Demo of Auxilliary Power Input on the Test Control Panel

Out of frustration at having now burned up two ATX power supplies on my Test Control Panel, I installed an auxiliary power input circuit. The clip is a brief demo of the circuit while it's in use.



The auxiliary power input gives me better organization, a switch, and some ability to control the test setup.

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Blow Off Testing a Smack's Booster Electrolyzer Container Lid

I wanted to check the safety of the Smack's Booster Electrolyzer Container when it is assembled with plumbers silicone grease as a gas seal inside the top of the container. I'm a bit worried that it may cause the top to seize instead of pop off.

So what I did was devise a test to inject compressed air into the container to see what it does.


Here are the test parts.

• 4" PVC Cleanout Cap Square Head
  
• Metal Tubeless Tire Valve
  

And here is the completed assembly. It also required a 7/16" drill bit in order to get the correct diameter hole for the valve.

After several tests with compressed air, I determined that it takes very little pressure for the top to pop loose, which relieved my concern that it may cause an explosion.



Of course I just had to record the event for posterity.

UPDATE: 30 July 2008

I had a person ask about this setup and it made me realize that the article could be taken out of context. The test was to determine if I could perform experiments using plumber's silicone grease to seal the top without leaking while allowing for a blow off should a backflash occur. The answer is; the plumber's silicone grease can provide a seal, but it seems to be very vulnerable to leakage which will affect productivity and test results. As for the possibility of a backflash, I've had that happen once already and it put a nice dent in the ceiling of my garage.

Converting a Computer ATX Power Supply to a Lab Power Supply - Part 3

I finally finished the test control panel and installed the power supply in it so I went ahead and performed the final tests of the power supply. It seems a bit disruptive to have to weave the two projects together, but the result is well worth it..

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Next: Light Dimmer Switch as a 12 Volt Rheostat: Failure
Previous: Constructing a Test Control Panel
Related: Converting an ATX Power Supply to a Lab Power Supply - Part 2