First off, I just want to say thank you to all the people here who have spent countless hours designing, building, testing, and refining the use of LED grow lights; your efforts and the knowledge you have shared are invaluable!
I have been lurking and gleaning information for quite some time for a build that I have wanted to do, and I think I finally have my design flushed out well enough that I am ready for some feedback on it, to ensure that I am not crazy!
In my small apartment, I want to build an indoor hydroponic garden to grow lettuce, spinach, herbs, vegetables, etc. The space I have available dictates the setup to be a 4 tube, 4" pvc NFT system, each with 6 - 8 plants in it. The tubes will be stacked vertically 2 high, along two perpendicular walls (in a corner).
For each tube, I want to build a light bar, with 8x vero 10's (4000k), my intention is to run the soft 150-250ma.
I have come up with two options for mounting/heatsinks, and am not sure which one will be better. Option 1 is to use a 4' section of 35mm din rail, and 8 individual "I" heatsinks attached to it. The heatsinks are designed to cool a 40A solid state relay: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Heat-Sink-For-Solid-State-Relay-SSR-Small-Type-Heat-Dissipation/32276899402.html
Option 2 is to mount all 8 COBs directly to a 4' section of 1"x1" x 3/32" Aluminum square tubing, spaced 6" on centre, with fans at each end in a push-pull configuration.
Ultimately I would like to have them passively cooled, but I am unsure if either of these options would allow me to do that.
Along with that I also have found two options for drivers, and again, am unsure as to which would be best. Option 1 is to use a philips xitanium 150w 350mA dimmable driver: http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/technologies/semiconductors/lighting-solutions/led-driver-modules-rev/Pages/2001241-LEDINTA0350C425DO.aspx?IM=0
I would use one driver to power 16 COBs in series (2 bars of
. By my calculations, IF I were to run these at the rated 350ma I would be drawing 148.8W @ 424V, which is right at the limit of the driver, however I fully intend of running at approximately 150-250ma, based on my calculations, at 200ma, each COB should be running at about 25.33V and drawing 5.1W, based on that, this driver should afford me a small amount of head room.
Option 2 is to use a 200W inventronics 1.4A dimmable driver: http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/Technologies/Product.aspx?ProductID=EUC200S140DVINVENTRONICS9035431&IM=0
With this driver, I would split two 8 COB bars into 4 parallel strings of 4, to be driven at 0.8A/101V (0.200A/25.3V each), again this driver should allow me some head room, but, even after reading MrFlux's build where he paralleled strings of 5, I am still a little worried about current balancing.
Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
I have been lurking and gleaning information for quite some time for a build that I have wanted to do, and I think I finally have my design flushed out well enough that I am ready for some feedback on it, to ensure that I am not crazy!
In my small apartment, I want to build an indoor hydroponic garden to grow lettuce, spinach, herbs, vegetables, etc. The space I have available dictates the setup to be a 4 tube, 4" pvc NFT system, each with 6 - 8 plants in it. The tubes will be stacked vertically 2 high, along two perpendicular walls (in a corner).
For each tube, I want to build a light bar, with 8x vero 10's (4000k), my intention is to run the soft 150-250ma.
I have come up with two options for mounting/heatsinks, and am not sure which one will be better. Option 1 is to use a 4' section of 35mm din rail, and 8 individual "I" heatsinks attached to it. The heatsinks are designed to cool a 40A solid state relay: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Heat-Sink-For-Solid-State-Relay-SSR-Small-Type-Heat-Dissipation/32276899402.html
Option 2 is to mount all 8 COBs directly to a 4' section of 1"x1" x 3/32" Aluminum square tubing, spaced 6" on centre, with fans at each end in a push-pull configuration.
Ultimately I would like to have them passively cooled, but I am unsure if either of these options would allow me to do that.
Along with that I also have found two options for drivers, and again, am unsure as to which would be best. Option 1 is to use a philips xitanium 150w 350mA dimmable driver: http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/technologies/semiconductors/lighting-solutions/led-driver-modules-rev/Pages/2001241-LEDINTA0350C425DO.aspx?IM=0
I would use one driver to power 16 COBs in series (2 bars of
. By my calculations, IF I were to run these at the rated 350ma I would be drawing 148.8W @ 424V, which is right at the limit of the driver, however I fully intend of running at approximately 150-250ma, based on my calculations, at 200ma, each COB should be running at about 25.33V and drawing 5.1W, based on that, this driver should afford me a small amount of head room.Option 2 is to use a 200W inventronics 1.4A dimmable driver: http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/Technologies/Product.aspx?ProductID=EUC200S140DVINVENTRONICS9035431&IM=0
With this driver, I would split two 8 COB bars into 4 parallel strings of 4, to be driven at 0.8A/101V (0.200A/25.3V each), again this driver should allow me some head room, but, even after reading MrFlux's build where he paralleled strings of 5, I am still a little worried about current balancing.
Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
