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solenoid power boost

vaporlock

May 9, 2012
1
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May 9, 2012
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Hi I am looking for a way to boost the power of a pull type solinoid 12 volts , 12.8 ohms. it is a choke sol. and does not have enough pull it is used for about 30 to 60 seconds once it pulls in it holds no problem but at first sometimes you have to help it so I just need a little boost any help would be apreciated
thanks Ken
 

BobK

Jan 5, 2010
7,682
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Jan 5, 2010
Messages
7,682
Wind more turns or up the current.

bob
 

timothy48342

Nov 28, 2011
218
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Nov 28, 2011
Messages
218
@vaporlock
vaporlock, welcome to the forum.

Can you provide more information about the solenoid? A link to the datasheet or to the product description?

Also more about the power source. Is it batteries? What is it?

I'm an electronics novice, so the following suggestion is directed...
@everyone else
What about a large capacitor in parallel with the power source. (Large= a few hundred microfarads or maybe 1000uF. Like a photoflash cap.) My thinking is that it would sit at 12V and when the solenoid turns on it would provide a near zero source resistance for a brief moment to get things moving. If the power supply voltage drops a bit, the cap won't. Then once the solenoid engages, the cap would just come back to 12V until next time.

Do you guys think that something like that might "up the current?"

--tim
 

duke37

Jan 9, 2011
5,364
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5,364
I made a note of a circuit to speed up a relay some time ago. The circuit doubles the voltage on the relay by adding the capacitor voltage. It takes longer than normal to drop out as the capacitor has to recharge. You will need to size your components appropriately to drive the solenoid.

K1KP ? In Practice RadComm April 2002 p55
 

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