Bitcoin Forum

Other => CPU/GPU Bitcoin mining hardware => Topic started by: Meatball on September 05, 2011, 01:16:12 AM



Title: Power Distribution from a 220-250v outlet?
Post by: Meatball on September 05, 2011, 01:16:12 AM
So, I'm looking at putting in a higher voltage outlet and running my rigs off of that for a bit of efficiency improvement and just to make my life easier and less extension cord heavy.  Guy across the street is an electrician and I can pretty easily run a 30-50 Amp outlet off my breaker box.  My question to those of you using higher voltage runs, what are using for power distribution to get the power from the single high voltage outlet to your multiple PC power supplies?

Any suggestions on power strips, cords, high voltage outlets would be appreciated :)

Thanks!


Title: Re: Power Distribution from a 220-250v outlet?
Post by: BkkCoins on September 05, 2011, 01:24:41 AM
See this thread
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=34868.0

Check post #10 by Detritus. His cords and outlets look pretty good to me.

http://www.horticulturesource.com/images/thumbnail2.php/image/eco-4488.jpg
http://www.horticulturesource.com/images/thumbnail2.php/image/eco-4026.jpg
A bit pricey but there's probably a way to make your own if cost is a factor.


Title: Re: Power Distribution from a 220-250v outlet?
Post by: Meatball on September 05, 2011, 04:27:43 AM
Hmm, that looks good, but it's only 15 Amp/3600 watts.  I'd need something that was 30-50 amp and closer to the 8-10,000 watt range.  That, or some sort of splitter, but at some point the 3% power savings isn't even worth the effort.


Title: Re: Power Distribution from a 220-250v outlet?
Post by: BkkCoins on September 05, 2011, 05:26:50 AM
You probably need to run a dedicated mainline for that and then run these type of cords off an outlet closer to the rigs. Your electrician can probably decide how best to run 240V closer to the rigs. There are 30A outlets around that I used to use on our boat for marine purposes. They had connectors with rounded prongs in a circular arrangement but were pretty costly even for the connector. I'd expect you'd run a dedicated 30A line to a box with 6 or 4 x 15A sockets and then use these 15A short cables to each rig. Even at 240V running 30A any distance is going to require a substantial gauge cable.


Title: Re: Power Distribution from a 220-250v outlet?
Post by: Meatball on September 05, 2011, 11:59:47 AM
Yeah, if I do it, it'd run maybe 5 feet :)  I was just going to put the outlet next to the panel and move my rigs there.  Though the more I've been tinkering with the idea, the less worth the aggravation I think it is.


Title: Re: Power Distribution from a 220-250v outlet?
Post by: BkkCoins on September 05, 2011, 12:52:27 PM
The main purpose of those special plugs is simply to avoid plugging in things that would be blown by 240V. Where I live in Thailand we use regular US style plugs everywhere for 240V and they're fine. But we don't have 120V appliances and equipment just laying around asking to be burned up.

You could reasonably use regular extension cords as long as you painted them red on the end and stuck a big sticker or tag saying !!! 240V !!!


Title: Re: Power Distribution from a 220-250v outlet?
Post by: inh on September 05, 2011, 02:42:13 PM
I put a 50 amp two phase breaker in my panel, and ran super fat thick cables to another circuit breaker panel on a rack I built. Split that out in to 10 sets of 120v 20 amp outlets to run the rigs and AC from. You can kinda see it here: http://www.ledkid.com/btc/IMG_20110619_014527.jpg

BTW I'm willing to sell that subpanel if you need it. $60 + ship with four 20 amp breakers in it.