Re: Oil Burner Ignition Transformers

To: tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Oil Burner Ignition Transformers
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 23:45:33 -0500
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net
Subject:  Re: Oil Burner Ignition Transformers
  Date:   Sun, 11 May 1997 16:12:31 -0400 (EDT)
  From:   "Daryl P. Dacko" <mycrump-at-cris-dot-com>
    To:   Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>


At 12:19 AM 5/11/97 -0500, you wrote:

>I have come to realize that there is some misinterpretation as
>to what an oil burner ignition transformer really is and how it 
>should be used.
>
>First let me point out that there are two types of oil burner 
>ignition transformers currently in existence. The older units
>which are contained in a metal box approximately 5 inches X 4 inches
>X 3 inches and are designed for continuous duty and IF used properly 
>are damn near indestructible! Then there is the newer units that are 
>much smaller and sometimes not even enclosed in any casing, these are 
>NOT designed for continuous duty and are USELESS in terms of usage in 
>a Tesla coil. 
>
>Now to describe what the older oil burner ignition transformers are
>and how they should be used. An oil burner ignition transformer is
>a regulating transformer just like a pole pig is and as such MUST
>be used with a series limiting inductance in it's primary circuit or 
>you will indeed burn it out! This is because a regulating transformer 
>attempts to maintain a constant output voltage by pulling more 
>current when it is under load. In a Tesla coil the H.V. transformer 
>for all intents and purpose is short circuited, which for a 
>regulating transformer means it is going to try and pull an infinite 
>amount of current and burn itself out in the process. By comparison a 
>neon sign transformer is NOT a regulating transformer for if it were 
>it would either burn out itself or destroy the neon tube it was 
>connected to. This is why neon sign transformers do not need any
>current limiting inductance when used to drive a tesla coil. You
>can add some variable inductance to a neon transformer to allow
>you to operate your coil a various power levels but it is not 
>required to protect the transformer. In an oil burner transformer
>and with pole pigs you MUST current limit their primaries or you
>will either burn out the transformer or in the case of a pole pig you 
>may burn out the mains.

It's pretty obvious that there must be quite a few diffrent types of oil
burner transformers available.

All the OBT's I've used were self-regulating, just like a neon
transformer. All were rated at 23 Ma., and were desgined to run
all day long keeping the flame lit in fuel oil furnaces.

Let's keep comparing notes and see what we come up with !

Daryl