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Re: Inductive Ballasting

 * Original msg to: usa-tesla-at-usa-dot-net

Quoting mrbarton-at-ix-dot-netcom-dot-com (Mark Barton)

> I have had great success by winding large gauge stranded wire around a
> 4 inch dia. phenolic or PVC tube about 3 feet long.  Close winding a 
> few layers is usually enough.  A straight core is raised and lowered
> in  and out of the tube by pulley means to regulate the inductance and 
> hence the power draw.  It is almost impossible to saturate a straight 
> core.

Well Mark, Ed Sonderman and I were wondering if anybody else had tried
this. It seems that three of us in the other group had happened upon the
same idea, and in fact I posted the exact same dimensions as you just
gave.

For a core I had suggested buying a spool of bailing wire, then cutting 
the wire into 3 foot lengths. The sections would be lightly coated with
secondary sealer, tightly bound in a few spots with some friction tape,
inserted into a 4" diameter ABS plastic tube, and potted with epoxy to
prevent vibration. You can find four inch ABS and PVC pipe that will
telescope fairly neatly, so the winding can be wound on the larger tube
and can be coated with sufficient thickness of sealer to pot the winding
to prevent loosening. Since we already had some resitive ballast in the
circuit, and the arc welders pretty much opened up all the way, I figured
one layer of winding would provide enough inductive ballast to do the job
we needed.

Questions:

1) How much does your core weigh? so we have an idea of how many pounds
of wire to purchase.

2) How many actual turns of winding are on the coil, and how many layers?

Appreciate your input here.

Richard Quick




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