Need some electrical edjumakashun...
I'm trying to cobble together a small exhaust fan, solar powered. I have a bunch of old computer fans, both 5v and 12v, and am having trouble figuring out what I can run and how much panel I need. M...
Forum Discussion
Volts and amps are not independent of each other. Your fan will consume a certain amount of current at a specific voltage (and other operating conditions).
For most devices, a higher voltage leads to a higher current and higher power consumption. For electric motors, the curve is rather more complicated; lower voltage generally leads to higher current use and may or may not lead to greater power consumption. The nature of the load on the motor and the motor design play a huge role here.
Technically speaking, it's neither low voltage nor low or high current that harms a fan or other motor, but excess heat. At the limit, you can "run" a fan all day without damage at 0V and 0A, though the air flow will be extremely low.
For most devices, a higher voltage leads to a higher current and higher power consumption. For electric motors, the curve is rather more complicated; lower voltage generally leads to higher current use and may or may not lead to greater power consumption. The nature of the load on the motor and the motor design play a huge role here.
Technically speaking, it's neither low voltage nor low or high current that harms a fan or other motor, but excess heat. At the limit, you can "run" a fan all day without damage at 0V and 0A, though the air flow will be extremely low.
