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Re: Power factor correction



Original poster: "Mike" <mike.marcum@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

It sounds like a smallish pig powered one. Hard to describe, easier to show when I get an avi of it (where do I upload those again?). 15/60 nst ones were ok when I was in high school, but kinda outgrowed those (not as much of a "wow" factor). Probably same reason people keep building bigger and bigger coils till they hit the limit of the electrical service (or budget, whatever happens first). Eventuallly after this thing is oiled I'm gonna move it to the basement where I can use the 240v 60A outlet, (close to120A with pfc). May have to move the ladder itself outside at 125kV and 230+ mA (125 obits). The transformer is rated at 45 kVA (tho I don't believe the original nameplate since the core/coils weigh in at 120 lbs). May even put a mmc in series with the hv side so it makes a louder roar and a loud crack (boom at this level?) when the arc breaks at the top. Did that with a 8-mot stack and a string of 8 microwave caps, was awesome to see and hear, but toasted my mots (outer 4) even under hydraulic fluid (back in '95 and before I knew of the TC list) after about 5 min run time. Found a cheapish source of 100uF motor run caps, better than hunting down 1500+ free microwave caps for the pfc. Eventually I'm gonna break down and buy this to milk every watt out of it http://www.tequipment.net/pdf/Amprobe/ACD40-41PQ.pdf .

Mike

PS- Wish it was 34kW, but it's only 3.4 kW atm. (probably closer to 1.7 kW, the 38kV out drops to about half that when it's arcing, why I need the pfc, actually pulling 3.4kW at the plug).

----- Original Message ----- From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 12:06 AM
Subject: RE: Power factor correction


Original poster: "Dave Halliday" <dh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

He is not talking "modest"

Your Jacobs Ladder makes a nice bzzzzzzrt, bzzzzzzrt, bzzzzzzrt sound
(at 3,000 Watts) while I bet that his sounds like a large wolverine in
heat. I have one from a 15KV 60MA (9,000 Watts) neon transformer that
sounds wonderful and I can only imagine what something running at 34KW
would be like.



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla@xxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2006 8:37 PM
> To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: Power factor correction
>
>
> Original poster: Skip Malley <skip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Am I missing something?
>
> An ideal transformer for a modest Jacob's ladder is an oil burner
> transformer of the 10KV / 30mA type.  To do a Jacob's ladder thing,
> that is the best XFMR to use.  For that, there also is no need for
> ballasting.  An oil burner transformer is designed to produce a
> continuous spark.
>
> Any Jacob's ladder that I have made draws about 3 amps from the 120V
> AC line with NO ballasting using an oil burner transformer.
>
> An X-Ray transformer is the wrong transformer for your application.
>
> Skip
>
> At 07:26 PM 6/19/2006, you wrote:
> >Original poster: "Mike" <mike.marcum@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >
> >I was making a Jacob's ladder with a dialed-down/ballasted x-ray
> >transformer (83v 41A in atm, limited by the 30A breaker and dry atm
> >'till I build a tank and vacuum it, ebay special so was shipped ups
> >dry to save shipping). Close to 38kV and 90 mA out (making a
> >mean-looking 12" arc). I wanted to power factor correct this so I
> >can pull more current without popping the breaker (or frying my 20A
> >variac). What I don't know is what the starting pf is without
> >measuring it (good pf DMM's I've seen are $250+). Most nst's use .5
> >as a rule of thumb for correcting those. Could this setup be
> >considered as a big nst? If so I think I need 1526uF that won't
> >change as the current/voltage go up as long as the ballast stays the
> >same (unless I goofed on the math somewhere).
> >
> >PS - The ballast is 2 E cores from old C & H sales 4500v
> >transformers with about 5 lbs 10awg and 2" spacers (draws like 8A at
> >83V with no gap) between them if that makes a difference.
> >
> >Mike
>
>
>
>
>