /pass/ with the same margin; and with far more margin on average (over the whole frequency range).

I suppose "tampering" with a module would run most afoul of UL, but I don't know what specifically would be violated in the process.

Tim

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Seven Transistor Labs, LLC 
Electrical Engineering Consultation and Contract Design 
Website: http://seventransistorlabs.com

Are you referring to the +/-190 Vdc (380 Vdc) computer server room voltage standard ?

Not specifically. I recall that several people, including Vicor, make PFC ac-to-400 volt converters, non-isolated, and then sell isolated DC-to-whatever bricks for point-of-load power.

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John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 

lunatic fringe electronics

Artesyn makes several HV dc/dc bricks. Look at the AIF series. There is a industry group trying to push the HV dc data center. I think it is called EMerge or something like that.

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Chisolm 
Republic of Texas

Voila:

Though a bit more power than you want. Might have to ask them for smaller models.

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Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

It sounds more like a power supply that can work off of the battery pack of a hybrid or electric vehicle. TDI Power (Astrodyne) or automotive suppliers can be contacted.

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Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

A 700W PC powersupply?

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This email has not been checked by half-arsed antivirus software

Astrodyne? Vicor?

Cheers