Question regarding powering LED drivers with different voltage needs

gtbarsi

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The DIY LED solution I am looking at building has multiple channels with varying voltage needs.

Channel 1: 96w @ 45v
Channel 2: 78w @ 36v
Channel 3: 54.6w @36v
Channel 4: 60w @ 27v
Channel 5: 86w @ 40v
Channel 6: 86w @ 40v

Besides not being efficient what would the impact be to the LEDs if I provided 48v to each driver given that the documentation on the LED drivers indicates that the driver needs 3v in overhead?

Assuming I was using one or more Mean Well constant voltage power supplies would they draw any less power if the LEDs did not need all of the voltage the drivers were being fed?

Besides having a separate power supply for each different voltage need and using the power supplies voltage adjustment to fine tune the output of each, is there a good and proper way to manage to adjust the voltage feeding the drivers?

If it has any bearing I am planning on using the AcroIQ MicroDriver whose details can be found at https://blueacro.com/acroiq/.
 

TheEngineer

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You could just get one 48V supply and run them all off of it. The 27V and 36V ones would put off a good bit of heat, but it would work. Or you could use one 48V/300W for the 45V and two 40V and one 36V/200W for the other three. You really don't want to run a single 48V/500W power supply. Not only would that be an expensive supply, it would be fairly big.

To answer your question about what the impact on the LEDs would be, there wouldn't be one. Assuming the drivers can handle 48V, they would just burn off the excess energy as heat, but still drive the LEDs properly. The closer you can get to the voltage required the more efficient and cooler running your system will be.
 
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gtbarsi

gtbarsi

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You could just get one 48V supply and run them all off of it. The 27V and 36V ones would put off a good bit of heat, but it would work. Or you could use one 48V/300W for the 45V and two 40V and one 36V/200W for the other three. You really don't want to run a single 48V/500W power supply. Not only would that be an expensive supply, it would be fairly big.

To answer your question about what the impact on the LEDs would be, there wouldn't be one. Assuming the drivers can handle 48V, they would just burn off the excess energy as heat, but still drive the LEDs properly. The closer you can get to the voltage required the more efficient and cooler running your system will be.

Thank you for your response, it is about what I figured but I wanted to ask, just in case I was missing something.

With regard to power supply selection are there some that Mean Well produces that are appropriate for my purposes and are more efficient than othets when you are not drawing all of the current they can supply?
 

TheEngineer

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The Mean Well ELN series is popular since it takes in AC power. They only go up to 60w though.
 

thrasher1472

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What's the current/mA and forward voltage of the leds you are using? If you don't need to be able to dim them the meanwell LPC 100 series could work.
 
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gtbarsi

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Thank you for taking the time to suggest a power supply. Unfortunately the unit you suggested is a constant current power supply, which is not what I am looking for. The driver I selected will manage the current, and provide PWM dimming. It requires a constant voltage power supply.

I have been looking at a number of different power supplys, and I will post the ones I select.
 

TheEngineer

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I'm confused about your plan. How are you going to use those drivers with the power needs you provided?
 

Timothy Butler

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Given by my coral provider. Also tried to contact Fluvial they don't know or willing to help. You set the timer by time and percentage of power you want the light to top out at. Been experimenting stoney are great having problems with the bottom corals they seem to be getting to much light.
 

Timothy Butler

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I'm confused about your plan. How are you going to use those drivers with the power needs you provided?
I got initial power percentage from the people that sold me the LED and WiFi timer it seemed like to much light to the bottom of the tank. Contacted Fluvial they don't want to get involved or are not willing. Been going between 80℅ and 90℅ power for day that's what they will top out at a time set by me. Might need to be lower percentage but worry I will not give enough light to the stoney corals.
 

Timothy Butler

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I got initial power percentage from the people that sold me the LED and WiFi timer it seemed like to much light to the bottom of the tank. Contacted Fluvial they don't want to get involved or are not willing. Been going between 80℅ and 90℅ power for day that's what they will top out at a time set by me. Might need to be lower percentage but worry I will not give enough light to the stoney corals.
Voltage should be constant just power of the lights is changed they are low voltage 12 volts lights hooked to a wifi timer that controls the persetage of power and time entered by me. Same schedule of time as metal halide and hours of day. My other lights operated on a regular timer. Same feeding schedule nothing has changed but moved to the LED light. But my bottom corals look like they are over light cannot figure it out.
 

Timothy Butler

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I got initial power percentage from the people that sold me the LED and WiFi timer it seemed like to much light to the bottom of the tank. Contacted Fluvial they don't want to get involved or are not willing. Been going between 80℅ and 90℅ power for day that's what they will top out at a time set by me. Might need to be lower percentage but worry I will not give enough light to the stoney corals.
Does any of that answers your question?
 

thrasher1472

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So is this something more along the lines you are looking for? http://www.trcelectronics.com/View/Mean-Well/LRS-100-5.shtml

I am curious because the most recent light I built I toyed with making it controllable like yours but decided to stick with the constant current power supply. Any how, keep us posted so I can follow your process and get a better grasp on making the controllable units.
 

Timothy Butler

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So is this something more along the lines you are looking for? http://www.trcelectronics.com/View/Mean-Well/LRS-100-5.shtml

I am curious because the most recent light I built I toyed with making it controllable like yours but decided to stick with the constant current power supply. Any how, keep us posted so I can follow your process and get a better grasp on making the controllable units.
I will just someone should be able to tell me. You would think the manufacturer would.
 

Timothy Butler

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So is this something more along the lines you are looking for? http://www.trcelectronics.com/View/Mean-Well/LRS-100-5.shtml

I am curious because the most recent light I built I toyed with making it controllable like yours but decided to stick with the constant current power supply. Any how, keep us posted so I can follow your process and get a better grasp on making the controllable units.
Thanks igot your suggestions and the link will study that.
@Timothy Butler i was talking to the OP. You should start a thread of your own for your question and we can discuss it there :)
I will do that later today. Thanks
 
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gtbarsi

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I think the plan is going to be to use two power supplies.
Channels 1, 5, and 6 with a Mean Well HLG-320H-48a set for constant voltage output at 48v
Channels 2, 3, and 4 with a MeanWell HLG-240H-42a set for constant voltage output at 39v
This will provide the 3v of overhead that the drivers require on top of the LED voltage requirements. Both Power supplies are 95% efficient, so there should be little waste in power consumption.
One thing I am going to have to do that I was not planning on is put the 320w power supply on it's own AC circuit as the inrush draw at start would cause a 16Amp breaker to trip if the 240w power supply was on the same circuit.
 

TheEngineer

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And you won't trip the breaker btw. That's only about 5a. You're drawing from an AC outlet. The calculation is different. :)
 

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