Building a kiln controller
 

I am looking to build a controller for my kiln its 240 30 amp
it has 4 240 6kw elements in it. I was thinking of using the Omega CN1501
Series http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=CN1501. I am a little confused
on how many relays an output can control I assume its one for one but I am
not sure. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Liam Potts

"liam potts" wqdwqe@kjka wrote in message
...


I am looking to build a controller for my kiln its 240 30 amp
it has 4 240 6kw elements in it. I was thinking of using the Omega CN1501
Series http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=CN1501. I am a little
confused
on how many relays an output can control I assume its one for one but I am
not sure. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Liam Potts


If you want all elements to operate, "as one", all off or all on, then what
I have in mine is one relay per element, but all the relays run on one
controller.

Bet Jack chimes in here any minute, and I certainly would follow his
recommendations, he has done it successfully.

On Wed, 9 Feb 2005 11:54:42 -0800, "liam potts" wqdwqe@kjka wrote:

I use a Perfect Fire which operate 3 relays with two contacts each ,
so it can switch 6 times 25 Amp
Bought this in New Zealand , controller , probe and relay end wiring
Works great

I am looking to build a controller for my kiln its 240 30 amp
it has 4 240 6kw elements in it. I was thinking of using the Omega CN1501
Series http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=CN1501. I am a little confused
on how many relays an output can control I assume its one for one but I am
not sure. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Liam Potts

I question whether this is appropriate - it seems to offer features you
don't need and seems inadequate in what you do need.
The specification .pdf file says
Control Output: 5 Vdc drive @ 50 mA max (internal 5 Vdc source)

This means that you will have to use 5 volt driven relays. The size that
will carry your amperage may pull enough milliamps that if you want to
double up relays to get capacity that you will exceed the 50ma. You may
have to buy a small 5VDC relay from Radio Shack (fortunately the 5 v supply
is in the controller) just to drive the contactors or bigger relays. The
contactors Omega sells seem to have 120 or 240 volt coils, so an
intermediate relay would be require.

--
Mike Firth
Hot Glass Bits Furnace Working Website
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/hotbit47.htm Latest notes

"liam potts" wqdwqe@kjka wrote in message
...


I am looking to build a controller for my kiln its 240 30 amp
it has 4 240 6kw elements in it. I was thinking of using the Omega CN1501
Series http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=CN1501. I am a little
confused
on how many relays an output can control I assume its one for one but I am
not sure. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Liam Potts

that looks like it would do anything a fuser needs.

I am working on a computer based unit, I have it running now in, HOLD ON,
dos.

yes folks a dos batch file (showing my age.) I have a board that works off
the parallel port that has 12 relays.

I have a USB unit that will ultimately run up to five kilns at once with 2
type thermocouples in each and up to 196 relays.



wrote in message
...
On Wed, 9 Feb 2005 11:54:42 -0800, "liam potts" wqdwqe@kjka wrote:

I use a Perfect Fire which operate 3 relays with two contacts each ,
so it can switch 6 times 25 Amp
Bought this in New Zealand , controller , probe and relay end wiring
Works great

I am looking to build a controller for my kiln its 240 30 amp
it has 4 240 6kw elements in it. I was thinking of using the Omega
CN1501
Series http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=CN1501. I am a little
confused
on how many relays an output can control I assume its one for one but I
am
not sure. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Liam Potts

not so, lots of relays would run off of that voltage. I found a relay that
runs off the voltage in a parallel port!!!

but an intermediate relay is no big deal either

"Mike Firth" wrote in message
...
I question whether this is appropriate - it seems to offer features you
don't need and seems inadequate in what you do need.
The specification .pdf file says
Control Output: 5 Vdc drive @ 50 mA max (internal 5 Vdc source)

This means that you will have to use 5 volt driven relays. The size that
will carry your amperage may pull enough milliamps that if you want to
double up relays to get capacity that you will exceed the 50ma. You may
have to buy a small 5VDC relay from Radio Shack (fortunately the 5 v
supply
is in the controller) just to drive the contactors or bigger relays. The
contactors Omega sells seem to have 120 or 240 volt coils, so an
intermediate relay would be require.

--
Mike Firth
Hot Glass Bits Furnace Working Website
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/hotbit47.htm Latest notes

"liam potts" wqdwqe@kjka wrote in message
...


I am looking to build a controller for my kiln its 240 30 amp
it has 4 240 6kw elements in it. I was thinking of using the Omega
CN1501
Series http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=CN1501. I am a little
confused
on how many relays an output can control I assume its one for one but I
am
not sure. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Liam Potts

Ya I tried contacting them was a route I was considering still have not
gotten an e-mail

And it looks like if I can use the omega it will be cheaper


wrote in message
...
On Wed, 9 Feb 2005 11:54:42 -0800, "liam potts" wqdwqe@kjka wrote:

I use a Perfect Fire which operate 3 relays with two contacts each ,
so it can switch 6 times 25 Amp
Bought this in New Zealand , controller , probe and relay end wiring
Works great

I am looking to build a controller for my kiln its 240 30 amp
it has 4 240 6kw elements in it. I was thinking of using the Omega
CN1501
Series http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=CN1501. I am a little
confused
on how many relays an output can control I assume its one for one but I
am
not sure. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Liam Potts

--
....
If you want all elements to operate, "as one", all off or all on, then
what
I have in mine is one relay per element, but all the relays run on one
controller.
Considering each element is 240 6kw so lets see 6000/240=25x4= 100 amps I
do not want to put all the elements on at the same time. Its only a 30 amp
breaker

good point

what would you recommend? Basically all I want is a simple interface with
mechanical relays.
as long as it can hold one multi segment ramp program I would be happy.

"Mike Firth" wrote in message
...
I question whether this is appropriate - it seems to offer features you
don't need and seems inadequate in what you do need.
The specification .pdf file says
Control Output: 5 Vdc drive @ 50 mA max (internal 5 Vdc source)

This means that you will have to use 5 volt driven relays. The size that
will carry your amperage may pull enough milliamps that if you want to
double up relays to get capacity that you will exceed the 50ma. You may
have to buy a small 5VDC relay from Radio Shack (fortunately the 5 v
supply
is in the controller) just to drive the contactors or bigger relays. The
contactors Omega sells seem to have 120 or 240 volt coils, so an
intermediate relay would be require.

--
Mike Firth
Hot Glass Bits Furnace Working Website
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/hotbit47.htm Latest notes

"liam potts" wqdwqe@kjka wrote in message
...


I am looking to build a controller for my kiln its 240 30 amp
it has 4 240 6kw elements in it. I was thinking of using the Omega
CN1501
Series http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=CN1501. I am a little
confused
on how many relays an output can control I assume its one for one but I
am
not sure. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Liam Potts

5vdc @ 50ma will drive a relay but may be intended to drive a solid
state relay which it would do easily. One would want to check that the
drive is suitable for driving an inductive load like a relay also, it
needs to be able to take the back EMF when the relay is de-energised or
may be damaged. You could of course add your own diode across the relay
to absorb the back EMF.

Mike Firth wrote:

I question whether this is appropriate - it seems to offer features you
don't need and seems inadequate in what you do need.
The specification .pdf file says
Control Output: 5 Vdc drive @ 50 mA max (internal 5 Vdc source)

This means that you will have to use 5 volt driven relays. The size that
will carry your amperage may pull enough milliamps that if you want to
double up relays to get capacity that you will exceed the 50ma. You may
have to buy a small 5VDC relay from Radio Shack (fortunately the 5 v supply
is in the controller) just to drive the contactors or bigger relays. The
contactors Omega sells seem to have 120 or 240 volt coils, so an
intermediate relay would be require.