Current Limiting

To: "'Tesla List'" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Subject: Current Limiting
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 1998 16:51:06 -0600
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net

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From:  FutureT-at-aol-dot-com [SMTP:FutureT-at-aol-dot-com]
Sent:  Friday, January 30, 1998 10:32 AM
To:  tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject:  Re: Current Limiting

In a message dated 98-01-30 00:57:07 EST, you write:

<< snip
>If I understand it correctly - the idea behind reactive or resistive
> loads is to place an IR drop in series with the pig, such that when
> the current reaches a certain point, the IR loss prevents it from
> rising further [I know, the wording sucks, but the idea is 
> clear, I hope]
  >>

Michael,

The above is true for resistive ballasting, but for reactive ballasting,
it is true only when the spark gap is firing.  When the caps are
charging, a reactive ballast actually can increase the current flow,
due to resonant charging, in which the inductive reactance of the 
ballast "neutralizes" the capacitive reactance of the caps and 
current flow is limited only by wire resistance, etc.  Many coilers
prefer not to use resistive ballasting exclusively because of the
amount of power that is wasted in the ballast.

John Freau