PSU component identification

[Tom41]

Can anyone help me identify this component, which I keep seeing in many ATX PSUs? I've taken two pictures; it's the black component adjacent to the cap.

The reason I ask is that my work colleague recently brought in his dead ATX PSU. Opening it up, I saw bad caps... and also that one of these components had elongated - it was nearly as long as my index finger!
I assume since the ATX PSU hangs upside down in most cases, the component melted and started to drip downwards, hence the elongated appearance. I would have taken a photo of this, but he threw away the PSU before I could get a camera in

[gonzo0815]

Re: PSU component identification

This is a coil, it is normal that they are long. If you unscleve the heat shrink tube, you can verify, if there is something melted (i don`t see any proov of that).

[Tom41]

Re: PSU component identification

These photos aren't from the dead PSU with the elongated component - as I said, my colleague threw it away before I could get the camera in to work. The photos there are from another of my PSUs, which is still working fine - I just needed to know what the component was.

I'm guessing the bad caps caused this coil to overheat, which in turn melted the heat-shrink tube and caused it to drip downwards.

[gonzo0815]

Re: PSU component identification

Hm, assuming the bad caps hase caused some kind of katastropic failure, then this could be happend. But i think there must be someting like a decent short and a failing of protection circuit. Those wires are realy tough, as usually the full output current is flowing across them. It was probably the output filter coil for 3.3 or 12v section.

[mbates14]

Re: PSU component identification

yea those are output filters. those output filters basically help flatten out the 50khz pulse that runs through that switching supply.

now the only reason those coils would get hot, is if a massive amount of current flows through them. either from shorted wires, shorted capacitors, or motherboard overload.

[WeStSiDePLaYa]

Re: PSU component identification

i dont see what could melt though, the sleeve doesnt melt, they burn and get stiff, the center is a ferrite core, and the wire is copper.

[PeteS in CA]

Re: PSU component identification

I wonder if the material used to improve the mechanical stability of the inductor was hot-melt glue. Stupider things have been done.

[gonzo0815]

Re: PSU component identification

Normaly Epoxy, but on thoe coils the heatshrink tubing is usually the only fixture.