I've been working on a data logging device that will eventually go into my personal vehicle.  I've scoured the interwebs and built what, in theory, should be a fairly stout power supply capable to handle fast transients and undervoltage and the fabled load dump.  My problem is, though... I want to actually test the power supply.

In previous questions that I've asked related to the design of the power supply portion, I've been told that the "right way" to simulate a load dump is with a proper, preofessional testing device.  I'm curious, though... what's stopping me from rigging up something that is "close enough"?

My idea is simply this: get a low-voltage DC power source, such as an old PC power supply.  Get a DC-DC converter to step that 12V up to something in the 80V range.  Assemble a bank of capacitors to get me in the neighborhood of a theoretical 12V load dump..  which from what I can tell is in the hundreds of joules range.  Once charged, simply connect it to the battery input of the device - which wouldn't be connected to an actual power source lest I want to potentially screw that power source up - and see if explodes, and if not, see if it works normally afterwards.

Does this sound like the dumbest idea you've ever heard?  Is it a somewhat decent idea that simply needs a lot of planning and number checking to in order to work roughly as intended?


Question: Textures appearing different in Edit and Object mode
Answer: If, for some reason using the mirror modifier on the mesh doesn't work (for example, if you want a different placement for each of the two front legs, or you want one ear standing upright at a different angle than the other, while I'm not aware of a way to mirror textures, with some forethought, you can map different parts of the mesh into the same part of the texture. As example, you would eliminate one of the eyes, and one of the white spots in the texture, and map both eyes into one eye, and the insides of both ears into the same parts of the texture. You could also reduce the size of the other brown and white hues in the texture, and map multiple parts of the mesh onto those as well.