Newbie- DC Amplifier

[Derek.C]

I have a general question about amplifiers . Is it possible to turn 12 volts DC into a greater voltage ( like 48 or 96 or 108 volts)and where would I find such an amplifier or do I need to have one created for me special pupose ?
Any help would be greatly appreciated .

[Al_The_Man]

Depends if you want this variable or not, there are many power inverters used for 12v to 120vac on the market, you would need to put a bridge and capacitors on the output, but these are non-variable.
Also your current capability will go down in direct relation to voltage increase.
Al.

[Derek.C]

So I could use a power inverter and change the output to DC by doing the same as a car alternator ? And what do you mean current going down is this what they mean when they measure amps ?

[Al_The_Man]

Originally Posted by Derek.C So I could use a power inverter and change the output to DC by doing the same as a car alternator ?

The same principle, yes.
The power consumed by the 12v input, will be roughly the same as the power output rating, and as power is a product of amps x voltage, if you raise one, the other has to go down.
Al.

[Derek.C]

Ok AL I am really new to the electrical side of things . So to simplify for me
you are saying if I have 12 volts and 60 amps and I increase the voltage the ampeerage that I can draw upon will go down .

[Derek.C]

Quick question AL explain power . I know what amps are and I know what voltage is .
But the translation to power is ? Horse power . By the way thank you for the reply I do appreciate the help understanding what is to me a mystery .

[Donkey Hotey]

Power is Watts. 746 watts = 1 hp. Watts is basically fixed. If volts go up, amps go down.

1.2 volts x 10 amps = 12 watts
12 volts x 1 amp = 12 watts
120 volts x 0.1 amp = 12 watts

There are conversion losses in any voltage transformation so you can't count on that being your output but in a 100% efficient world, that's how they equate.

[Derek.C]

Thank You

[krazatchu]

I think what your looking for is a dc to dc converter....

Tell us a bit about what it will be used for and we can give you a better answer...

[krazatchu]

Allrighty... According to the PM you sent me, you want to convert 120VAC to 120VDC...

Rectified 120VAC will not give you 120VDC, it will give you 120VAC * 1.414 = 170VDC...
Rectified AC without the use of an isolation transformer is incredibly dangerous... It has the potential to kill...

I would suggest a transformer to step down the 120 AC to roughly 85 volts AC ...
And then rectify and smooth... The resulting no load dc voltage would be roughly 120VDC...
You may want to go a little higher than 85VAC to make up for losses, etc...
Calculating a safe VA rating for the transformer requires knowing how much power is required....
There are lots of examples on Google... Here's a few http://www.juliantrubin.com/fairproj...ycircuits.html

You may want to avoid the DIY approach and just get a SMPS... It would be lighter and smaller than a traditional design... There are quite a few high voltage models designed for car amplifiers...

[Derek.C]

Yes Krazatchu I would love to avoid the DIY . That is why I am here to pick the brians of the more knowledgeable .
So in converting the AC to DC will I lose amperage or will I gain like on the voltage side . Also what does SMPS mean .
I would like to keep the 20 - 30 amps that I will be inputing as well but keep the converter as small as possible .