Possibly not Re: Isolation Transformer Question

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "davep by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <davep-at-quik-dot-com>


> While dumpster diving and checking vacant lots for
> good garbage, I found a working Best Power Technology
> Citadel Line Conditioner. I was hoping it was a UPS
> but it wasn't. It appears to be an isolation
> transformer of some sort with a 12 uF pfc capacitor.


	Almost certainly something else:
	A Ferroresonant Line Voltage Stabilizer.
	May or may not isolate input from output.
	(ohmmeter check to be sure.)
	If so, the cap is not PFC (tho might be recycled as
	such). but resonates one of the windings, and
	ends up stabilizing the output voltage (tho the
	wave form ends up NOT sinusoidal....)
	Intended to soak up slow sags and (slow) surges,

> The core is about the size of a big NST and has three
> sets of windings. It's only rated at 630 VA, but could
> probably be driven harder for short runs.


	These tend to react in nonobvious ways to
	overloading.

	(I have read descriptions of how they work
	in detail, many times & Can NOT get my mind
	around them well enough to try to explain.

 	(do you hear frustration?   8)>>)

	)


> My question is whether this would be of any value in
> isolating any nasties coming from an NST. If so, do I
> hook it up in reverse or normal? If not, at least I
> got a good cap.


	I'd use it direct.  I think it will NOT overload,
	as it will current limit.  (They are neat gadgets,
	stabilizing against voltage variation without
	moving parts...  The cap resonates with the
	'tertiary' winding, i think at 60Hz.  SOMEhow
	the thing recovers (stored energy from the tank?)
	on sags, soaks it up on surges.  Drives the
	core in and out of saturation, IIR.

	Isolation (as isolation transformer) may or may not
	be there, probably is.  Isolation transformer, as such,
	may or may not isolate against HF strays: these tend to
	couple via interwinding stray capacitiance.  Need an
	interwinding shield to block, usually with added
	filters.  (this gadget may or may not have such....)

	best
	dwp