Re: Cheap parts for high-power resistive ballast (for pole transformer). (fwd)

["High Voltage list" <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: <sroys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 17 May 2005 13:21:09 EDT
From: Esondrmn@xxxxxxx
To: hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Cheap parts for high-power resistive ballast (for pole
    transformer). (fwd)

 
In a message dated 5/14/05 6:40:46 PM Pacific Daylight Time,  
hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx writes:

Howdy,  hvlist,

In addition to some Tesla coiling, I'd like to do  some
ridiculously high-powered Jacob's laddering :)  I'm
shooting  for 30kVA.  Unfortunately, I don't feel like
investing much (in time  or money) in a big inductive
ballast.  Instead, I thought I'd just  install six or
eight hot water heater elements in a cheap metal  trash
can (filled with water, of course), then use some big
relays to  put them all in parallel so that I could
fire the thing up with only a  single element in line,
then bring the others in one at a time until  I'm
running at full throttle.  Sound workable?  I could
even  install a faucet in the side of the trash can so
that the thing could be  made light and portable on
short notice (great for Teslathons).  Now  on to the
question:  Is there something cheaper that might
provide  the same functionality?  Amazingly, hot water
heater elements appear  to be relatively non-cheap. 
I've seen a few tempting bulk lots go by on  eBay, but
they were threaded in an odd way that made me suspect
they'd  be difficult to work with.

Should I just get a spool of nichrome wire,  some
cinder blocks, and a box fan? :))

73,
Aaron,  N7OE


Aaron,
 
I built  a similar set up for resistive ballast for my 5 kva pole  
transformer.  I bought used oven elements at a surplus store (Goodwill, St.  Vincent 
dePaul, etc.)  They were very cheap, maybe $2.00 each.  I used  six of them and a 
series of normal light switches to connect them all in  parallel.  They do 
get real hot with 20 to 30 amps going through  them.  Use intermittently with a 
fan.
 
Ed Sonderman