I need to create a 3000 Watts 0-10 controlled PWM dimmer -- 2
Budget: $250 – $750 USD
I need to control the heating resistors inside domestic water tanks. It is generally a resistive load that, when switched on, consumes something like 2000 Watts. If I have a restriction on my power source and I can only consume 1000 Watts, I won't be able to switch them on. Therefore, I need a solution to control how much power is drawn by those resistors based an external controller. The controller then can either send in a 0-10V signal (0V = switch off and 10V = max power) or through an ethernet connection, write a value to control that power.
I am thinking of MOSFETS switching on/off at a given frequency and having their duty cycles controlled by either the 0-10V input or by the register value.
Note that the output waveform of the voltage or current does not have to be perfect since it will only control a simple resistive load.
---- Added info:
Task:
Control the power consumption of a 240 Volts AC resistive load (such as an electric water heating resistor).
Context for use:
Say you have a 230 VAC circuit with a circuit breaker rated at 15 Amps. On that circuit, there are several appliances including a 2000 Watts (or 2000 VAC for the sake of this example) water heating resistor.
Assume a situation where 7 Amps are being drawn by the other appliances leaving only 8 amps left.
The remaining power is 8 A x 230 V = 1,840 VAC. Turning on the water heating resistor will trip the circuit breaker unless the other devices are switched off.
By using the proposed device (call it resistor dimmer), the user can reduce the power to 1500 VAC and therefore turn on that resistor.
Controlling the dimmer using a 0-10V DC input, it would be possible to have that device controlled by home automation or by BMS systems.
Objective:
My objective is to build such a device, manufacture it and sell it with an end-user price of not more that USD 150.
The max power load of this device should be about 3000 Watts.
The device should be compact and should include safety features to protect from fire hazards of electrical short circuits.
I am thinking of MOSFETS switching on/off at a given frequency and having their duty cycles controlled by either the 0-10V input or by the register value.
Note that the output waveform of the voltage or current does not have to be perfect since it will only control a simple resistive load.
---- Added info:
Task:
Control the power consumption of a 240 Volts AC resistive load (such as an electric water heating resistor).
Context for use:
Say you have a 230 VAC circuit with a circuit breaker rated at 15 Amps. On that circuit, there are several appliances including a 2000 Watts (or 2000 VAC for the sake of this example) water heating resistor.
Assume a situation where 7 Amps are being drawn by the other appliances leaving only 8 amps left.
The remaining power is 8 A x 230 V = 1,840 VAC. Turning on the water heating resistor will trip the circuit breaker unless the other devices are switched off.
By using the proposed device (call it resistor dimmer), the user can reduce the power to 1500 VAC and therefore turn on that resistor.
Controlling the dimmer using a 0-10V DC input, it would be possible to have that device controlled by home automation or by BMS systems.
Objective:
My objective is to build such a device, manufacture it and sell it with an end-user price of not more that USD 150.
The max power load of this device should be about 3000 Watts.
The device should be compact and should include safety features to protect from fire hazards of electrical short circuits.