RE: Re: Cascading Transfo

To: tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com
Subject: RE: Re: Cascading Transfo
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Tue, 06 May 1997 15:38:16 -0500
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net

Subject:      RE: Re: Cascading Transfo
       Date:  Mon, 05 May 1997 16:13:44 GMT
       From:  robert.michaels-at-online.sme-dot-org (Robert Michaels)
Organization: Society of Manufacturing Engineers
         To:  tesla-at-pupman-dot-com


Esteemed Malcolm:

        You are absolutely correct -- and not.

        When an engineer sits down to design a transformer, he can
        if he wishes, design in a certain amount of current/voltage
        regulation or limiting.  This is accomplished by controlling
        the impedances of the primary and secondary.

                Note that this is =not= the same as designing a
                constant-voltage transformer nor the same as using
                an air gap or shunt in the core.

        Commercial (and especially mass-produced) transformers are
        often designed to a price point or to maximize use of existing
        stocks of iron and/or copper - or both.

        So -- a power transformer from a low-end, discount-store tv
        is quite apt to be a different breed of cat from one designed
        for high-level military or aerospace application.

                                - - - - - - -

        In any of the experimental cascading of which I've written,
        it's certainly wise to externally limit the voltage and/or
        current  (as with a Variac and/or resistance in the 120-v
        primary) until one understands the dynamics of the particular
        set-up.   But of course this applies to most any high-voltage
        work:  Wanton slamming on of full power is quite apt to have
        unhappy results.

                                        Properly cautious in --
                                        Detroit, USA

                                        Robert Michaels